4. BLUES- Fated to Love You

Blue seems to be a dominant colour theme in Fated To Love You--the characters wear blue and use blue stuff quite often, and the props and backgrounds are often blue, too.


[ Episode 5: Pretty Blues at Daniel's cafe ] 
The angle in the Top Left picture below is interesting in that it starts from the blue sandals and goes slowly upwards, showing the sandals which match the blue skirt and blue structure on the right.

A patterned blue shirt against a dark blue background brings some texture to the picture. 

[ Episode 4: Mi Young's sister ]

When I first saw this scene, I felt that it was very familiar. 

I then recalled that I had seen it in an Almodovar movie, The Flower of My Secret.  

Regardless of whether this scene is inspired by Almodovar's movie, the blue matching here is a successful one:

Blue clothes against a painting of the blue sea. A greyish bluish dress. A blue hairband with white polka dots to bring some variety.  And even the light blue cap of the jar. 

What I like best is the metallic bowl which reflects the blue-and-white checked table-cloth. 

 Almodovar's The Flower of My Secret (1995)

[ Episode 5: intense blues at the pre-natal class ]

Li Gun and Mi Young's rich blue clothes match the blue banner beautifully. 

[ Episode 8: Unimaginative matching at Fermented Fish Restaurant ]

Again, both are wearing dull navy blue to match the solid blue umbrella.

The stylist seems to have run out of Blue ideas.

[ Episode 9: Too much solid blues at Mi Young's mother's restaurant ]

I love the intensity of this blue but I think there's too much of solid blue here.

The aprons are almost the same shade as Director Tak's shirt. 

Even the plastic bags are solid blue, though of a lighter shade.

Surely more could have been done to relieve the blue monotony?

[ Almodovar's Women on the Verge of Nervous Breakdown (1986) ]

Here, the blue-based clothes have different designs on them to make the scene visually interesting. The lady in the middle is wearing blue-and-white stripes while the other is wearing a blouse with dark blue polka dots. 

[ Episode 7: River Cruise ]

Mi Young's dress matches the blue bridge nicely in the background. 

[ Episode 7: A few hours later, at the hospital ]
Again, lots of solid blues here. Only Mi Young's sister is wearing a blue floral skirt. 
Although the stylist had painstakingly matched her skirt with the wall painting (black ovals), 
the full skirt could be seen only for a few seconds. 

This and a few other scenes give me the impression that the stylist had dressed the characters in blue for the sake of wearing blue. 

[ Nagareboshi 流星 Shooting Star (2010) ]

The above hospital scenes bring to mind the Japanese drama, Nagareboshi, starring Takenouchi Yutaka. 

As the main setting is an aquarium on an island, it's only natural that there should be lots of lovely blues in this drama. 

But somehow, I get the impression that whoever planned these colours had a feel for blue. 

In the top photo below, the characters are chatting outside the hospital. 

They are wearing solid shades of blue which blend into the surroundings harmoniously. 

[ Episode 5: Mi Young leaves Lee Gun's house ]
Although blue seems to be the dominant colour of the drama, some scenes have pretty blues while in some other scenes, the blue matching seems to lack imagination. 

But a few night scenes are beautifully lit in blue, like in Episode 5. The blue light matches the table railings and it give a cosy feel without the usual warm white colours. 

[ Episode 17: Mi Young asks Li Gun to leave ] Unfortunately, the scenes here look much better on TV than on my computer.  
The blue lighting is very atmospheric and, together with the melancholic song, makes the scenes somewhat sad. 

After being asked to leave by his ex-wife, a depressed Lee Gun sits at the staircase before driving off. 

Daniel is shocked that Li Gun has come to visit Mi Young. 

The poor guy can only hide in a corner and look on. 

The mood lighting makes me feel sorry for him, who has no hope with Mi Young. 

His light blue shirt plays up nicely in the blue lighting. 
The background is blue and even the passerby behind him is wearing blue. 

Part 3: Why not match all the way?

Part 5: Houses in Dramas and Movies

3. Why Not Match All The Way in Fated To Love You

I have shown in Part 1 & 2 how Almodovar's influences can be spotted in the ways the clothes are matched with the environment in FTLY. Although there were many instances of elaborate matching, there were also times when the stylist did not go all the way out to match flamboyant colours, especially where the lead female character was concerned. 

The lead female character is Kim Mi Young, an office girl who wears lovely dresses (before she gets married). 

[ Below: Episode 5--After her wedding at her hometown, Mi Young comes back to Seoul and is now at the Ferry Terminal.]

In the right photo below, the backdrop is red and this presents a great opportunity to match the characters' clothes. The stylist merely arranged for a passerby to wear a pink shirt and carry a red haversack. But why isn't Mi Young the one wearing something that really matches the red backdrop? Instead, she is wearing such a dull and conservative outfit.  

With a few exceptions, her dressing seems to take a turn for the worse after the wedding. 

[Below: Episode 5--Director Tak meets Mi Young at the Terminal] 

In the top right photo, the Director Tak's green tie matches the green lights and backdrop ( see yellow ovals). A non-lead character, instead of Mi Young, is wearing something that matches the backdrop.

Since the stylist took a leaf from Almodovar's book (Refer to Part 1), why not go all the way out, like in the airport scene below? It's not like Mi Young is a poor dresser. 

In fact, from this episode on, there are many instances of Mi Young and sometimes, Li Gun, dressing conservatively, whereas the non-lead characters are dressed more flamboyantly to match the background. 

[Top left and bottom] Women on Verge of Nervous Breakdown (1988)

Notice how the woman's checked jacket picks out the geometric designs of the wall mural. 

[Below: Episode 13] 

I love the candy colours in this scene ...but sigh, this is another wasted opportunity to match colours that will make the image so much more vibrant.

Lee Gun, dressed in black, is chatting with his doctor in the hospital. Due to their work nature, both are dressed conservatively but why not dress the other characters in colours that match the wall? After all, even the chairs have matching colours!

    

                           [Below] Her red top matches the colourful backdrop. ( Kika, 1993 )                                                                                        

[Below: Episode 13 ] Such a lovely cafe so I don't know why Mi Young is dressed in such a pale yellow jacket that makes her blend into the surroundings!

[Below: Episode, when Daniel proposes ]   I have a major GRIPE with this brown dress which is so plain and dull, and doesn't brighten up the actress' face. I couldn't understand why this dress was chosen until I looked at the scene a few times. It's to match the brown, ochre yellow seats and railings! There is a range of colours that can match the brown seats like Orange that would have been fabulous and that would have brought some colour to her face, which is quite pale since she's wearing nude makeup. 

[Below] I'm not a fan of brown, but there's no denying that Lee Gun's stepmother's brown top with its geometric prints matches the brown pillars, window frames and furniture beautifully, much more so than Mi Young's plain brown dress in the above photo.

[Below: Episode 15] Li Gun's granny's lemon yellow jacket sits nicely with the bubble-gum coloured chairs but not Me Young's white outfit. Another instance of a non-lead character wearing colourful clothes instead of the lead character.

[Below] This studio is a gem--the red window frames and pillars provide a striking setting for the many colourful paintings. Even the gilded armchairs are upholstered in fabric with prints of the artist's whimsical paintings. The other furniture pieces have warm colours that match the paintings. 

In this scene, although both are dressed in smart casuals, the manager wears a pink tie and Mi Young a salmon pink jacket, which match the setting well. 

[Below: Episode 15] Daniel's light orange pants match the orange-red wall and the orange cushion. Although Mi Young's clothes match the black and white picture on the rug, I personally find it a very boring match as it just doesn't enhance the colourful studio. The black and white colours seem to mute the warm tones of the studio. 

[Below: Episode 16] Mi Young's blue top matches the girl's blue and white top in the painting, and the cushion which has been carefully placed beside Mi Young. The small red painting matches the red wall and the pretty red floral lamp-shade.
But Mi Young's friend's clothes don't match at all! I can't figure out why not since this friend is very bubbly and would have suited yellow that will match the girl's hair (painting).

[Below: Episode 18] Another major GRIPE: Why are both of them wearing brown?

They are finally reconciled so there's no need for solemn colours in such a colourful studio. 

I was wondering why the stylist again got Mi Young a brown dress for this scene--surely not to match the easel? Then I realised that it's to match her husband's brown suit!

Couple's Outfits (情侣装）are such a cliche idea. Even if they must wear matching colours, surely there are better choices? Since he is on 3 months' leave, why is he still wearing a waistcoat and tie? 

There were so many bright colours in the studio that the stylist could have picked to match their clothes. The actor looked smashing in bright and pale pink before his Slave-Hunting days (not that the stylist must choose pink), and the actress could have done with some colour on her face as her makeup was very light (much appreciated). 

          [Below] Almodovar boldly matched the lead characters' clothes with the wall-paper colours.
                                                      Tie Me Up Tie Me Down (1990)

[Below: Episode 18] The stylist had obviously put in much effort in choosing a striped dress for Mi Young to match  the thick stripes of the green chair and red bench. 

[Top left] Daniel is wearing a pink jacket to match the bright green chairs but Mi Young's black and white colours just look so out with the environment. Brighter stripes would have matched the chair and Daniel's jacket better. 

[Top right] Again, the same black and white stripes against a fiery orange-red bench ... 

[Bottom left] ... just to match her husband's black outfit!

[Bottom right: I'm So Excited (2013)] 

An idea of how a colourful dress would have looked like against a grassy green background. 

[Below: Episode 20, at their honeymoon hotel]

A character who appears for only 5 minutes wears a skirt that matches the wall, so the two can wear Couple's Outfit! The skirt is pretty but hardly a match for the flamboyant installation art. 

With such a beautiful wall, surely more could have been done. 

Mi Young would have looked fabulous if only she had been wearing a lovely dress with matching colours and prints that picked out the heavily textured wall. 

I was wondering what Almodovar would have done with the above backdrop, when I came across the stunning scene below. In this brightly lit scene, the artistic backdrop is a white wall with black graffiti streaks. The girl's floral dress actually matches the background, due to the big patches of white on her dress. The colourful flowers make her stand out against the black and white backdrop, and she's like part of the abstract art backdrop. The other character's turquoise cardigan and shoes match the black and turquoise fabric on the floor and together with the red basin, they bring colour to the otherwise black-and-white setting.

I'm So Excited (2013) 

Part 2: Pretty Matching
Part 4: Blues in Fated To Love You

2. Matching in Almodovar's Movies & Fated To Love You

Not only is Pedro Almodovar a master of colours, but he is also master at matching costume colours and designs with the props and surroundings.

[Below: Women On Verge of Nervous Breakdown (1986)]
Black boxes: The check prints on the character's blouse go with the rectangular bricks, notice-board and notices.
Yellow boxes: Beige bricks with beige phones, and even the kitten in the wall picture.
Pink ovals: Black phone with black case.
Blue ovals: Red checks on the blouse with red pencil, counter and the red ball in the wall picture.

[Below: Kika (1993)] A riot of colours clashing with geometric shapes and floral prints. 

[Below: Kika (1993)] A scene full of clean lines and geometric shapes with brown colour scheme.  

In recent years, some Japanese and Korean dramas are starting to match characters' clothes with their surroundings. Some shows have only a few matching scenes whereas some go all the way to match. A good example of the latter is Fated to Love You where the stylist devoted much time and effort to match props and costumes in many scenes. 

[Below: Episode 9] The colour and prop-matching in this scene comes as a surprise as I thought at first that only Mi Young's skirt matches the yellow flowers in Lee Gun's hand. But then I noticed that Lee Gun's blue jacket with white stripes go with the blue wall with white words. So I looked more closely and noticed that the green leaves behind him match the bouquet's green stalks. The lines of these long and straight stalks match the pin stripes on the jacket and  the lines on Mi Young's mother's striped blouse. Unexpectedly, the orange-white designs of her blouse go with the red-white combination of the containers which have almost the same shade as the red-white board outside the shop.

[Below: Episode 1] The setting is a very pretty candy shop. Here, Mi Young is wearing a colourful scarf to match the lollipop which matches the the shop's name card. 

[Below: Episode 1] I was particularly impressed that Mi Young's colleague is holding a cup with stripes that match the candy shop's name card. Though a brief scene, the stylist actually paid attention to such a minor detail, hinting at the big budget allotted for this drama. 

[Below: Episode 2] The makeover scene in a hotel in Macau.
Very clever of the stylist to draw the curtain such that the folds of the curtain show alternate shades of blue and dark blue, thus matching Lee Gun's two-toned striped vest nicely.

[Below: Episode 4] Multi-coloured clothes can't go wrong if you are matching a colourful background. Mi Young's sister's colourful skirt matches quite a things. Notice how the yellow tier of her skirt matches the food, too.

[Below: Episode 4] Both are wearing navy blue clothes which match the blue lighting and the stylist actually got them yellow pillows to match the yellow light behind.

[Below: Episode 4] Lots of green leaves to match the green chalkboard and noticeboard. If you look carefully, you'll notice that Lee Gun's grandmother's hanbok, and the mauve and bright blue ribbon match match the purple and blue notice on the noticeboard. The amount of preparation that went into this and other scenes!

[Below: Episode 4] Green is the theme for Mi Young's brother-in-law--his check shirt matches the greens behind him and the stylist added a green wine bottle since he is drinking with another man.

[Below: Episode 5] Mi Young's blue floral skirt comes in very useful in a few scenes as its colours are easy to match. In this scene, the skirt matches the blue railings beautifully as the shades of blue are very close. 

[Below: Episode 5] Are the two of them wearing white tops so as to match the adorable white dog? Not only does Mi Young's skirt match the blue wall and blue signs near the table, the floral prints also match the yellow and red umbrellas. Even Daniel's red pants serve a purpose--they match the red umbrella! Very clever.

[Below: Episode 5] I don't like guys in red pants but when I looked at this scene carefully, I realised the red pants are actually to match the red flowers on her skirt! He can't wear a red shirt as he has to wear a white shirt to match Mi Young's white blouse. Her blue skirt matches the workman's blue jeans and the yellow floral prints on her skirt pick out his yellow top.

[Below: Episode 6 ] Mi Young's bag is the central prop here that matches the flowers on her skirt, the posters and art exhibits.

 

[Below: Episode 17] Good matching of Granny's vest with the flowers, the leaves of which match those outside the door.

Part 1: Colour Influences From Almodovar's Movies

Part 3: Why Not Match All The Way in FTLY?