Friday Feature: Meow! Cattiest K-drama Moments

No one likes being the target of catty comments, but it sure is fun to watch the fur fly in K-dramas. Here are some bitchy moments that had us hoping for a cat fight.

Liar Game

Nam Da Jung (Kim So Eun), the female lead of “Liar Game”, was a character designed to annoy and frustrate, as she blindly trusted everyone and repeatedly had to be rescued from her stupid mistakes. Far more interesting was Jamie (Lee El), a sneaky, smart woman who tricks everyone and manipulates the game to her own benefit. Believing that she’s won the game, Jamie can’t resist gloating, and grabs at Da Jung’s sad puppy face, pointing out that even the angelic Da Jung must be angry at her by now. When Da Jung doesn’t respond, Jamie tells Da Jung to punch her if it will make her feel better, then adds that Da Jung would be better off pretending to be kind-hearted and pitiful like usual, so as to drive up the ratings. Of course, it doesn’t take long before Jamie gets her comeuppance, but while it lasted, she was a bitch I couldn’t help rooting for. – Only 만

Unkind Women

When a show is called “Unkind Women”, bitchy exchanges are a given. There are so many to choose from, but one of the most satisfying encounters took place in the rarefied air of an art exhibition opening. Hyun Sook goes to the reception with her father’s mistress, Mo Ran, and comes face to face with Hyun Ae, the former teacher who tormented her then got her wrongfully expelled from school. Mo Ran overhears Hyun Ae bullying Hyun Sook, calling her stupid and low class, and decides to take matters into her own hands. To be specific, Mo Ran grabs Hyun Ae by the hair and orders her to apologize. Hyun Sook watches in shock as Hyun Ae screeches, and gallery staff are forced to intervene. Mo Ran attempts to make a final grab for Hyun Ae and misses, but manages to whip food at the bitchy teacher before being dragged out. Later, over glasses of wine, Hyun Sook is laughing and crying, because it was the first time someone has stood up for her. – Junggugeo Kaenada 중국어 캐나다

Heard It Through the Grapevine

This whole post was inspired by one of many catty moments on “Heard It Through the Grapevine”, where chaebols smile sweetly while swatting bitchy comments at each other. Happy that her son is soon to be free of his destitute wife, chaebol matriarch, Yeon Hee (Yoo Ho Jeong) starts searching for suitable successors to the position. The top candidate turns out to be the daughter of her frenemy, Young Ra (Baek Ji Yeon), who is desperate to get a foothold in Yeon Hee’s house. Young Ra drags her daughter, Hyeon Soo (Jung Yoo Jin) to tea with Yeon Hee, but forgets that Hyeon Soo has no interest in being treated like a pawn. When Yeon Hee asks her opinion of their family art collection, Hyeon Soo replies that she’s not sure if it’s to her taste, but she knows that Yeon Hee is definitely not to her taste. Both Yeon Hee and Young Ra try to paper the moment over, but Hyeon Soo is on a roll and will not stopped. She tells Yeon Hee exactly what she thinks of her breaking up her son’s marriage, as Young Ra drags her out of the house. Yeon Hee needs a moment to calm down, while the house staff stands gaping in the background. AWESOME. – Only

Secret Love Affair

Rich adulterer, Young Woo (Kim Hye Eun) summons long suffering director, Hye Won (Hee Hee Ae) who quickly realizes that Young Woo is intent on bullying her out of boredom. Young Woo cackles as she infers that Hye Won is taking advantage of her young student then whips a book at her. An exasperated Hye Won challenges Young Woo to use her brain instead of relying on her. Young Woo threatens Hye Won with the appearance of her brain, and Hye Won laughs in her face as she leaves. Left without an outlet for her frustration, Young Woo kicks the air instead. – JK

Mask

A show about a chaebol family at war with itself is a ripe breeding ground for bitchiness and “Mask” doesn’t disappoint. Mi Yeon (Yu In Young) is a desperately unhappy character who dulls the pain of her loveless marriage with Suk Hoon by drinking wine through a straw and being bitchy in general. When her brother, Min Woo (Joo Ji Hoon) marries Ji Sook (Park Soo Ae), a woman Mi Yeon suspects of having an affair with Suk Hoon (Yeon Jung Hun), Mi Yeon can’t contain her bitchy antics. Told to employ Ji Sook in her art gallery, Mi Yeon forces her to scrub the toilets and clean the floors. Instead of saying hello at a party, she not only insults Ji Sook’s outfit, but adds that she must have worn it for someone other than Min Woo. Bitchiness must run in chaebol families: Min Woo barely bats an eyelash as he tells his sister that she must not have anyone to dress up for, judging by her outfit. Caught unawares, Mi Yeon has no snappy comeback, but Suk Hoon can barely resist a smile behind her. – Only

Heirs

A queen bitch whose antics made “Heirs” watchable was Young Do (Kim Woo Bin). He spends most of the show making other students tiptoe around him, taunting his former best friend’s bastard status, tormenting maid’s daughter, Eun Sang, because he is attracted to her, and making things uncomfortable with his father’s fiancée. At the photo shoot meant to solidify the new amalgamated family, Young Do invites one of his father’s former girlfriends to show up. When his father tries to take him to task for ruining the photo shoot, Young Do throws back the words that his father had used after beating him in judo: “Cheating is a part of the game. It’s the results that matter; win at all costs. People will only remember that I won.” Spoken like a true queen bee. – JK

Readers: what bitchy Kdrama scene made you cackle with delight?