If you’re looking for a good love story, you’ve found a great one in Triple. Its clever title not only refers to the ice skating jump but to the three couples involved in the show. Funny, I was more than halfway through the show before that double meaning dawned on me. It’s a wonderful view of the many different things that can be experienced in romantic relationships. I was amazed at how many were addressed in one 16 episode Kdrama.
Lee Ha-Roo is an 18 year old high school senior who decides to go back to competitive ice skating after a five year break due to injuries she received from a car accident she was in that killed her step-father and mother. She talks her father into letting her go to Seoul to train again. She wants to live with her step-brother, Shin-Hwal, but he is still holding on to the anger he feels towards her and doesn’t want her anywhere near him. The car accident happened while Ha-Roo’s mother and Shin-Hwal’s father were driving her to a competition so Shin-Hwal holds her responsible. With the help and encouragement of Shin-Hwal’s two roommates (all three had been best friends since junior high school) Ha-Roo is allowed to stay with them while she attempts to competitively skate once more. In the background of this love story we get to follow Shin-Hwal and his roommates, Jo Hae-Yoon and Jang Hyun-Tae, as they attempt to start their own advertising agency.
There are quite a few different relationship scenarios discussed in Triple. I was impressed with how well the plot was able to naturally show so many. Jealousy, affair/infidelity, cohabitation, divorce, marriage, separation, excitement and anticipation, break-ups, first love, infatuation, heartbreak, friendship, love triangles, age differences… You name it and it’s probably addressed. And it’s not all jumbled up. It’s careful progression and consequences that are very realistic.
All of the characters in this drama are people you come to like and care about. You keep hoping for everyone’s happiness and feel sympathy for them during their times of sorrow.
Triple was Min Hyo-Rin’s acting debut. She started ice skating training as soon as she was cast to play Ha-Roo. Training as much as 10 hours a day, for a year, really paid off because she’s a wonderful skater. It never shows her doing a really difficult full program, but you can see it really is her out there on the ice. (Maybe they used a double now and then, I don’t know.) Her character is a sweet small town girl who happily goes out of her way to serve others, and it’s that selfless quality that quickly endears her to two of her three male roommates.
Lee Jung-Hae plays Shin-Hwal, Ha-Roo’s older step-brother. He has a strong ambition to start his own advertising agency and puts his all into it. He has been deeply wounded in love and still has some animosity towards Ha-Roo because of his father’s death. Even though he is the male lead his character didn’t seem to come out as strongly as the supporting actors’ did.
Lee Sun-Kyun and Yoon Kye-Sang play Hae-Yoon and Hyun-Tae, Shin-Hwal’s best friends, roommates and business partners. I love both actors and have seen them in several other things. Their characters are quite different, Hae-Yoon being serious and level-headed while Hyun-Tae is whimsical and emotional. As different as they are, I could have gone for either man.
Lee Ha-Na’s character is Ha-Roo’s skating coach, Choi Su-In. Although tough, she truly cares about her students. She deals with difficult things in her life as she tries to make peace within herself.
Kim Hee is Kang Sang-Hee, a lovable, free-spirited, woman who is anything but a conformist.
Song Joon-Ki playes Ji Poong-Ho, a darling, sweet, two time Olympic gold medal speed skater who loves Ha-Roo almost as much as he loves skating.
Don’t they all sound like people you want to be friends with – or love?
I love the way this drama was shot! The director had a great balance between close ups and wide angle shots. It was very comfortable to watch.
I enjoyed the music in Triple. At times it stood out and boldly complimented the scene while other times it was so subtle you had to think about it before you realized it was playing in the background. It was well thought out and exactly what you’d expect to hear if your own life had background music.
There’s nothing spectacular about the scenery. Other than one quick trip to a beach most of the shots are filmed either in the ice rink, Shin-Hwal’s house/office, Sang-Hee’s bar, Su-In’s yard, office buildings, and the streets around the area where they all live and work. Because there aren’t a lot of different places where this is filmed it begins to feel comfortable, like it’s where YOU live and work. Although I love it when Kdramas take us to different countries, this drama, with its limited shooting areas, felt like home.
I’ll be honest, Triple took a little while to get into. It wasn’t until I was more than halfway through the second episode that I was completely pulled in, but once that happened, I was hooked! It’s a wonderful story about love and life – one you’ll enjoy and remember for a long, long time to come.
Score: 9
The Good:
Realistic, lovable characters
Numerous relationship situations
Natural progression of plot
Writing
Soundtrack
Comfortable, homey feel
The Bad:
Slow first 2 episodes
Heart and Seoul 