Overview of Playful Kiss

The premise of a love-hate relationship—when two distinct individuals start seemingly disliking each other—is fairly mined in teen romantic fiction. A clumsy high school student, Oh Ha-ni (Jung So-min) falls for perfectionist genius Baek Seung-jo (Kim Hyun-joong).

A girl who keeps being mocked by a guy and her journey towards love keeps you engaged. The consequences of exchanges between two personality traits are that one is popular Baek Seung-jo, who constantly neglects ordinary Oh Ha-ni, who romanticises him nonetheless.

Based on a Japanese manga, this Korean drama series centres on a slow-bubbling romance between an arrogant young man with a genius IQ and an extrovert girl who believes in expressing her emotions.

Profile

• Drama: Playful Kiss
• Directors: Hwang In-roi and Kim Do-hyung
• Writer: Go Eun-nim
• Network: Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation
• Episodes: 16
• Release Date: September 1 – October 21, 2010
• Language: Korean
• Country: South Korea

Cast

• Kim Hyun-joong as Baek Seung-jo
• Jung So-min as Oh Ha-ni
• Lee Tae-sung as Bong Joon-gu
• Lee Si-young as Yoon Hae-ra

Supporting

• Jung Hye-young as Hwang Geum-hee, Seung-jo’s mother
• Oh Kyung-soo as Baek Soo-chang, Seung jo’s father
• Choi Won-hong as Baek Eun-jo, Seung-jo’s brother
• Kang Nam-gil as Oh Ki-dong, Ha-ni’s father
• Choi Sung-kook as Kwang Kyung-soo
• Yoon Bo-hyun as Tennis team captain
• Hong Yoon-hwa as Jung Joo-ri, Ha-ni’s best friend
• Yoon Seung-ah as Dokgo Min-ah, Ha-ni’s best friend
• Choi Sung-joon as Kim Gi-tae
• Jang Ah-young as Hong Jang-mi
• Bye Bye Sea as Bong Joon-gu’s followers
• Hwang Hyo-eun as Song Kang-yi, Ha-ni’s homeroom teacher
• Song Yong-shik as Song Ji-oh
• Moon Hoe-won as Head Teacher Hwang
• Abigail Alderete as Chris

Synopsis

Pretty and attractive high school student Oh Ha-ni (Jung So-min) lives with her widowed father, Oh Ki-dong (Kang Nam-gil), who runs a noodle restaurant. Oh Ha-ni is a sweet and innocent girl; however, she is not so good at school. Oh Ha-ni has a massive crush on the smartest and most handsome guy in the high school named Baek Seung-jo (Kim Hyun-joong). He is popular, sought-after genius in school, whereas Ha-ni is a clumsy girl with no interest in studies but who lives a lively life. Ha-ni fell for Seung-jo from the moment she laid eyes on him on the first day of school.

Oh Ha-ni has two childhood friends, Dokgo Min-ah (Yoon Seung-ah), who is studious, and Jung Joo-ri (Hong Yoon-hwa), a cute chubby girl who loves to cut people’s hair. Min-ah and Joo-ri are Ha-ni’s constant companions and privy to all her fantasies about Seung-jo. Ha-ni has a usual talent routine of using her foot to bring down a soda can that is stuck in a vending machine. One day, a student asks Min-ah to use that technique to take out a soda can from the machine for Baek Seung-jo.

Seung-jo figures out that Ha-ni is obsessed with him, and he rejects her proposal by correcting all the mistakes in the love letter she wrote for him. Devastated and humiliated, Ha-ni goes back home to her father with her friends when disaster strikes and her house suddenly collapses.

Ha-ni’s father tells her they’ve been invited to temporarily stay at the home of his childhood best friend, Baek Soo-chang (Oh Kyung-soo), and his lively, happy wife, Hwang Geum-hee (Jung Hye-young). Seoung-jo has a brother, Baek Eun-jo (Choi Won-hong). This house turns out to be the very same house where Seung-jo lives. Ha-ni is excited to meet him, whereas Seung-jo seems none too pleased to see her.

Ha-ni is living with a young man who disdains her, sharing a bathroom with him and having family meals together, and his bedroom is near hers. They both constantly run into each other and gradually begin to grow closer as he tutors her over the next few weeks. She proves her worth to Seung-jo by achieving a good rank in academics.

Another character is introduced, the daughter of a rich businessman, Yoon Hae-ra (Lee Si-young), who arrives on campus. Yoon Hae-ra insinuates herself into Seung-jo’s life and begins to vie for Seung-jo’s affections, however, Ha-ni is not swayed.

Ha-ni’s quest for his love continues. Bong Joon-gu (Lee Tae-sung), Ha-ni’s high school friend, has been in love with Oh Ha-ni since his first year of high school. When Ha-ni finally decides to give up on Seung-jo, she realises that Seung-jo likes having her as a puppy who follows after him, maybe because he is actually in love with her too.

On the night of high school graduation, Seung-jo becomes possessive of Ha-ni’s attention. She says that she will start to move away from him, giving him more freedom. Upon hearing this, he backs her into a corner and kisses her. Seung-jo gives up going to a more prestigious college just to be able to attend the same lower-level college as Ha-ni.

Ending Explained

Seung-jo’s father becomes ill and is hospitalised. Seung-jo has to take over his father’s game design business even though he has no experience. A rich businessman proposes that he will invest in the business if Seung-jo marries his daughter. Seung-jo considers the proposal, thinking that it would be a wise thing to do.

Meanwhile, Oh Ha-ni, despondent over Seung-jo dating another woman, agrees to the proposal of Bong Joon-gu, who boldly proposes marriage to her. Seung-jo hears about the marriage proposal Ha-ni received from Joon-gu, one of Ha-ni’s friends. When Seung-jo realises that Ha-ni might stop her pursuit of him and fall for someone else, he decides that he needs to start winning her back.

The jealous and competitive Seung-jo confronts Ha-ni and kisses her passionately. Finally, Ha-ni knows that he does care about her. Seung-jo enters the family home holding Ha-ni’s hand. He surprises everyone by announcing that he will marry Ha-ni. Bong Joon-gu later meets a girl named Chris who has a crush on him, and they start a relationship.

Theme

Imaginative high school student Oh Ha-ni decides to confess her feelings of love to the most popular and smartest student in the school, Baek Seung-jo. The conflict between two personality complexes is well presented in the drama. Seung-jo rejects Ha-ni, but fate brings them together when an earthquake strikes. The drama encourages taking chances and not giving up on a relationship.

The storyline of ‘Playful Kiss’ is pertinent to those who are experiencing abusive relationships. The love portrayed here in the drama is a toxic one in which Seung-jo constantly disparages and treats Ha-ni with disdain, yet she keeps romanticising him. A bad-tempered man disregards a girl’s feelings and insults her, both physically and emotionally, and the mending of such connections ensues how most of us let go of the pain in pursuit of a happy closure.

Awards

• Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards – 2010
  Best New Actress for TV, Jung So-min
• MBC Drama Awards – 2010
  Popularity Award, Kim Hyun-joong
  Best New Actor, Lee Tae-sung

Interesting Facts about Playful Kiss

1. Filming of the drama ‘Playful Kiss’ began on 22 July 2010.
2. The drama was based on the Japanese manga series “Itazura na Kiss”, written and illustrated by Kaoru Tada.
3. ‘Playful Kiss’ took over the timeslot previously occupied by the South Korean television series ‘Road No. 1’ and was followed by ‘Home Sweet Home’ on 27 October 2010.
4. Overseas broadcast rights of ‘Playful Kiss’ were sold to 12 countries including Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, and the Philippines for approximately US $3,400,000.
5. The drama streamed 70 million times on Viki and earned US $400,000 in ad revenue through online streaming.
6. Due to the international popularity of the drama, a short special edition was aired on YouTube after the series finale.

FAQs

1. Who are the writer and director of ‘Playful Kiss’?
   The drama is written by Go Eun-nim and directed by Hwang In-roi and Kim Do-hyung.
   
2. What is the genre of ‘Playful Kiss’?
   ‘Playful Kiss’ falls into romance, and comedy genres. 
   
3. How many episodes are in ‘Playful Kiss’?
   ‘Playful Kiss’ has concluded a successful 16-episode run.
4. Is the K-drama ‘Playful Kiss’ worth watching?
   The slice-of-life adorable and entertaining romantic comedy of young love that eventually blossomed into a happy married life delivers feel-good entertainment for the viewers.
5. What is the Instagram ID of Jung So-min?
   somin_jj is the Instagram ID of Jung So-min.
6. What is the Instagram ID of Kim Hyun-joong?
   hyunjoong860606 is the Instagram ID of Kim Hyun-joong.