I meant tirade comment 27, not 25.

"I immensely dislike filming episodes so recent to broadcast dates. "

It's a problem with majority of K-dramas, but I think it's even worse when a big budget is attached to it. Asian dramas in general do the live shoot thing, but J-dramas benefit from needing only only to produce 45-55 minutes per week. The workplace culture is different as well. In J-drama, actors rehearse a lot and there's less interaction between crew and actors. Everybody has their job and sticks to it. Often, the idol actors are micromanaged in a scene in order to produce an intended effect. Again, rehearsal is bigger in J-drama, partially because they have the time to do it and they have to do with their 15-20 year old leads.

"But overanalysis and excessive character study is not the norm for your average kdrama actor, and many actors have gone on to admit that it wasn’t until a certain point in their career that they realized what the work truly was, and that they were coasting early on."

And that is what I am saying. Most K-drama actors don't do enough preparation. The live shoot makes it difficult (both Moon So Ri and Jeon Do Yeon talked about how iffy they felt about their TV performances), thus many feel they don't have the and so many young actors go "well, I did my best and that is good enough." The live shoot schedule means that you have to REALLY work hard in order to deliver a great performance. Or even a decent performance. So Ji Sup constantly pestered the director during MiSa to talk about different takes, because he felt he had problems understanding Moo Hyuk's motivations during different parts of the drama. Han Hyo Joo requested take after take after take during both Nonstop 5 and Spring Waltz and freaked out. Then again, so did Song Hye Kyo during Autumn Tale. In fact, SHK has almost never liked anything she's ever done.

@hanaq,

"I think JIW is the A-lister as young actor’s level.. agree with you^^ Anonymous
He is in the same lavel with great young star such as JGS MGY or LMH (great at their generation)"

It's not so much about talent, as it is about pay scale as well as pull with producers. Moon Geun Young was a A-list actress because she had a huge teen fanbase through her movies, and she could pull in box office. Yoon Eun Hye was paid big to do Coffee Prince (again, the relative success of Vineyard Man was huge in making her credible as a legitimate pull), but she wasn't officially A-list until that show's success. And I mean, in terms of commercial power and expectations, YEH is 1st tier A-list now. Her average pay for drama is in the ranks of Ko Hyung Jung, Lee Young Ae, and Choi Ji woo. And that is also why she's fair game for all this criticism. The criticism has been on her acting, but the truth is, the real subtext of the criticism are the ratings, which again aren't bad. If MFL was doing 20s, then the press on the criticism would be mostly quiet.

Lee Min Ho and Jung Il Woo are "rising stars." Again, talent isn't always figured into it. Kim Myung Min has been a critically popular actor for years, but not until the success of Beethoven Virus did KMM become a top tier draw. Even then, I don't know what level of the A-list he is. .

[“They’re on such a time crunch — it’s clearly evident that they are filming the two episodes the week it’s supposed to air”

Normal for majority of K-dramas though. I also think live shoot is why episodes 9 and 10 worked so well for many people. They changed the tone and that connected with many viewers. ]

Yes, normal for K-dramas, but not to the extent of MFL. It started as a live drama since ep.1, when they were chosen to be quick replacements for Magazine Allo. Most other dramas start to become live dramas in the middle, which is why you can feel the quality of the drama drop sometimes in the second half for a lot of dramas.

Ep.9 and 10 worked because of the chemistry between HN and DC finally brewing, not because it was a live shoot.

"Ep.9 and 10 worked because of the chemistry between HN and DC finally brewing, not because it was a live shoot."

Still disagree with that. Writers have been tweaking the HN character and the tone between DC/HN for 2-3 weeks, gauging audience response, and I think they finally got it right for Episodes 9 and 10. That is a function of the live shoot.

"It started as a live drama since ep.1, when they were chosen to be quick replacements for Magazine Allo. "

Not sure what you mean. MFL started filming 3-4 weeks ahead of the initial airing date. That's pretty normal, though admittedly with the type of big budget production here, they really needed more time.

I admire JIW’s guts and I can’t blame him for his frustrations. I stopped watching MFL on the 3rd episode. As a sought after bachelor scion and an activist lawyer with good looks to boot, surely he's not lacking in the self-confidence department. He has uber pedigree and a good husband material. However, his character here is soooo lame compared to the hired butler cum personal assistant (PA). (am not talking about the actors per se but the characters). It’s really a tremendous insult and slap to his face for being outwitted by a hired help with nothing to his name. It’s so out of character. If he’s on a date with someone who belongs to the same social class as he is why invite or allow her PA/driver to be with them. I don’t understand.

This butler started on the wrong footing with the presumably high-handed and biatchy boss. The boss character is not true to form either. She easily gave away her territorial rights. In essence the butler rules the roost because she allowed him to intrude into her life. If being fierce is a defense mechanism only but deep inside she's a softie really, doesn't she have even one friend to call? With her kind of personality, I find it hard to understand why she doesn't have a friend from her own circle whom to confide. If it's a trust issue, why her butler whom she just met, hated initially, and vowed to make his life miserable became her confidant. People in their status are wary of others who don’t belong to same social strata and hired help’s unsolicited advice is frowned upon. There’s definitely no second chance for betrayal of trust; their motive is meticulously dissected for fear of life and kidnapping for ransom. To work in a wealthy estate, applicants pass a rigorous background check before employment, more rigid than working in an office. The butler’s background will surely raise the red flag.

I can somewhat relate to the story since for 11 yrs I’ve been a PA/personal shopper to a rich lady in a premier city in LA. She had a full staff too, a live-in housekeeper, chef, butler, gardeners – the whole 9 yard. She wasn’t spoiled tho’, just a regular lady who grew up in luxury. The staff weren’t trembling when she’s at home which is seldom if at all. They’re socialites, busy attending social and civic functions. During my tenure, I personally assist her during wardrobe fittings but I never hover around her when she has company nor sat down with her during charity functions or in a resto when she meets her friends or relatives. PA’s might be close to the boss but shouldn’t be too close and personal. There’s a bold (not fine) line we shouldn’t cross.

If MFL is patterned somewhat ala Kevin Costner’s Bodyguard, it’s poorly executed. If the actors are hammered by the netizens for bad performance, PD's and scriptwriters shouldn't be exempted. They're part of the package. I don't find JIW opinion as betrayal to his co-workers. Truth really hurts. This might cost him another project but I'm sure he felt so goooood after he voiced his frustrations. I would be too.

From the articles you have posted I think the script is to blame, I think they were probably approached with a premise for the show that promised more than the writer has delivered. Honestly, I think the actors were "conned" into doing this project...I don't think they expected the project to go this way. Something has just felt off about the show from the start. I also think the actors are trying the best they can with what they have to work with.

thnx for the update javabeans....as always i enjoy reading every bit of stuff about MFL let alone the comments from readers here with their own opinions etc. I still enjoy MFL regardless of any changes whatsoever! I admire both YEH & JIW for expressing their sentiments and frustrations about their roles but nobody's perfect so I'm sure the directors, writers are also trying their best to make it work for everybody! Aja aja fighting!

@ColleenF-h,

"I think they were probably approached with a premise for the show that promised more than the writer has delivered. "

Worth nothing that this is the norm. Actors get a synopsis, may see a first draft of a few episodes. They make their decisions then, and there's always a bit of risk.

@belleza:

No wonder Star's Lover failed halfway through. GAH. It was such a story with potential and they made choi ji woo back into her crying role and yoo jitae a confused idk what. T.T can they ever redeem that???? I actually think Star's Lover was CJW's best performance yet. I like her in the start when she was all cool...then she went all wimpy. GAH> GAH> GAH>!!!

I agree with javabeans when she said that korean entertainers have strong work ethic and how they work themselves to death (which i truly worry cause they seem to forget they are human). looking at the number of fainting cases (bae yong joon, kim hyun joong, kim bum, kim joon, onew, choi minhwan...) it's strange if they don't faint. remember BOF? all of them looked like they need sleep that sleep is even incorporated into the plot. XD

i think JIW did a right thing. may not be the wisest thing. but right enough. he's addressing the issues that many kdrama actors face and it's difficult when the character is not written well and they are expect to portray it. and dramas are longer than film therefore their character development is somewhat more complex to unravel. i believe that actors all want to bring great fun to their audience and so they give all they are. but sooner or later, they may just lose their passion and end up doing job for job. then audience suffers. JIW is just addressing the issue out loud. but i believe he's not going to just quit trying. he still maintains that work ethic, just that he wants his character to be more believable. blah characters can ruin great storylines to cliches.

"No wonder Star’s Lover failed halfway through. "

Ah, see, I enjoyed both halves of Star's Lover (SL was one of my favorite dramas of 2008.) I learned about the rewriting issues later, and apparently if you read the novel, the drama could have been so much better. For one thing, she has a drinking problem and had problems with depression before she met him, and the novel goes into that. So, her reaction to their breakup was consistent with her character. Things like that.

The live shoot thing I understand because I used to watch daytime soaps. It's good practice, though, because you as an actor have to constantly think on your feet. And that's why I say that actors like Kim Tae Hee and Jeon Ji Hyun hurt themselves by not doing enough dramas before transitioning to a movie career. Also, shows with elaborate shooting logistics (i.e. high budget) need a lot of time, because often the producer has to scope out locations before the script is fully there. Which is a problem -- you decide that you're going to shoot in an apple orchard, but you haven't really figured out whether it improves the quality of the story. That's what happened with shows like Cain and Abel and BBF and MFL. Melodramas are easier fits for this kind of stuff than comedies.

The love triangle didn't not show fiery sparks at all !!
wasting time, money and talent !!!
Tae youn look like a nerd in that hairstyle. Another Lee Dae Hae's SITUATION.

I fully agree to what Nen has just shared. Adding to that, In my own opinion, the actors' skills have not been fully optimized or simply put - wasted talent, because of poor story progression and to say it bluntly, because of incompetence on the part of the scriptwriter and director. I've watched all of YEH's drama not just once but twice or even more and I love them all. I love her in coffee prince, which is my favorite, although it was a very hard character to portray, she was able to deliver her script with flying colors primarily due to the script writer's and director's clear picture of who the characters are and where the story leads to until the end. You can easily relate to the characters and be one with them, you are able to visualize yourself being in that position, doing the same things and making the same decision. They have tackled a very sensitive issue of homosexuality and same sex relationship but still you'd love it. But In this new drama, there was not even a single episode that i was able to relate to, every scene is dull and simply lifeless. All of the actors are great in their own unique ways but this drama definitely ruined whatever they have invested and gained in the past in terms of their acting skills. I may finish watching all the episodes but it does not deserve a second look.

I agree with ghie9976. I loved Eun hye in Vineyard Man, Coffee Prince, and Goong. This drama..sigh, the script is so weak. I understand if it was just one actor not getting into character, but it seems all of them are having trouble with their characters! They aren't newbie actors! I rewatched the episodes, and you slowly start to see the plot makes no sense. It's just all over the place. For a drama to succeed, the script writing is a HUGE factor for any A-list actor. I hope to see Eun hye and Sang Hyun in new drama very soon! They're both brilliant actors. It's sad seeing tme say they're going to improve and all..when really it's the script that needs the improvement -__-

hello Jung Il Woo!!!!!!!!!!

i don't know that u might read that letter or not.

but i just wanna say that i really like ur acting skill .

and i cannot find ur face book.

have sweet days!!!!!!!!!

i love jung il woo

actually, he looks a lot like joo ji hoon:))

when the first time i met with u in the my fair lady film i immediately fell in love with u..jung ill wo u are a perfect creature that i ever seen before..how hand some u are.if u read my message i hope u wanna answer my question..i just wanna ask to u.do u have special relationship with kim boom??i hope it's not true.i hope that"s gossip is not true..whatever u rae i stay loving u forever...one day i f u can please come to my country,indonesia okey!!!!!!!!!i love u jung ill wo