One Fine Day ***SPOILERS***

That darn Gong Yoo can con me into watching paint dry. I swear he causes me to stay with a drama long after I should quit it. Ever since The First Shop Coffee Prince, one of my favorite dramas, I’ve been smitten with Gong Yoo. So when I was browsing around Crunchyroll just for kicks and saw a shirtless Gong Yoo dressed like a surfer dude, I was sold. I didn’t even read the plot. Dived right in. And suddenly I found myself in an unintended weekend k-drama marathon of One Fine Day.

Actually One Fine Day wasn’t bad overall. It was just one of those maddening melodramas I’ve been trying to stay away from. The whole question of “are we siblings or not / what makes one siblings” just unnecessarily brings too much of an ick factor into what is supposed to be a romance.

It made me absolutely nuts how overly nice and forgiving the two romantic leads are. It left me feeling like I was an evil, vengeful hell raiser. I’m sorry, I was adopted and the brother I was raised with takes indecent liberties and attempts to rape me–forgive? What?! And my “adopted” father knew about it all along and did nothing to stop it? Oh and my adopted father kills my mother and stepfather leaving me an orphan and turns around and adopts me. Oh, this gets better. He steals the company of my now dead stepfather and amasses a fortune from it. And in twist of twists it turns out adopted dad is actually my birth dad–he had an affair with my mother, got mad when she married his friend and that’s why he let them die in a burning car. Yep, I’m supposed to live with, speak to, and forgive these people? Ohhh, my aching head. Now that’s our leading lady’s story.

Let’s go to our leading man. Gong Yoo’s character, Seo Gun, is the son of leading lady’s stepfather. They are in no way blood related but were raised together as brother and sister from the time she was about 1 years old until she was six when their parents are killed. He is taken, basically kidnapped, by his dad’s chauffeur from the orphanage and taken to Australia to grow up. He loses contact with his stepsister for 15 years. Until his brother from the guy that raises him accidentally pickpockets a student on the city bus and it just happens to be Gun’s long lost sister. Oh boy. The daughter of the guy who raises Gun has heart problems. So Gun does everything he can, even theft and scams  to get money for her surgery. While I can’t blame her for falling for him (he is Gong Yoo after all), when he makes it clear that he is not interested in her she causes problems for him constantly. Even as he continues to try to help her. Her selfishness is incredible; she was playing the I’m sick card like nobody’s business. And yet HE KEEPS FORGIVING HER!

I guess what disappointed me most was it seemed like none of these people who did wrong was ever truly punished for the wrong they did. The crazy brother who knows he and his “adopted” sister are really blood-related never gets punished for attempted rape or the other things he does to her like stalking, kidnapping, fondling, etc. The father dies in a car wreck before he has truly made amends to his daughter and Gun who grows up poor and hustling because of him stealing his inheritance.

And another thing (or two)

• I especially hate stories with the” two years later” convention. I didn’t know anything could make me dislike that even more, but this story did.
• Umm, a black guy named Jamal running around with a gun causing mayhem in Sydney, Australia and the cops aren’t all over it? Yeah, because I can believe that happens. It’s bad enough to be stereotyped by your own country’s movie and TV system, even worse when Hollywood influences people who’ve probably never actually met a regular black person. Especially knowing Hollywood is less than kind in its portrayal of Asian people, too.

So what did I like about this show? Gong Yoo. On the beach, on a bike, shirtless of course. His characters are always so likable and the relationship with Seo Ha Neul was sweet. The mystery of what actually happened also kept me around to the end. But the rest of it left me feeling pretty murderous.

I recommend this show only if you LOVE Gong Yoo and can tolerate a female lead that shows a glimmer of spunk in the beginning, but quickly loses it.

World’s best Daddy enjoy your day!

Hi Daddy,

I have the world’s best Daddy. That’s truly something I’m aware that so many people can’t say. Fatherhood is never given the accolades it’s due as much as motherhood is. It’s almost treated as if it’s a disposable role. Even the Google doodle today, while cute, isn’t as fantastic as the one for Mother’s Day. It seems as if we are afraid to give dad his due because we may offend single mothers. It doesn’t have to be this way. Saying that a good father is an important component in a child’s life is not negating the great contributions of single mothers. Almost on a daily basis I’m reminded that good fatherhood is hard to find.

I’m thankful that you wanted to keep the best of your generation’s traditions and beliefs of child-rearing while incorporating the best of a more modern outlook. While being a disciplinarian and head of household, you also encouraged us to talk to you about anything. I mean anything. You really didn’t know what you were going to get into with that door open, but at least you can look back and say your life was funny, interesting and surprising thanks to us kids. I have lots of fond memories of our Saturday lunches at Reeds Drugstore and the tapes of us acting our plays you made up. Along with this nose, I also got my love of learning from you. I bet you’re surprised you ended up raising a pretty self-reliant daughter who can’t seem to find a fella that meets the standard you set.

It’s ironic that I’m such a loner, when you’re such a family man. You’re the glue in your original family and the extended Sadler clan depends on you. You’re a caring and giving person. Whether it’s helping your students or other family members, they know they can count on you, just like your children do. My life has been privileged because you took being a real dad seriously–a daddy who was there for his family 100% of the time, not just when he felt like it or his ego was intact or he felt he could financially afford to be there. You were committed through good times and bad.  I’m thankful to know I was loved and encouraged to believe I could do or be anything I wanted.

Love Mini Me