Edited by Seo Hayne
Translated by Kim Hoyeun
The 2016 drama Another Miss Oh is a rom-com about a man that suddenly starts getting visions of someone else’s future getting involved with two women who happen to have the same name. Though it ended six years ago, it received such great love, enough to be made into a musical. We take a lot at the three reasons why Another Miss Oh is remembered as a drama that’s much more than just a rom-com.
A Colorful Story that Starts with a Small Happening
In Another Miss Oh, Oh Hae Young (Seo Hyun Jin) and Oh Hye Young (Jeon Hye Bin) have the same name but live a very different life. The two were in the same class when they were in high school. Oh Hye Young (Jeon Hye Bin) was called the “pretty Oh Hye Young” with her prettier look and better grades, taking the position as the “original Oh Hye Young.” Another Oh Hye Young (Seo Hyun Jin) was only called the “ordinary Oh Hye Young.” Having lived her teen while feeling inferior, the adult “ordinary Oh Hye Young” encounters the “pretty Oh Hye Young” again in her work. And once again, she finds herself feeling so small.
Both Oh Hye Youngs, coincidentally, have feelings for Park Do Kyung (Eric). This love triangle started when Park Do Kyung mistook these two women because of their names. Because of his mistake, Oh Hye Young (Seo Hyun Jin) gets dumped right before her wedding. Anyone who has experienced minor incidents for having the same name as someone else at school or at a meeting will easily relate to this drama. Comparing ourselves to someone we wouldn’t have even known if it weren’t for the same names, we eventually grow up to find what kind of person we are. This is why the characters in Another Miss Oh gained so much sympathy.
“Amateur-like” Love Shown by the “Professionals” � �
Park Do Kyung is a talented sound director. He has a habit of recording sounds even while eating and collecting various sounds with his recording devices whenever he steps out. He has his own firm and high standards for his work, which makes him so picky that he even yells, “You have to insert the sound of sunlight in this scene!” However, he’s meticulous enough to realize someone’s wearing “shoes that don’t fit” just by listening to their walks. On top of that, he even has the ability to see the future. And that future is mostly about the “ordinary Oh Hye Young.” With the ability to see the future slightly before it actually happens, he uses his keen observation and hearing skills to save people from danger.
Another Miss Oh shows the world of the professionals in quite a detail. The job of collecting sounds day and night at various locations looks quite romantic at first glance. As such, Park Do Kyung shows excellent competence at work, but he doesn’t have the right tools to win the hearts of the people he works with. Because he doesn’t know how to express himself, he hurts others, and eventually, he’s told, “Someday you will cry because of me.” He’s someone who’s incapable of saying “I missed you” or “I love you.” In the visions that he saw, he is doomed to die soon. Towards the end of the play, Park Do Kyung chooses to love as he wants so as not to regret at the last moment he can’t change his fate. Viewers have no other choice but to cheer for Park Do Kyung, who is becoming a “professional” in love just like at his work.
Seo Hyun Jin Is Capable of Convincingly Portray the Most Ordinary Character
Above all, 80% of Another Miss Oh is the bold and unconventional character of the “ordinary Oh Hye Young.” Even when she’s dumped by her fiance Han Tae Jin (Lee Jae Yoon) the day before their wedding, she tells him what she wants instead of clinging to him. She’s also someone who can casually say, “Even if I die right now, I don’t have any regrets,” in front of Park Do Kyung, who is destined to die soon. Her sincerity of acting without giving a second thought eventually tears down the wall people have built. Every moment the “ordinary Oh Hye Young” eats and drinks, she vividly goes back and forth between humor and sadness. Sometimes, to suppress the uncontrolled emotions, she suddenly rides a bike in the middle of the night, walks in high heels until her feet are bleeding, or dances to music in the living room. But even if all the people she meets look down on her or deceive her, she always stays honest about her own emotions. The persuasive power of this ordinary character of “ordinary Oh Hye Young” came to life thanks to Seo Hyun Jin’s dazzling emotional performance.
Editor Seo Hayne: I like actors as they faithfully lead through their long running-time. I also like idols who accomplish everything on stage within 3 minutes.
Translator Kim Hoyeun: If you are a fan of K-drama, K-movie, and K-pop, I am your guy. I will continue to provide you with up-to-date K-entertainment news.
