Grade: B
Category
Romantic comedy
that morphs into straight-up melodrama
What it’s about
Ten years after
her shotgun wedding to a powerful doctor, Young Shim still doesn’t
fit into his home. She works like a slave on behalf of his family and
always keeps a smile on her face, but her husband’s mother and
sister never let her forget her roots as a poor country girl. The
more she tries to earn their respect, the more insults and cruelties
they lob her way. When Young Shim finally decides to venture into the
wider world on her own, she meets a handsome younger man who leaves
her longing for human connection. But their blooming relationship is
not without complications—he’s the ex-boyfriend of her new
sister-in-law, and might just be using Young Shim to exact revenge
for being dumped. When a terminal cancer diagnosis is given, Young
Shim is forced to choose: does she stay in an unhappy marriage, or
does she strike out on her own?
First impression
To offset all the recent dramas I’ve
been watching lately, I wanted to try something retro. That’s
exactly what this 2004 series is: from the clunky cell phones to the
tragic finale lurking at the end of its 17 episode running time, it’s
a perfect exemplar of the early oughts on Korean television. These
older shows might not be as slick as what’s on the air today, but
they do have lots of charm and somehow feel more emotionally genuine
than even the best modern shows. Bring on the ill-fated, old-school
noona romance. I dare you to make me cry, drama. I dare you!
Final verdict
When I started watching December Fever, I expected it to be
just another treacly love story with a self-consciously tragic
ending, probably intended for fans of 2002’s massively successful
Winter Sonata. But in truth, this drama springs from the same
gritty, downtrodden family tree as What Happened in Bali and
I’m Sorry, I Love You, both of which were also released in
2004.
