[Actor Spotlight] Seo Hyun-jin
by missvictrix
It’s time for our spotlight to fall on the lovely Seo Hyun-jin, who starred in the recent JTBC drama The Beauty Inside. Born in 1985 in Seoul, South Korea, she actually got her start in the K-pop girl group M.I.L.K., back in 2001. So many great actors started their career as idols, but it’s a bit more accepted (and expected) now than it was back in 2003, when the group disbanded and Seo started to shift to an acting career. It’s a happy thing for us that she did.
Seo Hyun-jin brings a relatable, human quality to her characters. Is there anyone out there who doesn’t think she’s amazing? She pulls off a unique combination of vulnerability and spunk, and her smash hit Oh Hae-young Again cemented her as the perfect “everywoman” actress. No matter who she’s playing you can count on Seo Hyun-jin to bring the role to life. But it’s more than just a role or a character with her — she takes her characters and crafts them into real, authentic women that are vulnerable, complex, and perfectly imperfect.
Here are some thoughts on several of Seo Hyun-jin’s dramas, followed by her full filmography.
Three Musketeers (2014)
Seo Hyun-jin. Lee Jin-wook. Jung Hae-in. The same production team that did the wonderful Nine and Queen In-hyun’s Man. The sageuk version of the classic Alexander Dumas novel. This drama was poised to be epic, complex, and perfect. Sadly, it never quite got there. It was one of the few dramas I stopped watching mid-way, even with such a magical cast as this one (not to mention it was my introduction to Jung Hae-in, the monk-sketeer). The jockeying between cheeky comedy and sweeping historical drama didn’t mesh well for me, and I kept wanting the show to do something it wasn’t doing. That being said, Seo Hyun-jin was adorable, earnest, and likable as the princess caught in a love triangle. Because Seo always owns her characters, it didn’t feel like she was playing make believe in her costume like it sometimes does in weaker sageuk productions (*cough* Faith).
Let’s Eat 2 (2015)
I was a huge fan of the first “season” of Let’s Eat, so it took me a long time to come to terms with the fact that they were making a second one. I’m a big believer in letting a great story stand alone, and not trying to capitalize on it with reduxes, prequels, and the like. The collective gasp from fans when they announced none of the original cast was returning for Season 2 except for Yoon Doo-joon — well, that gasp was surely heard around the world. They’ve already gone and done this to us for a third time with Let’s Eat 3, so we’re used to the “new neighborhood, new girl” aspect of this show. That being said, a lot of viewers proceeded with extreme caution into Let’s Eat 2, and some (ahem) didn’t proceed at all. Word on the street is that Seo Hyun-jin did a great job playing opposite Yoon Doo-joon, won over the skeptics, and brought her own energy to the special world of Let’s Eat. After all, the Let’s Eat series is special. It was able to create (and maintain) a unique tone that’s warm, colorful, comedic, and sweet, and that satisfies you like a nice home-cooked meal.
Oh Hae-young Again (2016)
Many would argue, and most would agree, that this was Seo Hyun-jin at her best. Her performance in Oh Hae-young Again re-energized her career, and won her critical acclaim — including a Baeksang Arts Award for Best Actress. Seo Hyun-jin starred opposite Eric as a woman whose self-concept crumbled after her fiance (played by Lee Jae-yoon) dumped her. Watching Seo Hyun-jin depict our heroine floundering through this period of her life was as personal as reading someone’s diary. We got a first-hand look at how her self-esteem was affected when an old nemesis with the same name as her reappeared in her life. We saw her as she dealt with heartbreak and humiliation, tried to make changes in her life, struggled with adulting, and fell in love again. It was fresh, it was realistic — it was a great drama. Oh Hae-young Again also had a slightly fantastical premise (a hero with premonition-type visions) but despite that, it actually became one of the most raw and authentic dramas that’s aired in a while. It just goes to show that dramaland can pull off anything if it really wants to.
Temperature of Love (2017)
In Temperature of Love, Seo Hyun-jin starred as a spunky screenwriter opposite Yang Se-jong, who played a young up-and-coming chef. The premise of Temperature of Love was to tell the story of people at different “temperatures” in their romantic relationships, and the show expressed this well. For the bulk of the drama our leads’ relationship listed from one side to another, seeking balance while everything around them (families, rivals, careers, emotions, etc.) created waves, and sometimes storms. Though the drama caught a few typical drama snags and lost some of the magic it started with, Seo Hyun-jin and Yang Se-jong were so electric that I forgave the show of a lot. Speaking of magic, the night sequence in the opening episode has become one of my favorite K-drama scenes. Seo Hyun-jin and Yang Se-jong met for the first time at a nighttime gathering of runners — she got lost in the twists and turns of a neighborhood, and Yang Se-jong searched for her. The pacing of this sequence was perfect, the passage of time was expertly conveyed, and between the middle-of-the-night feel, the misty rain, the great dialogue, and the chemistry between our leads — it felt like pitch-perfect execution. If I wrote down how many times I watched the first few episodes of this drama I might break the internet, so just suffice it to say that it was quite a few times.
Seo Hyun-jin’s full filmography:
- Hwang Jin-Yi (2006) [Drama]
- Love Me Not (2006) [Film]
- H.I.T. (2007) [Drama]
- Story of Wine (2008) [Film]
- Magic (2010) [Film]
- The Duo (2011) [Drama]
- Ashamed (2011) [Film]
- The Peak (2011) [Drama]
- Feast of the Gods (2012) [Drama]
- The Peach Tree (2012) [Film/Cameo]
- Horse Doctor (2012) [Drama/Cameo]
- Here Comes Oh Ja-Ryong (2012) [Drama]
- Jung-Yi, Goddess of Fire (2013) [Drama]
- Rebellious (2013) [Drama]
- King’s Daughter, Soo Baek Hyang (2013) [Drama]
- The Three Musketeers (2014) [Drama]
- Let’s Eat 2 (2015) [Drama]
- Another Oh Hae-young (2016) [Drama]
- Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim (2016) [Drama]
- Familyhood (2016) [Film]
- Bring It On, Ghost (2016) [Drama/Cameo]
- Temperature of Love (2017) [Drama]
- Because I Love You (2017) [Film]
- Let’s Eat 3 (2018) [Drama/Cameo]
- The Beauty Inside (2018) [Drama]
Small role in the Ha Ji-won sageuk about the life of Korea’s most famous gisaeng.
Small role in this Moon Geun-young romance film adapted from a Japanese drama.
Seo Hyun-jin plays a detective’s daughter in this police procedural.
Wine tells stories in this “interactive movie,” and Seo Hyun-jin has a second lead role.
Seo Hyun-jin plays a piano prodigy at a music school.
Another sageuk (it suits her) — she plays a commoner in this Joseon-era drama led by Chun Jung-myung and Lee Sang-yoon (heart!).
Taboo-breaking film (and one of Korea’s first) with a lesbian main character that made the rounds at famous film festivals.
Two-episode drama short about the Korean independence movement.
Seo Hyun-jin and Sung Yu-ri play rival chefs of royal cuisine.
Cameo in a story about siamese twins and their love triangle.
Cameo in this Cho Seung-woo drama about a Joseon veterinarian.
Daily family drama about two very different married couples.
Seo Hyun-jin supports Lee Sang-yoon, Moon Geun-young (again) and Kim Bum in this drama about the first female potter in Joseon-era Korea.
Short one-episode drama special starring Kang Ha-neul with Seo Hyun-jin as his mother (gasp!).
Seo Hyun-jin stars as the eponymous princess in this MBC daily saguek drama.
Had everything going for it to be an epic sageuk version of the classic novel, but didn’t quite get there (see above).
Another neighborhood, another girl, and a lot more food (see above).
Definitely one of the best rom-coms in years, mostly thanks to her performance (see above).
Super successful medical human drama that earned Seo Hyun-jin an SBS drama award for Best Actress, and Best Couple with Yoo Yeon-seok. Must. Marathon.
Comedy starring Kim Hye-soo as a successful and self-centered actress.
A cameo, along with the rest of the Let’s Eat cast, for their PD’s new ghost-comedy with Kim So-hyun and Taecyeon.
Started out strong and then faltered into the realm of the predictable, but her chemistry with Yang Se-jong was worth it all (see above).
Cha Tae-hyun comedy with love, ghosts, and Kim Yoo-jung.
Cameo as her character from Let’s Eat 2. Sigh.
Killing it, as she does, in this remake of the film of the same name where her character changes bodies every so often. Just to make life and love inconvenient.
RELATED POSTS
- [Actor Spotlight] Choi Jin-hyuk
- Beauty Inside: Episode 1
- Lee Min-ki and Seo Hyun-jin find each other in Beauty Inside
- Temperature of Love: Episodes 1-2
- Yang Se-jong up to romance Seo Hyun-jin in Temperature of Love
- Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim: Episode 1
- Seo Hyun-jin joins the Let’s Eat cameo crew in Bring It On, Ghost
- Oh Hae-young Again: Episode 1
Tags: Actor Spotlight, Seo Hyun-jin
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1 ObsessedMuch
November 24, 2018 at 10:21 AM
Oooh yay we get actress spotlight too! And what a great actress to start it off with!
I really liked her acting in Let's Eat2 and Another Oh Hae Young!
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2 blnmom
November 24, 2018 at 10:48 AM
"Let’s Eat 3 (2018) [Drama/Cameo]
Cameo as her character from Let’s Eat 2. Sigh."
I still can't believe what they did to her! Why??????
I watched all of Here Comes Oh Ja-Ryong, my first and only daily drama, which had a million episodes, and I have no recollection of her in there. Interesting.
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Kristina Reyes
November 25, 2018 at 6:46 PM
She was Oh Yeon Seo's character's sister. The classy older sister with the bad husband. She was a great actress there, too. I wonder why you can't remember her.
Btw, I feel like rewatching it. Do you know where I can watch it online? I can't find Here Comes Oh Ja-Ryong in the sites I visit.
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blnmom
November 25, 2018 at 8:43 PM
Oh, I'm sure she was good! I just have a terrible memory for faces, especially if an actor plays a character with a different personality than I saw them in before. I just looked at the wiki page for the drama and I didn't remember Oh Yeonseo was in it either, lol.
I can't find it online, sorry.
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Kristina Reyes
November 26, 2018 at 7:13 AM
Thanks anyway.
Try Romantic Doctor, King's Daughter and 3 musketeers if you haven't.
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3 egads aka Dame Maggie
November 24, 2018 at 10:54 AM
Thanks for spotlighting a woman @missvictrix! The men are great, and I appreciate that kdrama likes to cater to the female eye, but we like the women too.
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4 frabbycrabsis loves KBS Drama Specials
November 24, 2018 at 1:35 PM
Hands down, Romantic Doctor is my favourite of her roles. If course, later in the drama, all the scenes with depth went to the male leads, but the scene is episode two where she self-harms is and will always be phenomenal!
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5 gadis
November 24, 2018 at 2:16 PM
Seo Hyun-jin is such a dependable actress. She first caught my eyes in Let's Eat, then in Oh Hae-young Again which is one of my absolute favorite series. Now she becomes one of the actress whose projects I can watch solely for her acting.
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6 fencejumper
November 24, 2018 at 2:56 PM
I had no idea she was an idol 0_0 But she’s slaying!
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greenfields
November 24, 2018 at 5:11 PM
I can't imagine Seo Hyun Jin as an idol at all!😅 Or maybe I can. It seems to have taken a long to successfully shift to acting. But I'm glad she did. I LOVE the energy she brings onto the screen.
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fencejumper
November 24, 2018 at 5:38 PM
Shifting to acting requires effort but she does bring an incredible energy with her
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Ally
November 25, 2018 at 6:08 AM
She was young, only a high schooler, but she was the lead singer! And it was short-lived, only two years. And she’s also sang in musicals in the meantime, playing Liesl in the Sound of Music in 2006 and Cinderella in 2015. https://youtu.be/_uxesV83Dks
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fencejumper
November 25, 2018 at 7:30 AM
Wow! A super talented high schooler too. Her charms never end ^_^
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greenfields
November 25, 2018 at 9:35 AM
Amaze!
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kiara
November 25, 2018 at 1:50 PM
Her short lived idol career seems to have been a blessing. She is so much better at acting imo.
Most idol actors go back and forth and it's very hard to excel in both.
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Me
November 29, 2018 at 8:44 PM
She sings beautifully as well.
PakalanaPikake
November 25, 2018 at 5:42 PM
Seo Hyun-jin has sung 6 OSTs, 5 of which I was able to find and post on my fan wall, starting with this one:
http://www.dramabeans.com/members/pakalanapikake/activity/656575/
https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Seo_Hyun_Jin#TV_Show_Theme_Songs
Enjoy. ;-)
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greenfields
November 25, 2018 at 6:04 PM
Thanks!😊
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Goodsong
November 29, 2018 at 4:36 PM
@greenfields Andy @pakalanapikake
Her dance moves when she was with M.I.L.K. (SM ent)
https://youtu.be/tgy3ZTCWBjI
Her street dancing in 2011 campaign to prevent suicide.
https://youtu.be/mZim_OigIkw
She was learning samba in 2014 (sbs expedition).
https://youtu.be/t9mEv32QVqw
A collection of her samba and dances in dramas (except the sageuk drama dance).
https://youtu.be/_DGviHFViQU
A compilation of all her songs/singing (till 2016)
https://youtu.be/SAy5A0CTZes
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Goodsong
November 29, 2018 at 4:50 PM
Flashmob dancing video above - she was wearing green top.
Last year singing at a wedding.
https://youtu.be/UzSGvdG3Mjg
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PakalanaPikake
December 1, 2018 at 3:25 AM
Her voice is so sweet while singing "Everyday With You" (매일 그대와 Maeil Geudaewa). Thanks for another lovely performance, @just123, Goodsong! <3
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Goodsong
December 2, 2018 at 7:13 AM
Have you seen her musicals?
She did musical Cinderella with VIXX Ken in 2015.
https://youtu.be/_uxesV83Dks
PakalanaPikake
December 2, 2018 at 11:28 AM
@just123 Goodsong
December 2, 2018 at 7:13 AM
Gee, I didn't know that SHJ has done musical theatre, too -- although it shouldn't come as a surprise. Thanks for this clip. It is simply wonderful. ;-)
fencejumper
November 29, 2018 at 4:52 PM
Wow! Where did you uncover all these?
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greenfields
December 1, 2018 at 2:20 AM
Ikr this is amazing!
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Blue (@mayhemf)
November 29, 2018 at 5:04 PM
wow!! I had no idea!
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PakalanaPikake
December 1, 2018 at 3:16 AM
@just123 Goodsong,
Thank you so much for those links. <3
I've seen a few M.I.L.K clips in the past, but you've uncovered the mother lode. I really like their sound, and even back then, SHJ was quite a dancer.
The way she's dancing in that flashmob, you'd think she was on stage. Holy cow!
Seeing her learning to samba is fascinating. The way she moves makes me think she'd be a terrific belly dancer. (I took classes for a spell and can see how she isolates the muscle groups. And she's got "snake arms" down pat.)
In the final compilation at 22:19, she boogies next to Yoon Doo-joon. ;-)
I binge-watched GOONG / PRINCESS HOURS after hearing SHJ's OST "Give Me a Little Try." It was cracktastic until it lost its way in the last 4 episodes or so.
SHJ's rendition of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (starting at 32:41) is simply wonderful. Her English pronunciation and diction are great, but it's the soul that she puts into it that makes it extra-special.
Thanks again for an enjoyable stroll through SHJ's dramas and films, too!
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Midnight
December 1, 2018 at 5:04 AM
Goong was great until it got extended. It was painfully obvious that they had used up all the ideas and plot points they had originally had about the reluctant sulky prince, so they had to make up new ideas for the last 4 episodes and they basically attacked the princess and made her the new problem at the court.
It was jarring because up till then the princess had mainly been the peace-maker among the characters, and the focal point had been the prince.
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PakalanaPikake
December 1, 2018 at 9:23 AM
@midnight,
I didn't realize that the show was extended. Well that explains it. I felt as if I were watching two different shows. The king ended up turning into a major jerk. What a hypocrite. Maybe I'm reading too much between the lines, but I was expecting to find out that Seja's cousin was actually his half-brother.
Midnight
December 1, 2018 at 8:17 PM
"I felt as if I were watching two different shows."
Exactly!
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7 Mehgann
November 24, 2018 at 3:12 PM
She's a good actress, but so many of her dramas miss the mark. Is it her management? Her own taste? What is going on there? So many beautifully acted scenes buried in so many terrible dramas.
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Shitty Healing Hunter
November 25, 2018 at 6:19 AM
not everyone can star in hit dramas
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Goodsong
November 25, 2018 at 8:16 AM
You can't expect every drama she starred in to be a hit drama, same goes to every popular actress. At least she has 2 hit dramas under her belt.
To add on, she couldn't choose her dramas before she shot to stardom. I think the 1st drama she could choose was TOL but sadly that writer... don't feel like talking about the writer.
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Mehgann
November 25, 2018 at 11:18 AM
I don't, but for a very good actress, she has a lot of really BAD dramas, and not a lot of good ones. The only good one I can think of is Another Oh Hae Young, and I've watched almost everything she's been in (I admit that Temp of Love became so insufferable that I couldn't finish it, but everything else I've watched all the way through).
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fab
November 26, 2018 at 1:03 PM
How do YOU measure the quality of drama? Maybe, just maybe it's you.
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Mehgann
November 26, 2018 at 6:31 PM
I would say that the stories are not compelling, even when the premises are. This can be said of Three Musketeers, Temp of Love, The Beauty Inside, etc. They all had drops in viewership (and many negative reviews) to back me up. And, once again, I'm NOT saying she's a bad actress. I actually love her as an actress, so I always watch the things she's in hoping that they will be good. I'm disappointed more often than not. As a fan, it's frustrating because I WANT to see her in something really good. Oh Hae Young excluded, because that one was very good. Let's Eat 2 is also okay (though not awesome, just okay). The only other one that I hear good things about is Romantic Teacher, Dr. Kim, which (in that ONE case) just isn't my cup of tea in terms of drama, so I'll agree on that ONE that it's me. But the others are all things that are in genres that I typically like.
Mehgann
November 25, 2018 at 11:21 AM
And again, I'm not criticizing her as an actress...she's great. Which is what makes it so confusing to me!!!
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8 JustMe
November 24, 2018 at 5:01 PM
YAY! A lady! Love these! @missvictrix i was wondering if you could do one on Kim Won Hae? Seems like he's in every single show these days. No pressure. I guess you just wont sleep (kidding ❤️)
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egads aka Dame Maggie
November 24, 2018 at 5:05 PM
Putting together Kim Won Hae's complete filmography would be daunting.
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missvictrix
November 24, 2018 at 6:16 PM
@justme I don't think he sleeps, either, so it's probably only fair ;)
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9 Kafiyah Bello
November 24, 2018 at 6:18 PM
Love her. She has such an energy to her, one of my favs!!!!!
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10 FF queen
November 24, 2018 at 6:56 PM
I've rewatched 3 musketeers many a times but just her scenes. She was endearing in this. I think any other actress would make the character so annoying.
I want her to do another sageuk. But a legit one with a proper love line.
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PakalanaPikake
November 25, 2018 at 5:57 PM
My gateway sageuk was THE KING'S DAUGHTER, SOO BAEK HYANG. SHJ had a lovely romance with Jo Hyun-jae, seja of Baekje in the Three Kingdoms era. It's a daily drama, originally scheduled for 120 episodes that was cut back by 12 episodes because of the Sochi Olympics, holiday programming, etc. Even so, it managed to have a lovely ending. The ensemble cast was dynamite. The drama was penned by the writer of REBEL: THIEF WHO STOLE THE PEOPLE. SHJ's role gave her the opportunity to do comedy, action (battle scenes), espionage, impersonation of royalty, romance, you name it. And she carried it off with tremendous aplomb. I would give my eye teeth to see her in another excellent sageuk.
Maybe I should start spinning my prayer wheel that she gets cast as the female lead in UGEUMCHI with Jo Jung-seok and Yoon Si-yoon. Talk about exothermic chemistry...
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FF queen
November 30, 2018 at 9:32 PM
I have heard of The Kings Daughter but the episode count....sigh. perhaps i should watch a few?
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PakalanaPikake
December 1, 2018 at 12:46 AM
@lurker FF Queen,
I found the show to be like Lays potato chips: "Nobody can eat just one." Proceed at your own risk. ;-)
Show is a daily drama, so the episodes are about half an hour. TKDSBH had me from the opening scene, drew me right into the compelling multi-generational saga, and kept me glued to the screen until the end. The excellent ensemble cast is top-notch, with Yoon Tae-young a stand-out as the deaf-mute Kuchon, and Kim Young-jae surprisingly sympathetic as the paranoid King of Gaya. Orphaned cutie pie Choi Ro-woon and Yeo Ui-joo as Seja's bodyguard, Kang-bok, are among my all-time favorite scene-stealers. I've been thrilled to see gang leader Oh Dae-hwan in larger supporting roles in LIFE ON MARS and ROOM NO. 9.
A big advantage of watching it now: you won't have to put up with the nerve-wracking preemptions. ;-)
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11 chousaurus
November 24, 2018 at 7:46 PM
oh hae young again did it for me
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chousaurus
November 24, 2018 at 7:47 PM
and romantic teacher doctor kim
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12 Ally
November 24, 2018 at 8:32 PM
It was because if Seo Hyun Jin that I stayed watching kdramas, and only because a friend said to me, “Hey, my old friend is in a drama I think you’d like. It’s a medical story.” And I politely watched the first episode and was hooked. She blew me away and that kiss with YYS was so unexpected, I had to see where that went! I then watched Let’s Eat 3 and Another Oh Hae Young for her and she didn’t disappoint. I really liked the first few episodes of Temperature of Love and that same friend joined me for the premiere, which was so much fun! I told her that I was skeptical when I started RDTK, but SHJ sold it and was a large reason I’m a kdrama addict. It was only my third kdrama. Now, we keep each other abreast of everything she’s in. They don’t keep in touch anymore, so I’m usually the one sending her news and teasers about SHJ. It’s so crazy how a connection made long ago made it possible for me to come into this world of entertainment that I enjoy so and I have Seo Hyun Jin to thank for that. So, thank you, dear actress, for being so amazing and for being a good friend in the past with my good friend in the present!
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13 missjb
November 24, 2018 at 8:51 PM
Please My fav Writers and Director, Pick Seo Hyun Jin as your next leading lady. Haha... It's a shame with how talent she is, she is stuck in ROm Com. There is nothing wrong with rom com, some rom com can be challenging. But she can do so much better. AIgoooo...
And don't get me wrong, She finally constantly get a leading now thanks to her Another Oh Hae Young, it seems public is believing in her choose of project . But I wish, she can do a roles that maximize her acting skill.
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Midnight
November 24, 2018 at 8:58 PM
Actually she started getting lead roles since Three Musketeers, two dramas before Oh Hae-young.
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missjb
November 24, 2018 at 9:19 PM
ohh.Yes, I forget she was the lead in let's eat 2 and Three Musketeer.. But what I mean is public now has an eye on her and starting to notice her since Oh Hae Young. SO her choice of project often can turn into successfull drama .
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kanzcech
November 25, 2018 at 3:53 AM
I think she definitely has an eye for hit dramas? RDTK, OHYA, TOL, and BI have high ratings and garner international audience.
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Goodsong
November 25, 2018 at 8:19 AM
Her 1st lead role in drama was King's Daughter Soo Baek Hyang.
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PakalanaPikake
November 25, 2018 at 6:20 PM
SHJ was the lead in THE KING'S DAUGHTER prior to THREE MUSKETEERS. She sang one of the OSTs as well as a beautiful a cappella number, and also danced. When not soldiering and spying. She really got to show off her acting chops, and had great chemistry with the entire cast. Her scenes with Yoon Tae-young, Lee Jae-ryong (slave step-dad and king, respectively), and Kim Young-jae as the paranoid King of Gaya, were often intense and deeply moving. She had a couple of tragic scenes that were devastatingly Shakespearean. Absolutely top-notch acting.
The show aired at the same time as EMPRESS KI, and was a daily drama with a relatively low budget. Even so, it had gorgeous cinematography.
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14 WishfulToki
November 24, 2018 at 9:28 PM
She was wonderful in Three Musketeers, which you should totally finish to see how her story plays out!
Best drunk confession scene ever 🤣🤣🤣 Overall It’s not epic, but it’s fun.
All in all, I’d like her back in a sageuk, maybe as a villain😄
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kiara
November 25, 2018 at 8:37 AM
Love her in sageuks more. THE DUO<3 was the first sageuk I saw her in. She was more captivating than the leading lady.
I'd love to see her headline another.
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Goodsong
November 25, 2018 at 8:42 AM
No more antagonist role for her i hope. She is so good and convincing in her role that people took it for real and start hating on her. I already saw 1 comment below about her role in feast of god.
Nowadays there are so many young supporters of male actors couldn't even stand watching the male role getting hurt by the breakup instigated by the female role and start hating on the actress calling her selfish and etc as though it's her real character. It's sad that an actress can only attract more fans if her role in a drama is likeable.
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15 Amy
November 24, 2018 at 10:36 PM
I like her very much. She has incredible energy to her. My favourite of her till now is Romantic doctor and while everyone praises her for Another Oh haeyoung, I had some complaints while watching it. I am almost sure I would have hated her character if it was played by somebody else but Seo hyun jin made her difficult to dislike and kept my gripes about the drama at bay.
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16 Jrr 🌈
November 24, 2018 at 11:04 PM
I first saw her in Feast of the Gods as the hateful second lead, then the next drama I saw of her was Romantic Doctor. I'm starting on Beauty Inside now too.
So I kinda started hating on her, then finding her okay & maybe now beginning to fall in love with her, lol.
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17 immawish
November 25, 2018 at 12:21 AM
Oh yay!!! Thanks for the spotlight on possibly my fav actress of all time (yes, holywood actress included). Pardon me because i'll much likely write an essay here.
I have watched kdramas since 2011 (hello there city hunter) and I havr several phases with actresses I loved and I thought it goes the same with Seo Hyunjin but no, she is now my standard for a good actor. There are actors whose cry totally pains your heart, there are some others whose eyes can express emotions well, there are actors whose body language can tell stories without words, but for me, Seo Hyunjin has it all.
Everytime I watched her i'm always amazed with anything she does, the raw emotion she delivers is one of the best thing I have watched tbh. It's MY crime for not being able to recognize her sooner (Oh Haeyoung is my first Seo Hyunjin drama, I almost skipped it bcs I didn't know her) but I still can't believe she just made it to spotlight afte years with the ability that she has. Oh Haeyoung has so many scenes that could show her potential (probably why she shines the most there), while in my opinion Romantic Doctor has her strongest most complicated scene ever (yes, that PTSD attack scene, meds, knife, and all) and she really set the bar high up for other actresses. Thank god I discovered her💕
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18 kanzcech
November 25, 2018 at 3:50 AM
My first introduction to Seo Hyun Jin is Let's Eat 2, which is not bad at all compared to LE1 but I can't quite comprehend why they need to change the girl. Well LE2 is nice, funny, heart-warming drama and her chemistry with YDJ is good. I like her since this drama.
Then came OHYA, I *can't* stand her character with so many annoying cries, tears, and hair-pulling actions in between. But I actually like the story so I finished the whole drama anyway. I love her chemistry with Eric but I can't stand her *how I can say that?*
I watched TOL but it's too boring so I didn't finish it.
Last one is Beauty Inside, my personal favorite of her acting and dramas. It's perfect drama to cuddle with your boyfriend *if I have such boyfriend like Do Jae :p
I think she grows to be a great actress now and I become a fan of her. She can emote well, act naturally, and her crying scenes are improved. I like that she's equally adept at both sageuk and modern drama. Her drama-inside-drama "Okjung" in Beauty Inside showcases her acting and funny that I actually want to watch the whole thing! I also plan to marathon King's Daughter Soo Baek Hyang in near future.
NB: I watched Three Musketeers but didn't finish the whole thing and I kinda forgot her character. Watched her too in GOF: Jungyi but only concentrated at Moon Geun Young. So the first full exposure of her was LE2.
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kiara
November 25, 2018 at 9:19 AM
GOF was terrible. I felt bad for her and Moonie. They are both so good in sageuks. I hope to see them both in these upcoming sageuks.
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PakalanaPikake
November 25, 2018 at 6:27 PM
@kiara,
Thank you for alerting me to the horrors of abortive pottery. Unless I become OCD and try to watch every single show she has been in, methinks I dodged a bullet. ;-)
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kanzcech
November 30, 2018 at 1:35 AM
Yeah don't watch it! The show made me hate Lee Sang Yoon, you wouldn't believe it! Because his romance with MGY is so unnatural and he keeps doing stupid things. I only finished it due to my unwavering loyalty to Moonie.
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PakalanaPikake
December 1, 2018 at 1:46 AM
Omo! Lee Sang-yoon is another of my faves. So I've actually dodged two bullets by skipping GODDESS OF FIRE. I managed to get through ABOUT TIME, which was not one of his better shows. It also had Im Se-mi in another thankless and whack-o antagonist role. (I first saw her in TKDSBH, in which she played the young queen who grew from an immature teenager into a wise and dignified ruler of the inner court. SHJ's scenes with her were great, especially when she taught her to play cat's cradle -- and then the queen taught it to King Muryeong. It was warm and funny. Luckily, ISM got to redeem herself in TERIUS BEHIND ME.)
PakalanaPikake
December 1, 2018 at 4:01 AM
Wait a second. Lee Sang-yoon plays Gwanghaegun, one of my fave Korean historical figures. So if I watched, I end up hating him, too? Sheesh. This sounds like defamation by Kdrama.
19 Kurama
November 25, 2018 at 5:49 AM
We always praised male actors for their kisses scenes. But Seo Hyun Jin should be praised to for it! She always has a great chemistry with her co-stars and the kisses scene from Oh Hae Young and Romantic Doctor were great ! And not only thanks to Eric and Yoon Yeon Seok.
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20 blessingwind
November 25, 2018 at 11:33 AM
My favourite character of her was in Oh Hae-young Again. Her character was real as it could get and she portrayed that character Oh Hae young with utmost perfection. For the first time i watched a rom-com for a female lead. I normally watch it for the story and good looking dudes, but Seo Hyun Jin stole this from the male lead. What a memorable character it was.
A gorgeous actress who has versatility flowing in her blood. She can play any character with good direction.
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PakalanaPikake
November 25, 2018 at 6:29 PM
And a decent script...
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21 ohhaeyoung
November 26, 2018 at 10:31 AM
I have so much respect for Seo HyunJin and will always be in awe of her acting skills to pull off a character as Oh Hae Young who felt so much like myself.
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22 fab
November 26, 2018 at 12:54 PM
Thank you for this, I love Seo Hyun-jin.
My first memory of her in a drama was the antagonist in Feast of the Gods. She was amazing as a super ~misunderstood~ villainous chef. It's one of those characters that you love to hate. She only ever played the protagonist since then but her acting only got better. Okay wait there's still the Duo that got her to compete for (and lose?) Lee Sangyoon's affections- or something like, that drama was not done well. Ha ^^
I'm so glad let's Eat 2 was the one that was available to watch because I loved it and I can't imagine watching another LE without her.
And the Three Musketeers is of the very few saeguks I'd want to rewatch.
I hope we'll get see plenty of works with her for a very long time. And her singing too, she has a lovely voice!
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23 PakalanaPikake
November 26, 2018 at 5:20 PM
Thanks for writing up my favorite actress, @missvictrix! I'm glad to see she has so many fans. ;-)
For me, Seo Hyun-jin is the female Jang Hyuk, not because she is a martial artist who does her own stunts (although she did her own wire-fu in OH HAE-YOUNG AGAIN), but because she's not afraid to play characters who are messy, unlikable, and flawed. They both go all in on their roles, sometimes with great abandon. (Think of Lee Gun in FATED TO LOVE YOU and OHY's demented dance meltdown with mom Kim Mi-kyung.) While they can be embarrassingly over-the-top, SHJ and JH are also capable of expressing themselves with great nuance and delicacy with their eyes alone. Their body language speaks volumes.
SHJ is not afraid of physically messy roles, either. In THE KING'S DAUGHTER, SU BAEK HYANG, she went through grueling basic training as a soldier-spy, and was very convincing. The running jokes through much of the show were her eating like a horse (which earned her the nickname "Chicken Girl" from her boss, the crown prince), and her utterly unladylike comportment. Her thrashing around in her sleep, both at home with her sister and in the barracks with her brothers-in-arms, was a hoot. She was convincing as one of the guys, and soldiered on with the best of them. Later, she needed intensive finishing school in order to pass for the princess she was to impersonate. Her klutziness while doggedly learning the royal family's Dance of Grace was believable.
I don't get the feeling that I've seen SHJ in the same role twice. I may not always love her characters (TOL, I'm looking at you), but I do know that I'm in for interesting, layered characterizations.
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24 judepps
November 29, 2018 at 8:02 PM
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25 judepps
November 29, 2018 at 8:05 PM
i am a huge fan of her yet i only came to know her in The Three Musketeers (2014) [Drama] though a lot of people didnt impress with this drama but i am one of them who greatly followed it. I had followed Queen Inhyuns Man and Nine and it was a great drama yet Three Musketeers didnt live with the peoples expectation and the ratings did not do well the reason that it was not continued for another season. I guess i am the only one who wish that drama reach season that was promised.
Another Oh Hae-young (2016) is where she bewitched me with her performance. With that i followed her next drama project Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim (2016) yet i didn't watch Temperature of love.
She did it again in Beauty Inside drama. She is a very versatile actress and i really love each of her performance in her project. I will continue to follow her project in the future.
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