You're Beautiful / A.N. Jell : Scriptwriter Duo. (Hong Mi Ran, Hong Jung Eun)

You're Beautiful Scriptwriters Hong Mi-ran, Hong Jung-eun

Profile on Hong Sisters Scriptwriter Duo. (Hong Mi Ran, Hong Jung Eun)

When SBS’s You’re Beautiful ending, I thought I’d like to take a look at the brains behind its wonderfully addicting appeal. I’ve compiled the information below from various interviews over the past few years and highlighted some of their statements about their past dramas.

In case you’re unfamiliar, the Hong Sisters are a team of two sisters who have made a name for themselves in recent years in the kdrama world, notably in the romantic-comedy genre. In five years, they have penned five hit drama series — and while the last two did not break 20% ratings, they did succeed in stirring passionate fan response and creating buzz commensurate with the others. The dramas are:

Delightful Girl Chun-hyang, KBS 2005
My Girl, SBS 2005-06
Fantasy Couple, MBC 2006
Hong Gil Dong, KBS 2008
You’re Beautiful, SBS 2009

I’ve been a fan of writers Hong Jung-eun and Hong Mi-ran since their first series and have followed them faithfully, and they never disappoint. Let’s keep fingers crossed that You’re Beautiful does the same as it concludes its run.

Older sister is Hong Jung-eun, 35 years old, while younger sibling Hong Mi-ran is 32. This means that at the time their first drama series (Delightful Girl Chun-hyang) was causing a stir with its fresh comic feel (it ended with a 32% rating), the sisters were only 31 and 28 years old.

The Hongs are certainly not the only famous screenwriters around — others like Kim Soo-hyun and Noh Hee-kyung command much respect for their body of work — but the sisters are perhaps the most famous writers in the romantic-comedy sphere, and possibly the youngest to have achieved such a high level of recognition. Most dramas are marketed on the strength of its actors, and then directors. But the Hongs’ dramas gain notice on the strength of their names, and after five series, they’ve established something of a brand.

Hong Jung-eun explained how she began working with her younger sister, saying, “We were both working in the entertainment industry when we decided to work together on a drama. If our first project had failed, we probably wouldn’t have been able to continue.”

Hong Mi-ran responded to a question of whether they were likely to break up, saying, “We write just with the two of us. You could call it a family operation. If we were to split up, our family would split up. [Working separately] won’t happen.”

After all, they say, “Our total IQ is 200. My sister’s is 100, and mine is 100. What other writer has an IQ of 200?”

They credit their father as the person they respect most, and live by the motto, “Let’s not disgrace Father.” He’d instilled a strong work ethic into the girls at a young age: “We grew up hearing that we had to study in order to earn a living. That’s why the people in our dramas also work hard to earn their livings.”

Around the time that their third drama, Fantasy Couple, was wrapping in December 2006, they discussed in an interview how they felt about their teamwork:

The two of you have written three dramas together. Do you want to write separately?

“No. While writing a 16-episode miniseries, the hardest part is the middle. Because you have to maintain tension through the end, you can’t use up all your ideas, but you can’t slow down, either. At those times, I think, ‘How do I write this difficult thing all on my own?’ [Laughs] That’s why we never fight when writing scripts. We fight over who does the dishes or when we eat or things like that. [Laughs]”

Fantasy Couple was loved by a lot of viewers, and there were a lot of requests for an extension or Season 2. Do you have plans for a continuation?

“Sorry to say, Fantasy Couple isn’t a story that can have a Season 2. Chul-soo and Anna have already won their love, so it has reached a good ending.”

They have also managed to reinvent the careers of several of their leading ladies. Han Chae-young was a sexy “Barbie doll” known for her figure more than her acting when her role as Chun-hyang turned her sultry image on its head and transformed her into a plucky, optimistic, hard-working model student. Lee Da-hae had a somewhat heavy, sad image from Lotus Flower Fairy, and surprised viewers by going sassy and cute in My Girl. Han Ye-seul was dogged in her early career by criticism for her poor acting until her privileged, rude Anna character won viewers over with her notable catchphrases in Fantasy Couple. The sisters were so impressed with Sung Yuri in Hong Gil Dong that they posted up strong praise and defense of her acting on the drama’s webpage.

They explained, “If we use star actors, we’d attract attention at first, but we choose to put more importance on characters with individuality and personality.”

Fun fact: The sisters had considered calling My Girl by other names like False Siblings or Lying Girl before settling on My Lie, which then became My Girl.

Naturally, ratings are something that can’t be ignored, and are a necessary evil in the industry. Their first two dramas (Chun-hyang, My Girl) were quite successful, but the third (Fantasy Couple) struggled a bit in the beginning. It started with a 11.1%, and they explain that they were able to rest their minds when the numbers started to climb, ending with a series high of 22.7%.

Fantasy Couple is the most talked-about drama in the second half of 2006, but it didn’t have the highest ratings.

“Ultimately, the ratings are the unit of measure that matter so it would be a lie to say that we didn’t think of them. Having a drama on a broadcast network means that it is available to the whole country, so if possible we would like for a lot of people to watch, but the dramas airing in the same hour had high ratings. There were a lot of fun parts in Episodes 1 through 4 that I’m disappointed that people didn’t see.”

The story was a little different with Hong Gil Dong, which was a modest success at best, with ratings averaging in the teens.

Hong Gil Dong is longer than a general miniseries at 24 episodes.

We began really fearlessly. [Laughs] A 24-episode drama isn’t merely a matter of making 8 more episodes of a 16-episode drama. It felt like it was twice as long. I think the crew had a rough time, too.”

Ratings weren’t bad, but they weren’t high.

“Although we lost some viewers in the beginning who didn’t get drawn in, but there were a set group of viewers who avidly followed the drama. Truthfully, as writers we don’t feel disappointment as much as we feel sorry to the actors. They should be more popular and be shooting more CFs now.”

But it seems like the actors have benefited.

“Kang Ji-hwan shouldered the responsibility for this drama and didn’t show that he felt inferior because of it. With Sung Yuri, she acted the part of Enok so well that we were startled. The reason I wrote a post on the drama’s forum is because I felt bad that she had been criticized in the past and hadn’t received as much notice when she had acted so well. Jang Geun-seok is a handsome, cool actor and despite his young age, he erased his childlike looks and showed a different kind of charisma than Gil Dong as the king.”
“คังจีฮวานต้องแบกรับไปเต็มๆ สำหรับละครเรื่องนี้ แต่ไม่แสดงออกเลยว่าเขารู้สึกอึดอัดอะไร ส่วนซังยูริ เธอรับบท “อินก” ที่ทำให้เราต้องตะลึงกับการแสดงของเธอ เหตุผลที่ฉันโพสต์ข้อความไว้บนบอร์ด เพราะรู้สึกแย่ที่เธอถูกวิจารณ์อย่างหนักในอดีต และไม่ได้รับความสนใจเท่าที่ควรทั้งๆ ที่เธอแสดงได้ดีมาก ส่วนจางกึนซ็อกเป็นดาราหนุ่มที่หล่อและเก่งมาก ทั้งๆ ที่เขาอายุยังน้อยอยู่ เขากลับลบภาพเด็กๆ ของเขา และแสดงเสน่ห์ที่แตกต่างไปจากกิลดงออกมา ในฐานะของกษัตริย์”

The Hong Sisters have created a trademark style with their fast, fun narratives and memorable characters, whether it’s a breakout lead actor (Jae Hee, Kang Ji-hwan) or a standout supporting character (Kang-ja of Fantasy Couple).

The “Hong Sisters drama” has already become a brand. You have several things that have become core characteristics, but which must also come with preconceptions. That must give rise to dilemmas as you write.

“First of all, I think a Hong Sisters drama is expected to make you laugh. When Delightful Girl Chun-hyang first aired, it was best when people watched without preconceptions. However, now we feel pressure to meet expectations and satisfy people. I even briefly thought about making our next drama without putting our names on it. [Laughs] I think there’s also the preconception that we’ll use a manhwa-like sensibility and childish, unrealistic developments. A little while ago, I went to the filming location [of Hong Gil Dong] and met with the lighting director. I was a little afraid of how to light the first episode, but he said that he had gone for bold, psychedelic lighting. It was director Lee Jung-sub’s decision to use belly dancers. In the script, we had just written that the gisaeng house feels like a modern-style nightclub, but because it was touted as a Hong Sisters drama, people thought that everything had been our idea. [Laughs] Of course, there are aspects that are comfortable, because there are things that people just accept because it’s the Hong Sisters.”

One of your trademarks is your imagination and liveliness. What is the source of that? Also, how do you work together?

“The television and manhwa books we read as kids? Actually, we don’t have a division of labor system. Our two brains think as one. Writing together is only possible if it’s based on doing everything together, 24 hours a day. We don’t set aside separate time to work, so our entire lifestyle becomes work. That’s why, when we begin working on a drama, we can’t do anything else. [Jung-eun says] I can’t meet a husband and [Mi-ran says] I can’t date.”

Is there a difference in your personal tastes?

“Our personalities are extremely different, but the things we hate are really the same. Our brains don’t work with those things. That’s why we can make progress. We cut off the things we dislike and talk with each other about the things we like, and out of that we come up with even better ideas. Also, because we’re sisters, we don’t feel embarrassed with each other. We start by talking about things other people would consider absurd or shocking. And we just boldly insert things in our dramas that could appear light or immature to others.”

Do you have interest in doing genre dramas?

“We do think of doing this and that. We could do one with slightly less emphasis on comedy, or a different style of comedy, or a cult comedy type. A lot of people see our dramas as light and immature, and some people misconstrue that we’re deliberately trying to shed that image. However, what’s clear is that no matter what the drama, we have no intention of getting rid of our individuality. We tell each other jokingly that we won’t emphasize profundity. [Laughs] Gil Dong’s story has some difficult aspects, but we treated it somewhat easily. In the same vein, inasmuch as we made a Hong Sisters style sageuk drama this time, even if we do an action noir or an adultery melodrama, I think our personality will come out in it.”

You’re Beautiful has a lot of the Hongs’ trademark characteristics, from the hilarious situations, quirky side characters, fast developments, and yes, some toilet humor. I think this has both its strengths and drawbacks, because as much as I enjoy their work, I don’t think they’re perfect, not by a long shot. They do have flaws, but I think their strengths far outnumber them.
You’re Beautiful มีเอกลักษณ์ของสองพี่น้องฮงอย่างครบถ้วน ตั้งแต่สถานการณ์น่าขบขัน บุคลิกแปลกๆ ของตัวละคร การดำเนินเรื่องที่รวดเร็ว และแน่นอนมุขฮาๆ นี่คงเป็นทั้งจุดแข็งและจุดอ่อน เพราะถึงแม้ผลงานชิ้นนี้จะสนุกสนานแค่ไหน แต่ก็ไม่ถึงกับสมบูรณ์แบบ ถ้าดูกันแบบเต็มๆ มันยังมีจุดบกพร่อง แต่จุดแข็งได้ลบจุดด้อยเหล่านั้นไป

When all is said and done, they’ve accomplished a remarkable feat — all five of their dramas, completed within the first five years of their careers, have achieved some measure of success. While You’re Beautiful has had the lowest ratings of them all, one can’t call it a failure after all the fervor it has sparked among fans and the buzz it’s created. If that’s their worst-performing show to date, then they’ve got a pretty solid resume, no?
เมื่อพูดโดยรวมแล้วต้องถือว่าพวกเขาประสบความสำเร็จ ผลงานละครทั้ง 5 เรื่องภายใน 5 ปีกับอาชีพคนเขียนบท ประสบความสำเร็จในระดับหนึ่ง ถึง You’re Beautiful จะมีเรตติ้งต่ำที่สุด แต่จะเรียกว่าล้มเหลวคงไม่ได้ เพราะเป็นที่ชื่นชอบในหมู่แฟนๆ และสร้างกระแสอย่างมาก

On November 21, with the drama nearing its last week, the writers posted a message on the drama’s forum, expressing their thanks to director and the stars, in particular their leading man Jang Keun Suk, to whom they awarded “100 points out of a possible 10.”

Without them all, “the drama known as You’re Beautiful may have existed only as a file in my computer. Thank you to everyone.”
เมื่อวันที่ 21 พ.ย. ตอนที่ละครใกล้ถึงสัปดาห์สุดท้าย นักเขียนทั้งสองได้โพสต์ข้อความไว้บนบอร์ดของละคร แสดงความขอบคุณต่อผู้กำกับและดารานักแสดง โดยเฉพาะดารานำ จางกึนซ็อก ซึ่งพวกเขาให้คะแนน “100 เต็มจาก 10 คะแนน”
“ถ้าไม่มีพวกเขาทุกคน ละครที่ชื่อ You’re Beautiful คงอยู่แค่ในไฟล์ในเครื่องคอมฯ ของเราเท่านั้น ขอขอบคุณทุกคน”

Hong Sisters idol drama to be led by Jang Keun Suk.

Looks like the Hong sisters scriptwriting team enjoyed writing for Jang Keun Suk in their drama Hong Gil Dong, because the young star has just been cast as the lead in their new drama series. The writing duo (Hong Jung-eun, Hong Mi-ran) are following up their string of hits (Delightful Girl Chun-hyang, My Girl, Fantasy Couple, Hong Gil Dong) with the idol-themed series You’re Beautiful [미남이시네요].
ดูเหมือนพี่น้องฮงจะติดลมกับการเขียนบทให้กับจางกึนซ็อกในละครเรื่องฮงกิลดง เพราะดาราหนุ่มได้รับเลือกให้นำแสดงในละครเรื่องใหม่ นักเขียนสองพี่น้อง (ฮงจุงอึนกับฮงมิรัน) ทำตามสูตรเดิมของพวกเธอ โดยเขียนละครเกี่ยวกับดาราขวัญใจใน You’re Beautiful

You’re Beautiful follows teenage pop idol group members and their growth, love lives, and conflicts as they progress in their careers. Jang plays a young simple country boy who becomes part of a idol boy band.
You’re Beautiful เป็นเรื่องราวของกลุ่มนักร้องขวัญใจวัยรุ่น การเติบโตของพวกเขา ความรักของพวกเขา และความขัดแย้ง จางกึนซ็อกรับบทหนึ่งในวงขวัญใจวัยรุ่นนี้

When the project was first announced, there was some speculation as to whether the production would cast actual idol stars in this drama, perhaps as a natural springboard for some pop singers wanting to make the crossover into acting (such as DBSK’s Yun-ho in Heading to the Ground).
เมื่อมีการประกาศว่าจะสร้างละครเรื่องนี้ มีข้อสงสัยเกิดขึ้นว่าใครกันจะมารับบทดาราขวัญใจในละครเรื่องนี้ อาจจะเป็นพวกนักร้องยอดนิยมที่อยากผันตัวเองมาเป็นดารา (อย่างเช่นยุนโฮ วงทงบังชินกิ)

Of course, that also led to worries that we’d be faced with another case of idol stars making awkward acting debuts when headlining dramas (see: Kim Hyun-joong in Boys Before Flowers, Se7en in Goong S). I think Jang Keun Suk is the perfect choice, given that he’s about the closest thing we have to an idol star who can actually act. As we know, the guy enjoys a spectacle, has outlandish fashion sense (see exhibits A, B, and C), can sing (pretty well, actually), and has attempted to rap (somewhat less impressively). He’s halfway there already!
แน่นอนนั่นย่อมทำให้เกิดความกังวลว่าเราอาจต้องเจอกับดาราขวัญใจที่ออกอาการขัดๆ เขินๆ จากการแสดงละครเป็นครั้งแรก (อย่างเช่น คิมฮยุนจุง ใน Boys Before Flowers หรือ เซเว่น ใน GoongS) จางกึนซ็อกคือตัวเลือกที่เหมาะที่สุด เขาคืออะไรที่ใกล้เคียงที่สุดกับคำว่าดาราขวัญใจที่เล่นละครเป็น อย่างที่เรารู้กันดี เขาเป็นคนที่ดูดี มีรสนิยมการแต่งกายที่ดีแบบสุดๆ เขาสามารถร้องเพลงได้ดี เขามีทุกอย่างพร้อมอยู่ในตัว

You’re Beautiful is scheduled for its premiere in October. It will follow SBS’s current Wednesday-Thursday series Swallow the Sun, and marks Jang Geun-seok’s next drama project follwing last year’s Beethoven Virus.

http://www.dramabeans.com/

Via My Daily, Newsis, Newsen, Star.mt.co.kr, OSEN