As all avid K-Drama watchers know, "The Real Has Come!" was Ahn Jae Hyun’s return to the big screen as a K-Drama actor, earning this weekend drama a lot of hype; even among K-Drama fans who aren’t that fond of the weekend drama genre.
It was a treat to see Ahn Jae Hyun back on screen but his character was also all over the place. It’s not really his fault as an actor but the writing of his character had a lot of inconsistencies. Considering this, he did the best he could with what he was given.
His chemistry with actress Baek Jin Hee was also just decent, nothing too special to write home about but, once again, this might be due to the writing and all the bizarre circumstances surrounding their relationship.
The rest of the actors were all decent but as hinted before, the writing of this drama was a bit messy. The first few episodes were super fun and entertaining to watch, then at some point it became super annoying. Between the grandmother, weak father figure, annoying family members, and Jang Se Jin’s character (played by Cha Joo Young), this writer felt irritated and a quarter to dropping the drama for a good few episodes.
On the note of Cha Joo Young… after her chilling and bold performance in "The Glory", many fans were disappointed by her new character in this drama. Which is unfair honestly. Just because an actor did well playing a certain type of character doesn’t mean they should stick to that and not gain versatility. However, it is partially true. Her character had little to no redeeming qualities and would even abandon her own injured father to get what she wants.
It’s a different brand of ruthlessness to "The Glory" but somehow seems just as messed up. However, in "The Glory" she at least seemed a little bit redeemable.
She was not the only character who was problematic though.
It’s a shame to have to say this but once the father character, Gong Chan Sik, was switched from actor Hong Yo Seob to Sun Woo Jae Duk after episode 16, the quality of the drama definitely increased. It’s unclear whether the writers used this is an opportunity to change his character but the new actor brought a much-desired backbone to a character that was previously annoyingly weak.
This helped the family dynamic and unfair power plays in the drama find some much needed balance because previously this family was all over the place.
This is as far as we’ll get into the characters because unraveling the flaws in each character would take forever but…
This writer reckons makjang and weekend dramas think unfairness is the best way to get drama out of the script but honestly it just takes an already hyperbolic genre and turns it into an over-the-top clown show that no one really wants to watch. It’s a relief that they were able to save the show from going south halfway through, though.
The drama was not bad, but definitely not something that you’d recommend to a first-time makjang watcher if you want them to have a good impression of the genre.
What did you think of "The Real Has Come!"?Let us know in the comments.
