My Love Patzzi

Characters:
Yang Song-yi, played by Jang Na Ra
Kang Seung-joon, played by Kim Jae Won
Kim Hyun-sung, played by Kim Rae Won
Eun Hee-won, played by Hong Eun Hee

Synopsis:
Song-yi and Hee-won are both friends and rivals since childhood. Their personalities are as different as night and day; Song-yi is loud and obnoxious, while Hee-won is gentle and sweet. People prefer befriending Hee-won and ignoring Song-yi. When Prince Charming Hyun-sung comes to town, everyone expects him to fall for Cinderella Hee-won, but he seems to find evil stepsister Song-yi more appealing. Perhaps there's more to both girls than first meets the eye. Perhaps Song-yi isn't so mean, or Hee-won, so nice, after all. This is a Korean twist to the age-old fairy tale.

Critique:
If you're a fan of any of the three hotties - Jang Nara, Kim Jae Won, and Kim Rae Won - you'll enjoy it tremendously. The casting director did a good job matching them up for these roles, because essentially they play their natural personalities. For Nara, she's tomboyish with a girlish charm, with her many cute pouts and mean looks. For Jae Won, he plays the cool and collected gentleman of business able to read through people and possessive of a heart of gold. For Rae Won, he's the sunny boy-next-door type who expresses his ardent feelings by pulling the girl's hair and humoring her endlessly.

That is not to say the drama isn't entertaining without the three charmers. Just that, with them, it's so much better.

The story, at 10 episodes, is tight and well-crafted. You won't find yourself bored by side tracks and characters adding nothing to the main storyline. I can count many other serials I've begun watching, only to turn off and put away, never to get to again. Here, brevity has its virtue.

It begins with the 2 girls when they were young. Even then, they're already competing for everything, from toys to playmates. Hyun-sung happened to be the boy Song-yi liked at the time, as Song-yi whispered to friend/foe Hee-won about her intentions to befriend him, only to realize moments later she was cut in line by Hee-won. Song-yi knew then that although Hee-won seemed like a sweet girl, she's really a wolf in sheep's clothing. Little fox, Song-yi nicknamed Hee-won. Hereafter, the sweeter Hee-won smiled to other people, the angrier Song-yi became, and just to spite the world for believing in Hee-won's dishonesty, Song-yi became badder and meaner.

Fast forward to the adult years, when the girls are now around 25. Hee-won works as an office executive at a big amusement park, and invites Song-yi to join as...one of the costumed greeters at the park. The money isn't much, but Song-yi, in need of a job, accepts willingly.

To their surprise, the girls bump into an old friend, Hyun-sung, now a seal-trainer at the park. Some of the old rivalry immediately comes back, as Hee-won puts on the ultra-sweet mask of hers, the saccharine voice complete with demure behaviors. Song-yi, as always, only gets angrier and meaner. Hyun-sung, misunderstanding the girls' true personalities, befriends one and ignores the other. Initially, in fact, he dislikes Song-yi, antagonizing her for her lack of femininity and manners, her loudness, her pig's appetite, her clothes, her hair, everything that made her different from Hee-won.

Somewhere along the line, amidst the constant joking around, the name-calling, the smacks, and lots of other physical goofs, Hyun-sung realizes Song-yi isn't so mean, or bad. They become friends, supportive of each other in sad and happy times, although they still define their friendship with signature loud words and hair-pulling.

This blossoming relationship takes a turn when Seung-joon comes into the picture. He is the son of the amusement park owner who's decided to join the office staff to acquire more working experience. Early on, he gets into an accident involving a parade vehicle only to be rescued by Song-yi. She runs away just as he woozily wakes and sees her face. Prince Charming is smitten and goes on a crusade to search for his true love and savior. His search alerts the attention of Hee-won who instantly becomes envious and does everything she can with her conniving ways to sabotage Song-yi's honor and reputation.

Will Hee-won succeed? Will Prince Charming find his love in Cinderella or the Evil Step sister? Will Hyun-sung's growing feelings for Song-yi be thwarted? Who does Song-yi choose at the end - Seung-joon or Hyun-sung? Throw in a great cast with notable funny characters, particularly Hyun-sung's friend and womanizer Sam-yeol, you have quite a summer daydream of a tale. I find this romantic comedy entertaining, thoroughly watchable, and want to give it a thumb's up to others who are curious.

Favorite scenes:
There're many scenes memorable. I will include only my two favorites.
One, when Hee-won subtly feeds Seung-joon wrongful bits of information about Song-yi to destroy the good impression he has of her, not only does he realize Hee-won's ulterior motive, he returns with an articulate defense that leaves her speechless and humiliated. Hee-won learns that her mask is not invulnerable and there are people who can still read her selfish nature like an open book.

Two, when Song-yi watches a foreign movie and ponders her feelings for both Seung-joon and Hyun-sung. Originally, she clearly sees one as friendship and the other as romance. It is a funny scene of her fantasy playing out with the three of them lying on grass with her arms around both guys, just like in the movie. Song-yi then pounds on her pillow muttering dreadfully that she actually has amorous feelings for both. What a fool she's been to think she had her relationships so clear-cut!