Tamra - This is the best drama I've ever seen!

Written by Zheisya

Recently being addicted to Tamra, The Island.

I’ve just finished watch this series. I usually being a silent reader in K-drama forums, but this time I can’t hold myself to give comment here (actually it takes lots of my courage to post here with my limited vocab and my poor grammar… Please take it easy… )

When I first saw the poster and synopsis, I am not interested at all. I keep skip this drama and choose the others. Its because in the poster Pierre looks so pale (I think he is a vampire before) and Seo Woo can’t catch my eyes more than 1 sec. Im Joo Hwan more attractive there, but his position makes me think this drama such a waste to put the georgeous face not in the first place. 

The synopsis looks like the focus is William, which a bit irritated because it’s a Korean Drama… I mean its more interesting if the main lead is Korean. And the beginning of ep. 1, when the story takes place in England, looks awkward and weird. It must be great if the story started from Tamra Island or Beo Jin/Park Gyu (They are the main leads, right?).

Maybe that’s why this drama have low ratings and sadly it has to be shortened. I think it’s not a kind drama that make people interested from the first sight. Its just my own opinion.

I skip watch from ep. 2 to final ep. before I come back to ep.3 because I am so curious who is the main lead, William or Park Gyu? The synopsis and the beginning story looks like its William, but somehow my feeling keep hoping its Park Gyu. And yay… I am really glad its Park Gyu (I like Im Joo Hwan from SQ and BOF but he got a small part there). If William is the main lead maybe I don’t like this drama. 

I decided to watch Tamra because accidentally when I bored watch My Fair Lady and read postings on Dramabeans, there’s some comments saying this drama quite interesting. So I try and then….All I can say is…..

THIS IS THE BEST DRAMA I’VE EVER SEEN !!!

Im Ju Hwan totally drew me into the story

Written by Winnieho

I rewatched the whole series as soon as I finished ep 16! I've also replayed ep 11 of the goodbye scene a few times. (Yes, I know I'm pathetic  ) PK's stages of emotions inside the room was really heart wrenching and I cried buckets along with him! I'm very impressed with IJH's acting ability. That scene was a total killer!

IJH totally drew me into the story. He made me interested to know what will happen next. His control and subtleness in expressions and mannerisms in translating the character of Park Kyu to the screen has to be commended. He has good comedic timing and good chemistry with the lead actress. To top it all, IJH is soooo very good to look at.  (Yes, I'm so in love with Park Kyu!)  

Things I love about Tamra

Written by Nazreal

Things i love about tamra:

1. Im Joo Hwan! amazing acting- his characterisation of PK was so pronounced yet totally subtle and he did the whole hidden love thing so well. I'm definitely watching out for him as an actor which will be really exciting 

2. I love the subtle meanings and themes that run through that are the hallmark of Kdramas but are given such a fun twist in the drama for example, the chaebol-esque son falling in love with a normal jane who's caught in a love triangle with another seeming normal joe- only for the normal joe to be a. A white dude b. Nobility! ah the subversion! the fact that william isn't korean totally knocks the socio-political tone of the love triangle and the fresh, cute characterisation keeps it lively and fun- awesomeness!

3. I'm LOVING the tamra soundtrack  GREAT stuff and I'm always so impressed with the melodies the musicians came up with for the drama cos they're not the usual pop type stuff you usually get (although some of the tunes are..)

4. Geut Boon. she's awesome! Her dancing rocks and I love her simplistic loyalty  

5. That 4 episodes were cut. Because that means we still have 4 more episodes to watch! tamra lives on!!!

TAMRA totally rawked in 2009!

Written by Ripgal

I finished the drama a few days ago... thought of writing a long essay and such, but couldn't figure out how to put them in words. So I decided to go with what everything had to say earlier on... TAMRA totally rawked in 2009! Those ratings just showed how much travesty good and quality dramas actually suffer from... but rest assured, it's gonna be one of the most remembered of the year.

Altho I did feel disappointed that a lot was edited out, that inevitably caused some scenes to appear awkward and abrupt thru out, I still think the drama ended pretty well. I'm sure there would have plenty more of PK/BJ and other cute scenes had MBC not cut off the 4 whole episodes. And there would have been more details on Seo Rin, the King etc... 

Acting was spot on. Agree with atel that Im Joo Hwan and Seo Woo were great in their roles, and Park Sun Ho and Pierre Deporte were equally decent. I also concur that IJH totally stole the show with his reserved and subtle portrayal of Park Kyu, who didn't fall into the regular stereotype of a rich/arrogant/rude chaebol/yangban that we always see in Kdramas. Here's a second for Im Joo Hwan to get Best New Actor/ or at least Excellence for his role in the MBC Awards and Seo Woo for Best New Actress (tho I'm doubtful, because MBC only recognises shows which have MONSTER ratings...eg. Queen Seon Deok? ).. But still, I'm just trying to be hopeful here.

Lastly, a great thumbs up to everybody, actors, filming crew, music director and those alike who have contributed to making this drama a HIT (at least to us minority Tamra-ers). This drama will definitely be remembered for a long time. 

I like everything about Tamra

Written by Atel

 finally caught up! ~ And like some of us predicted, he ends up back on Tamra... 

I just wanted to say, I really like how the drama portrays different kind of relationships people have with each other... like Beojin and her mother. Her mother it seemed rather unforgiving of her daughter during the Tamra days in earlier part of the drama. But when she came to Hanyang, you could sense how understanding she tried to be and became. Or Park Gyu and Yibang's teamwork. All the side characters were good... I think maybe if we saw the intended version we may have seen more of Seorin's motivation and justification for her anger... etc. And to be honest, Yan and William were decent.

I liked how Seowu portrayed Beojin - she really captured the spirit of a teen well, imo, but I think the last few episodes she easily cried...well it didn't bother me too much, since I'll justify it by saying her character was experiencing a lot of stuff for a girl having come to Hanyang. She was a fish out of her water, or rather in different waters, where the water flowed differently. Without a doubt she would’ve made it on her own in time, but Tamra’s way of life is simpler and more familiar. That’s another thing I noticed – Tamra vs. Hanyang (Rural vs. city life; what Beojin wanted in Tamra vs. what she wanted when in Hanyang) eh, maybe I’m reading more into it than needed…lol.

And without a doubt, Im Juhwan totally stole the show for me. His character had to battle injustice/corruption and his turmoil/love for a girl who didn't recognize him. Like I said earlier I really want him to win an acting award this year, preferably the one that MBC does at the end of the year…

For Tamna... to not post anything would be a crime!

Written by Hanakokoro

Been lurking a long time on this thread but figured since Tamna has temporarily ended, I'd add my two cents worth to this great thread. I rarely watch a drama which actually makes me feel like posting tons and tons of comments (because once I start...i can't stop. ) but for Tamna... to not post anything would be a crime.

Apart from the first couple of eps which had me cringing a little at the over the top, rather cheesy english lines...I never expected to get into this drama...I actually only started watching it because it got shortened and people protested. Yes..I was a total busybody. But after the 3rd ep or so... I was completely totally hooked... 

All right, I admit that I am completely in love with PK...he's like...PERFECT... and Im Joo Hwan is probably one of the best actors I have ever seen. His acting is never overdone...even the crying scenes aren't like bug-eyed, drooling, snotty affairs with shouting and all sorts of overacting...he gives dignity to every single scene he's in...he's got great comic acting too...definitely the consummate actor. Totally totally blown away. This is definitely a guy who is going to go far. And yes...he is drop dead gorgeous in every single outfit he wears...which is amazing in itself...

Now I discover Im Joo Hwan in Tamra

Written by Masaya

I finally finished the last ep.... raw. I also made a MV to show the overall feel but youtube got me. *weep* Bloody hell! I feel like I should say something since it's the end. (Speech starts... *clear throat*)

Like all things, Tamra is coming to an end. It's the end folks. I feel like I should say something lengthy, something philosophical, something meaningful, something transcends time and space to express how it changed the very meaning of my existence. And most importantly, I need an excuse to spam the thread. (Okay, that's the real reason. I did graduate with a BS degree. Alright alright, I'm lying. I wish I graduated with a BS.)

I've been watching Kdramas but not that many (in the last 4 years or so.) My background is along the line of Chinese dramas, then Japanese dramas, then Korean dramas and I discovered artists that way. I found Lee Young Ae in DJG. I found Kim Hye Soo in True to Love. I found Joo Jin Mo in Fashion 70s. I found Park Yong Woo in Crystal. And now I discover Im Joo Hwan in Tamra. Im Joo Hwan reminds me of Park Yong Woo. They're both very good actors but not popular. 

Now the saving grace of the series for me is Park Kyu

Written by Masaya

There are factors from the drama (Tamra the Island) that filter the targeted audiences quite a bit. This drama isn't appealing to males because it's a reverse harem theme (unless they stop thinking guys should watch guys theme kind of dramas. Maybe they'll never be comfortable with their own sexuality.) Besides that, not many Korean guys like to see a Westerner at the opening getting the girl. The old folks would care less (and probably stopped watching after 5 minutes at the beginning seeing William, Yan and his mother.) Also, I don't think bathroom humor is popular with traditional Asians.

The gut of most story is about a love story. Things thrown around the theme are supposed to give depth. With Tamra, the author wants to tie it with the political intrigue so some smuggling activities (which are supposed to be related to the political intrigue) were thrown in to enrich the story. Now the girl in red is the deposed king's younger sister (who looks more like his daughter to me.) But anyways, I would guess that she's doing all this (somehow) for vengeance in order to take the throne back. (That's as far as it goes, something like Goong.) Meanwhile, Park Kyu (who either works for the present government or is the government himself) wanders in smuggling country to investigate. So you have the good guy Park Kyu versus the bad guy, the red dress girl and her ninjas minions. On the parallel, you have our hero trying to win girl's heart from a Westerner. Yeah there are some conspiracies brewing but the audiences are left wondering what the heck is going on with all the smuggling business and why is that important. I don't think people care too much smuggling. They want big stuff like overthrowing the government sort of thing. (But then it's Jeju Island, what do you expect?) 

Tamra the Island: Overall Thoughts with BTS Photos

By Doozy

Now that I’ve finished the drama, I’m thinking back to when and what had taken me off the fence and kept me fully on board the Tamra ride. It must have started when William was recounting his story of how he landed on Tamra through the use of drawings and animations. I thought the bit was creative and unique, with a touch of whimsy. It gave me the feeling that this drama was charming and different, but in a good way, than other shows that I’ve watched, and so I wanted to stay tune in to see more of what it had to offer. And once I began to care for its main characters, I was fully invested emotionally in the show.

Talking about characters, I can say that I like all the Tamra villagers, with the obvious exceptions of the villains, because although the Tamra villagers aren’t painted perfectly, they are all good people; even if their actions might appear petty and small-minded, the intention was never to inflict real harm. For example, when Keut Boon realized that she could have caused Beo Jin her life by giving Beo Jin the drink laced with a laxative, we saw how she felt badly about it and even tried to stop her mother from blaming Beo Jin for causing them to lose the competition against a neighboring village.

Beo Jin’s family is also lovable as well. Although Mama Jang may not always agree with Beo Jin, her love for her daughter is unconditional. Papa Jang has limited scenes in the show but his presence is felt, as are his support and understanding of Beo Jin’s wishes. And Beo Sul, love her! This girl is not only adorable but also wise beyond her years and has mad artistic talent.

Tamra the Island - Ockoala's feeling - Part 3 : So you think you know what you are talking about?

By OCKOALA

• Introduction
• Part 1 : Why should I consider watching this?
• Part 2 : Tell me the story, damnit!

Now that I’ve taken you on a long (winded) play-by-play through Tamra-the-story, let me take you on a walk through Tamra-the-drama. What Tamra-the-drama does is take the simplicity of Tamra-the-story and create a vivid portrait of people who may be fictional, but feel alive.

Trust me, this is hard. I do not personally relate to anyone in most sageuks (I am not the long lost heir to the throne, my family wasn’t slaughtered by a vengeful slave half-brother, I didn’t fall in love with a guy only to find out he’s my brother and have him kill the other guy I love, etc.). Their plights are often gut-wrenching or heart-pounding, but we are engaged on a meta-emotional level, not on a personal I-lived-through-this level.

To create such a story, the stars have to align properly. It must be about the common folks, the situations have to be realistic yet straightforward, and the characters have to be fully realized. All of this happened in Tamra. Combined with a lyrical soundtrack, excellent and charming directing, and effortless acting by (most) of the cast members, Tamra nailed every element on how to make a successful drama. Well, except for one – Tamra was horribly marketed and terribly under-promoted, leading it to fall victim in the ratings game.

The purpose of a journey is so that you can come home again:

Why does Tamra make such an impact on a viewer, namely me? It moved me by creating a fairytale imbued with the essence of the ordinary life we each lead. How can that be, you ask? We are not lady divers in Tamra. We don’t run away from home to set sail for the mysterious Orient. We don’t walk around with a stick up our butt conducting undercover investigations.

Tsk tsk, you’re being too literal, my chingus. Tamra takes universal themes of longing for a different purpose in life, the desire to explore, the conflicts stemming from friendship, family, duty and honor, and packages it in a sageuk setting. Tragedy does not abound on Tamra, especially not to the point of you asking “just how much crap can happen to one person.” What the drama focuses on is the human element of what constitutes life’s many struggles.

Tamra the Island - Ockoala's feeling - Part 2 : Tell me the story, damnit!

By OCKOALA

• Introduction
• Part 1 : Why should I consider watching this?

Why are weird white people on my screen, and why won’t they stop hurting my eyes and ears with their “acting”?:

Tamra has about the silliest, most cringe-inducing drama opening sequence I have ever watched. It’s so god-awful I wouldn’t fault you if you turned off your TV after fifteen minutes, and chucked the rest of the DVDs into the incinerator. [In fact, as an avid Tamra-lover, I will only watch that segment purely to mock it]. What is so dreadful, you ask? Ask no more, I’m more than happy to tell you.

Tamra begins in Brighton, England, home of a dude named William Spencer. William is a curious happy little nugget, collecting treasures from the Orient and dreaming of exploring the lands from whence his treasures came. William also happens to be the owner of the worst hairstyle (mullet), dye-job (bleach blond) and accent (Frenglish?) in the universe of British guys (we’re supposed to buy a French dude playing a Brit, when it’s clear as day that this Frenchman doesn’t speak a lick of proper English).

Mommy dearest frowns upon her boy’s fanciful dreams. She warns him that he better stop with this nonsense and get himself married to an heiress, natch. In a brilliant stroke of genius (probably caused by the massive amount of blond hair dye), William decides to embark on his long-awaited adventure to explore the lands to the East, spurred on by a desire to avoid marrying the horse-faced footsie-playing rich girl his parent sold him to.

Ju Hwan in the military (10/2012)

Tamra the Island - Ockoala's feeling - Part 1: Why should I consider watching this?

By OCKOALA

• Introduction

You all know I’m a period drama junkie. Sageuks or wuxias, it doesn’t matter. If the men don sexy wigs, wear manly historical garb, and carry a big sword, I’m sold. The ladies need only not annoy me, and we’re square. This particular penchant for historical stuff transcends cultural boundaries. I loves me some Jane Austen BBC and movie adaptations, half-naked beefy men as a Gladiator/Trojan/Persian/Greek, or a bunch of elves guarding a pair of decrepit Towers.

Asian drama period pieces especially heighten the sense of wonder, eclipsing the mundane everyday-ness of our often Westernized lives by adding a dash of exotic fantasy. Some are easier to get into than others. I can sit through the dry-rub history if they throw in the occasional wet-rub eye-sexing, sword fighting, or yo-fool-that’s-my-lady-love-you’re-poaching smackdown. For every nine period drama turkeys, I can usually count of finding that one needle in the haystack.

Tamra the Island (“Tamra”) is the proverbial needle in my great period drama expedition of 2009. It’s also permanently secured a place in my list of top-ten period dramas. In writing this review, I’m actually dismayed that I may have placed it too low on my list. My affection for this drama grows fonder even as I place some distance between us to pick it apart, analyze, and scrutinize it. Tamra made my heart swell and my imagination take flight.

Tamra the Island - Ockoala's feeling - Introduction

By OCKOALA

I promise this review will end with: “and they lived happily ever after.” For my (few) loyal readers, this might be the only fanservice I can do for you. It recently dawned on me that I have only been discussing dramas that have required an increasing dose of therapy after watching it. I can’t fathom why, since fluffy dramas are really my inadvertant staple. My concern was premature, of course. The drama gods will always find a way to even out the score.

I recently got a package in the mail. It led to me re-watching a drama that made me as happy and satiated as a cat (who just drank organic milk from a Vermont free-range cow, is now laying on a plush 1000 thread count duvet, and getting stroked by So Ji Sub’s long long fingers). The meow of contentment is through the roof. This hidden gem made me so blissful, it was a sign from the drama gods that I needed to write about something HAPPY for a change. Duly noted.

Tamra the Island [also known as Tamna the Island, Shipwrecked, Tempted Again]:

Please join me on a journey to an island called Tamra, where the abalone are plentiful and the ladies are feisty (and wear adult diapers–according to Mr. Koala, who watched this drama with me in its entirety, and provided some “interesting” commentary, which I will be including in this review). By visiting this unassuming make-believe place, perhaps some of its happiness-inducing properties will spread to you. I can’t make any guarantees, but I’m fairly certain you won’t leave needing a cold shower or a stiff drink.

A few housekeeping notes before I start. This review will be split into three parts. Part One will be a brief overview on what makes Tamra such a remarkable drama. For those of you who haven’t watched it yet, I hope this will be enough to induce you to check it out.

Part Two will be a lengthy spoiler-laden recap of Tamra (you may need a bathroom break in between, you’ve been warned). Reading this section won’t spoil the enjoyment of Tamra regardless of whether you’ve seen it. The pleasures of watching this drama does not rest on suspense or plot development. Tamra is a visual and oratory experience. I think I am only going to give you a sense of the spongy goodness of the cake–watching it will allow you to experience the sweet, delicious icing.

Finally (if you haven’t already called it quits or partially lost your vision by then), Part Three will be devoted to discussing the hows and whys that make Tamra a special experience. This is where I’ll be analyzing the drama by discussing the direction, scoring, and performances. This may not be all that interesting unless you’ve already seen Tamra (but knowing me, I’ll be cracking a lot of jokes, so feel free to keep reading if you have some free time and don’t mind listening to me jabber on and on).

Since this post is longer than the proverbial Great Wall, rather than make you suss out what interests you by slogging through my interminable ode to Tamra, I’ve categorized it in advance for ease of reference. Now that we’ve gotten the boring stuff out of the way – go ahead and slip on some comfy slippers, brew yourself a steaming pot of tea, dim the lights, whip out a candle, and be prepared to be Swept Away.

Let’s take a virtual trip to an island where an arrogant nobleman will find his heart and destiny, a shipwrecked foreigner will find adventure and wonder, and a girl with different ideas and dreams will find that everything she was looking for was always right in front of her (sort of).

(To be continued)

Read more:

• Part 1:  Why should I consider watching this?
• Part 2 : Tell me the story, damnit!
• Part 3 : So you think you know what you are talking about?

Tamra's gif photo collection from Tumblr

  

  

  

  

Suspicious Customers Review

By Orion

What I liked:

This is actually one of my favorite movies of 2011, mainly because it surprised me by being more than what I expected. I thought it would be a comedy with some simple drama thrown in and I got a very human drama, a smart one and definitely not one which should be named a comedy. This is a heavy movie. Don't be fooled by the poster and trailers. Korea has yet to master promotion of their movies and they often promote a work as an entirely different genre than what it really is and in a whole different mood. They promote this as comedy, which is crazy, because it's not one.

I will make a bigger review on this at some point, because it really represents what I find a meaningful movie. No symbolism, no shoving "See! This is meaningful!" in your face like many works try too hard to do in order to convince you they do have something to say, no such insecure and cheap tricks.

The story works well, the movie has something decent to say about how we face life and change it, it's well filmed and easy to follow, the acting is very good and what a cast indeed. Also, it's sad to see Im Joo Hwan is not receiving more attention, because he is quite an interesting actor and a good one.

He hit the fine balance between awkward and endearing, for this character

A Millionaire's First Love - Behind the scene

Seung Joon/A Millionaire's First Love - gif photo

Ju Hwan in Military Cultural HIM vol18 - 10/2012