They Don't Kiss Until Episode 16

Instead of just reviewing shows or recapping episodes, I think it would be fun to start a random series where I talk about the love and life advice one can get from any given Korean drama.

Lesson #1: Don’t Let Love Block Your Blessings

Joo-Ran was Jeong-nyeon’s Number 1 Opp!

If you haven’t seen the sapphic K-drama wonder, Jeong-nyeon: The Star is Born (on Hulu in the United States), you are truly missing out.

Based on a webcomic of a similar name, this show follows the titular character Jeong-nyeon as she attempts to find success in the world of all-female gukgeuk theater in the years immediately after the end of the Korean War.

When Jeong-nyeon enters Maeran, the leading gukgeuk theater troupe, she immediately befriends another trainee, Hong Joo-Ran. Joo-Ran has been a trainee for some time (it’s not entirely clear), and she helps Jeong-nyeon navigate the world of gukgeuk and survive the numerous obstacles Jeong-nyeon faces as a new and unorthodox trainee.

The relationship between Joo-Ran and Jeong-nyeon (at least in the show) is why your parents tell you to stay away from relationships and focus on your schooling. The friendship is intense, strong, and smolderingly beautiful. They are in love with each other but don’t realize it, or rather, they don’t know how to articulate their feelings because both are in their late teens and have only been focused on their art.

Now, I know it isn’t fair to blame all of Jeong-nyeon’s mishaps on Joo-Ran; as Jeong-nyeon states in the show many times, she made decisions and has had to deal with the consequences. And we can accept that Jeong-nyeon is selfish in a childish way, naive to a fault, singularly focused, quick to emote, and overall has no control over those emotions. Those deep emotions make her an impactful pansori singer, but she is not the best for being an actor on stage. She may desire to be a star but must learn to act and sing with others.

We can all agree on this, but I will still say Joo-ran was in the way.

I’m taking a hot take here, but humor me. Despite Jeong-nyeon’s flaws, her setbacks in the show directly tie back to Joo-ran.

Setback #1 Jeong-nyeon’s brief stint as a pop singer on TV

Jeong-nyeon learns that Joo-ran has a sick sister, and to support her family financially, she works a part-time job at a café. This café features a live singer most nights, but because Joo-ran, up to this point, has only played background roles, the café owner doesn’t know she is a Maeran girl. Joo-ran assures Jeong-nyeon that she will not get kicked out of Maeran (the director has a stipulation that they don’t sing outside of Maeran for money like a common kisaeng). But, of course, calamity takes place. Joo-ran injures her arm and can’t serve as a waitress. Jeong-nyeon steps in to keep Joo-ran’s job. After a successful Maeran trainee performance, Jeong-nyeon is recognizable on the streets. Now, Joo-ran tries to return to work but is still out of commission; though Joo-ran insists on going, Jeong-nyeon tells her she will go in her place one more day; they haven’t been caught yet, so everything will be fine. It is not OK. The café owner strongarms Jeong-nyeon into singing at the café, threatening to fire Joo-ran if Jeong-nyeon doesn’t sing. Jeong-nyeon capitulates, and someone recognizes her as a Maeran performer. The director finds out and, boom, kicks Jeong-nyeon out of the troupe. Jeongnyeon gets back in, but it was a painful journey. Excellent writing, though, when you figure out who rats Jeong-nyeon out and the lessons she learns while outside of Maeran.

Setback #2: Freaking Out on Stage and Almost Single-handedly Ruining a Performance

Back in Maeran, Jeong-nyeon realizes that she has a lot to learn and gets ready to audition for a small role in a major Maeran production. In order to understand theater, Jeong-nyeon auditions for an extra role, soldier #1. She takes a lot of time preparing for the role, trying to learn how to be a soldier and how to act like a boy. She wanders into a charity event feeding vets and she interacts with them, learning what it means to be a soldier.

Now, Joo-ran, through Jeong-nyeon’s encouragement, tries out for the role of Precious, a secondary character but part of the major cast, and gets the role. Joo-ran must act alongside Jeong-nyeon’s top competition Yeong-seo. Yeong-seo is a tight ass, to say the least, but highly dedicated and talented. Jeong-nyeon thinks that Joo-ran is not having a good time rehearsing with Yeong-seo only to come upon them and find out that Yeong-seo and Joo-ran have great chemistry (Yeong-seo is playing the male villain).

Jeong-nyeon spirals.

See, part of their friendship pact, intertwined with their personal and professional goals, is to become the prince and princess of Maeran, Jeong-nyeon the prince and Joo-ran the princess. Taking up the female and male lead roles like the current prince, Moon Ok-gyeong, and current princess, Seo Hye-rang, who are also in a very open romantic relationship. However, with Yeong-seo being so talented and having chemistry with Joo-ran, Jeong-nyeon feels like that might never happen, especially since she has so much to learn and hasn’t officially become a Maeran trainee.

So, as state Jeong-nyeon spirals. In doing so, she blanks out on stage when saying her line and breaks out into a song not in the play, triggered by the faces of her new vet friends in the audience. Hye-rang saves the scene, and Jeong-nyeon is ushered away.

The director is furious, to say the least, and bans Jeong-nyeon from performing with Maeran until further notice.

All becomes Joo-ran was snug as a bug in a rug with Yeong-seo.

Now, I will take a break here to recognize that, of course, Jeong-nyeon has nothing to worry about because Yeong-seo isn’t a lesbian, and if she was, she seems to be more interested in Jeong-nyeon than Joo-ran. But you know Jeong-nyeon hasn’t taken the time to examine this. She is just an emotional being, emoting everywhere.

Setback #3: Jeong-nyeon loses her voice

One thing that keeps Jeong-nyeon afloat is her effortlessly amazing voice. She is hands down one of the best pansori singers since Chae Gong-seon, who is Jeong-nyeon’s mother, so there you have it.

Maeran is set to debut another grand show, a joint performance with other gukgeuk troupes. There are two roles, the younger versions of the male and female leads. The women who get these two roles will be considered the next prince and princess of Maeran. Here’s the kicker: the audition must occur in pairs, and the pair must win the audition together. Jeong-nyeon automatically assumes that she and Joo-ran will audition together. Yeong-seo, knowing that she will have great chemistry with Joo-ran, wants to audition with Joo-ran. She, too, assumes Joo-ran will go with Jeong-nyeon. But no!

See, during the show run for the previous play, where Joo-ran portrays the role of Precious, Joo-ran and Jeong-nyeon act out one of Precious’ scenes together, with Jeong-nyeon playing the role of the male antagonist. Jeong-nyeon takes on the role of a strategic seductor of Precious (to get her to do something she shouldn’t do). Now, Yeong-seo does the same thing, but Jeong-nyeon does it in such a way that opens Joo-ran’s loins and sends her into a full lesbian panic.

Joo-ran, confused with this new throbbing, tells Jeong-nyeon in the harshest way that she is undependable on stage, harkening back to the embarrassing soldier singing moment. Joo-ran tells Jeong-nyeon that Yeong-seo is more dependable.

Jeong-nyeon spirals again! It doesn’t help that Hye-rang  (in a jealous rage) fans the flame by telling Jeong-nyeon she doesn’t have anything but her voice, so she better practice until she coughs up blood. Which the crazy girl does! Jeong-nyeon makes herself too sick; she barely makes it through the audition, doesn’t get the role, of course, and permanently loses her incredible singing voice! I mean Jeong-nyeon proves Joo-ran’s point, but nonetheless, Jeong-nyeon did all of this to prove to Joo-ran that she was good for her!

Finally, Joo-ran, now married off and no longer in the troupe, decides to confess her love for Jeong-nyeon right before Jeong-nyeon goes on stage as the new prince of Maeran. Jeong-nyeon almost goes off the deep end but is able to pull it together because Joo-ran is not physically there. And maybe she has learned how to work with others. I guarantee if Joo-ran was in the audience, it would have been a sugar-honey-ice-tea show.

But actually, I really like Joo-ran’s character and feel bad that she got married off. She should have confessed sooner, and she and Jeong-nyeon could have been having hot sessions in the props room.

So remember, when your parents tell you to focus on your studies and not romance, there is a reason!

I will review the show shortly! But let’s say I really enjoyed it.