9/10 is my rating. This is a 2014 South Korean Romantic Drama with 16, 60 minute episodes. Also known as "Lovers of Trot" and "Trot Romance" and "Trot Lovers".
Choi Choon-hee (Jung Eun-ji) has lived a difficult with her mother dying in her young years and her father embroiled in debts from a gambling habit. She finds herself the main income earner for the household too busy earning a living to pursue her dreams. When her father disappears she also now has her younger sister to take care of. With debt collectors barking at her heels, things seem pretty desperate for Choon-hee. One of her greatest outlets is singing Trot at the local noerabangs, a talent she inherited from her late mother (who was a professional signer that released one album before her death). However, someone has been watching Choon-hee, someone who knew her late mother and wants to give Choon-hee a chance to realize her dreams of becoming a famous trot singer. So when down on his luck Jang Joon-hyun (Ji Hyun-woo) becomes available due to a scandal which suspends his successful songwriter/music producer career, that someone seizes the opportunity to enlist Joon-hyun to train the aspiring singer. Joon-hyun is not a fan of trot but he doesn't have many options to break back in to the music scene. Joon-hyun and Choon-hee had met before, and did not think very highly of each other. As they work together toward common goals, love blossoms in this unlikely place. Can Choon-hee realize her dream and change the direction of Joon-hyun's life/career?
I have to say Trot was also not my favorite music. However, Choon-hee's rich, smokey voice had me enjoying this fringe music more and more as the series wore on. I also did not like Joon-hyun in the beginning as he did such an excellent job of playing the spoiled, arrogant super star. Choon-hee's little sister, Choi Byul (Yoo Eun-mi) was a real show stealer. I really enjoyed every scene she was in. Despite having some plot holes and an aspect of the storyline that I am not a fan of, I overall enjoyed this drama immensely and am surprised it does not come up on the majority of lists of good dramas to watch. It received awards the year it came out and I can completely understand why - it has even aged well. Spoilers* There were a lot of plot holes. At the start of the series Joon-hyun is framed in a sex scandal and that is the reason he falls from grace as the "god of music." What was never explained is why? You know the motivation of his manager, he was offered a chance to sing by a rival music company, but you do not know why the people that took him down wanted to bring him down. There was a brief scene where it seemed some executive had something against him but that was nevery fleshed out. It also wasn't clear why his agency did not stick up for one of their top stars more. The reason all the events happened with the parents was not fully explained. It seemed both women were in the car and perhaps shared responsibility for what happened to Choon-hee's mom but it was never fully explained how that all went down. And what role did Choon-hee's father play - they all called him oppa which is typically reserved for close relationships but it wasn't clear if they all went to school together, were all trainees, or just what the relationship of Choon-hee's father was with the rest of the women. It also wasn't clear how Choon-hee's mother died. There were some references that made me infer she died of some sort of illness but I was never completely sure. The chemistry between the male and female leads was over the top. They were the cutest couple. Everyone kept indicating Choon-hee was not all that attractive and I thought she was actually very pretty and cute. Then there was some of the "classic" only in Korean drama things such as the women fall in a pool and for some reason start drowning. There is an accident and Joon-hyun loses his memory and forgets about his love for Choon-hee. And then, when they find out Joon-hyun's mother was involved in Choon-hee's mother's accident the couple, who were about to be married, take a break. And he goes to the USA for a year and doesn't call or write. Then he comes back, his fame restored, but with some attractive female manager on his arm. There are even rumours he is in a relationship with the manager. But then he approaches Choon-hee and she is a little mad at first but then quickly they are back to being a couple as if nothing of that ever happened. I would have liked for her to ask him why he never called or wrote but she did not even do that. But the relationship between the two was so hearwarming and believable I was able to see past quite a few plot holes and still very much enjoy this drama. I would watch this again and highly recommend this underrated drama to others.
Choi Choon-hee (Jung Eun-ji) has lived a difficult with her mother dying in her young years and her father embroiled in debts from a gambling habit. She finds herself the main income earner for the household too busy earning a living to pursue her dreams. When her father disappears she also now has her younger sister to take care of. With debt collectors barking at her heels, things seem pretty desperate for Choon-hee. One of her greatest outlets is singing Trot at the local noerabangs, a talent she inherited from her late mother (who was a professional signer that released one album before her death). However, someone has been watching Choon-hee, someone who knew her late mother and wants to give Choon-hee a chance to realize her dreams of becoming a famous trot singer. So when down on his luck Jang Joon-hyun (Ji Hyun-woo) becomes available due to a scandal which suspends his successful songwriter/music producer career, that someone seizes the opportunity to enlist Joon-hyun to train the aspiring singer. Joon-hyun is not a fan of trot but he doesn't have many options to break back in to the music scene. Joon-hyun and Choon-hee had met before, and did not think very highly of each other. As they work together toward common goals, love blossoms in this unlikely place. Can Choon-hee realize her dream and change the direction of Joon-hyun's life/career?
I have to say Trot was also not my favorite music. However, Choon-hee's rich, smokey voice had me enjoying this fringe music more and more as the series wore on. I also did not like Joon-hyun in the beginning as he did such an excellent job of playing the spoiled, arrogant super star. Choon-hee's little sister, Choi Byul (Yoo Eun-mi) was a real show stealer. I really enjoyed every scene she was in. Despite having some plot holes and an aspect of the storyline that I am not a fan of, I overall enjoyed this drama immensely and am surprised it does not come up on the majority of lists of good dramas to watch. It received awards the year it came out and I can completely understand why - it has even aged well. Spoilers* There were a lot of plot holes. At the start of the series Joon-hyun is framed in a sex scandal and that is the reason he falls from grace as the "god of music." What was never explained is why? You know the motivation of his manager, he was offered a chance to sing by a rival music company, but you do not know why the people that took him down wanted to bring him down. There was a brief scene where it seemed some executive had something against him but that was nevery fleshed out. It also wasn't clear why his agency did not stick up for one of their top stars more. The reason all the events happened with the parents was not fully explained. It seemed both women were in the car and perhaps shared responsibility for what happened to Choon-hee's mom but it was never fully explained how that all went down. And what role did Choon-hee's father play - they all called him oppa which is typically reserved for close relationships but it wasn't clear if they all went to school together, were all trainees, or just what the relationship of Choon-hee's father was with the rest of the women. It also wasn't clear how Choon-hee's mother died. There were some references that made me infer she died of some sort of illness but I was never completely sure. The chemistry between the male and female leads was over the top. They were the cutest couple. Everyone kept indicating Choon-hee was not all that attractive and I thought she was actually very pretty and cute. Then there was some of the "classic" only in Korean drama things such as the women fall in a pool and for some reason start drowning. There is an accident and Joon-hyun loses his memory and forgets about his love for Choon-hee. And then, when they find out Joon-hyun's mother was involved in Choon-hee's mother's accident the couple, who were about to be married, take a break. And he goes to the USA for a year and doesn't call or write. Then he comes back, his fame restored, but with some attractive female manager on his arm. There are even rumours he is in a relationship with the manager. But then he approaches Choon-hee and she is a little mad at first but then quickly they are back to being a couple as if nothing of that ever happened. I would have liked for her to ask him why he never called or wrote but she did not even do that. But the relationship between the two was so hearwarming and believable I was able to see past quite a few plot holes and still very much enjoy this drama. I would watch this again and highly recommend this underrated drama to others.
