Park Shi Yeon | thundie's prattle

Yesterday was a special day for this blog because… (*drum roll*) the number of total hits crossed 500,000. That’s half a million!

To commemorate this milestone, Thundie’s Prattle is giving away two English-subtitled DVD sets of Story of a Man. This drama was many people’s choice for Best Drama of 2009 and I’m not surprised, having recently watched nine episodes (out of twenty) and finding myself thoroughly gripped by the writing and acting. Although the premise of the story is revenge against a psychopathic antagonist (played brilliantly by Kim Kang-woo), the drama is imbued with a familial tenderness that I find touching and affecting. A man (Park Yong-ha in his last drama before his untimely passing this year) vows to avenge the death of his brother (Ahn Nae-sang) but must descend, figuratively, into the pits of hell before he is able to map out a foolproof revenge plan. His opponent, meanwhile, is fighting his own inner demons, even as he presents a seemingly impenetrable and invincible front to the world. Caught between them is a woman (Park Shi-yeon) who loves both men.

Are you piqued? Would you like to win one of the two sets? Here’s how.

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How many Korean dramas do you know that are named after animals? And a carcass-loving, bone-crushing one at that.

Like most people who watch K-dramas, I feasted (and sometimes choked) on the offerings from the three main Korean TV stations: KBS, SBS and MBC. It never occurred to me that I could sample other cuisines until a good friend raved about a certain cable drama and even offered to translate it for our fansub group. So that was how I was introduced to Hyena (tvN, 2006).

Likened by some to Sex and the City, Hyena subverts the premise of the famous American version by having four men (Kim Min-jong, Oh Man-seok, Shin Sung-rok and Yoon Da-hoon) in the lead roles. The drama is frank, funny and smart. Okay, the honesty and humor can be rather risque at times and we don’t even have to wait a whole episode to see a few bed romps.

But you know what? The drama isn’t just about sex. Far from it, in fact. It’s about (male) bonding and falling in love, friendship and family, trust and forgiveness, hopes and fears. You’ll laugh often, but prepare the tissues because you’ll need them. Sometimes you may even find yourself crying and giggling at the same time.

So yes, I love Hyena. Not the spotted version roving the plains and scaring the birds with its blood-curdling laughter, but the one that I savored for sixteen episodes, smacking my lips all the way. Come revisit the first episode with me.

What “altercation” was Teddy privy to in this scene?