Alone in Love
Alone in Love (Korean: 연애시대; Hanja: 戀愛時代; RR: Yeonaesidae; MR: Yŏnaeshidae; lit. Love Generation) is a 2006 South Korean television series starring Kam Woo-sung, Son Ye-jin, Gong Hyung-jin and Lee Ha-na.[1][2][3] It is based on the Japanese novel Love Generation (Japanese: 恋愛時代, Hepburn: Ren'ai Jidai) by Hisashi Nozawa, which was published in 1996 and won the 4th Shimase Literary Prize for Romance in 1997,[4][5] and tells the story of two ordinary people, as they come to terms with their relationship.[6] The series aired on SBS from April 3 to May 23, 2006, on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 (KST) for 16 episodes.
| Alone in Love | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster for Alone in Love | |
| Hangul | 연애시대 |
| Hanja | 戀愛時代 |
| Revised Romanization | Yeonaesidae |
| McCune–Reischauer | Yŏnaeshidae |
| Genre | Romance Melodrama |
| Based on | Ren'ai Jidai by Hisashi Nozawa |
| Written by | Park Yeon-seon |
| Directed by | Han Ji-seung |
| Starring | Kam Woo-sung Son Ye-jin Gong Hyung-jin Lee Ha-na |
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Original language | Korean |
| No. of episodes | 16 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Heo Woong Oh Nam-seok |
| Producer | Koh Kyoung-hee |
| Production location | South Korea |
| Running time | 60 minutes Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 (KST) |
| Production company | Yellow Film |
| Release | |
| Original network | SBS TV |
| Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) |
| Original release | April 3 – May 23, 2006 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Ballad of Seodong |
| Followed by | The 101st Proposal |
| External links | |
| Website | |
The series won critical acclaim for its subtle and realistic portrayal of love, marriage and divorce.[7]
Synopsis
Yoo Eun-ho (Son Ye-jin) and Lee Dong-jin (Kam Woo-sung) meet one day at the bookstore where he works and they are immediately drawn to each other. They fall in love after subsequent meetings, and are eventually married. Two years later, they are divorced.
Dong-jin still works at the bookstore, while Eun-ho works at a fitness club. Even so, a year and a half after their divorce, the two still meet in their favorite bakery for breakfasts, quarrel over trivial things like a married couple, and eat dinner on their wedding anniversary with a free meal coupon provided by the hotel where they got married. The narrative is punctuated by either character's internal monologue on their past and current relationships, as new love interests enter their lives.
All of this makes them wonder whether these lingering feelings are love, although both are too afraid to start over, and even more afraid to end the relationship completely. With neither brave enough to confront each other about the misunderstanding on the day Eun-ho had a stillborn baby, they are unable to move on.[8]
Cast
| Actor | Character | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Kam Woo-sung | Lee Dong-jin | 33 years old, born in Seoul. He has a laid back personality, and has loved books since he was a child. He works in a major bookstore located in the commercial district. Cool-headed and decisive in his professional life, Dong-jin is indecisive when it comes to his love life. He falls in love with Eun-ho, a customer in his bookstore, and succeeds in winning her heart, but their marriage does not last. |
| Son Ye-jin | Yoo Eun-ho | 29 years old, born in Busan. Eun-ho is a retired swimmer who won national competitions in her prime years as an athlete. She now works as a swimming instructor at a sports center. Outgoing and tomboyish on the outside, she has a feminine sentimentality and a soft heart on the inside. She doesn't like to express her feelings, but is very stubborn once she has made a decision. |
| Gong Hyung-jin | Gong Jun-pyo | 33 years old. A gynecologist in a university hospital, Jun-pyo has been Dong-jin's best friend since elementary school. When Eun-ho was pregnant, he was her gynecologist. He is the only person who knows why the two got divorced. After a traumatic experience, Jun-pyo faints every time one of his patients is giving birth. |
| Lee Ha-na | Yoo Ji-ho | 24 years old. Eun-ho's younger sister. Like Eun-ho, Ji-ho headed to college in Seoul and is now a senior. She has already given up hope of getting a good job because of the high unemployment rate. She has an odd and "alien-like" personality, and plots with Jun-pyo to get her sister back together with Dong-jin. |
| Moon Jung-hee | Jung Yoo-kyung | She is a chef, specializing in traditional Korean food. She was Dong-jin's first love in middle school, and after they reconnect years later, they fall for each other and get married. |
| Oh Yoon-ah | Kim Mi-yeon | 29 years old. She is an old friend of Eun-ho's, and has a daughter from a previous marriage. Though attractive, her brittle-like cheerfulness masks an insecurity caused by her divorce. |
| Lee Jin-wook | Min Hyun-joong | 26 years old. Eun-ho's charming stalker is secretly a second-generation chaebol, but decided to turn his back on his father's money. |
| Seo Tae-hwa | Jung Yoon-soo | 38 years old. He is a psychology professor and is taking swimming lessons from Eun-ho to overcome his extreme aquaphobia. Kind and gentle, he gathers the courage one day to ask Eun-ho out. |
| Go Hye-young | Choi Young-in | Elegant and rich, she and Yoon-soo have a troubled marriage and are currently separated. |
| Jin Ji-hee | Cho Eun-sol | 7 years old. Mi-yeon's daughter. Too solemn and precocious for her age, she unexpectedly bonds with Dong-jin while he's dating her mom. |
| Ha Jae-sook | Na Yoo-ri | 28 years old. She is a pro wrestler and one of Eun-ho's close friends. They often have dinner at a local restaurant where the barman never talks. |
| Kim Kap-soo | Yoo Ki-young | Eun-ho and Ji-ho's widowed father. He is a pastor and a talk radio host. Eun-ho often calls in anonymously on his show to ask for advice. |
| Gi Ju-bong | Lee Dae-hoon | Dong-jin's father. |
Production
The Korean adaptation was written by Park Yeon-seon (screenwriter for My Tutor Friend and Too Beautiful to Lie). This is the first TV series directed by film director Han Ji-seung (who won a Grand Bell award in 2001 for A Day).[6]
Filming locations
Most of the filming locations were in Bundang-gu, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Eun-ho and Ji-ho's house is in Bundang-dong near St. John's Cathedral. Dong-jin's house is the Ewha Villa. The Dunkin' Donuts branch that Dong-jin and Eun-ho frequent is in Jeongja-dong. The hospital where Jun-pyo works is Bundang Jesaeng Hospital near Seohyeon Station. Eun-ho's everyday bike route is along Tancheon Bicycle Road in Imae-dong.[9]
The bookstore where Dong-jin works is the Kyobo Bookstore near Gangnam Station. The fitness club where Eun-ho works is the Suwon World Cup Sports Center, behind the Suwon World Cup Stadium. The beach where Dong-jin proposed to Eun-ho is in Jeongdongjin. The Grand Hyatt Seoul is where they have their faux anniversary dinner. Dong-jin's wedding to Yoo-kyung takes place on the Hanriver Land Ferry.[9]
Soundtrack
| Album information | Track listing |
|---|---|
Alone in Love OST
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Track listing
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| Album information | Track listing |
|---|---|
Alone in Love Special 2CD OST
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Track listing
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Alone in Love Special 2CD OST
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Track listing
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Ratings
In this table, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.
| Ep. | Original broadcast date | Average audience share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nationwide | Seoul | ||
| 1 | April 3, 2006 | 12.9% | 14.5% |
| 2 | April 4, 2006 | 11.5% | 12.2% |
| 3 | April 10, 2006 | 12.6% | 13.4% |
| 4 | April 11, 2006 | 12.9% | 14.2% |
| 5 | April 17, 2006 | 12.3% | 13.6% |
| 6 | April 18, 2006 | 14.1% | 15.8% |
| 7 | April 24, 2006 | 13.1% | 14.7% |
| 8 | April 25, 2006 | 13.4% | 15.1% |
| 9 | May 1, 2006 | 13.2% | 14.8% |
| 10 | May 2, 2006 | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 11 | May 8, 2006 | 14.6% | 17.1% |
| 12 | May 9, 2006 | 14.8% | 16.9% |
| 13 | May 15, 2006 | 13.5% | 15.2% |
| 14 | May 16, 2006 | 14.9% | 17.1% |
| 15 | May 22, 2006 | 13.8% | 15.7% |
| 16 | May 23, 2006 | 17.4% | 19.1% |
| Average | 13.5% | 15.0% | |
Source: TNS Media Korea
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Best Drama | Alone in Love | Won | |
| Best Music | Noh Young-shim | Won | ||
| Grand Prize (Daesang) | Kam Woo-sung | Nominated | ||
| Top Excellence Award, Actress | Son Ye-jin | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries | Gong Hyung-jin | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actress in a Miniseries | Oh Yoon-ah | Won | ||
| Top 10 Stars | Kam Woo-sung | Nominated | ||
| Son Ye-jin | Won | |||
| New Star Award | Lee Jin-wook | Won | ||
| Lee Ha-na | Won | |||
| 2007 | Best Drama | Alone in Love | Nominated | |
| Best Director | Han Ji-seung | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress | Son Ye-jin | Won | ||
| Best New Actress | Lee Ha-na | Nominated | ||
| 40th WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival | Platinum Remi Award (Series - Dramatic category) | Alone in Love | Won | |
International broadcast
The series aired in Japan on Hallyu cable channel KNTV in April 2007.[10] It also aired in the United States with English subtitles on MHz WorldView in January 2010.[11]
In Thailand, the series aired on Channel 7 from September 13, 2008, to November 2, 2008, on Saturdays and Sundays from 09:15 to 11:00 (ICT).[12]
References
- Han, Eun-jung (March 12, 2006). "After Big Screen Success Son Ye-jin Returns to TV". The Korea Times via Hancinema. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
- Kang, Myoung-seok (May 14, 2010). "10LINE: Actress Son Ye-jin". 10Asia. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
- Wee, Geun-woo (December 23, 2011). "Actress Son Ye-jin's Movie Picks". 10Asia. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
- "Novels: Alone in Love". Hisashi Nozawa official site. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
- "Alone in Love (2-Volume Set)". Han Books. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
- "연애시대 (Alone in Love) Production Meeting Report". Twitch Film. March 10, 2006. Archived from the original on October 24, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
- "Alone in Love Review". Twitch Film. September 1, 2006. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
- Shin, Hae-in (May 23, 2006). "Are you Alone in Love?". The Korea Herald via Daum. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
- "TV Dramas: Alone in Love". Korea Tourism Organization. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
- "Japanese Reporters in Seoul for Hit Drama". KBS Global. February 21, 2007. Archived from the original on July 2, 2013. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
- "New Programs Debut on MHz Worldview in January". MHz Networks. December 23, 2009. Archived from the original on March 30, 2013. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
- "Alone in Love - เพราะรักนี้มิอาจลืม". blike (in Thai). Retrieved August 13, 2016.
External links
- Alone in Love official SBS website (in Korean)
- Alone in Love at HanCinema
- Alone in Love at IMDb