The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 03:37 AM PDT

A secretary is tasked to make a man out of her immature, work-adverse boss, not coffee.

THE premise is comedy gold: No Eun Seol (Choi Kang Hee), a young woman with a delinquent past, becomes the secretary of Cha Ji Heon (Ji Sung), the son of the DN Group chairman. He is lazy, immature and totally unfit to be a director in his father's company, so the chairman tells Eun Seol to straighten him out. Ji Heon is too obstinate for that, of course. But the two eventually find more than a common ground ...

Initially, Protect The Boss may seem like a straightforward screwball comedy with a nice dose of romance. But while it's certainly that, it turned out to be surprisingly more complex and endearing than expected.

At the heart of the drama is the tale of two underdogs: Ji Heon and Eun Seol. And we always enjoy watching underdogs succeed despite the odds.

Ji Heon may be a boor at first, but has a painful secret he hides from everyone, especially from his domineering dad. Eun Seol is a graduate from a third-rate university and is rejected by the corporate world because of it. She is tough, yet compassionate and is probably the strongest and most likeable K-drama heroine I've seen.

Protect The Boss' excellent script ensures that it's not just funny, but has a story with depth. Interestingly, conflicts are resolved so quickly in this show that this initially worried me.

A drama with too little tension could get boring, but I soon realised that the writers are not interested in creating as much drama as possible. They want to tell the story of the Cha family: how Ji Heon, his father, his grandmother and his cousin Cha Moo Won (South Korean pop idol Kim Jae Joong) and aunt Suk Hee (Cha Hwa Yun) interact with one another. Sure, they may scheme and plot like typical K-drama chaebol (conglomerate) families, but they are actually quite fond of each other. If you look really deep inside, that is.

What's absolutely delightful are the likeable and three dimensional characters. Yes, even the "villains" are loveable. At first, Moo Won seemed to be the obvious antagonist. Despite his business acumen, he has to watch Ji Heon being picked as the one to take over the company. Therefore, Moo Won and his mother Suk Hui scheme and plot to grab the top spot from Ji Heon. Yet, they are not just sympathetic characters but funny as well.

For example, Moo Won does what he has to do because he feels obligated to take over the company that was formerly his father's but has landed in the hands of his uncle.

His mother may be ambitious, but she has a good reason to be upset over how her son is unfairly treated. And then there's Chairman Cha, Ji Heon's dad, who seems like a typical chaebol tyrant who wants his son to be an extension of himself.

But it turns that he also really cares for his son even if his methods are suspect.

Seo Nayun (Wang Ji Hye), being the second lead actress, should have been the scheming woman who would get in between the lovebirds so that she have Ji Heon all to herself. But while she may have shades of that, Nayun turns out to have a soft heart and is incredibly funny too.

The tweaking of K-drama cliches here is refreshing.

Another factor that drew me to Protect The Boss is Ji Sung. He first caught my attention in the 2004 melodrama Save The Last Dance For Me. While the drama was rife with soap opera cliches (his character had amnesia – twice) I was impressed by his natural screen presence and acting ability. His later dramas – medical drama New Heart, costume drama Kim So Roo, revenge thriller Swallow The Sun and chaebol melodrama Royal Family proved just how talented he was, but they were all serious roles.

Protect The Boss is Ji Sung's first comedic role, and since he is a newbie in this genre, I watched the first episode with equal measures of excitement and trepidation. He ended up being a wonderful revelation. Ji Sung is such a natural at comedy that it's a pity that he waited this long to be in a romantic comedy! Also, he is able to convey Ji Heon's many facets – his immaturity, vulnerability and high principles – effortlessly.

His leading lady, Choi, is as talented; she's the one with a thousand faces – her expressions can just make you burst into guffaws. The supporting cast is as funny (though Jaejoong, while adequate, doesn't quite match up to his seniors). Park is particularly hilarious as the fierce and domineering Chairman Cha.

With its excellent cast, amazing actors and near-perfect storytelling, Protect The Boss is a rare gem: a Korean drama so good that it ensures repeat viewing, and with characters so loveable that you root for everyone – even the villains!

Protect The Boss airs every Monday and Tuesday on One HD (Astro Ch 393) at 9.05pm.

Going the distance

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 02:44 AM PDT

Deejays Rudy and Jeremy led some listeners on one great chase.

WELL-KNOWN for going the distance to entertain listeners, Rudy and Jeremy have done just that with a trip to Seremban and Malacca for the Red FM's Runaway DJs contest.

The witty hosts of Red FM's Breakfast Show (Monday to Friday, 6am-10am) went on the loose and took off in a Proton Inspira, leading a chase across state lines.

Waiting for their arrival in Seremban was Bong Yen Booi. Following the clues given out on air, Bong anticipated their location and found the deejays at a shopping mall.

Rudy and Jeremy's next stop in Malacca was intercepted by Hafnizam Ahmad. Based in Kuala Lumpur, he "caught" the deejays following the trail of clues left on the duo's morning show.

Besides these two outstation stops, listeners have also tracked Rudy and Jeremy down in Kuala Lumpur. With a Proton Inspira as the ultimate grand prize, it's a highly contested race as each participant is hoping to be the lucky winner to drive it away.

Every Monday to Friday, the Red FM's Runaway DJs have been going out and about to various secret locations. The first listener to turn up at the correct location and identify Red FM's Runaway DJ of the day receives a key to go into the running to win a car.

The hunt ends tomorrow, so you have a limited time to grab the key to enter the finale. Join in and you could have a winning story of your own to share.

In addition to the key, bonus prizes such as cash, iPad 2s and iPod Nanos are also given out. Tune in as clues to their whereabouts are given out on-air as well as through the station's website, Facebook page and Twitter account.

The thrilling finale will be held on Friday at Tropicana City Mall, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, where contestants will find out who drives away with a brand new Proton Inspira!

Check out www.red.fm for the terms and conditions of the contest. Join the Red FM Malaysia Facebook fan page (www.facebook.com/redfm.my) and follow them on Twitter (@iloveredfm) for the latest updates of the contest.

Red FM is owned and operated by The Star.

Red FM's station frequencies: Taiping, Kedah, Perlis and Pulau Langkawi: 98.1 FM; George Town and Seberang Prai: 107.6 FM; Ipoh: 106.4 FM; Klang Valley, Negri Sembilan and Tapah: 104.9 FM; Kuantan: 91.6 FM; Batu Pahat and Malacca: 98.9 FM; Johor Baru and Singapore: 92.8 FM.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Selasa, 27 September 2011