While I was writing about a drama I recently watched, …
I started to ponder about the idea of “Viki Originals”. I looked up the discussions here and at the Help Center area and found nothing, I went over to the blog and found nothing either, not even a history to look up. Search engine - no chance!
Anyway!
What are Viki Originals? Are they only co-financed by Viki, or do you think Viki takes a more active role in the production?
Maybe I shouldn’t have watched it, as s fan of splendid acting, it was a let down for me. While at other places it was announced as comedy, romance - at Viki it is stated as Idol Drama, I should have read that information first …
But is this kind of a trend of Viki Originals productions, to give idols a platform to learn, because the final product feels like either a playground or a trainee camp. Mediocre acting is not my cup of tea, an actor would have need at least one really good project (maybe one or two more) under his/her belt, that I would excuse mediocre acting or even less.
If you wondered what drama I was watching - Rich Man, Poor Woman - it was my first Viki Original to complete. As I remember sorrowfully Viki’s first try in that direction …
No I am not going to talk about that.
What do you think, is it mostly unexperienced actors, idols, young “talents”. Is the storyline ofthen that “polished”, that there are no rough edges left in the story. Because Rich Man, Poor Woman felt (for me at least) a little trivial. And trivial stories for me are equal to time-wasting.
How about you? Any Viki Original experience?
P.S. - Btw, did you happen to see Viki changed the R (red button) Viki logo into a blue, more easy on the eye Rakuten Viki …
Oh yes, I totally keep away from “Viki Originals” After I watched parts of that trilogy, “Story of the hand” or whatever it was called.
Same as web dramas. They usually suck - with few notable exceptions such as “My Only Love Song” produced by Netflix, which was surprisingly good, the sweet “Romance Blue” (2015) and “Wednesday 3:30 PM”.
I believe that an actor should learn in drama school, not while working at dramas. They want to put them out there for everybody to watch their first awkward tries, why?
I mean, many of them, if not most, eventually learn to act decently (if not really well). But people will always remember their first dramas where their acting sucked.
Why waste two, three or more dramas like that and totally ruin their acting reputation? It’s so much easier to 1. put them through acting lessons and 2. give them small roles first so that they will be gradually exposed to the ways a drama is shot.
But no, they have to give them leading roles and watch them make a mess out of them. Totally stupid idea.
For instance, take Jong Yonghwa. If you watch his latest dramas, he has become a quite decent actor. But everybody remembers his wooden first appearances in You’re Beautiful and Heartstrings. Because the dramas were such successes too. They did him no favours by catapulting him to second and first roles immediately when he was totally inexperienced.
On the other hand, Lee Jeong Suk. He started with a small appearance as an office worker in “Prosecutor Princess”. Then a small but meaningful role in “Secret Garden”. And then of course the role which made him famous, in School 2013, which was bot the only lead but shared with three other actors, and also was near to his age and sensibilities, so an easy role for him to do well. From there, he became better and better, to become one of the best actors of his generation. But he went gradually, learning his craft as he went. They didn’t just give him a leading role from the start.
Of course some people also have some talent than others, and some won’t learn even if they study for years. But everyone would benefit from the gradual method.
Viki Originals are usually also very poorly written and directed. That’s why I’m saying: away from them!
I’m not sure anymore what they are anymore.
At first I thought they where made by Viki like Dramaworld and some other short productions they had which indeed lacked here and there but some where kindda cute and a nice filler while waiting for other stuff to be up.
But now with “Grand Prince”, “Rich Man, Poor Woman” (and I know there are a few more but these are the ones I can think of right now) I’m not sure what it is. I think it’s more then just sponsoring as Lawless Lawyer has a Viki banner in the credits but isn’t a Viki original but what it is exactly now no idea.
Can Viki pull off Kdrama like “Grand Prince” and “Rich Man, Poor Woman” by now and sell them to broadcasting companies in Korea? Are they co producing with broadcasting companies? (why isn’t that money used for more licenses? Or is it part of some deal getting licenses in the future?) Or is it more a thing to show you can only watch it on Viki now? Eventhough I assume Lawless Lawyer wasn’t on DF since Viki sponsored.
And as for Rich Man, Poor Woman. I still can’t be bothered watching the last 2 eps. overall this remake wasn’t even close to the orginal Jdrama overall quality wise. But maybe that was due the fact the Japanese version had way more experienced actors/actress