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''Last Scandal'' () is a 2008 South Korean television drama series broadcast by MBC TV. Directed by Lee Tae-gon, it stars Choi Jin-sil,
Jung Joon-ho Jung Joon-ho (; born November 9, 1969) is a South Korean actor. He first gained fame in the television series ''Women Like You'' (2000). He is best known for the films ''My Boss, My Hero'' (2001) and its My Boss, My Teacher, 2006 sequel, ''Marry ...
, Jung Woong-in and
Byun Jung-soo Byun Jung-soo (; born April 15, 1974) is a South Korean model and actress. As a model in the 1990s, Byun walked the runways in Seoul, Paris and New York, notably for the brand Kenzo. She began acting in 2002, and starred in television dramas su ...
. It aired from March 8 to April 27, 2008 on Saturdays and Sundays at 21:40 for 16 episodes, and was replaced by '' Bitter Sweet Life''. A romantic dramedy about a 39-year-old housewife who finds love with a top actor after a painful divorce, it was a modest hit on the small screen, with its final episode recording a 19.5% viewership rating.


Plot

Hong Sun-hee ( Choi Jin-sil) is a 39-year-old housewife facing extreme financial difficulties due to her husband Ahn Yoo-shik's ( Kim Byung-se) mounting debt. One day, Yoo-shik disappears, leaving Sun-hee to take care of the household. She later learns that he has married a rich woman. Now a single divorced mother with a thirteen-year-old daughter, Sun-hee runs into top actor Song Jae-bin (
Jung Joon-ho Jung Joon-ho (; born November 9, 1969) is a South Korean actor. He first gained fame in the television series ''Women Like You'' (2000). He is best known for the films ''My Boss, My Hero'' (2001) and its My Boss, My Teacher, 2006 sequel, ''Marry ...
) at a commercial shoot, and he turns out to be none other than her first boyfriend, Jang Dong-chul. Sun-hee was once the prettiest girl in high school, but in the years since she has let herself go and is now a middle-aged, plain-looking housewife, which is why Jae-bin doesn't recognize her at first. Greatly disappointed to find his first love so much changed, the egoistic, self-absorbed actor tries to avoid her. But the famous star is not without problems, either. To maintain his popularity, he deceives people about his age, background, history and even his name. Little wonder he is embarrassed to meet Sun-hee again, who knows all about his past. But Jae-bin's feelings change when Sun-hee moves into his home as a housekeeper and nanny to his nephew Hoon, son of his older brother and manager Dong-hwa ( Jung Woong-in) and estranged from the boy's mother, Lee Na-yoon (
Byun Jung-soo Byun Jung-soo (; born April 15, 1974) is a South Korean model and actress. As a model in the 1990s, Byun walked the runways in Seoul, Paris and New York, notably for the brand Kenzo. She began acting in 2002, and starred in television dramas su ...
). At first alternately ignoring and teasing her, Jae-bin finds himself growing jealous when Sun-hee gets along with Dong-hwa, who unlike him, is gentle, kind and mature. Reminiscing about the good old days, Jae-bin recalls how beautiful Sun-hee was when they fell in love with each other 20 years ago. And in the present, he feels happy and relaxed with her, since he can be perfectly honest in front of her as an ordinary man, not as a famous actor who has to put on a show for the public. Thus, Jae-bin falls in love with Sun-hee all over again. He tries to show her in little ways: by having a hairstylist straighten out her unflattering perm into a stylish
bob cut A bob cut, also known as a bob, is a short to medium length haircut, in which the hair is typically cut straight around the head at approximately jaw level, and no longer than shoulder-length, often with a fringe at the front. The standard bob ...
, buying her some nice clothes, and even paying for her
laser eye surgery Eye surgery, also known as ophthalmic surgery or ocular surgery, is surgery performed on the eye or its adnexa. Eye surgery is part of ophthalmology and is performed by an ophthalmologist or eye surgeon. The eye is a fragile organ, and requires ...
so that she'll be able to take off her thick, horn-rimmed glasses. But more than restoring her outer beauty, he also hopes to heal her emotional scars.


Cast


Main characters

* Choi Jin-sil as Hong Sun-hee *
Jung Joon-ho Jung Joon-ho (; born November 9, 1969) is a South Korean actor. He first gained fame in the television series ''Women Like You'' (2000). He is best known for the films ''My Boss, My Hero'' (2001) and its My Boss, My Teacher, 2006 sequel, ''Marry ...
as Jang Dong-chul/Song Jae-bin * Jung Woong-in as Jang Dong-hwa *
Byun Jung-soo Byun Jung-soo (; born April 15, 1974) is a South Korean model and actress. As a model in the 1990s, Byun walked the runways in Seoul, Paris and New York, notably for the brand Kenzo. She began acting in 2002, and starred in television dramas su ...
as Lee Na-yoon


Supporting characters

* Kim Byung-se as Ahn Yoo-shik * Han Bo-bae as Ahn Ji-min, Sun-hee's daughter *Kim Hyung-ja as Jung Geum-ja *Kim Chung as Go Jung-sook * Lee Young-ja as Min-joo's mother *Uhm Soo-jung as Ahn Yoo-jung *Ahn Il-kwon as Seo Won-tak *Lee Sang-hoon as Soo-ho *
Hwang Jung-eum Hwang Jung-eum (; born December 25, 1984), is a South Korean actress and singer. She first gained recognition for her role in the sitcom '' High Kick Through the Roof'' (2009). After starring in her first leading role in television series '' List ...
as Sa Ruby * Lee In-sung as Jang Hoon, Dong-hwa's son * Choi Jung-yoon as Kim Min-hee (cameo, ep 16) *Kim Mi-jin


Production

"'' Ajumma''" is the Korean word for a middle-aged, married women (usually housewives), and they were previously portrayed on the small and big screen as unfashionable, aggressive or hot-tempered, and self-sacrificing. Screenwriter Moon Hee-jung said the heroine she wrote was positive – Sun-hee is hardworking, brave and intelligent – because "the spiritedness of modern ''ajumma'' does not just include rebelling against their mothers-in-law. They contain a progressive spirit." Calling the series a "trendy ''ajumma'' drama," director Lee Tae-gon said that he wanted to portray "the romance of people who believe their good days are over." Lead actress Choi Jin-sil had once been the darling of Korean popular culture during the late 1980s through the 1990s, but a controversial marriage and divorce forced her into a five-year hiatus from acting, until she made a successful comeback with '' My Rosy Life'' in 2005. The role resurrected her career and reinvented her image into a more approachable ''ajumma''. At the drama press conference, Choi said, "As an actress, it may be natural to want a role that is glamorous and pretty, but I'm more comfortable with acting as an ordinary person. Reality is an important factor in dramas, and so I wanted to portray the life of a real person. I am an ''ajumma'' myself. I think Korean ''ajumma'' are fearless. They are not afraid of anything. Although the character goes through emotional downfalls, she doesn't give up. I think it is courage that defines ''ajumma''." In a December 2009 interview, actor
Jung Joon-ho Jung Joon-ho (; born November 9, 1969) is a South Korean actor. He first gained fame in the television series ''Women Like You'' (2000). He is best known for the films ''My Boss, My Hero'' (2001) and its My Boss, My Teacher, 2006 sequel, ''Marry ...
admitted that it was Choi Jin-sil who convinced him to take the role. He had initially passed on the role, but Choi personally went to one of his filming locations and told him that she wanted to collaborate with him in this drama. Touched by her sincerity, Jung accepted the offer. And when the first episode received ratings much lower than what both stars had expected, Choi comforted Jung, telling him not to lose hope, saying they would start from the bottom and work their way up. (After several episodes, the ratings did increase.) Jung said that Choi had a positive influence on the production, and working with her on this series left him the deepest and most unforgettable memories in his acting career.


Reception

''Last Scandal'' recorded fairly successful ratings in the 19 percent range. Fans coined a new term: "jumderella syndrome," a
portmanteau In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.
of the words ajumma and
Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...
, describing the onscreen fantasy that an ajumma can still be Cinderella and live happily ever after with her Prince Charming. Despite some criticism of Sun-hee's unrealistic transformation from a dowdy housewife, the ratings reflected that the story of an ajumma having a second chance at romance found resonance among viewers, especially middle-aged women. Because of the series' success, a second season was planned with Choi and Jung reprising their roles, which would have begun filming in November 2008. However, Choi committed
suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...
on October 2, 2008. While accepting his award for Top Excellence in Acting at the
MBC Drama Awards The MBC Drama Awards () is an awards ceremony presented by Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) for outstanding achievements in Korean dramas aired on its network. It is held annually in December. Unlike its counterparts in KBS and SBS, MBC ...
ceremony in December 2008, Jung Joon-ho spoke in a melancholy tone as he expressed his heartfelt thanks to the production crew. He dedicated his award to the late Choi Jin-sil, saying he really wished he could see the smile on her face. Choi posthumously received the Best Contribution Award, which Jung accepted on her behalf and presented to her family during a tribute to her in January 2009.


International airing

* Philippines: ''Last Scandal'' aired on
GMA Network GMA Network (an acronym of its legal name, Global Media Arts and commonly known as GMA) is a Television in the Philippines, Philippine commercial broadcast network, serving as the flagship property of publicly traded GMA Network (company), ...
from September 7 to November 6, 2009, replacing '' Lalola'' and was replaced by ''
On Air On air or On Air may refer to: Music *On Air (The Yardbirds album), ''On Air'' (The Yardbirds album), 1991 *On Air (Alan Parsons album), ''On Air'' (Alan Parsons album), 1996 *On Air (John Fahey album), ''On Air'' (John Fahey album), 2004 *On Air ...
''.


Awards and nominations


Trivia

Four of the actors,
Jung Joon-ho Jung Joon-ho (; born November 9, 1969) is a South Korean actor. He first gained fame in the television series ''Women Like You'' (2000). He is best known for the films ''My Boss, My Hero'' (2001) and its My Boss, My Teacher, 2006 sequel, ''Marry ...
, Jung Woong-in, Lee In-sung, and Lee Soo-ho, also appear together in the 2009 film '' City of Damnation''.


Notes

*


References


External links

*
''Last Scandal''
at MBC Global Media * *
''Last Scandal'' official Japanese website
{{Works by Logos Film MBC TV television dramas MBC TV original programming AZN Television original programming 2008 South Korean television series debuts 2008 South Korean television series endings 2000s South Korean television series Korean-language television shows South Korean romantic comedy television series Television series by Logos Film