Review: A Gentleman's Dignity

A Gentleman's Dignity
(Korea)

Watch it On:

Drama Fever, Hulu, Netflix, Viki

Look, ridiculously good looking people.

Who’s In it:

Jang Dong Gun as Kim Do Jin

Kim Min Jong as Choi Yoon

Lee Jong Hyuk as Lee Jung Rok

Kim Soo Ro as Im Tae San

Yoon Se Ah as Hong Se Ra

Supporting Cast

Kim Ha Neul as Seo Yi Soo

Kim Jung Nan as Kim Min Sook

Lee Jong Hyun as Colin

Kim Woo Bin as Kim Dong Hyeob

  
Cameo by Jung Yong Hwa as Himself!

What it’s about:

Four childhood buddies wind up in their late 30’s /early 40’s and realize that they probably out to grow up sometime soon. 

Meanwhile, the women in their lives are about done with waiting for said guys to grow up and decide to take action, in one form or another.  Much romantic entanglements, and comedy ensue. 

Also, delinquent students with crushes, unexpected appearance of teenage sons!  Wardrobe Malfunctions!  Epic Montages!   

You should know…

This drama billed as romantic comedy, is really more a buddy romance.  The plot is more of loosely held together vignettes of our four guys and their lives.  The emotionally constipated architect, his buddy and partner, the patient, put upon eldest son, the playboy who married for money, and the hopelessly noble one who is still grieving after his young wife have fantastic chemistry together and really carry the show when the various romantic entanglements get to be a little too much.  

The subplot of the leading lady  and her favorite student (a deliciously hilarious delinquent reminiscent of (character from school 2013) played once again by the increasingly impressive Kim Woo Bin brings a much needed spark to what would otherwise be dull scenes of melancholic reflections upon her sad love life.  


 Things get even more mischievous when Colin – a Japanese-Korean kid with a mysterious connection to our four guys shows up.  And he’s played with the welcomed devilish spark by the chocolate-voiced Lee Jong Hyun (of CN BLUE fame) in his first main drama role.  (Cheers to the rest of CN BLUE’s more experienced actors for convincing their bandmate to audition and take the role). 

Woo Bin and Jong Hyun have a devious chemistry in the vein that Kim Woo Bin shares with Lee Jong Suk and it makes sense the two have become friends off screen.  (If the many interviews and variety shows are truthful.)  

The Highlights:

Kang Roo’s girlfriend who is absolutely hilarious in her role as a fading golf star who also manages to be a total princess.  She and (leading lady) have a fun relationship as roommates. 

Jung Yong Hwa as… himself.  Kdrama loves being meta just as much as we do on this side of the Pacific and what’s more fun than a cameo of the lead singer of CN BLUE stopping by to see his band member, getting pulled in to basically play himself (while we all wink about the fact that Lee Jong Hyun is in his band, but playing a foreign exchange student who isn’t in his band) as a former student of our leading lady – who’s popularity only serves to incite her new boyfriend’s jealous streak.  This is only one of the many cameos. 

The four guys at their best stand up for each other, cover for each other, steal each other’s girls, oh, and are a pretty Badass Enforcement Squad. 

Reactions:

S’ra

I watched this on a whim.  I wouldn’t say I was enthralled the entire way through, because I got WAY too annoyed with the lead couple’s romance.  I kept finding myself wanting to skip forward, but not wanting to miss anything plot-wise.  I love a good heart-wrenching romance, but I can only take X amount of going around and around with the misunderstandings.  There were one too many scenes of people walking past each other wistfully and refusing to communicate while the OST played in the background.  Had there been more about the guys-I think I would have been reeled right in.  This was supposed to be a male version of “Sex and the City” which I have never been a fan of- which may be why there was just so much angst?  No idea.  I really loved the flashbacks and the voice-overs – I thought they added a fun aspect, and the theme song was pretty addictive too.  Frankly, I watched it because I watched a BRILLIANT episode of Running Man with Kang Roo So, Kim Woo Bin, and Lee Jong Hyuk where they parodied the show…. I think I liked Running Man’s version better. 

Verdict:

Fun in small doses, worth it for the awesome chemistry of the leading men and the supporting characters.