Cable channel JTBC's drama special Monster » Dramabeans Korean drama recaps

64 March 14, 2012March 14, 2012

Cable channel JTBC’s drama special Monster

by javabeans

Cable channel JTBC is working on a drama special called Monster, and has cast three young up-and-comers in the lead roles. (I presume that “drama special” refers to a shorter series, though a final episode count has yet to be revealed.)

No details have been released about the characters or plots, with the production promising more information in the coming weeks. However, a teaser video was recently put online, which you can watch here. Based on the preview’s mood lighting and scary music, it appears the titular monster is a literal reference (rather than, say, a dig at somebody’s lack of moral fiber).

I’m intrigued by the idea of a mysterious, horror-thriller drama short, because the last show matching that description was the much-praised White Christmas (which, by the way, was initially titled Monster). And then I saw the teaser and was confused.

It’s… hokey, right? I’m still trying to wrap my head around whether it’s a joke or some sort of twist concept. Because if this is the video that reportedly showcases strong directing and a chilling vibe (to paraphrase the articles), then they need a new PR writer who understands those words. My first thought was that it’s like Vampire Prosecutor by way of Saved By the Bell; you can see the level of cool they were going for, but it’s not the level of cool they achieved.

As for the cast: An idol singer makes her acting debut in the show, Kim Jae-kyung of girl group Rainbow. She’s had a few cameos in the past (Daemul), but takes on her first true acting role here. She’s the greenest of the cast, but I suppose she’s the big draw because of her idol image and her prominence in the teaser.

Another lead role goes to Kwon Se-in, who’s been steadily putting in face time playing supporting characters in dramas like Brain, What’s Up, My Fair Lady, and, as I remember him best, Lie To Me (as Kang Ji-hwan’s faithful secretary). He’s featured in the second teaser, below:

Then there’s Ahn Yong-joon, a 24-year-old up-and-comer from dramas like OCN’s God’s Quiz and the recent Drama Special (from KBS this time) Normal Romance. He plays Jang Pan-soo, a meticulous character with intense focus on the subject of his attention… who then makes a heo-dang move (aka, fumbles) in the crucial final moment.

Directing is PD Park Soo-chul, who was behind the well-received cable series Chosun Police. I can’t help but wonder: I thought you could do better.

Monster premieres on JTBC on March 31. I really hope the finished product comes out more unnerving and scary, and less Monsters, Inc.

Kwon Se-in

Ahn Yong-joon

Via TV Daily, Oh My News

Tags: cable programs

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1 Monona

March 14, 2012 at 3:17 PM

Erm... what? Wow. Embarassment describes how I felt when the 'monster' showed up.

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2 kbap

March 14, 2012 at 3:19 PM

Haha...Didn't watch the videos yet but is excited for a drama special that's around the same as White Christmas. Not getting up my hopes yet though...White Christmas was exceptional. Monster's got big shoes to fill, if it's going for a similar plot as White Christmas...*praises White Christmas to no end* It has Sung-joon (Ji-hyuk!!) in it too. :D

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Cynthia

March 14, 2012 at 4:54 PM

"Monster’s got big shoes to fill"

Only if they're open-toed sandals!
Heh.
:)

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kbap

March 14, 2012 at 6:33 PM

Heh. I...don't know what other snarky comments to say.
Um, well, you see, in White Christmas it was during Christmas time on snowy mountains. Therefore there couldn't have been sandals...? Okay I give up...

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Cynthia

March 14, 2012 at 8:11 PM

Oh, kbap - I wasn't referring to White Christmas.
Take another look at the trailer, and particularly the Monster's foot with those three, ginormous toenails.
:)

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3 milkmustache

March 14, 2012 at 3:20 PM

Omg, I laughed so hard. I can't possibly take that seriously. xD

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4 Mystisith

March 14, 2012 at 3:27 PM

Hum... We are not April 1st, so let me ask straight: What is that thing that invaded my screen???

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Yubin

March 14, 2012 at 7:32 PM

it will be broadcasted on april 1st, through.

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Mystisith

March 14, 2012 at 7:35 PM

Ha!

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5 mchall

March 14, 2012 at 3:33 PM

The monster looks as if taken out of the movie 'Where the wild things are' (a cheap version that is). Or is it Sully from 'Monsters Inc'?

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Ivoire

March 14, 2012 at 3:44 PM

I have seen the videos yet, but LOL at your comment.

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Mama J

March 14, 2012 at 3:54 PM

I immediately thought of Where the Wild Things Are, but Sully is a good call, too!

Yeah, um...no on this one, so far.

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alua

March 14, 2012 at 4:03 PM

I was thinking Gruffalo... or indeed Where the Wild Things Are! LOL.

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Ani

March 14, 2012 at 5:43 PM

I was racking my brain on my comment below (comment 13) trying to to remember the name of that book and film. This whole time I thought it was Where the Monsters Come Out or the tile would have the word Monster in it. Hahaha. Thanks for mentioning the title alua, I was going crazy trying to remember it. XD

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Khrisstyne

March 14, 2012 at 4:04 PM

I swear I thought of the exact same things as you did. lol
It looks ridiculous.

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Cynthia

March 14, 2012 at 4:51 PM

Well, this is just ....wrong. Monsters are supposed to be, yunno, scary. One look at that furball with horns and I thought, "Oooo, Cuddles! And look at a those three toes! Cute!"
Did anyone else watching this trailer have a flashback of Lee Da-hae escaping from her bar job in Miss Ripley, wearing her pink fluorescent dynel wig?
:)

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Quaggy

March 14, 2012 at 5:01 PM

Yes! I was wondering if that was deliberate... but then got distracted by the giant monster.

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Toya

March 14, 2012 at 9:25 PM

I'd watch it just to see how crappy it's gonna be.

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ar_arguably romantic

March 14, 2012 at 10:08 PM

I also thought it looked like Sully from Monsters Inc and LOLed. I felt like there is already a brand thing going on for JBTC with Padam Padam, Fermentation Family, and Queen Insoo - serious with great production values. This looks like the opposite of that.... This video looks like some high school student's project.

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kdramafan

March 15, 2012 at 1:06 AM

Another vote for Sully here!

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jessie

March 15, 2012 at 8:19 AM

LMAO. yeah. crappy trailer and awkward acting.

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6 Quaggy

March 14, 2012 at 3:38 PM

Monsters Inc! Thank you! The monster at the end totally looked like Sulley! Also, isn't Promo 101 that you don't actually show the monster in the trailers is you can help it? Though I guess the rule is negated if it turns out that the monster is only allegory and won't show up in the actual drama special.

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Mama J

March 14, 2012 at 3:55 PM

Oh man, if I end up watching the whole thing and that monster DOESN'T show up? 'Pissed' will not describe me.

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Quaggy

March 14, 2012 at 4:13 PM

I know, right? The monster looks like the best part of the whole drama!!

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Mystisith

March 14, 2012 at 4:35 PM

I swear, this special drama screams HOAX at me. I can't find another explanation.

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7 myra

March 14, 2012 at 3:55 PM

well, talking about jtbc and cable dramas, why after padam padam and fermented family ended you haven't listed their new dramas here? a wife's credentials and syndrome are both good dramas, so could you please add them to the list? and the other cable dramas, too please / mbn's can love become money, go, mrs. go from chosun tv and the new channel A immortal classic and the last audition premiering next monday. I would like to see the whole range of dramas airing at the moment, and only here you can have it. so if you could update the list i would very much appreciate it ((:

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Mystisith

March 14, 2012 at 4:42 PM

If you want to see all the dramas airing, i give you a link.
http://www.koreandrama.org/?page_id=479
(Now showing complete list on the right column).

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Ivoire

March 14, 2012 at 10:14 PM

Thank you for the link! This is very helpful...

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8 annnsow

March 14, 2012 at 3:57 PM

Well, I'm not gonna judge so quickly.
It's interesting to see such previews so... I think I might watch it, that makes me quite curious. I actually wonder what's the real story behind those characters.
The monster is... lol. Too bad they didn't have enough money to make a good monster.

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9 Sejong

March 14, 2012 at 4:05 PM

Ahn Yong Joon! I love him! He is so cute and handsome!

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10 DramaticTeacher

March 14, 2012 at 4:06 PM

I can't believe it. I thought it was just a fan video.

It's so fake.:(

But maybe they ARE going for fake?

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11 trixicopper

March 14, 2012 at 4:10 PM

Just a tip to the production: Suspense is the way to be scary if you don't have the budget to come up with an actual monster. I've had scarier Trick or Treaters at my door. And they were 6. Visions of dude in a rubber Godzilla suit stomping Tokyo are popping into my head. :)

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12 canxi

March 14, 2012 at 4:15 PM

As soon as that monster popped out at the end of these trailers I immediately thought of Boo from Monsters, Inc. going "KITTY!!!!"

I also feel, with others, that the monster might not show up in the actual drama, but who knows....

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tessieroo

March 14, 2012 at 5:27 PM

Me too! *runs around screaming "Kitty!" Ah, now I wanna go watch Monsters, Inc again. That was totally Sully.

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Amber

March 15, 2012 at 2:27 AM

Ditto.

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canxi

March 16, 2012 at 4:14 PM

All we're missing is MIKE!

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13 Ani

March 14, 2012 at 4:40 PM

You actually said "Monsters Inc". Hahahaha. That was the first thing that popped into my head when the monster showed up in the teaser. I thought it looked like a cross between Monsters Inc. and that one children's book recently made into a film where the kid was crowned as king of the monsters or something. *brain fart* I laughed when I saw the monster. Maybe it'll be a misunderstood monster. XD

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Cynthia

March 14, 2012 at 8:06 PM

Max was the king of "Where The Wild Things Are".
:)

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14 panshel

March 14, 2012 at 5:35 PM

Everyone's hilarious comments drove me to watch the teaser. It looks like a parody to me. A cheaply-filmed parody.

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15 Geneva

March 14, 2012 at 5:51 PM

... Maybe it's a metaphor? For their inner... uh... whatever that was.

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16 Tishi

March 14, 2012 at 5:57 PM

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Methinks its a PR mix up. It's not a comedy is it? Cos that monster is FUNN-EH.

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17 HK

March 14, 2012 at 6:05 PM

And is that girl in the teasers supposed to look scared? Because she looks like she's just watching a cockroach crawling against the wall, not looking at a big monster that could potentially kill her. So maybe the monster IS supposed to be furry and cute, and not scary? Or she's just not good at emoting.

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18 Misa

March 14, 2012 at 6:06 PM

Ooooo....it's Ahn Yong Joon from Comrades!!!! I love the Chosun Police series but the trailer for this...............

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19 rumwow

March 14, 2012 at 6:11 PM

she was chased by something so she ran to....the rest room?? to what? put off her wig? so genius...

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Ariel

March 14, 2012 at 11:00 PM

Yeah such a stupid reaction do they think it looked cool? I'm for the monster he should get rid of all the characters who could not act worth a damn.

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20 Maymay

March 14, 2012 at 6:59 PM

Sully!!! I miss you!

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21 Lemon

March 14, 2012 at 7:15 PM

Ahn Yong Joon! What are you doing in this after you literally played the most amazingly twisted human monster in God's Quiz?

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canxi

March 15, 2012 at 2:08 PM

WORD. He freaked me out big time :[

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22 cv

March 14, 2012 at 7:24 PM

LMao! ^^ I didn't even watch the trailer but halarious comments though! :D

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23 ripgal

March 14, 2012 at 7:52 PM

Oh dear, the monster LMAOOOOO

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24 SuziQ

March 14, 2012 at 8:01 PM

Can't believe this is not an April Fool joke.
It was kinda scary until the fat monster came out, then I LMAO.
Is it a horror thriller or a parody of horror dramas?
Just can't take it seriously, but should be fun to watch.
This is a weird teaser. Anyway, I like Kwon Se-in, so I hope he has a bigger role than his previous dramas.

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25 Joy

March 14, 2012 at 10:14 PM

who knew dorky kwon se in without the glasses and the suit!?

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26 xnopex

March 14, 2012 at 10:22 PM

ah boo. i thought this would be an adaptation of the manga but i'll stick around for this.

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27 din

March 14, 2012 at 11:08 PM

oh! it's Sulley! :D :))

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Carinne

March 16, 2012 at 12:51 AM

Kitty!

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28 yuvee

March 15, 2012 at 2:22 AM

I don't even care what it's about, just so excited Kwon Se In finally got a bigger role in something, I adore him!

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29 Amber

March 15, 2012 at 2:29 AM

Am I the only one who was distracted by her wig fail?

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30 Ace

March 15, 2012 at 4:19 AM

LOL! I hope this means the drama's good. Crappy trailer = Good drama in my experience so far. But really, the trailer made me laugh. And I totally thought of Sulley too when I saw that monster.