Rain, Bathtubs, Angst, Betrayal and Cuteness Overload In The New ‘Oh My Venus’ Trailer

Not one, but TWO oppas were needed, for this sleeping giant to be awaken. For a refresher, see my ‘Hello!’ (not from the other side 😀 ) post. Now, where was I? Ah right, two oppas. My favorite drama is “History of the Salaryman” and my second fave is “Master’s Sun”. Wait, is it Christmas already? Because it surely feels like it. Sooo…I saw the ‘Oh my Venus’ trailer, so that you don’t have to! OK, who am I kidding, you HAVE to see it and it’s here, in all its goddess glory!

Now, now, trailer – you DON’T put a bathtub scene of So Ji-sub within the first minute. It  totally messed with me, especially since I didn’t even have time to bring the drool bucket. Anyway, let’s get down to business and do a quick recap, which is just a poor excuse for me to post screencaps.

We go back in time, 15 years ago, when Kang Joo-eun (Shin Min-a) was a highschool girl turning heads with her beauty. 15 years later + a little bit of ballet, and we have a whole new setting. Are they recreating  ‘Swan Lake’ in the court room?

LOOK AT THOSE HEADPHONES! And yeah, let’s pretend he can hear the music even if he is wearing them over his beanie.

Hello, boy trio! How can the synopsis say that Kim Young-hoa (So Ji-sub) is a world-famous trainer, yet he seems to be covering himself and escape from the press, as if he was trying to hide his identity? Is he the Banksy of fitness training?

LOOK AT THAT BEAUTIFUL SUNRISE!

Why can’t we ever have normal flights in K-dramas? Why is it that there is always something happening? Why can’t no one say: “I just landed at Incheon and my flight was smooth and on time!” ? But no, it’s always: “I got pushed on the aisle, went to the bathroom where I hit my head on the sink during a turbulence and when I came back to my seat, a bag fell on me, I fainted and some guy took my clothes off. Oh and did I mention that a woman gave birth on the same flight?”

This is not an orgasm. I think.

Why, hello, dear hubby Jung Gyu-woon. Jerk. Honest to God, I think I will have to double check to see if he’s not rehashing the exact same lines from Birth of a Beauty. Plus, extra hand p0rn bonus that no one asked for.

Pajamas and rain don’t make a good combination. Did I already mention that my man is a world-class douchebag, sleazeball, jerk and overall human junk? Character-wise, character-wise, of course!

But where did I see this before? Ah, right. And the fact that it’s the same jerk, who happens to be my forever oppa, is totally mindfu–ing with me.

I have no idea what they are saying, but I bet it’s something that has to do with him being a heir or whatever. Because you can’t be a world-class fitness trainer, if you don’t have an angsty chaebol second life, with very bad people who are trying to take your money and a reluctant granny.

Let’s pretend this is not a product placement for the latest LG, probably yet-unreleased model. Because this is how k-dramas roll.

Our protagonist sees my man-jerk with his new girl and feels distraught. Cute Cinderella-ish moment though. Awww, knight So Ji-sub to the rescue!  Reminded me of Master’s Sun, when TGS is at a dinner with her ex-classmates (I think? Haven’t seen that scene in years 😛 ) and she is feeling embarrassed because her man is not showing up. Until…he does and JJW (So Ji-sub) saves the day again.

Speaking of Master’s Sun, does this k-drama know the meaning of the word ‘sun’?

Then she has a conversation with the mistress? Where did I see this before x 2? But she’s grabbing the knife – you go girl! Not that I approve violence or anything, but I like to see the heroine having some spunk in her and not letting herself get trampled on.

Sooo, underground basement trainer by night, entrepreneur by day? And I am guessing that Kim Young-ho (So Ji-sub) is secretly training Jang Joon-sung (Sung Hoon), because he’s VIP of course, and Kang Joo-eun (Shin Min-a) threatens to reveal everything to a publication? It’s times like these I wish I knew Korean. It’s a win-win though – I like my men in suits, but I also like them without suits.

This is not an orgasm. I think x2.

Adorbs!!!!!!!! And the song is catchy.

Look at the puuurtty cast! Although I am questioning the show for giving my man a hairstyle with devil horns on the forehead. Although I guess it’s appropriate? You’re my beautiful, beautiful lady. Beautiful, beautiful lady…You’re welcome for the earworm.

You can stay under my umbrella-ella-ella-e-e. You’re welcome for this earworm too.

COMMENTS

Ever since they announced the cast, I was spazzin’. I like/love the main leads involved, but when I realized that it’s yet ANOTHER k-drama dealing with weight gain/loss, my world crushed. Seriously, Korea, what is your problem? Everybody – you are all fine just the way you are! Well, as long as your lifestyle isn’t life-threatening or something, but that’s not the point. As a matter of fact, Korea has one of the lowest obesity rates in the world (4%) and I wish K-dramas would stop suggesting that 1) if you have a little bit of fat, you can’t possibly be attractive, 2) attractiveness is strictly limited to looks and 3) if a woman is successful, she needs to be “punished” by making her lose her looks/boyfriend. It’s not that these things don’t happen in real life, but K-dramas are on overload with this thematic. I tried to forget about the plot and then – MY MAN Jung Gyu-woon was cast. I got really excited, because I ❤ both JGW and SJS, but then – the plot got in the way of my feels again.

No matter how much the producers try to tell us that this show isn’t attempting to judge people or to suggest that beauty is on the outside, I can’t help but wonder then why have this issue at all? Why even mention the weight, the diet, the fitness trainer? Why add the fake cheek fat and all that? If she wouldn’t be self-conscious about her weight, the plot wouldn’t move forward, because she wouldn’t need the trainer’s help. As someone who is trying to lose weight herself, I get the struggles, the lack of self-esteem, the self-loath. But why push that kind of storyline over and over again?

But, anyway, rant over – here is the good stuff. Because there is plenty! First things first – the cast. I wanted SJS and JGW to work together for quite a while and…IT’S HAPPENING! Too bad though that there won’t be any bromance involved, but I just hope that my man will have a more nuanced character. Sure, he’ll be a jerk, but I am hoping for something more than just a stock character and a carbon copy of his Birth of a Beauty one, where he is mostly a puppet for other more powerful players. I wish he would take a break from playing bastards – he’s been on a streak since God’s Gift and when it comes to doing those kind of cute puppy-dorky characters, HE’S SO GOOD AT IT, so it’s sad to see him wasted. But who knows, maybe he’ll have more meat here. It would be a nice change if he wouldn’t justify his cheating/breaking up on her changing looks or because, you know, she was working so much! It’s a tad hypocritical to have men in k-dramas split over the woman working too much, while they can have their chaebol lifestyles and get away with it.

The ladies are just as fine. To my disgrace, I have yet to see a k-drama with Shin Min-a, but me thinks that DramaPenchant really likes her, so I’ll trust her on that. I have vague memories of her in A Bittersweet Life. I definitely see chemistry there with So Ji-sub, who seems to be in his element. I know Yoo In-young from “Wonderful Mama” and while she wasn’t my favorite character ever, I think the one she’ll play here will be more suitable for her talent.

Definitely, its biggest drawback is also its biggest plus at the same time. The fat they added on Shin Min-a looks natural. She is chubby at best – still adorable and not exaggerated, in a way that the whole world would mock her or run away from her. This is why it bugs me that they made SJS a fitness trainer – because you didn’t even need that kind of angle. Also, there are things going on between her and So Ji-sub’s character before even going through the whole dieting. I love the fact that he looks caring and is protecting her, just as she is. When he poses as her boyfriend to save her from the embarrassment of bumping into a revolving door, with her ex and the mistress/new girlfriend present, it was so sweet and cool. Burn, Gyunnie, burn!

Besides, dieting is a process – unlike other k-dramas and movies where plastic surgery is involved, it won’t instantly make you lose 50 pounds, unless they have a massive FlashForward, which I hope they won’t. It’s something that takes a loooot of time and I even hope that maybe in the end she won’t even lose weight at all and we won’t see a ‘slim’ version of her. Plus, being a process means that there is plenty of time for the leads to get to know each other and kindle :). I wish that her motivation won’t have anything to do with her ex and that she won’t go through it just to make him jealous. I want her to go: Hey, you know what? Eff it, I just found this hottie trainer and I kinda want to lose some weight and feel happier. Not: OMG my ex will want me back after he’ll see me with less pounds!! It’s one thing to have an inner motivation for that and another one to want to prove something to someone. Because cheating doesn’t quite work like that. Those who cheat on their partners and who have been in a longtime relationship don’t go like: Hey, I just realized after 15 years that you are kinda chubby, so we better split!  Sometimes, it’s the boredom of the routine, other times because people want to have their cake and eat it too. Or sometimes, it’s simply in their nature to be jerks, as I hope it’s the case with  Im Woo-shik (Jung Gyu-woon). I actually want a twist (if you can call it like that) where he either says that looks had nothing to do with his choice or that he had a cheating past, ever since she was younger. He fell out of love (if he ever was in love) – let’s pretend  that he wasn’t a materialistic d*ck with her, and just acted like an overall bastard because that’s what he is, mway?

Kang Joo-eun (Shin Min-a) is bumbly – and this comes from someone who hurt her toe badly around 4 years in a row (glass shatters, bathroom slip and deep cut, black toe), so I am a part-time bumble  – but the trailer doesn’t necessarily suggest that she is also hapless or miserable, apart from the failed relationship. I can’t take another show where everyone is bullying the lead for her looks. Actually – and I hope I am right – So Ji-sub is the only one who has a WOW reaction to her weight, but that’s quite justifiable for the job he has, which makes him more sensitive and judgmental to this at first sight, since he has different standards.

It’s so wrong, but I really had an internal cheer when I saw her grabbing that knife and then getting in the car, as if she was slapping herself back to reality. Girl, don’t let them bring you down! Show ’em what you’ve got!

All in all, I feel/hope/want to have a great time with ‘Oh my Venus’ and to see everyone on their game. While Gyunnie is my forever oppa, it will be nice not to have conflicted feelings and have a clear winner whom to root for (So Ji-sub).

‘Oh my Venus’ premieres on KBS2 next Monday, 16th of November, at 21:55 and it will run for 16 episodes, on Mondays and Tuesdays.