You can only pick one, and boy the pressure is on. The DB team will answer a new prompt in each post, and you’re invited to do the same in the comments. Ready to play?
You can only pick one Jang Nara drama
missvictrix: While I automatically love Jang Nara as the cute and bubbly heroine, it’s Sell Your Haunted House that’s my favorite of her dramas. I’ve waxed poetic about this show before, but despite not loving ghost or occult-type stories, this one sold it all to me. And that’s because the world-building was so dang good! Jang Nara is our scarred, prickly, and motorcycle-boot wearing badass of a heroine… but she’s also hiding deep wounds. And so in the middle of the exorcisms and butt-kicking, it’s the rare moments of vulnerability that poke out in Jang Nara’s portrayal here that sold the whole thing for me a hundred times over.
mistyisles: Hmm I’m torn between I Remember You and School 2013 — or, at least, I was at first. But if I’m really honest, none of the reasons I’d pick I Remember You have much to do with Jang Nara specifically, despite the fact that I did like in her in that show. Her character and performance in School 2013, however, had nearly as much emotional impact on me as its iconic bromance did — and that’s saying something! She was a teacher learning alongside her students, making mistakes and trying her best to do better, struggling to reconcile her idealistic hopes with the reality of her and her students’ limitations, and just generally being an imperfect but warm and caring person who did a lot of growing and learning over the course of the show.
DaebakGrits: I’ve only watched a small sampling of Jang Nara’s filmography, so I’m going to pick one of her more recent dramas Sell Your Haunted House. I started watching this drama because of the ghostly premise, but I stuck around for Hong Ji-ah’s stoicism and angry spirit butt-kicking skills. I’m not normally into a gothic vibe, but Jang Nara really sold the character and the darker mood. In order to keep it from becoming too depressing, though, Jung Yong-hwa’s con-artist character Oh In-bum softened the story with some humor. The two were nice foils for each another, and I enjoyed their dynamic. Overall, not a drama that’s at the top of my recommendation list, but if I know anyway wanting to watch a story with ghosts, this would be one of the first I’d mention.
solstices: As much as I love School 2013 and I Remember You, I wanted to pick a drama where Jang Nara is front and center, so I’m going with Fated to Love You. Despite not being familiar with the original source material, I was utterly charmed by this gem of a drama that shone in its own right. As the meek but winsome heroine, Jang Nara imbued the character of Mi-young with such earnest sincerity that you couldn’t help but root for her, no matter how downtrodden she was. Though her romance with Gun (played with extra flair by Jang Hyuk) began in a whirlwind, their commitment was undergirded by their mutual kindness. And of course, the highlight of the show was its hilarious use of special effects — the rice cake-pounding animation! The CGI snails! So cute, and so good.