In today’s Offstage feature, we’re going to shine the spotlight on none other than the Hong Sisters. This writer-duo hardly needs an introduction, because even if you’ve not heard of the Hong Sisters, you most certainly know their work.
The Hong Sisters
Starting off as writers for a variety show, they got their big break with their drama retelling of ‘Tale of Chun-Hyang’, in 2005. The series was an instant hit, becoming immensely popular, and dynamically launched their screenwriting career.
‘Delightful Girl Chun-Hyang’ was a romantic melodrama with a Hong Sisters twist. It’s that kind of self-conscious and occasionally hilarious melo, that particularly resonates with those who at once like melodramas, but also tend to cringe endlessly at all the cheese. It also established their now familiar style of humour, using references, puns, and their penchant for parody.
The next drama, ‘My Girl’, starring Lee Da Hae, Lee Joon Gi, and Lee Dong Wook, was equally successful. In this rom-com, a man and a woman are somehow forced to live together and to nobody’s surprise eventually end up falling in love.
Both these dramas basically turned their protagonists into household names, and set another tradition for Hong Sisters’ dramas to follow. One of the reasons we love them is that they tend to cast relatively new actors, especially as female leads.
In 2006, they joined in the apparently international frenzy to remake the American movie ‘Overboard’ with their drama ‘Couple or Trouble’. Honestly, the amount of times that movie’s been remade will never cease to amaze me, there’s even a Greek version. There’s definitely something to be said for this one, I feel the Hongs’ personal style really matched this story well, and the result is a drama that’s a ton of fun.
Expanding their portfolio with the fusion sageuk ‘Hong Gil Dong’ in 2008, they established that their comedy and witty dialogues could adapt and thrive in other genres as well. While not their most successful series, the Joseon-era Robin Hood did brilliantly online.
After such four successful dramas, the Hongs proved that they were neither a one-hit-wonder, nor a fluke. They were clearly here to stay.
‘You’re Beautiful’ and international cult following
At this point on their success streak, the fan-favourite ‘You’re Beautiful’ was the series that absolutely solidified their brand. Pop-culture references, quick shifts from funny gags to emotional scenes, and an endless parody of rom-com tropes – while employing the same tropes- this absolute must-watch drama is pretty much the epitome of their writing style.
Jang Geun Suk, who had previously worked with them in Hong Gil Dong, stars here. It garnered a huge international fan-base, prompting two remakes (Japanese and Taiwanese).
Among their next endeavours, ‘My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed fox’ signalled their turn towards more fantasy elements in their dramas. The (apparently mandatory?) body-swap drama came in 2012 with ‘Big’, but didn’t become the sensation ‘Secret Garden’ had been. Plus, it was completely overshadowed by their follow-up horror rom-com ‘The Master’s Sun’.
You did read that right, horror rom-com. Continuing down the fantasy path, this drama was their first to focus on people who can see ghosts. While very different in every other aspect, ‘Hwayugi – A Korean Odyssey’ and ‘Hotel Del Luna’ had similarly afflicted heroes.
The Hongs do romance – fantasy romance, comedy romance, melodrama, or even horror, but romance nonetheless. It came as a bit of a surprise then, when ‘Hotel Del Luna’ hit our screens, that possibly their best drama to-date, had put romance in the back seat.
I’d stan this drama for IU’s character alone, but it was just so good all-around.
The good, the bad and the hilarious
Okay, Hong Sisters’ dramas are far from perfect; That lack of a simple grammar check in the title of ‘Hotel Del Luna’ still bugs me. Their storytelling is dependable, and sweating the details plays no part here.
You know their dramas will have you laughing your ass off and bawling your eyes out in equal measure, and cringing juuust a little bit. A Hong Sisters’ series is guaranteed to be fun even if a pause runs too long or a metaphor gets overplayed. Not just funny, but honestly fun, a pleasure to watch. And that’s why we love them <3
