New period piece beats status quo

"Boys Over Flowers" production company Group Eight and HUNUS Entertainment beat the status quo with their brand new period piece "Tamra, the Island."

Set to hit the small screen tomorrow night, "Tamra" blows period piece stereotypes out of the water. Fronted by French model Pierre Deporte - who even sports a Korean name, Hwang Chan-bin - "Tamra" is literally going global.

Not only does the series feature a non-Korean lead, according to a Group Eight press release, contracts have already been signed for "Tamra" to be exported to Japan, China, Hong Kong and Thailand.

Even the premise of "Tamra," which is based on a comic book series, is novel. Royal feuds and epic battles are conspicuously absent. Viewers are greeted, instead, with the great blue ocean, as seen through the eyes of an impish haenyeo (a female diver from Jeju Island).



A shipwrecked Englishman - played by Deporte - washes ashore, a major event for the haenyo Jang Beo-jin. After all, it is 17th century Jeju. Fair-haired, blue-eyed creatures are not the norm.

And so begins the comic tale of a veritable mermaid and her Englishman. Of course, a Korean drama is never complete without a proper love triangle, hence the introduction of yet another male lead, an exiled aristocrat.

"When I read the synopsis of `Tamra, the Island,` the character William was very interested in the East," Deporte stated in a Group Eight press release. "I myself was very interested in Korea. I thought, `Ah, this is my story.`"

Deporte is referring to his own history with Korea. According to a Group Eight press release, an adolescent Deporte followed his parents to Korea and attended high school here. Prior to that, a young Deporte learned Korean from his new mother.

"Right around when I was 6, my father remarried in France. That was when I got a Korean mother. My mother taught me Korean and I also got to eat Korean food," he said.

Co-stars Seo Woo and Lim Ju-hwan will be starring opposite Deporte as haenyeo Jang and aristocrat Park Kyu.

Seo reportedly struggled with her role as a diver.

"I cannot swim at all. Actually, I don`t like the water," Seo said in a Group Eight press release.

Despite her fear of the water, Seo learned how to dive properly, undergoing approximately three months worth of training for her role as a haenyeo.

The actual filming of the series presented an even greater challenge. According to a Group Eight press release, the crew and cast suffered from hypothermia and sunburn from extensive filming in the water.

Yet all the hard work may be lost on viewers. Put at a significant disadvantage in terms of its timeslot - 8 p.m. on weekends is traditionally reserved for family dramas - "Tamra" faces some stiff competition, with rival KBS series "The Sons of Sol Pharmacy House" currently holding the highest weekend ratings spot.

While a fresh and original cast and plot may not be enough to beat out tradition, it may succeed in setting a new precedent, not only for period pieces, but for dramas in general.

"Tamra, the Island" airs tomorrow night on MBC at 7:55 p.m.

(oh_jean@heraldm.com)



By Jean Oh