Golden Rainbow

Summary: Golden Rainbow is a 41-episode South Korean drama produced for the network MBC. It's a complicated story set in the backdrop of the fishing industry that follows a group of orphans adopted by Kim Han Joo (Kim Sang Joong), who was raised as an orphan himself. The show spans a period of 18 years and there are multiple plots intertwined with one another ranging from corporate fraud, star-crossed love, family dysfunction, and the slippery slope of power and wealth. It's a mixed bag of everything. Prominent stars in the series include Uee and Jung Il Woo.

+1/2 heart for the children

Recommendation: This is another series that has me feeling particularly conflicted and that makes it difficult to recommend it wholeheartedly. The show starts out really strong and I enjoyed the performances of all the children. In particular, I thought the young Baek Won (Kim You Jung) and the young Seo Do Young (Oh Jae Moo) were wonderful. The cast of veteran actors all had flawless performances and laid out a great foundation for the remainder of the series. Then.... it fast forwards 14 years and it all falls apart. The transition to the adult cast wasn't as smooth as I'd have liked and a lot of the drama became boring, repetitive, and exhausting. How many times did the audience have to watch Uee and Jung Il Woo cry and pine for one another? Too many to count. Then, after sticking with it for 41 episodes, it all wraps up with a terrible ending. It very well may rival Bride of the Century for the worst ending...ever.

We are the world... We are the children.

Other Thoughts (And Possible Spoilers): I want to talk about the children a little bit more because they did such a wonderful job setting the stage for the adult cast. In fact, they were so good that when the adult cast was finally introduced, I felt a little let down. Two of the most important characters, Kim Baek Won (Uee) and Kim Man Won (Lee Jae Woon), don't bear much resemblance to their younger selves in either looks or manners. The only pair that really seemed to be a good match was the child and adult Seo Do Young (Oh Jae Moo & Jung Il Woo). It was a fairly seamless transition and I applaud the pair (and the casting director) for getting it right.

The mother of all daddy issues.

That being said, this isn't Jung Il Woo's best drama. I loved him in Flower Boy Ramyun Shop, 49 Days, and Moon Embracing the Sun. And, while the acting isn't bad per se, the script is too overwrought. Jung Il Woo is crying in every other scene for 15-20 episodes straight and then he suddenly changes his hair color to black, which made him look unfashionably emo. That being said, this is an actor that has built a career playing characters that are arrogant, yet charming, and a little smarmy. He's at his best when he's flashing smiles and dying heroically, not shedding tears and dying his hair.

I'll end the review by playing a game of  "Does Kim Baek Won Ever Wear the Same Jacket Twice?" I'm too lazy to go back and scan EVERY episode but I vaguely recall about 2-3 new jackets/parkas/coats per episode - no repeats. That would mean she has about 60+ coats in her wardrobe. Inquiring minds want to know where she keeps all of them in her tiny bedroom. Can we get an answer from the set designer? My closet needs a make-over and I could use the advice!