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Product Information
Region Code: 1
Picture Format: NTSC
Cast: Ha Ji-Won, Jo In-Sung,
So Ji-Sub, Park Ye-Jin
Release Date: October 10, 2005
Language: Korean
Subtitles: English
Publisher: YA Entertainment
Number of Episodes: 20
Number of Discs: 7
Extras: Stairway to Heaven episode 1,
Two Bookmarks
SRP: $99.99
UPC#: 880604000220
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"... fast moving and balanced, keeping the audience at the edge of their seat." |
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SPCNET.TV
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Description
Following the enormous success of the Korean TV drama series Stairway to Heaven, SBS has done it again with Something Happened in Bali. Now with English subtitles, see why over 40% of the Korean population tuned in to see this heartrending and intense 20-episode TV drama!
Soo-Jung (Ha Ji-Won, Damo, Secret) is an independent spirit with a difficult past, who is in Bali searching for a wealthy man to rescue her. Jae-Min (Jo In-Sung, Spring Days) is wealthy, but is irresponsible, arrogant, and uninterested in business. He is headed for an arranged marriage to Young-Joo (Park Ye-Jin, Four Sisters), but she's not yet over her recent breakup with In-Wook (So Ji-Sub, Glass Slippers), an ambitious man of humbler means.
Young-Joo and In-Wook visit Bali to find some time alone, but they're greeted at their destination by Jae-Min. A tenuous lie averts immediate disaster, and the three embark on a tour of Bali - with Soo-Jung as their tour guide. See how far these people will go to win the zero-sum game of love and greed. Are you ready to find out what happened in Bali?
2004 SBS Awards: Outstanding Actress (Ha Ji-Won) and Outstanding Actor (Jo In-Sung).
2004 Baeksang Awards: Best Actress (Ha Ji-Won), Best Actor (Jo In-Sung), and Best Screenplay.
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Review
I always believe in writing down my thoughts immediately about a drama the moment I finish it (of course for those that doesn't affect me in any way, I can't even begin to start writing). But I am having difficulty penning my thoughts about this one except that I am so confused with the story and I am in love with Jo In Sung (JIS). SBS really know how to dress their men (Remember Lee Byung Hun in ?All-In?)! It really takes a certain kind of attitude for a man to carry off fur, and I have found that with JIS. OK, before I sidetrack too much into my JIS craze, the main reason for catching ?The Bali Story" was actually Ha Ji Won (HJW). I was so touched by her performance in Damo that I had to get more of her (14 episodes for Damo was NOT ENOUGH!).
This review will not be complete without dedicating a large portion to talk about the role of Lee Soo-jung. I think either Lee Soo-jung is purposely made out to be a confused person or HJW put up a really poor performance, because I AM TOTALLY CONFUSED (And I am beginning to think that HJW has a thing for picking roles that requires her to die at the end). What does she wants? Who does she loves? What did she try to achieve? Is it love or is it money? Is she greedy? Does she have any pride or dignity? What kind of a character is Lee Soo-jung? All these questions were spinning in my head as I toll through the night trying to find the answer as I watch the series.
Lee Soo-jung started out as a bubbly and worldly girl (sometimes a little thick skin) trying to make a decent living as a tour guide. But she was resilient and her positive attitude to life makes for an energetic and optimistic person. But all that sunshine is lost the moment she returns to Seoul. On one hand Lee Soo-jung is suppose to be so poor and battered that dignity should not mean anything to her anymore. Yet she is constantly crying and struggling to reconcile her actions with herself. The realities of life has crushed her so much that she will do anything to rid herself of her situation yet sometimes she turns those opportunities away, which makes for a very inconsistent exhibit of character. It can be confusing for the audience (me!) to read her mind and decipher what she wants. The writers had HJW deliberating, going back and forth between her 2 leading men. It almost drove me crazy trying to figure out whom is she going to pick. As I ponder and try to make sense of Lee Soo-jung?s actions, I concluded that she loved both men (at different times). She knows that In-wook is good for her, and she is touched by his sincerity. But Jae-min is the one that she aspires to be with, the dream coming true for her. When she is faced with the surreal truth that Jae-min IS crazy about her, she can?t help but walk that path that she thought she would never have the opportunity to do so.
Soo-jung was able to accept Jae-min?s money shamelessly when she did not love him, but when she finally did give her heart and her dignity to him, she could not accept money from him anymore. And Soo-jung only realised how she felt deep inside after she left with In-Wook to Bali. It is really a strange relationship, and it took me quite some time to begin to comprehend. Many were appalled with Soo-jung's last scene, uttering, "I love you" to Jae-min as she breathes her last while still naked in In-wook?s arms. Yet somehow, I did not feel that Soo-jung was mixed-up in doing so, rather I see it that she finally sorted out how she feels but it was all too late.
Although I really like HJW, I felt the producers should not have cast HJW in this role, as her cute and angelic round face is not really convincing as the poor Lee Soo-jung who is struggling with the realities of life. I also felt that with her superb performance in ?Damo?, the directors were not very successful in bringing her into the role. (And I really hated the fact that they made HJW bawl so much!) The story focused almost completely on the complicated and dark relationships of the 4 main leads. Set in a modern and materialistic cosmopolitan city, ?The Bali Story? depicts a tale of the type of games that people play, how conniving and manipulative humans can be in love or at work. It also shows how each character struggled with what they should do and what they want to do.
I can't even use "a love story" to describe this drama as I can't classify the relationships the leads shared as "love," rather I would term this drama as one about the madness of greed. Greed for money, greed for love, greed for acceptance, greed for freedom. How far can you go to satisfy that greed? Every character in the series had a selfish and dark side that eventually sucked them into a dramatic end that leaves each with nothing but remorse and regret.
My favorite actor in this drama is JIS. He gave an outstanding performance as the arrogant(yet weak!), childish and playful Jung Jae-min. Jae-min is disinterested in his career, and towards the end, I noticed that the usually silly Jae-min showed a flicker of intelligence, and I suspected he behaved in a laissez-faire manner at work to distract his scheming brother. How I wish the writers made Jae-min to be a stronger and smarter person in life, versus focusing this character on Lee Soo-jung alone!
Jae-min loves Soo-jung hopelessly, and it is like an addiction that he can't get rid of. Yet Jae-min does not know how to express his feelings and turn his love into something more beautiful and less destructive. He may be rich but he is equally trapped in a situation that he can't break out from. As he slowly treads the tight rope between sanity and insanity, his obsession slowly gobbles him up and he acts with dire consequences.
JIS is young (23) yet he managed to embody the role of Jung Jae-min from one who is so flawed and so weak into a character is so darn desirable (Drool!). The realistic portrayal of the childish (the comical scenes when he falls asleep on his table and his expressions on his face when his father asks him questions are really brilliant) and mad Jung Jae-min will grip your heart every time he breaks down. Especially the scenes after he gets married, you can just see his mind wearing away as he sees Soo-jung slipping away. You will be moved every time you see him sitting in his office, with tears slowly trickling down and thinking about Soo-jung (How can a love that is so strong turned out so wrong!). JIS really deserves the Baek Sang Award for the best actor with "The Bali Story".
I have never seen So In Sup (SIS) in any drama before this, but his performance was very good as well. When I checked him out prior to watching the series, I thought he wasn't very good-looking (he had such sleepy looking eyes on the VCD cover). But his on-screen charisma impressed me from his first scene (when he was exercising in his Jakarta apartment!), and there was no looking back at the casting decision for the role of Kang In-wook.
Playing the straight faced yet passionate Kang In-wook SIS gave a credible performance against JIS. Jae-min's emotions were much more powerful, explosive and straightforward to deliver. I find Kang In-wook more difficult to execute, as his emotions tend to be hidden and more internal. SIS was able to build that strong protective shield to the character and at times peel off enough for the audience to see the fire inside.
Park Ye Jin (PYJ) really aged for the role of Choi Young-joo, although she is the same age as JIS, she looked the oldest amongst the 4. Her role also requires a fair amount of control, and striking a balance between her cool exterior and that internal rage and jealousy that roars within her as she loses both Jae-min and In-wook. It was amazing that that both male leads were pinning for Choi Young-joo initially but both lost their lives in the end because of Lee Soo-jung. Such a dramatic turn of tides! Perhaps the chemistry between HJW, JJM and KIW were just too over powering that they completely over shadow PYJ's performance.
Although I felt HJW was not well cast in this serial, I must say she looked really compatible with both her leading men, and she sizzles with both of them (which helped to make up for a lot of times I was frustrating during the series). I think that is the main draw that kept the audience going. The writer also toyed with the audience on the "When is Soo-jung going to sleep with Jae-min??" question. I think there were at least 5-6 cliffhangers on that theme towards the middle - end of the series.
Credit should go to the 4 leads for successfully portraying 4 very complicated, confused, dark and somewhat sick characters.
I think this serial is a "should-watch" as the story deviates from the conventional Korean drama. The intensity of the relationships that the leads shared was exceptionally captivating, especially the sexual tension built up between Jae-min and Soo-jung. The pace was also quite fast moving and balanced keeping the audience at the edge of their seat, luring you to chase the story to completion.
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More Information
http://tv.sbs.co.kr
http://www.sbspro.co.kr
http://www.sbspro.co.kr(2)
http://dvdreviews.suite101.com
http://www.hancinema.net
http://www.koreanwiz.org
http://www.spcnet.tv
http://www.spcnet.tv(2)
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