Jealousy (1992 TV series)

Jealousy (Korean질투; RRJiltu) is a 1992 South Korean romantic comedy television series starring Choi Soo-jong and Choi Jin-sil. It aired on MBC from 1 June 1992 to 21 July 1992 on Mondays and Tuesdays for 16 episodes.[1][2][3] The show is based on the 1991 novel, Long Shadow of My Love by Yoon Myung-hye.[4][5] It is one of the highest-rated Korean dramas of all time, with 56.1% viewership ratings on its final episode, and the first Korean production to be exported and broadcast overseas.[5][6][7][8]

Jealousy
Hangul
질투
Revised RomanizationJiltu
GenreRomance, Comedy
Based onLong Shadow of My Love
by Yoon Myung-hye
Written byChoi Yeon-ji
Directed by
Starring
Opening theme"Jealousy" by Yoo Seung-beom
Country of originSouth Korea
No. of episodes16
Production
Running time60 minutes
Production companyMBC Self-production
Original release
NetworkMBC TV
ReleaseJune 1 (1992-06-01) –
July 21, 1992 (1992-07-21)

Background

edit

It established the main cast as top stars of the 90s and launched Choi Jin-sil's television career.[9][4][10] It is considered the first trendy Korean drama, and one that marked the beginning of Korean romantic comedy.[11][12] In 1993, China's Harbin TV imported and broadcast the TV series, making it the first Korean production to be broadcast outside the country and a bridgehead for the export of Korean dramas to the Asian market, especially the Chinese mainland, which was dominated by Japan.[8][7] It was aired again on July 20, 1997, re-edited into 8 episodes each with a runtime of 90 minutes, as the first television series to be rebroadcast through MBC Drama Masterpiece.[13][14]

Plot

edit

The story revolves around Ha-kyung and Young-ho, who are old best friends. Ha-kyung works for a travel agency and lives with her single mother who works as editor-in-chief at a magazine publishing house. She loves hanging out with her old buddy, Young-ho, and the two share an effortless banter. Although they are long-time friends, their relationship teeters on the threshold of love and friendship.[15]

One day, Young-ho meets a beautiful, intelligent, and wealthy woman, Young-ae, and he soon grows infatuated with her. When Ha-kyung realizes that Young-ho has feelings for someone else, she feels bouts of jealousy and realizes Young-ho is more than just a friend to her. She suppresses her jealousy and decides to give up her feelings for him, asking Young-ae to take care of him. Ha-kyung tries to find her own way through life, while trying to maintain her friendship with Young-ho.

Ha-kyung also had a long-time secret crush on her middle-school tutor, Sang-hoon. She reunites with Sang-hoon, and the two begin to spend time together. This development does not go unnoticed by Young-ho, who soon begins to feel jealous as well. He starts seeing Ha-kyung as a woman, not just a friend, and asks her out on a date. A misunderstanding results in Ha-kyung waiting in the rain for Young-ho, who never arrives. The two try to go back to being just friends, as Ha-kyung focuses on her career and Young-ho pines for her.

After spending a year abroad, Ha-kyung returns to Seoul and reunites with Young-ho. Both soon confirm that their feelings have not changed.

Cast

edit

Reception

edit

The concept of trendy dramas can be seen in movies or TV series that take advantage of popular stars, so as to delve deeper into urban lifestyles, state-of-the-art fashion, and new generation mindsets. Soon, the desire to imitate the lighthearted conversations and daily rituals of the main characters spread like wildfire among the young generation in South Korea.[4][16] Cultural critic Ha Jae-geun said, "The drama ‘Jealousy’ was not just considered a popular drama, but is accepted as a symbol of an era. It was the beginning of the trendy drama.” The drama was a breath of fresh air, breaking away from the standard tropes of most dramas of the past. It approached the public from a new perspective, portraying the unique yet realistic lifestyles of young people in their 20s and 30s.[6][17]

The drama especially resonated among female viewers in their 20s who identified with the female lead, over a narrative about the transition from being just friends to lovers. For her beauty, acting ability, and relatable portrayal of the lead character, Choi was nicknamed, “The Nation's Sweetheart” and became a beloved national actress.[4][18]

In 2011, women's portal Ezday surveyed 1,314 netizens on the topic of 'memorable dramas from the 1990s. Jealousy was voted as the 'most memorable drama' by 20% of respondents, followed closely by Star in My Heart with 19% of the votes. For 'Best Actress of the 1990s,' Choi Jin-sil took the top spot with 34% of respondents, followed by Kim Hee-sun, Shim Eun-ha, Shin Ae-ra, Lee Seung-yeon, and Jeon Do-yeon. For 'Best Actor of the 1990s,' Jang Dong-gun was chosen by 21% of respondents, followed by Ahn Jae-wook and Choi Soo-jong.[19][20][21]

References

edit
  1. ^ Hwang, Hye-jin (2015-12-20). "다시보는 명작 '질투' 그리운 故최진실-최수종 로맨스(해피타임)". newsen.com. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  2. ^ "[그때 그리고 오늘] '질투'로 되돌아 본 90년대". MBC News (in Korean). 2018-06-01. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  3. ^ "질투 | 만나면 좋은 친구 MBC". iMBC (in Korean). Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  4. ^ a b c d "한국드라마 명작 (6): '질투'". Korea.net. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
  5. ^ a b "[1990년대 복고 열풍] 90년대 대표적 트렌디 드라마 '질투'의 주역들 지금은?". 이투데이 (in Korean). 2015-03-20. Retrieved 2023-10-26.
  6. ^ a b "[추억의 한국 드라마] 질투". 코리아포스트 한글판 (in Korean). 2016-12-19. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  7. ^ a b 손, 진아. "[M+기획…'드라마 수출'①] 한류 이끄는 드라마 열풍의 史". entertain.naver.com (in Korean). Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  8. ^ a b "[전문가 칼럼] 박장순 "드라마 첫 수출이 하얼빈에서 이뤄진 까닭?…일류 제친 한류의 역사성"". 데일리한국 (in Korean). 2015-12-16. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  9. ^ "장은진의 판타스틱 TV 우리 인생의 드라마 ⑭ MBC '질투' (1992)". 국제신문. Retrieved 2023-10-26.
  10. ^ "From Ad Star to Celeb-Mom". The Korea Times. October 2, 2008. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  11. ^ "부터 까지, 로코 여주 어떻게 달라졌나?". OhmyStar (in Korean). 2016-06-09. Retrieved 2023-10-26.
  12. ^ "[40대, 대중문화의 주역] 서태지·질투·쉬리… 40대가 열광한 그때 그시절". 이투데이 (in Korean). 2015-01-23. Retrieved 2023-10-26.
  13. ^ "MBC드라마 걸작선 신설". 매일신문 (in Korean). July 9, 1997. Retrieved 2023-10-26.
  14. ^ "MBC인기드라마 '질투'재방송 20일부터 8회로 압축". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 1997-07-09. Retrieved 2023-10-26.
  15. ^ "네이버 뉴스 라이브러리". NAVER Newslibrary. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  16. ^ "[1인가구 대세②] 도시남녀의 상징에서 1인가구 냉장고로…편의점株의 변신". 헤럴드경제 (in Korean). 2016-09-13. Retrieved 2023-10-26.
  17. ^ "그때 그 드라마, 편의점에 온 최진실이 면팬티 3개를 사갔다". OhmyStar (in Korean). 2011-08-31. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
  18. ^ "장은진의 판타스틱 TV 우리 인생의 드라마 ⑭ MBC '질투' (1992)". 국제신문. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
  19. ^ ""90년대 최고 드라마·배우는 '질투'·최진실"". 전북일보 인터넷신문 (in Korean). 2011-10-14. Retrieved 2023-10-26.
  20. ^ ""90년대 최고 드라마.배우는 '질투'.최진실"". 중부일보 - 경기·인천의 든든한 친구 (in Korean). 2011-10-13. Retrieved 2023-10-26.
  21. ^ "1990년대 최고 드라마는 '질투'". 경북일보 - 굿데이 굿뉴스 (in Korean). 2011-10-14. Retrieved 2023-10-26.