Are you a fan of Korean dramas? What was the first K-Drama that you watched? For me, the first one that I remember seeing on TV was Full House, which starred Rain (Jung Ji Hoon) and Song Hye Kyo. This was such a classic! I can’t help but want to look back and share why I enjoyed it. For me, this is still something for new K-Drama fans to watch today!
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| Credit: KBS |
Plot
The story of Full House is about writer Hang Ji Eun (Song He Kyo), who lives in a house she inherited when her parents died. Her friends scammed her into believing she won a vacation so that she could leave the house. Once she left, her friends then sold the house to famous actor Lee Young Jae (Jung Ji Hoon).
One thing leads to another and Ji Eun ends up living with Young Jae in the house under a contract marriage. They have bickering and funny moments but still manage to pretend to be a married couple. They soon develop a relationship that becomes a friendship that turns into love.
Cast
Apart from the leads, two actors have the most screen time with them: Han Eun Jung and Kim Sung Soo. Eun Jung plays Hye Won, Young Jae’s longtime unrequited love. She is the reason that Young Jae gets into a contract marriage with Ji Eun. Sung Soo plays Min Suk, the man Hye Won is in love with who ends up falling for Ji Eun. They complete this complicated cycle where each is in love with someone who does not love them back.
The cast has such good chemistry with each other. Given how each character is in love with someone else, it was amusing to see how each one developed in the show.
Rain and Song Hye Kyo pull off their roles well. I have seen both actors in other projects, but this is the one that I loved seeing them in the most. I have seen Song He Kyo's other projects, but I have not been a fan of everything, only a select few. As for Rain, I haven't watched any other projects from him since this one. I guess I identify him too much with this role and cannot help but see him in this stereotype.
I remember enjoying this series first as dubbed in Tagalog and aired on local TV. I later watched it with the original Korean audio on Netflix and it felt different. I had a bigger appreciation for their acting when I could listen to the way they talked on the show.
My Review
The story is, to be honest, a bit predictable. The trope of contract/arranged marriages is common in a lot of romantic comedies. What makes stories like this work is when the lead actors have a good rapport with each other. Lucky for this show the two leads for this series had that.
I was a little puzzled by how the premise of the story came about. I remember thinking that it could be that way because it was possible in Korea. But I don’t think that anyone can sell a house that way without the owner knowing it like that. Plus, someone like Young Jae wouldn’t buy property without being sure that all the papers are in order. The logic of that part of the story was a bit off for me.
Another thing that defied logic was how Ji Eun was able to forgive her friends for what they did to her. Yes, she did end up falling for Young Jae in the end, but was that enough? That could have been their saving grace but what they did was still, for me, unforgivable. Ji Eun was too kind, she was almost a too naïve kind of character and that was a bit much.
It was so annoying for me how much of a jerk Young Jae was. It did not help that Min Suk was so kind to Ji Eun and (let’s admit it) more handsome than Young Jae.
I am glad that they explained Young Jae’s attitude later in the show. And he did redeem himself in the end when he fell in love with Ji Eun. But I did not like how hurtful he could be, and it surprised me how Ji Eun still fell for him despite his attitude. I don’t think that would have happened in real life.
Apart from that, the series had a lot of good moments. There were funny moments with the leads bickering, which showed their chemistry. But what made the show touching was when the viewers started to see them falling for each other.
Having supporting characters to complicate their love story was also entertaining. It gave viewers more than the bickering couple to watch. The complications they gave made the story more interesting.
Memorable Moments
I had some favorite scenes in this series. I can’t forget the bears song that Song He Kyo did. That is the first scene that comes to mind when I remember this series. She was so cute when she was doing that!
There was also a scene involving Young Jae teaching Ji Eun how to ride a bike. That whole scene led to them sitting together on a park bench watching the sunset. That is another scene that comes to mind for me when I recall this show. I also remember the song Falling by Janno Gibbs, which was the love theme when it aired in the Philippines.
Apart from the song Falling, the love theme I Think I is also one of the memorable parts of the show. This played several times during the series and hearing it will always remind me of this TV show.
Filipino Remake
There was a Philippine remake of this starring Heart Evangelista and Richard Gutierrez. Heart, who is now known as a luxury fashion influencer and online personality, nailed Song He Kyo’s role well. Richard Gutierrez also did a good job in Rain’s role. Out of all the K-Dramas that were remade in the Philippines, this one was the one I liked the most.
Full House
People might be wondering why the title was Full House. This was because this was what Ji Eun called the house that she lived in.
The show became very popular in Korea and overseas. That house, built for the series, became a tourist attraction. It was one of those places that I had wanted to visit in Korea because of how much I loved the show. Unfortunately, it sustained damage in 2013 due to a typhoon and is no longer around. I heard it cost USD 1 million to build, so it must have been impossible for them to rebuild it for tourism purposes.
Where are They Now?
Song He Kyo
Song Hye Kyo is still acting and has made a lot of good shows since Full House. She is currently one of the top actresses in Korea. She starred in two hit shows in recent times. She was in Descendants of the Sun (with former husband Song Joong Ki), The Glory, and Encounter (with Park Bo Gum).
After a setback in her personal life, she has also made a good comeback with the show The Glory, which was on Netflix. She still looks as good as ever and she is often invited to promote various luxury brands.
Rain (Jung Ji Hoon)
As a singer before becoming an actor, Rain continued to make music and act in Korea after Full House. His most recent TV drama was Ghost Doctor in 2022. He has also appeared in Hollywood movies such as Speed Racer and Ninja Assassin. He has also set up his own company and helps to promote new artists.
Rain also married actress Kim Tae Hee and they have two children together.
Korean dramas have come a long way since the days of Full House. The plotlines and logic (sorry, that premise defied logic) are better today than back then. Plus, actors now have a bit more to work with acting-wise. Characters these days seem to have more depth to them compared to early dramas.
Still, that does not take away the fact that shows like this were pioneers of the Hallyu wave. These were the things that made people pay attention to Korean entertainment. I remember this was the show that got me interested not only in Korean shows and actors but also in their music. All the beautiful sights in the series also made me want to visit the country too.
Full House showed the potential of Korean entertainment in the foreign market. I am amazed by how far the Korean entertainment industry has gone since then.
If you are curious about early K-Dramas, Full House is a light romantic comedy that you might want to see. It is a classic K-Drama with characters that you will end up falling in love with and a story that you will enjoy!
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