Greek Asian Dramas Addicts

Kim Sae-ron picks her second drama project

Kim Sae-ron has lined up her next project, which happens to be her second drama role: She’ll be taking a lead role in a cable drama — dayum, cable is taking over the world! — called Heavenly Garden.

The project is described as a “moving human drama” that unfolds around a pure-spirited mother raising two daughters in difficult circumstances in rural Gangwon-do. Kim Sae-ron plays one of those girls, a studious, straightforward girl named Eun-soo. Cast as her family members are veteran actor and familiar grandpa from numerous dramas, Choi Bool-am (Gourmet, Smile You), while Yoo Ho-jung (Neighbor Enemies) plays mom.

Heavenly Garden looks to be a fairly ambitious project for general cable station Channel A, and comes from director Lee Jong-han, who did the most recent adaptation of epic saga Toji in 2004.

According to producers, Kim Sae-ron, already at top star level despite her youth, was their top pick, and her participation “raises the quality of our drama.” No argument there; she’s proved herself several times over in movies like A Brand New Life and Ajusshi / The Man From Nowhere, and then won hearts as a precocious daughter in Can You Hear My Heart? And while her little sisters Ah-ron and Ye-ron may try to challenge unni in the budding-child-actress department, they’ll have big shoes to fill/follow, since so far Se-ron’s miles ahead with her charm and her sensitivity.

Prepare to have your hearts warmed, and stolen. Again.

Via Osen

Credits: GREEK ASIAN DRAMAS ADDICTS

Han Groo cast in daily drama on heels of Girl K

Rising young starlet Han Groo, star of the kickass cable hit Girl K, is doing pretty well for someone who debuted just this year. With an album and a successful action role under her belt, the nineteen-year old is looking to pound the pavement, actor-style, and take on upcoming MBC daily drama Just Be Like Today.

She’ll be starring opposite some of my favorite tv parents — Kim Gab-soo and Kim Mi-sook, both from every drama ever. Who needs acting school when you can just go to work and learn from these guys every day? This daily drama is no different from any other, and revolves around this family unit, with a bustling supporting cast.

Han Groo has been noted to look like almost every actress you can name — chiefly Sung Yuri, whom she’s pretty much the spitting image of. In action I actually think she looks more like Go Hyun-jung by way of Moon Geun-young a lot of the time. But what’s great about her is that the comparisons stop there. She’s not just a pretty face resembling other stars, but a really talented young actress with her own presence. I think she’ll be something amazing given the chance to really hone her craft.

Can’t you just picture her as the female answer to City Hunter? Yes please. She kicks So. Much. Ass. I can’t wait till she’s headlining her own Alias-esque franchise. Till then, Girl K reruns, anyone?

Just Be Like Today has completed the script read and begun shooting, and premieres in a few weeks on MBC.

Via Hankook Ilbo

Credits: GREEK ASIAN DRAMAS ADDICTS

Busy Jang Hyuk already looking at next drama role

Yeesh, talk about busy: Jang Hyuk‘s new drama just started airing last week — SBS’s anticipated sageuk Tree With Deep Roots — and already rumors are swirling about him being cast in another drama project. Does this man intend to sleep anytime soon?

The new project is a KBS drama titled Gaksital (meaning Bride Mask), and Jang would play the lead role. Producers had courted Jang early on and some reports say that he plans to join the production, but soon after those initial reports came out, Jang Hyuk’s management came out to counter them, saying he’s is merely considering the project, and that it’s not a done deal. You know the familiar song and dance.

The plot: Hero Lee Kang-to appears to be outwardly dim, but he’s actually active in the independence movement against the Japanese imperialist regime. Gaksital is yet another adaptation of a famous manhwa, written by Heo Young-man in 1974; he’s the manhwa-ka who also gave us Gourmet / Le Grand Chef, Tazza, and I Love You, which all had drama adaptations (the first two were preceded by movies as well).

With the casting announcement have come some complaints that Jang Hyuk is playing too many similar roles, having made quite an impression as a hard-bodied “beast man” of a slave hunter in Chuno, followed by a warrior with revenge on his mind in Tree with Deep Roots. Yeah, but he’s also played a financial dude in Midas, a high-rolling gambler in Tazza, and a doctor in Thank You. Ah, selective memories. How you like to argue things…selectively.

The drama will be written by Yoo Hyun-mi, who was behind legal thriller Scales of Providence and the Desperate Housewives-esque MBC miniseries Home Sweet Home (aka Our Happy Home). It will be directed by PD Yoon Sung-shik, who did the awesome Story of a Man. Ooh, my interest just shot up about 200% — Story of a Man was well-written and -acted, definitely, but it was just as well-directed. Moody, stylish, and fun. Okay, now I don’t even care who’s in it — I just want to SEE it!

Gaksital is aiming for a broadcast next summer on KBS.

Via Star News

Credits: GREEK ASIAN DRAMAS ADDICTS

Kim Hyun-joong considering his next drama

Kim Hyun-joong has been plenty busy wearing his singer hat in recent months — he’s currently promoting “Lucky Guy” from his mini-album — but he’s got his eye on swapping that for his acting hat again, as he explained in an interview on October 10.

Kim described his plans for the coming year, stating, “I’ll release a new album in January, and after promoting it for two or three weeks, I’m thinking of going on an Asia Tour, perhaps a world tour. After that, I’m looking to act in a drama around June.”

That’s weirdly vague and specific at the same time. Is he just talking out loud, or does he have plans that he’s keeping close to the vest? While the plans sound inchoate, it seems he’s pretty decided on his attack plan, so I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what ends up happening after all.

I’m no great fan of Kim Hyun-joong the Actor, since his debut role in Boys Before Flowers was about the worst piece of acting I’ve seen onscreen. He was much better in Playful Kiss — still squarely in mediocre territory, but I’ll forgive a lot for a rumply, oddly hot perm, apparently. Frankly I wouldn’t mind if he took his time with his music career — his charisma seems better suited for his pop idol persona — but who knows, I might be persuaded if he decided to rock that perm again… (What? Pretty robots may have nice features, but they’re cold and unsexy. Rumply college boys are much more interesting.)

Via Herald M

Credits: GREEK ASIAN DRAMAS ADDICTS

$Kim Jae-won heads for surgery, hopes to continue drama It appears that his recent motorcycle accident — sustained while filming the upcoming drama Me Too, Flower! — was bad enough that Kim Jae-won will be needing shoulder surgery, which is the reason that he was reportedly dropping out of the drama.However, Kim Jae-won has come out with an official statement, delivered via his agency, stating his desire to keep filming. It doesn’t mean that he will — just that he’s going to try to stick with the production.His agency described the accident: “On the drama’s first shooting day on October 4, Kim Jae-won was riding a motorcycle that went from a standstill into sudden acceleration, and to avoid injuring people around him, he applied the front brakes. As he did that, the bike lifted into the air at nearly a 90-degree angle, and that led to his shoulder dislocation. He was then taken to the emergency room.”The statement continued, “Through three detailed examinations, it was determined that Kim ruptured his ligaments and cartilage, and a fracture was detected in the bone. He was told he would need three to four weeks of rest. If he were to dislocate his shoulder again, he was told he may disable it and that surgery would be necessary.”Despite his condition, his management is not ready to make a definite answer whether he will continue or withdraw: “Kim Jae-won and the producers have worked hard in preparation for this drama, so he is hopeful that while he takes three to four weeks to rest and recover, he will be able to return to filming and stay till the end. More than anything, he and the producers have great attachment to this drama, and he is regretful that things have turned out this way. He promises to do his utmost to come to the best decision with the producers. He wishes to convey his apologies to his fellow actors, the viewers, and fans.”Okay, now that we’ve got the facts down: WHAT THE WHAT, DRAMA? Two weeks before your scheduled premiere and you still don’t know whether or not you have a leading man? I repeat: TWO WEEKS.Kim’s commitment is great, of course, and I’m sure he’s feeling all sorts of guilty and responsible for putting the production in the lurch. However, I worry that sticking to the show is not in his best interests, and certainly not the safest condition for his health. If you almost flip a motorcycle on top of yourself and half-tear out your arm from your socket, you might want to take care of that before getting guilted into about three months of grueling, all-night shoots. This drama was not operating on a leisurely timetable to begin with, and this uncertainty just messes with it even more.And what about the producers? What if Kim Jae-won ends up too injured to continue, only now you’ve stopped looking for a replacement and wind up truly and utterly screwed? How are you going to put out a drama about several women (Lee Jia, Seo Hyo-rim, Han Go-eun) entangled with a multiple-identity-possessing hero when you have no hero?Eeeep. I hope Me Too, Flower can pull itself together and make it work, if only just because it’ll be too sad if it doesn’t.Via Osen Credits: GREEK ASIAN DRAMAS ADDICTS$

Kim Jae-won heads for surgery, hopes to continue drama

It appears that his recent motorcycle accident — sustained while filming the upcoming drama Me Too, Flower! — was bad enough that Kim Jae-won will be needing shoulder surgery, which is the reason that he was reportedly dropping out of the drama.

However, Kim Jae-won has come out with an official statement, delivered via his agency, stating his desire to keep filming. It doesn’t mean that he will — just that he’s going to try to stick with the production.

His agency described the accident: “On the drama’s first shooting day on October 4, Kim Jae-won was riding a motorcycle that went from a standstill into sudden acceleration, and to avoid injuring people around him, he applied the front brakes. As he did that, the bike lifted into the air at nearly a 90-degree angle, and that led to his shoulder dislocation. He was then taken to the emergency room.”

The statement continued, “Through three detailed examinations, it was determined that Kim ruptured his ligaments and cartilage, and a fracture was detected in the bone. He was told he would need three to four weeks of rest. If he were to dislocate his shoulder again, he was told he may disable it and that surgery would be necessary.”

Despite his condition, his management is not ready to make a definite answer whether he will continue or withdraw: “Kim Jae-won and the producers have worked hard in preparation for this drama, so he is hopeful that while he takes three to four weeks to rest and recover, he will be able to return to filming and stay till the end. More than anything, he and the producers have great attachment to this drama, and he is regretful that things have turned out this way. He promises to do his utmost to come to the best decision with the producers. He wishes to convey his apologies to his fellow actors, the viewers, and fans.”

Okay, now that we’ve got the facts down: WHAT THE WHAT, DRAMA? Two weeks before your scheduled premiere and you still don’t know whether or not you have a leading man? I repeat: TWO WEEKS.

Kim’s commitment is great, of course, and I’m sure he’s feeling all sorts of guilty and responsible for putting the production in the lurch. However, I worry that sticking to the show is not in his best interests, and certainly not the safest condition for his health. If you almost flip a motorcycle on top of yourself and half-tear out your arm from your socket, you might want to take care of that before getting guilted into about three months of grueling, all-night shoots. This drama was not operating on a leisurely timetable to begin with, and this uncertainty just messes with it even more.

And what about the producers? What if Kim Jae-won ends up too injured to continue, only now you’ve stopped looking for a replacement and wind up truly and utterly screwed? How are you going to put out a drama about several women (Lee Jia, Seo Hyo-rim, Han Go-eun) entangled with a multiple-identity-possessing hero when you have no hero?

Eeeep. I hope Me Too, Flower can pull itself together and make it work, if only just because it’ll be too sad if it doesn’t.

Via Osen

Credits: GREEK ASIAN DRAMAS ADDICTS

Noh Min-woo to headline Vampire Idol?

Okay, forget the Full House remake/sequel/rehash. Been there, done that. Let’s get Noh Min-woo onboard with this. Upcoming MBN sitcom Vampire Idol is reportedly wooing Noh to play the undead pretty boy who travels to Earth (because apparently he’s an alien AND a vampire) to fulfill his dreams of becoming an idol star. God, I love this premise. It’s So. Awesome. How perfect would it be to have him represent the prettiest of all pretty boys — the kind that doesn’t age?

The 120-episode daily sitcom is about a vampire prince who travels from a vampire star and ends up… in a Korean high school? What are the odds? So anyway, Prince Vampire has to navigate the shark-infested waters of mundane adolescence, all in order to fulfill his lifelong dream of fame and glory. I love that even undead alien royalty wants to be an idol star. Noh Min-woo reportedly loves vampire movies and has always wanted to play one, so perhaps this is his chance. I’m certainly looking forward to the prospect, not so much for the vampire-ness as the comedy, because I think he’ll be surprisingly good at funny.

The sitcom has also scored comedian Shin Dong-yup and veteran actress Kim Sumi (who interestingly enough starred in the sitcom Hello Franceska Season 3, also a vampire comedy). But the most interesting part is that they’ll be playing a married couple. The pair has a 19-year age gap, but that’s the point of the casting — Shin will be playing a vampire who never ages, while the love of his life is a human who ages as normal.

Okay, everyone with me now: AAAAAWWWWWWWWW! How cute are they? So he’s technically much older than her, probably by hundreds of years, but he looks like her son! That’s so tragic and cute at the same time. It’s the other half of all the teenage vampire fiction — the B-side of what actually happens when you marry that hot vampire who never grows old. I’m suddenly much more interested in the parents now. I guess they’re not going to be the lead’s parents though, unless he’s half-human. Ooh, wouldn’t THAT be a great storyline too? Now I’m getting all sorts of ideas.

Vampire Idol is still casting and plans to premiere in December on cable network MBN. Can’t wait.

Via Newsen, Mk.co.kr

Credits: GREEK ASIAN DRAMAS ADDICTS

Gong Yoo in Portugal for Harper’s Bazaar

Look, I know, some of the pants are of questionable tightness and length, but that seems to be a battle I will never win against Korean fashion. At least his hair’s lookin’ good. All the better to imagine an afternoon spent with your fingers running through it, eh?

You’re welcome. Again.

Credits: GREEK ASIAN DRAMAS ADDICTS

(via dryouttheraindrops-deactivated2)

mayries:

Yoo Seung Ho @ Warrior Baek Dong Soo

lolapoplola:

Warrior Baek Dong Soo

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melonpuff:

You’ve Fallen For Me OST official version ✩