Bad Love
aka Cruel Love
Cast
Kwon Sang Woo as Kang Yonggi
Lee Yo Won as Na In Jung
Kim Sung Soo as Yi Suhwan
Kim Ga Yun as Kang Julan (Suhwan’s wife & Yonggi’s half sister)
Cha Ye Reon in dual roles as Yi Sinyeong and Joanne (Yonggi’s first love)
Song Ok Sook as Lee Jin Soo (Julan’s mother)
Kim Chang Wan as Hwang In Soo
Park Geun Hyung as Kang Woo Taek/Chairman Kang (Yonggi’s father)
Choi Yong Min as In Jung’s father
Yoo Ji In as In Jung’s mother
Park Eun Hee as Park Chansuk
Choi Sung Min as Yoon Sil Gang
Kim Min Jung as Suhwan’s mother
Kim Hyang Gi as Suhwan’s daughter, Miso
Preamble
Finally, the hunger pang for fans of Kwon Sang Woo is met in this romantic series. Well, Kwon did not disappoint. He's as dishy good looking and ever the mischievous lover boy. [Selfishly, I am sad that Kwon is getting married in September this year.]
Right at the beginning when the drama opens, we see a very sexy smooching scene in a glass lift between lovers Yonggi and Joanne.
Another exciting daring act follows soon after in the opening episodes when the unmarried Na In Jung and Yi Suhwan daringly makes love in a yacht named "Shangri-la 1".
Seriously, Cruel Love is one K-series where adult themes are daringly projected for the mass audience. This, I think, is an adventure itself because the storyline is as realistic as life is now these days, for example, extra-marital affairs and sex before marriage.
Cruel Love also spouts many philosophical statements. I think Suhwan gets to say many of these statements. For example, when Suhwan broke free from his father-in-law's company and went climbing, he learned "that the person I become is my responsibility and mine alone." He also learned "that it takes a long time to become the person I want to become." Another time Suhwan said to his father-in-law, "Suspicious events don't make people suspicious, but it is suspicious people who create suspicious events." Bravo, great statements.
Synopsis
Na In Jung is a cellist. She meets Kang Yonggi at a celebratory party where she plays the cello for for the hosts who are friends of her parents. At the time of their initial meeting, Yonggi is in a relationship with Joanne but their relationship is not met with approval by Yonggi's father.
Then In Jung, while walking a maze in a park, meets Yi Suhwan. It is love at first sight for them. The sad thing is Suhwan is already married to Kang Julan (Yonggi's half sister). Suhwan and Julan's relationship is on the rocks. They stay together because Suhwan is eyeing his father-in-law's position in the company. Soon after they met Suhwan and In Jung made love in a yacht. From all that is happening, it appears they are truly in love with each other. But love is cruel, and soon it comes time for Suhwan to tell In Jung the truth. Unknown to Suhwan, In Jung conceived a child by him but she miscarried. When Kang Julan comes to know of their relationship she goes to the concert hall where In Jung is practising with her fellow classical concert mates. Julan made a ruckus there and hit In Jung with her cello. With her hand hurt, In Jung could no longer play the cello. In fact, she gave up a musical stint in Paris all because she loved Suhwan.
After the breakup, In Jung goes off to a small village and set up a shop selling fried chicken. It is at this point that she meets the wanderlust Yonggi again. As fate has it, In Jung and Yonggi falls in love. At first In Jung is reluctant to get into a relationship because of her past. Through Yonggi's encouragement to forget the past and to face the future with hope, she accepts him. In Jung's father also plays a part in getting her to be healed of her past hurt. "You need to stop hating so you can move on," In Jung's father said to her. Things come to a head when Yonggi introduces In Jung to his family members. At the house, In Jung realizes that Suhwan is Yonggi's brother-in-law. From that point on it is a long and very tiring chase by Yonggi to get In Jung back. By all accounts, the senior Chairman Kang is keeping the top position for his heir, Yonggi, who was born out of wedlock and whose mother has never accepted by Julan's mother.
Following the knowledge of the past relationship between In Jung and Suhwan by family members, a storm brews at home and at work. At that time Chairman Kang dies. After his father's death, Yonggi decides to take over his father's business. Enter Yi Sinyeong, a lady who looks very much like Yonggi's ex-girlfriend who had committed suicide years earlier before he met In Jung.
Cruel love is of love and hatred, confusion and dilemma, meeting and parting, longing and regret, compromise and forgiving. It is also of broken promises made good.
In the words of Suhwan to In Jung when he first met her at a maze park "Life is like a giant labyrinth maze. We walk around in confusion. We do not know answers so we walk about in confusion."
Be warned: don't let the cruel title deceive you because at long last we have a complicated K-drama love story that ends on a happy note. Bravo.
Actors
Kwon Sang Woo as Kang Yonggi. He is so dishy looking and has a great body with packs in the right places. He has style and is ever the lover boy. He cries on cue and his expressions, whether in love, or out of love, are superbly crafted. As a man in love, he does wonderful and creative things for his girlfriend. As a lovelorn man, he has the expression of someone lost and in need of being loved. As a man spurned of love, he can be cruel, immature and unforgiving.
Lee Yo Won as Na In Jung. Personally I do not think Lee is pretty. Initially I thought the series could do with a prettier lady. To be fair though I must say Lee did improve in appearance after a while. I feel she looks better after Episode 11 onwards. For her role, she acted well enough to show the tiredness and the hardship that she had been through. The clothes that she wore, however, were frumpy and could do with an update. Sure, she is not worldly or rich but I think she could at least dress better to make it more realistic that handsome and rich guys like Yonggi and Suhwan would look twice at her.
Kim Sung Soo as Yi Suhwan. I think he did a great job as a sacrificing son-in-law. He is a fair contrast to Kwon with himself not too bad looking too. In fact I thought he looks good in his memorial photograph. His smile and his set of white teeth are worth noting in that photograph. He has style as a corporate honcho and is definitely a good catch for a lover. He is portrayed as reserved, quiet and a thinking person who buries his emotions deep within. It is a wonder he is able to keep all emotions in check after he discovers that his wife is having an affair with his old schoolmate who is working under him. Of course, he is also smitten by his own guilt of adultery not to say anything nasty to his wife. By this, I think credit should be given to him as a reflective person who is not out to hurt anyone. His pride is hurt when his father-in-law thinks he is not fit to assume the top position in the company.
Kim Ga Yun as Kang Julan. Julan is portrayed as a spoilt child, often angry and aggressive, an unloving wife and a woman with a psychological problem. Much as she said many times that she loves Suhwan, she did not make moves to express that love. Instead, she goes on a fling with Suhwan's worker. Julan gets to wear good looking clothes for her role as the rich daughter of Chairman Kang. Ga Yun is pretty in her own right; in fact I find she has a cute babyish face.
Cha Ye Reon in dual roles as Joanne (Yonggi’s first love) and Yi Sinyeong also has a baby face. She is not exactly pretty but she does have a foxy look and with a twinge of evil in her eyes. She is not downheartedly evil; she only goes out to get what she wants.
Endearing scenes
1. The memorable sexy smooching between Yonggi and Joanne in a glass lift.
2. The tender love making in a yacht between In Jung and Suhwan.
3. In Jung and Suhwan's walk in a maze. The park is beautiful.
4. The man-to-man talks between Yonggi and Suhwan, between Suhwan and his father in law, between Yonggi and his best friend from abroad.
5. Some funny scenes between In Jung's foster uncle and auntie.
6. And of course, the handsome looking Kwon Sang Woo (as Kang Yonggi) with his twinkling eyes, dimpled smiles and tears.
7. Finally, the affable Kim Sung Soo (as Yi Suhwan) whose looks grow become pleasing as the drama unfolds.
Definitely worth watching! I've said it, and will say it again, bravo for the happy ending despite the cruel title. For this I give it full marks. That's how love should be portrayed. Enough of soapies with extremely sad ending of unrequited love. Thanks for this production, KBS.
