Do you ever have the strong desire to throw something at your television, after watching a K-Drama that features a mean or spiteful second lead? The Hong Sisters have delivered that feeling of frustration with the fifth episode of their latest series, "Warm and Cozy." Photo teasers for the episode hinted at the emerging romance between Baek Gun Woo (Yoo Yeon Seok) and Lee Jung Joo (Kang Sora) but did not elude to their love triangle with Mok Ji Won (Seo Yi An).
Seo Yi An captures the essence of the quintessential mean-spirited second female lead in her portrayal of Mok Ji Won. Ji Wan is manipulative and power hungry. Gun Woo encounters her at a Seoul reunion party, where she spends most of the night ignoring him. His love for her is one-sided and derived from teenage fantasies. As the second episode unfurls, it becomes evident that Ji Won is more interested in forming a working or romantic relationship with Song Jung Eun (Lee Sung Jae), his powerful half-brother.
Episode 5 opens with what appears to be a romantic dinner between Gun Woo and Jung Joo before the camera pans to Ji Won. Ji Won worms her way into the situation, completely displacing Jung Joo. The rest of episode unfurls as a comedy of errors where Jung Joo assumes that Ji Won and Gun Woo are on the verge of dating. However, Gun Woo is reminded of his one-sided love when Ji Won tells her co-workers at his brother's company that they are only friends. Second female leads like Ji Won exemplify the worst types of women. They don't want the guy but will stop at nothing to keep another woman away.
A similar dynamic has unfurled in "My Unfortunate Boyfriend." The spiteful second lead in the series is Kang Hee Chul (Yoon Hak), an executive who is hellbent on gaining control of a thriving corporation. Over the course of the series, he woos Yoo Ji Na (Yang Ji Sang). Ji Na is an intern who unwittingly captured the interest of Yoon Tae Woon (No Mi Woo), a hapless gardener who is also a potential heir to the company. Hee Chul is completely disinterested in Ji Na but is willing to keep up a charade while secretly dating another intern. With his relentless pursuit for power, Hee Chul is the male equivalent of Mok Ji Won from "Warm and Cozy."
"Warm and Cozy," which is also known as "Jeju Island Gatsby," airs on MBC on Wednesdays and Thursdays in the 11 p.m. KST time slot. "My Unfortunate Boyfriend" will complete its 16 episode run on May 30.
