Monster Kdrama is a 2006 South Korean television series. It aired on SBS from October 16, 2006, to March 31, 2007, on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 for 26 episodes. “Monstereophonic (OST)” was released on December 11, 2006. It starred Im Joo Hwan as Choi Kang Ju (Kim Tan), Gong Hyung Jin as Rachel Yoon (Rachel/Min Young), Lee Yun Hee as Elizabeth Choi (Elly), and Ji Jin Hee as Cha Doo Shim (Doo-shim).
This Monster KDrama had two endings; one that made viewers unhappy with the way it ended for the main couple of ‘Kim Tan’ played by ‘I’m Joo Hwan’ and ‘Min Young’ played by ‘Gong Hyung Jin,’ as well as the death of the secondary couple of ‘Cha Doo Shim’ played by ‘Ji Jin Hee’ and ‘Rachel Yoon/Elizabeth Choi’ played by ‘Lee Yun Hee.’ In both endings, there were unanswered questions; in one end, Rachel Yoon (portrayed by Lee Yun Hee) was never seen again after she went to America with Min Young’s mom. On the other, no explanation was given for Cha Doo Shim’s (portrayed by Ji Jin Hee) sudden death, which sparked many complaints from viewers.
The series is about an ordinary man named Kim Tan who later finds out he comes from a rich family and is heir to his grandfather’s company. He then decides to attend the same university as his cousin’s: Ewha Womans University, where he meets Choi Kang-Ju (who eventually becomes his best friend) and Lee Bo Na, who also attends Ewha. While at Ewha, Tan becomes involved in an unlikely love triangle with the two sisters, Rachel Yoon, and Min Young, respectively.
In addition to acting as the male lead Kim Tan, I’m Joo Hwan also performs all of the songs for this drama. The music was composed by Moon Jong-Ho (“Last Scandal”) & Byun Young Jun (“Last Scandal”). The cast members who played the characters of Min Young, Doo Shim, and Lee Bo Na sang the theme song together.
The OST soundtrack for “Monster” was released on December 11, 2006, after being postponed numerous times due to unknown reasons. The tracklist contains a total of 20 songs from various artists under Yello Entertainment, such as I’m Joo Hwan (Kim Tan), Ji Jin-Hee (Cha Doo Shim), Moon Jong-Ho (Ji Han Jae), etc.
In contrast to other Korean dramas, which usually release an average of about ten songs per drama, this drama has incorporated almost double the amount in their soundtrack album. This can be attributed to the fact that I’m Joo Hwan and I am performing all vocals in this drama.
“Monster K Drama” had its official premiere on November 2, 2006, and was broadcast every Monday and Tuesday at 10:00 PM KST for a total of 26 episodes. This is the actor I’m Joo Hwan’s first lead role in a television series – he has previously appeared on several TV dramas as supporting roles including “Wedding,” “Best Friends,” and more recently the recent hit SBS drama, “Beethoven Virus.” It was also actress Kim Hee Ae’s third major role following her successful debut in “Winter Sonata” and later success with the sitcom “Gibak Hatte Naeseo.”
The actual production company (Yello Entertainment) had disclosed the plot description on their website before the drama started airing. With this, many viewers already knew what would happen in episodes to come.
This makes it obvious why people are saying that the storyline is ‘similar’ to a Japanese manga “Hana Yori Dango.” Also, the plot of Heirs (TV series) seems similar to Monstereophonic OST ending wise. This is because Lee Min Ho’s character Kim Tan and Park Shin Hye’s character Cha Eun Sang met for the first time in the last scene of episode 24 when he stated that he had been watching her from afar and she was completely unaware of his existence until that point. Also, Ji Jin Hee’s character Doo Shim’s death is similar to Lee Min Ho’s character Cha Eun Sang’s father, President Shin killing his mother Kim Ah Joo in episode 4 of Heirs, when she says that he swore to kill her while taking a bath with him as a baby.
