K-Drama Review: A Gentleman’s Dignity
After last month's review of Boys Over Flowers sparked a debate on whether or not it aged well, this month I decided to go back to a less controversial, fun drama that focuses on an older generation. Do you get annoyed when you see an actor you know in their mid-30s playing a high school student? Well, if it bothers you or you're interested in a K-Drama that focuses on the love lives of older people from all walks of life, you should check out the 2012 SBS drama, A Gentleman's Dignity.
The drama mainly follows Seo Yisoo (Kang Haneul) and her roommate and friend Hong Sera (Yoon Seha) as they navigate relationships during their late 30s. Yisoo is an ethics teacher with a part-time job as an umpire for the Blue Cats baseball team. Her long-time friend, Im Taesan (Kim Sooro), also plays on the team. He's the head of a successful construction company and partner at an architectural firm headed by his best friend, Kim Dojin (Jang Donggun). Yisoo and Dojin meet when Yisoo's dress gets caught on Dojin's briefcase. It begins to unravel, and the two must navigate a busy shopping market without exposing Yisoo. The scene is embarrassing and downright hilarious. After a few false starts, the pair begin dating but are soon met with challenges like work life, jealousy, and lack of communication.
While the main couple deals with trials and tribulations in their relationship, Taesan and Sera also begin dating. Taesan wants to take things to the next level, but Sera is firm in not wanting to get married. She's a pro golfer and is afraid that getting married and starting a family would kill her career. The pair fight for their relationship, but both don't know if the other is genuinely interested in their future.
Dojin's two other best friends, Lee Jungrok (Lee Jonghyuk) and Choi Moon (Kim Minjong), have their own set of problems. Choi Moon is still mourning the death of his wife when a new, younger love interest enters the scene, and Jungrok's marriage is unstable because he is a chronic flirt. By the series finale, some relationships succeed, and some fail, but overall, the show comes to a happy ending.
One enjoyable thing about A Gentleman's Dignity is being surprised at all the special appearances during the series. For example, CNBLUE's Jung Yonghwa plays himself during a scene when Yisoo and Dojin are having lunch. Yisoo sees Yonghwa and waves, making Dojin believe she's a lovesick fan. However, when Yonghwa comes to their table to greet Yisoo warmly, Dojin gets jealous. It turns out Yonghwa was Yisoo's student while in school, and Dojin doesn't like it. Nevertheless, there is a cute interaction between the men as they briefly vie for Yisoo's attention.
Kim Woobin also plays a supporting character in the series as Kim Donghyup, another student of Yisoo's that gets into a bit of trouble. Yisoo tries her best to help and teach him how to hold himself accountable for his actions. However, Donghyup develops a crush on her because she is one of the first people who genuinely cares for him, and he doesn't know how to deal with her affection.
Other enjoyable moments were the prologues at the start of each episode. The viewers got to see the different stages of friendship as the male characters grew older. They didn't have anything to do with the episode, but would offer insight into how close they were. The OST for the drama had over 20 songs on it and featured artists like CNBLUE, Kim Taewoo, and Lee Hyun of 8eight. Jang Donggun and Kim Minjong also released songs for the OST. Former CNBLUE member Lee Jonghyun's song "My Love" won "BEST OST" at the 2013 High1 Seoul Music Awards. The drama was popular enough to have been remade into a Chinese drama called Secret Society of Men and have a two-part novelization published in August 2012.
A Gentleman's Dignity is a feel-good romantic comedy that takes a break from high school and first loves and focuses on what life is like after 30. If this sounds like an interesting watch, you can check out the drama on Viki or Kocowa.