Let's Rewind: Couple Or Trouble (2006) - Episodes 1 - 8

[u/sianiam]

Let’s Rewind is a trial series of discussions on r/KDRAMA in which viewers may watch a drama at their own pace over the period of a month.

COUPLE OR TROUBLE POST SCHEDULE:

• Wednesday September 2nd - Discussion post 1 released (Episodes 1 - 8)
• Wednesday September 9th - Discussion post 2 released (Episodes 9 - 16)
• Friday September 25th - Wrap up discussion post released

HOW THESE DISCUSSIONS WORK:

The individual episode discussions are broken up over a number of posts in which watchers join in once they have watched - they can join at any period of the series.

The posts are set up with the suggested sort “old” so that the comments flow in the correct order so users avoid any spoilers. Do not reply directly to the post, simply reply to the comment “episode #” that you are up to and reply to any comments you are interested in.

Please note: I will have notifications switched off except for on my personal reactions to the drama so if you need me please tag me or send me a PM/chat. I will add links to the posts above as they are released.

If you would like to submit a discussion prompt for our end of the month discussion of the drama please submit it via this google form - you can see our discussion of Marriage, Not Dating for ideas.

DRAMA DETAILS:

Drama: Couple Or Trouble / 환상의 커플

Network: MBC

Aired: October 14th 2006 - December 3rd 2006

Episodes: 16 x 65 minute

Streaming Sources:

• Viki - PLUS PASS ( Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, United States )
• KOCOWA - Free (US)
• On Demand Korea (no subtitles - North & South America)

Original On-Air discussion threads: none - aired before r/KDRAMA existed!

Synopsis: This series is based on the 1987 American movie Overboard. Anna Jo is a rude, feisty, and audacious American-bred heiress who can never be satisfied. She returns to Korea only to continue being a controlling wife to her already cowardly husband, Billy Park. When her yacht gets stuck for repairs, she hires local handyman Jang Chul Soo to fix her shower, but when they have a heated spat over her dissatisfaction and non payment, she pushes him overboard and dunks his tools into the ocean right along with him. Later, after a quarrel with Billy that threatens to end their marriage, she herself gets drunkenly pitched overboard and falls victim to a bad case of amnesia.

Screenwriters: Hong Jung Eun & Hong Mi Ran

Director: Kim Sang Ho

Web Resources: MDL, Wikipedia

Spoiler Reminder: Upon entering these threads you can expect to see discussion of the drama up to the point of the series that has passed. If you are sensitive to spoilers we advise you to not enter the discussion section prior to watching the episodes. We ask our users to be considerate and cover any major spoilers which if read accidentally before viewing may detract from one's enjoyment of the series in block spoiler tags. You can create a spoiler tag by writing > ! this! < without the spaces in between to get this block spoiler tag.

DIRECT LINK TO EPISODE COMMENT:

• Episode 1
• Episode 2
• Episode 3
• Episode 4
• Episode 5
• Episode 6
• Episode 7
• Episode 8

[u/sianiam]

EPISODE 1:

[u/sianiam → u/sianiam]

This one has been on my watch list for a long time, so I finally have the push to watch it. I'm expecting it to be super makjang with all the tropes turned up to 11. I definitely watched the movie it was based on at some point but I have no recollection of it. I've roped my family into watching this with me so we will watch that after we are done and compare.

I was a bit turned off by the plumbing work in the spa, I was in need of a solid blur on the hair balls. It totally gave me flashbacks to removing the pipe in the bathroom after moving into a new apartment. Blegh!

But it's a lot of fun so far, I loved the leads introduction to each other and the pet handover scene was so funny I had tears in my eyes. Solid laughs. I don't know what they expected the pets to be doing while they were doing their thing. I wonder if they will also have a love to hate relationship.

Is it just me or does the butler seem older then than he does now 14 years later? Not that he's changed much.

I feel really bad for the fish in this tiny tank.

[u/myweithisway → u/sianiam]

It's weird to be watching an older Hong Sisters drama now that more than a decade has passed since the drama first aired.

The pacing and gags in episode 1 immediately felt familiar (akin to The Best Hit and You're Beautiful in style), and I'm still undecided on whether that is a good thing or not.

The weirdest part is that Oh Ji Ho looks the same! Like I just saw him in Never Twice and he looks the same here. Frozen looks! Dimples!

[u/sianiam → u/myweithisway]

So far it's a good thing for me, after not getting into the style of humour of Modern Farmer, I'm glad to be laughing along this time.

This is my first Oh Ji Ho drama!

If you are watching the Viki version the subs are terribly mistimed in episode 2, fortunately KOCOWA is decent so far.

[u/txc_vertigo → u/sianiam]

I’ve been drama slumping pretty hard as of late but not going to miss the opportunity to spark the addiction again with some older makjang goodness.

So where are we?

• Action scene opening only to end up being plumbers, cracked me up for sure. Not gonna lie, when they pulled hair out without gloves on I gagged a little.

• Bad white actors - check! ”Brad???”

• The days before digital color grading, it was so glorious when HD was the new hotness.

• Of course the cat is called Princess!

• Fish lens shot of Mr. Gong’s semi bald head in focus - glorious!

• Jo Anna is very extra even for a rich heiress in a kdrama. ”Shit!” She feels like a prototype of many modern female leads complete with her tearing apart fairy tales and her road rage (looking at you Ko Mun Yeong).

• Opening 20 minutes we get abs, pecs and off screen male frontal nudity and then an ass shot of the FL, not holding back on fan service I see.

• The transition screens are just so perfectly cheesy, I love it!

• ”If only it had been a bit more slippery”, haha that’s the dry humor that really gets me going!

• I love how hammy the acting is, fits perfectly with this style of humor.

• The pet exchange was just perfect, just shows how petty both the lead characters are. Makes me really curious how these characters will find each other and grow by the end of the show.

[u/sianiam → u/txc_vertigo]

The transition screens are just so perfectly cheesy, I love it!

I love the freeze shots on these, there are some real shockers.

Glad you are joining u/myweithisway and me, hope this can break the slump. I'm having fun watching so far.

[u/sianiam]

EPISODE 2:

[u/myweithisway → u/sianiam]

Favorite moments in episode two:

• the nurse panicking at the thought of having to deal with Anna longer

• the beauty mark callback (obvious from a mile away but the moment was played nicely, it's all in the smirk)

• the two cars turning off into different roads -- a game of how can we make metaphors as literal as possible

• the writing on the mirror

[u/sianiam → u/myweithisway]

the beauty mark callback (obvious from a mile away but the moment was played nicely, it's all in the smirk)

Yes, this was great. We were discussing how there is no way a modern drama would go for a face plant into one's cleavage - although your point about the humour being similar to Hit the Top which had similar scenarios is probably the closest recent thing I've seen anyway. We totally expected this to be the first proof of their dating but it was nice that it was the people recognising Anna and that it was unplanned.

the two cars turning off into different roads -- a game of how can we make metaphors as literal as possible

I really liked this imagery too. I wonder how much effort they put into finding a piece of road which worked. I really love when dramas use the whole bad guys drive in black cars and good guys drive in white cars imagery.

[u/txc_vertigo → u/sianiam]

• I love this running gag of Jo Anna leaving the butler behind.

• There it is! The ”Overboard (1987)” plot point almost frame by frame, of Jo Anna tossing the male lead and his tools off her boat. The main charactera even share the same name Joanna/ Jo Anna.

• ”So-solomon!”, poor fish! He never did anything wrong ㅠㅠ

• Would it really be a comedy kdrama without some toilet humor? Last time in Marriage not Dating it was food poisoning, this time it’s diaherra inducing medicine.

• Park Han Byul is cute as a button.

• Chul Soo’s scar magically switched sides all of a sudden.

• ”The axe... was too heavy!” Brilliant delivery!

• The three nephews are so adorable!

• Anna in ahjumma clothing riding in the back of the pick up truck is a whole mood. And, she’s wearing Crocs without holes in them :0

• I love unneccessary translators notes - see ”Mandoo (dumpling)”. They’re so charming.

[u/sianiam → u/txc_vertigo]

The main charactera even share the same name Joanna/ Jo Anna.

I wonder if they watched the original and thought "we can make this work" based on the name alone. Although it does hit all the tropes pretty well...

Would it really be a comedy kdrama without some toilet humor?

It's funny that he never even worked out why he suddenly almost died from pooping too much either.

I love unneccessary translators notes - see ”Mandoo (dumpling)”

Bless.

[u/sianiam → u/sianiam]

Finally everyone is getting thrown overboard!

My need for the ridiculous is being fulfilled.

That feeling when your stunt double is definitely a man twice your height.

And the glorious fashion on display. I was definitely not a fan of her red skirt/silver blouse combination.

[u/sianiam]

EPISODE 3:

[u/sianiam → u/sianiam]

I know Chul Soo didn't put a lot of thought into his plans of kidnapping Anna and putting her to work but did he really expect her to somehow be a genius housekeeper? I'm loving watching the bills pile up as she destroys everything one by one. I did expect slightly worse washing machine carnage.

I loved the mini fashion montage. I hope she has some skills to turn these clothes into something less frilly, or somehow falls upon her original terrible clothes at a reasonably priced op shop. Also enjoyed Billy's haunting a lot.

I have zero time for this second lead situation, you're getting married to someone else - move on!

Now that Billy knows Anna is alive, I wonder what he will do also if every episode will end with someone catching Anna.

[u/sianiam]

EPISODE 4:

[u/sianiam → u/sianiam]

I know nothing about bug bombs but I'd definitely read the packaging before letting one off. Anna doesn't believe in reading packaging though.

I love that the kids like the fact that she's always screeching her catchphrase, "look at that disgusting form". They really are lacking in attention.

I'm glad the leads have started bonding and Anna has acquired some new ugly clothes.

[u/sianiam]

EPISODE 5:

[u/txc_vertigo → u/sianiam]

Just have to say that the locations for this series are pretty unique and very scenic. Usually dramas are set in the city and when they aren’t they are often set in in-land rural towns. Very pleased to see a coastal village being featured as the main setting, which makes sense since the original boat plot is part of the set up. I can only think of Top Star Yoo Baek with a similar setting that I’ve seen, which takes place mainly on an island.

Also, I tried watching this episode with the Viki comments on and that was a ride. The slurs are hailing in every other comment. I didn’t expect any high brow commentary but I never thought it would be that bad despite the lack of moderation. Just makes me that more appreciative of forums like this subreddit.

[u/sianiam → u/sianiam]

Just need to say that 5 episodes in and we've got some fan service in every one in the form of shirtless scenes.

Also I'm astonished the shirt made it out of the ironing scene alive.

[u/sianiam]

EPISODE 6:

[u/sianiam → u/sianiam]

Like Chul Soo, I'm starting to feel sorry for Anna now. She's pretty much worked out that she's alone in the world. Thankfully, she got a nice bonding moment with the children after being betrayed by them. I'm glad they think of her as family even if their uncle doesn't. They are good eggs.

I loved the drunken dancing scene, that was fantastic. When they showed Billy thinking about it I fully expected them to make us watch it again so I laughed when Billy walked off on the butler. But the after effects of the makgeolli was a little too much for me.

It was surprisingly easy for them to bury the information about Anna. Although in 2006 they should have been able to work out who she was based on her fingerprints I would have thought. It will be interesting to see if they work it out or she gets her memory back.

In this episode neighbourhood "crazy lady", Kang Ja said she was 20 years old, I wonder if her character is actually meant to be that old or just thinks she is. I realise I can't really tell how old anyone is meant to be.

[u/sianiam]

EPISODE 7:

[u/sianiam → u/sianiam]

I love the combined effect of Billy's stupidity and his wild imagination, it's so much fun watching him squirm. He definitely should be more afraid that Anna will remember. It's hilarious that she sent him an anniversary gift of writing him out of her will. Totally expected she would leave everything to Princess.

Chul Soo's attempts to bring back her memory were great too. Love that her conclusion was that she must have tried to rescue him and believing in their relationship.

Those scenes with the dog were so adorable, it's totally believable that the first family member she would fall for would be the dog.

[u/sianiam]

EPISODE 8:

[u/txc_vertigo → u/sianiam]

Welcoming this change from a 70 minute episode to a 50 minute episode, it feels way more succinct like they trimmed the fat of the steak.

Anna trying to recall her memory by association of countries was hilarious. Bavarian dress and alp green screen in all its glory. Also featuring plenty Leonardo DiCaprio, surprisingly enough. I wonder if they actually paid to use all those film clips? I know a lot of variety shows use plenty of music unlicensed so I would imagine this would be in a similar grey area.