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Full House” is a house full of hate and love as most of the mini-series consists of harsh bickering followed by gentle, hesitant make ups between the two main characters. A romantic comedy starring Lee Young-jae (Korean pop star "Bi" or "Rain") and Han Ji-eum (Song Hae Gyo), it is a story about an arrogant, aloof actor and a sassy, struggling writer trying to settle their differences and getting along under the same roof. The drama draws its humor from arguments across the dining table, in front of the bathroom sink, on the Mercedes roadster ride to/from the city, and pretty much everywhere else in between.
Most of the dialogue sequences eventually lead to childish remarks and quarrels over trivial matters, like for example, which toilet paper to get. One ply or two ply? This brand or that brand? In the end, someone gets his or her feelings hurt, and ultimately it leaves the viewers hoping for a reasonable resolution.
The source of such dysfunctional relationship lies in the fact that Young-jae is: 1) incapable of expressing his true feelings, and 2) he suffers from a real bad case of the saving-face syndrome. The former is so severe that it took the whole series for him to finally open up and spill his heart out in the last episode.
Indeed, Young-jae would make a great psychological case study. Let's take a few examples. Instead of a simple apology, he becomes hostile and makes Ji-eum do chores. His “I’m sorry” comes out as “Go clean and cook!” His “I love you” is something like “Do you want ice cream?” It is this kind of arrogant, tough-guy attitude that inflicts mental trauma and instigates conflicts. Watching the dialogue sequences is like waiting for a train wreck to happen.
Beef aside, “Full House” is a funny and captivating mini-series. While the constant arguments may irritate some viewers, the series' other qualities cannot be disregarded. It progresses quickly and is never boring. The actors truly embody their roles and their smart, witty dialogue makes the series entertaining and interesting. Ji-eum’s jokes may suck and Lee Young’s name-calling may be hurtful more than amusing, but it is this kind of chemistry that makes the viewers laugh. After a while, the incessant banter/whining/argument across the dinner table doesn’t really get old. Instead, it becomes satisfying and heart-warming, for that’s when we know that everything is “normal.”
Most viewers might not mind so much (or even notice and care), but there are few inconsistencies with the whole scheme of things that just doesn’t make sense. First
of all, what's with the poor writer/maid wearing designer Paul Frank t-shirts and jammies? It looks great on Ji-eum, but those monkey-faced t-shirt ain’t exactly cheap (don’t get the wrong idea, I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing one of those. I got some female friends who dig that stuff). And then, you have this nice luxurious house without any appliances, like a washer, dryer and dishwasher. What is up with that? What really doesn't fly tough, is the whole idea about having a beautiful, expensive house with no car. That's just wrong. Although, it is conceivable that Ji-eum was never able to buy a cheap Hyundai after her parent’s accident.
I’m not going to dissect the whole drama apart, as I realize every mini-series has faults. So before things get sidetracked, let’s get back to the review.
The ending is a bit of a disappointment. Most viewers would surely disagree with me, but the happy ending sure feels less satisfying than one that would’ve amounted to a painful, even tragic, ending. Although I’m definitely not asking for a soul-crushing depressing ending for "Full House," it would’ve been favorable, and in many ways, consistent with the series for the two leads to walk away from a relationship that seems to be doomed from the very start.
A perfect example of this idea is the 80’s sitcom “Cheers.” Similar to Young-jae and Ji-eum’s rocky relationship, Sam and Diane’s turbulent tale ends amicably. But unlike our couple in “Full House,” the ending for Sam and Diane’s saga is a bittersweet one. Diane, an ambitious, career-oriented woman decides to quit waiting tables and leaves "Cheers" for the opportunity to use her intelligence and make it big as a writer, and in the end, Sam watches Diane leave the bar for the last time while uttering to himself “Have a good life.”
That been said, the reader must realize that this is coming from a critic of happy endings, and thinks the whole idea of “opposites attract” is horseshit. A neat freak (Young-jae) cannot live with a slob (Ji-eum). No way.
In the last episode of “Full House,” the unhealthy relationship is all but gone. Young-jae’s tough-love and Ji-eum’s sassiness are replaced by two characters forcibly trying to get along and make things work. It is a hasty solution to a complicated, long-term relationship problem; one that doesn’t quite work in reality. But it is a minor weakness compared to the story as a whole. As romantic comedies go, it is perhaps more fitting to have a beautiful, cute finale.
A-
