Sometimes in K-dramas, the cast and crew will shoot a particular scene or scenes that will either reference or pay homage to another K-drama whether it is airing or not. At times, it can be way too obvious such as in Total Variety Network (tvN) K-drama Drinking Solo (also known as Let’s Drink ). Korean actor Min Jin Woong plays a Noryangjin Institute teacher of the same name who uses impersonations in his class such as Song Joong Ki in Descendants of the Sun and Park Bo Gum in Moonlight Drawn by Clouds .
On the other hand, particular scenes or scenes paying homage to another K-drama may be smart in its implementation as in K-drama fans really need to pay attention and know their stuff to catch it. For example in the series finale of tvN K-drama Let’s Fight Ghost , Dooyoung makes an appearance as Goo Dae Young, the main lead character in Let’s Eat and Let’s Eat 2 . The scene even uses a direction style often seen in Let’s Eat and Let’s Eat 2 as it pertains to food.
With the latter example in mind, Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) K-drama Jealousy Incarnate (also known as Don’t Dare to Dream ) just recently made a smart or underlying reference to a Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) K-drama, Pasta . Not only that, they referenced it through the character Seo Yoo Kyung, the character Gong Hyo Jin played in the series.
The reference to Pasta happens during the blind date scene in the 15th episode of Jealousy Incarnate . Pyo Na Ri (Gong Hyo Jin) ends up going on a blind date with a man she recently meets in the previous episodes. We never see the man nor do we get the chance to hear his voice. During the blind date, we can clearly hear his voice. Being a fan of K-dramas since 2008, the voice of the man did sound familiar, too familiar. It all came to light when the man said he works as a pasta chef and that Na Ri reminds him of one of his former staff, a girl he used to call “Goldfish.” At that moment, it is crystal clear the hidden Korean actor is Lee Sun Kyun who plays Choi Hyun Wook in Pasta .
For those unfamiliar with Lee Sun Kyun, he is a Korean actor far more well-known for his roles in K-movies over roles in K-dramas. However, if we were to base his popularity on K-dramas alone, he is best known for being a part of the cast of MBC Best Theater and Drama City , two shows known for showcasing single-episode dramas. For single series K-dramas, Sun Kyun is known for playing Choi Han Sung in Coffee Prince along with Gong Yoo and Yoon Eun Hye and of course Pasta .
As mentioned earlier, it is both smart and sneaky the cast and crew included a reference to Pasta because it is one of Gong Hyo Jin’s earlier works that helped pushed her popularity as a Korean actress as well as one of the K-dramas that helped establish her position as a Hallyu star. Even the former staff member Lee Sun Kyun brings up, known as “Goldfish,” is the character Hyo Jin played in the series, Seo Yoo Kyung.
https://youtu.be/v6nctbm9AlU
Thankfully, this K-drama writer and fan since 2008 wasn’t the only one to catch Jealousy Incarnate cast and crew’s nod to Pasta as other seasoned K-drama fans and websites took notice including Dramabeans . Even DramaFever recognized the reference too creating a video concentrating on said reference and linking it to the scene when Lee Sun Kyun and Gong Hyo Jin kiss in Pasta .
Jealousy Incarnate airs on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10 p.m. KST on SBS. For those who do not have access to SBS, the series can be viewed for free, with ads, exclusively at DramaFever in North and South America. Starting with the third episode, the latest episodes will be exclusive to premium users up to one week. As for all other regions, Jealousy Incarnate can be viewed on Viki by its second title, Don’t Dare to Dream .
[Featured Image by Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS)]