She is not that bad in MFL though I prefer her in Goong. Looks like netizens are more critical of female actors acting (remember Goo Hye Sun in BBF). These girls should take acting tips from Chen Quiao En of FATED TO LOVE YOU , EASY FORTUNE, EASY LIFE. I find this Taiwanese actress acting very ,very natural and effortless. To YEH, hang in there and fighting. No matter what I still like you.Ditto with GHS.

@GaRa:

Actually, Goo Hye Sun DID get some criticism. But that entire drama was more of a mess anyways.

----

There hasn't been much variety to see the capabilities in YEH's acting.

The thing about Goong and Coffee Prince is just as Jaebyul mentioned, the characters were all similar in personalities. She could portray both as one character was not so different from the other. It's like if Shin Chae Kyung was more tomboyish, with short hair and dressed like male, you'd get Go Eun Chan.

But now, get her to act as someone that is light years different from her past two characters, and you get Haena. Feisty, stubborn, more primped, and not light and happy tempered as the former.

It's not about YEH not being able to portray a rich girl, as I'm sure if Haena's personality was more nice, lovable, and less fierce, YEH would have rocked being Haena. It's just that the amount of personalities and emotions that she can portray is limited. She does well being the sweet, lovable types. Not the stubborn, feisty, stuck-up types. It doesn't come off as real as compared to when she portrays other feelings.

I love her, but if she did great in Goong, she did great in Goong. If she did great in Coffee Prince, she did great in Coffee Prince. If her performance in My Fair lady is less then stellar, it's less than stellar.

There is also a pattern in her hit dramas:

Goong - HIT!
Vineyard man - high expectations from YEH, low in ratings. (Granted, Jumong was a hit during the time. Point is, it was low in ratings.)
Coffee Prince - HIT!
My Fair Lady - high expectations from YEH, low in ratings.
Future project - HIT?

----

By the way, did anyone watch her movie.. I forget what it's called, but something like 7-cutters? >.<
What was her performance like in that movie?

"...I’d like to learn more as I experience failure too. I wish people would not brand an actor as a failure through one mistake.”

Nicely said. It's like Julia Roberts. She's had misses but that doesn't compromise her ability as an actor.

sooooooooooo sad,,,i love you girl fighting!

I love love Yoon Eun Hye, I totally adore her in Coffee Prince, that one particular role make her one of my favorite korean actresses.
I barely watched the first 04 episodes of My Fair Lady, but for what I saw, this one wasn't the best choice for her, I just don't like her character or the storyline.
But..., an actor has good and bad times, make good and bad choices, people can like it or hate it, .. even the best ones in the business have failures...One project can´t define her as good or bad actress.
Sometimes fans or the media are just too rough in express their dislikes, and as a young actress, of course she feels it, makes her sad, ...and this fact is not going to change, criticism is hard to deal, but neccesary too.
She have to learn to deal with all these critics, take the best and forget the garbage, and for her interview she is learning.
I wish her all of the best, I hope she takes this experience to grow strong.

I feel sorry for her, the girl feels so much pressure from all the criticism. Just because her old dramas had high rating people will expect her more. I wonder what they think about Cinderella Man, World with SHG and HB, Legend dramas
with all big stars and very low rating. Her MFL stills high and is not over yet!!! She such a loving daughter while worried her parents feeling. I love her last paragraph said she will learns if she fail. For me, i am happy to watch her character as HN, very different roles for YEH. Keep fighting!!!!

I love you YEH. I am YEH addict. Whatever she do looks great to me.

i love you YEH!!

@#8 julie

I agree with you....nice dress

also, that color looks good on her, especially with the red hair.

@Biscuit,

"Vineyard man – high expectations from YEH, low in ratings. (Granted, Jumong was a hit during the time. Point is, it was low in ratings.)"

The thing is, it was actually Vineyard Man that proved YEH had commercial draw (which is why she was paid a top salary for Coffee Prince.) Vineyard Man ended up becoming -- by far -- the best performing KBS or SBS show opposite Jumong.

The criticism is par for the course. In addition, she won the Baeksang at 23 years old, so the expectations about her acting have leaped quite a bit.

Again, the main criticism on YEH is really her line deliveries. She even talked about that criticism she got for her enunciation in Coffee Prince during her Baeksang acceptance speech. If she can work with a coach to clean up her short tongue, that would go far.

I think coming back from a Baeksang just made people anticipate a lot, I really do not blame YEH for it... though she is at times inadequate. I just think it's such bad material, there's no way someone can pull that off. the character motivations are really inexistent almost.

Anyway, YEH should cheer up. She's been improving, at least.

i dont think her acting is bad at all and it is a cute drama so far, so those haters BACK OFF

Vineyard Man was not considered a failure it was considered as one of her biggest success cause she received the Best Actress Award not from those ridiculous korean awards ceremonies, but she was personally picked by the Directors Guild Grimme Awards for Best Actess which has way more credibility than MBC, KBS and SBS Awards combined.

Winning the Best Actress Awards at the Grimme and the Baeksang is a major accomplishment for any actress, let alone a singer turned actress...not to mention, Yoon Eun Hye also made it as a finalist for Best Actress Category at the Montreal International Festival. All those accomplishments at such a young age makes her such an easy target, with bloodsuckers just living to see an opening to bring her down.

As a YEH fan, I have to admit that she really needs a lot of work on her enunciation cause it gets quite distracting, however, i dont see why people are dissing her for her portryal in MFL. I think she is doing a pretty good job in her acting. The thing is, people just cannot accept her portraying an arrogant role cause she is just too darn likeable.

One thing that really scares me about people is how they quickly forget the actors accomplishments. Just because she is receiving not so good reviews for MFL, all of a sudden, they are so quick to discredit the accomplishments she made from her other dramas.

Like during Goong and Coffee Prince people were riding her fame praising her for her wonderful portrayal, but now that YEH's new series is not getting such good reviews, those same people who praised her acting in Goong and Coffee Prince are also nitpicking on her past work, that they so praised her for. People are so fickle it's scary at times.

Another thing, why is it that actresses get's slammed so harshly, yet goodlooking male actors can act horribly yet people are so quick to overlook their flaws and even get awards for their horrible acting?

Also My fair Lady is not a failure it's raking in double digits in the ratings department which is a big thing for a Wed-Thu series and it's only half way through, so why brand it as a failure when the series is only on episode 8? It's ridiculous.

For me, there are 4 types of categories I place my actors/actresses into, and it probably applies for most drama watchers:

1. I think X is a great actor/actress, and I like watching that person.
2. I think X is a great actor/actress, but for some reason I don't enjoy watching that person.
3. I think X is not a very good actor/actress, but I like watching that person.
4. I think X is not a very good actor/actress, and I don't enjoy watching that person.

YEH falls into category 3 for me, I don't think she's a very good actress (she is never bad, but her unevenness shows she has a lot to improve), but I really love watching her in dramas. She's got their earthy, lush persona, and my attention is always riveted by her in any scene. That is star power, and that is why I love YEH. And she is cute as a button.

These is not mainly on her acting skills.I bet the people are expecting too much and too high on her that when the drama didnt get the cut everybody seems to blame her...

In Prince of coffe the concept is new and she is not an A list star yet so not too much pressure and burden on her part maybe thats why she acted good bec. not all eyes are on her now its diff. everybody is on her so thats why her preformance suffered...

And the role doesnt fit her thats is one problem also..and i think when you become a popular actress on a cheezzy parts you more likely suffered in acting skills bec.. you cannot explore supporting roles that makes you acting abilities progress..and pick an unpopular but heavy role bec. of your status...thats really sucks.........

i love YEH and i'll watch anything that she is in, even if it's just for 1 second!
cos that 1 second is worth 1 hour for YEH.

YEH shines brighter than any star in the industry and I will continue to love her and only her. It's not common for actresses to have a crazy following in Korea but YEH is an exception and she will continue to have a crazy following as long as she's in the industry!

She looks best with big built guys like Gong Yoo since she's quite big herself by Asian standards. She has very broad shoulders.
I didn't like Goong at all. She was good in CP but Gong Yoo stole the show as far as I am concerned. It was his sexy body language that kept me watching.

I like YEH for her lovely personality and her awesome sense of humor and image outside of acting. I agree w/ JB that she's mostly suited to cutesy, innocent, good girl roles w/ a lot of crying and angst (she's amazing at tearing up and making people feel sorry for her) b/c that is the type of brand marketing that has been associated w/ her and what her fans are used to.

Evil/ mean lady role is a first for her and the acting has indeed been really awkward. Aside from the fact that people are not used to it, she's been on hiatus for a while so this is her comeback role, so it only adds fuel to fire that after time away from acting, the result is so different from what fans expected to see, in a role she is not used to and not suited for. I don't want to call her a "one-trick pony" b/c I think she did grow in acting from Goong to Coffee Prince and it should be admired when actresses take on challenging roles and step outside their comfort zone. Arguably, both roles are "cutesy, innocent" roles but the two roles were also immensely different. CP required she act like a boy and she pulled it off well. Sometimes taking risks end in success, sometimes it doesn't. Coffee Prince worked for her. MFL, not so much.

I'm not fond of this interview b/c crying just shows her immaturity. If she's really experimenting w/ new ground, then she would be prepared to fail. Being in the public eye, unfortunately, means that criticisms are sometimes very harsh. I think YEH's problem is that she's so well liked for the most part that this is the first time she's received actual harsh criticisms from fans and media.

That being said, I don't think she's in much trouble. YEH still has her great image outside of acting and all she needs to do is go back to her cutesy acting roles to regain her popularity. I find her a very likable person, and certainly, many people, I'm sure, would agree.

I still think she has so much potential. I think her past dramas are an example. To me it seems that Yoon Eun Hye is trying to break away from her famous character Go Eun Chan but instead of helping her it's really screwing her up. I agree with most of the posts here (the ones that don't sound like the writer lacks any reasoning): she's at her best when she's acting like herself.

@ 70 Sonam

If that is the case then why is Coffee Prince automatically associated with YEH and YEH automatically associated with Coffee Prince?

Just as with all of YEH's dramas, she is the one that makes them hers.
In the media it is always YEH's Goong/ YEH's TVM/ YEH's Coffee Prince - she is what makes the drama and she is what is left of the drama.

Even for My Fair Lady, it's YEH who owns this drama whether she "shines" or not.
If YEH doesnt do well, then the drama doesnt do well, so why can't we just support her?!

Korean actresses more so than actors are treated more harsherly, and that's probably because so much of the fandom is driven by females. Bitchy, whiny females, too, it seems.

What is striking about all this is that while all this criticism is directed at YEH, YSH's overacting, the show's overall subpar production and plot lines, and the horrible miscasting (neither male leads has chemistry with YEH) are overlooked. YSH was cast, I guess, because of his sudden popularity in Queen of Housewives, so it was a fad-promoting casting. I marathoned Queen of Housewives over the weekend (what a godawful show), and yes, YSH is great in it, but only because he is the only sexy thing in a sea of horrible and nasty men and shrill and frightful women. That doesn't mean he was the right choice for Lady Castle.

YEH is doing a perfectly fine job, considering just how mediocre everything else about the show is.

If YEH weren't in Lady Castle, I would bet that it would not have gotten more than 6% of the ratings. People are tuning in to see her, not the male leads, and certainly not the bad production.

But even if YEH did a great job, there would be detractors just because she is female, pretty, is a star. All the "pretty" actresses treated much more harshly.

I am enjoying Lady Castle because it is so silly that it is fun. News flash to netizens: It's not Shakespeare; it's not even Shakespeare in the park. Get a life.

@ 74 Nom_Kitteh

You are absolutely right.
If not for YEH i doubt this production would have even been on air.
No matter what others say, is is all due to YEH for bringing in 2-digit ratings.

Wat I find rather amusing is the reputation that YEH's fandom has. It is quite well known around the netizens that YEH is the only actress to have a fandom that is on par with Idol-group fandoms - crazy, loud, die hard fans.

So knowing that YEH has her fans never-ending support, I hope she remains true to herself and continues to strive for herself and those who love her.

@71 Selenoliber

"I’m not fond of this interview b/c crying just shows her immaturity."
" I think YEH’s problem is that she’s so well liked for the most part that this is the first time she’s received actual harsh criticisms from fans and media."

Well you must not have very accurate informations then because this is certainly not the first time that she has received harsh criticisms from netizens. In 2006, when it was announed that she got the role of Shin Chae Gyun, there was a big petition to protest against her having the lead role. Moreover, in 2007, people also accused her of problems of enunciation in Coffee Prince so it is definitely not the first time that she has received harsh criticism. In fact, I believe that she had a long and rough path prior to the great position that she is in now.

I also don't find anything wrong with her crying. Why souldn't she be allowed to cry? After all, she IS human and crying just show us how human she is. Yoon Eun Hye sarangheyo <3

@73 I have nothing against YEH . Infact I really like her kind of looks. I think she looks great (so nice to see her sexy and feminine after the tomboy in CP) in her latest drama and her acting doesn't bother me . It's just all I remember from CP is Gong Yoo but maybe that's because I am a girl. You are right . ...She owns CP and she seems to be the only one with a presence in LC. Good acting or not.....She definitely has star power. The rest of the cast looks so ordinary next to her. Maybe that's the problem. Just imagine if her leading man had been a big built guy like Joo jin mo or Goo Soo or Gong Yoo. It would looked much more romantic and sexier. In the end it's all about chemistry. She just overpowers him.

@74 You hit the nail on the head. The two guys are completely wrong for YEH. I was just thinking how great it would have been if Gong Yoo had been the butler. YSH looks so puny next to her and a little too tired. They just don't make a good couple.

"Korean actresses more so than actors are treated more harsherly, and that’s probably because so much of the fandom is driven by females."

Disagree. ALL leads are treated pretty harshly. (Hell, Kim Myung Min was criticized by some for his performance in Lee Soo Shin, even though it was also considered one of the best performances of that year.) The difference is that this blog reported YEH's response, and she has a huge fanbase, so we get visibility on the one person. But it's the same for most top leads. Actors get their feelings hurt; critics act like critics; netizens pick apart the shows they watch (as do we); that is how it works.

"In fact, I believe that she had a long and rough path prior to the great position that she is in now."

Actually, her toughest days were probably when she was still in Baby Vox (i.e. being attacked by anti.) Her enunciation issues are not exclusive to her. Many, many actresses get that criticism and then work on it. Some (i.e. Kim Ji Soo) never really conquer it, but manage to become well respected actresses in spite of it. And some of the actors (esp. Kwon Sang Woo) have problems with it still.

I would prefer YEH in MFL to GHS in BOF ANYDAY! At least I enjoy watching YEH, even if she seems a little unnatural at times. GHS, I couldn't stand her over-the-top acting for a minute!

taken from My Fair Lady thread in soompi
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quick update.

"Today's press event has been cancelled.

Yigim cancelled the event late last night which was originally set to run today at 11AM KST.

The reason for their cancellation was because of the fact that MCW and JIW won't be able to make it in time for the press event, as they're filming elsewhere.

Unfortunately (but not surprisingly) the fingers are pointing at YEH, blaming her for this cancellation, as she was much the one they (the press) were interested in. I just hope this doesnt get out of hand, as YEH and her reps have explained that YEH was more than willing to answer all their questions and that it was not her decision to cancel on them.

Yigim really needs to know how to deal with the press and how cancelling an event of this sort is not gonna have good ramifications on those who represent Yigim's production, ie. YEH.

Currently there's only been one report on it, so i'll wait for more news and edit this post accordingly.

(i'm just relieved to see that the netizen's are actually defending YEH saying that she should not take responsibility over Yigim's actions, when she's been their lifeline since day 1 - which I, for once, agree with them 110%)"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

^ From day 1 Yigim production have been nothing but a big burden to YEH.
If it hadn't been for YEH the ban against their company would never have been lifted.
If it wasn't for YEH they wouldn't have been given a timeslot.
YEH starred in their drama!
But what does she gets in return? She takes all the blame for their misdoing and when YEH gets attacked they do absolutely nothing.
The only thing they ever release information of are things that has to do with sponsors and now they are making
her life even more difficult by cancelling a seemingly important press event.

@Belleza: yeah, KSW's lisp is so heavy that I even don't always manage to pick up common korean phrases. he sounds like it is a lazy way of speaking but really, it's just his enunciation. but i rely on subs anyway, so no big problem for me. :) but if i want to learn korean, he's not the one to learn from. XD

I think I should spread out my drama viewing now. good, bad, good, bad, good, bad...overrated,underrated, overrated, underrated. haha. it seems like there's too many overrated shows on my list. looks like 2009 isn't a very shining year after all. D:

but each to his/her own. i will watch this only for YEH. heck, all my dramas on the list are only for the actor/actress. triple : 3 fantastic guys. partner: kim hyun joo & lee dong wook. you're beautiful: jang geun seok & hongki. can't lose: moon geun young. worlds within: hyun bin & song hye gyo. etc.

TT_________TT

YEH has come a long way from her Baby VOX days and i see that she is much better. if acting doesn't work for her, she can always do photoshoots and draw. XD man, that girl is talented, somewhat.

@fendi

excuse me but I didn't compare dara park to Yoon Eun hye...Dara is only a rookie right now in korean showbiz...she has a short stint in the return of iljimae and a hit album in her group 2ne1...before you comment you must read twice or thrice because you only look stupid in that aspect..

first of all Yoon Eun Hye is one of the most popular commercial model in korea and as well in asia...her acting suits in a rom/com genre but if it is a serious drama..then I think it was time for her to do workshop..

I proud to say that our artist her in the philippines are the best in drama acting..although they are not as famous as korean artist in asia but there talent was given a lot of recognition in abroad espicially indie films and our own tv series...

YEH...be coool...just calm down...

Just moving to acting....korean people u r lucky to have Yoon Eun Hye with u...

I have to say MFL plot is not interesting enough to keep me in front of the computer, and both male actors are not doing great either. So I dropped the drama though I had been looking forwards to it for so long time. It's not only YEH's fault, but a combination of directing, script writing (what special about it any more when you kind of guess what will happen in the end?) and team acting.

I totally agree with Nom_Kitteh

(just my opinion^^)
I think the most gig of this drama is YSH as the male lead.
I find he's not appropriate with YEH at all.
(I'm not anti-fan of him,I like him @Queen of Housewives)
The chemical between the male&female leads is one of the most important thing
for every drama,it effects psychological to viewers.
When i'm watching YSH/YEH in this drama,I feel not like seeing
JJH/YEH in Goong or GY/YEH in Coffee Prince.
I recognize this is just acting ,not real ! (I think many people feel like me)
The male lead should be the bigger star such as SSH,KSW,KJH
to lead the drama get more of attractiveness.
(It seems interesting just because YEH's comeback drama.)
My imagine.. Kang Jihwan is the best choice for the male lead.
i can say it's miscasting.
furthermore,the storyline / the production is not good enough.

anyway,I'm sure YEH did her best.
I 'll keep in faith & support you. YEH Fighting!!

>_<
YEH HWAITING !

@78 "Disagree. ALL leads are treated pretty harshly."
Well, we can argue back and forth but obviously we won't be able to prove either opinion. Unless there are studies tracking gender patterns in netizens' bitchfest targets...We can only go with our observations and perceptions, and my perception is that pretty female leads are attacked more often than male ones.

I think the entire fuss over MFL is a great example: YSH overacts, the other male lead grins while delivering serious lines, plot holes litter every episode, the male leads are bland and without chemistry...but who gets bashed?

Also, I am not just talking about this blog's bias (although this one most certainly shows that bias). I am talking about netizens in general from my observation over the few years...

I'm going to take the liberty of comparing two actors here: Minho and Eun hye. Their characters are written very similarly, i feel. However, they come across very differently on screen. These are my opinions to forgive me if they are offensive or unfair.
One of the reasons why Minho's portrayl of JunPyo worked flawlessly was his ability to go from an emotionally distant hauty teen to a unsure childlike boy who wanted to be loved desperately.
Eun Hye's inability to capture her character's emotional disconnection is missing. When we see her as the arrogant rich girl who pushes everyone away, we struggle to believe her. We struggle because she seems to be struggling with it.
Minho could go from a smiling shy sweet boy to this dark and awkward teen in one look. His mannerism would change. He stood a little straighter as the teen on the verge of manhood. He walked a little taller. He believed, in those moments, he was superior to every creature that roamed the earth. He was, after all, Gyo JunPyo.
With Eun hye, i find, she walks faster to appear harsher. She talks nonchalantly to appear blunt. Eun hye desperately wants her character to be come across as a spoiled rich brat who will find redemption later. It is this desperation which looses the character for me. You see, Minho didn't care if you don't like his Junpyo. He didn't care if you were invested in his redemption or not. He was Junpyo and you were expected to fear him, not be shown or told that you should.

@Thankyou, I understand your point but the problem is Minho during BOF is a new rookie. While Eunhye is a familiar face for the audiences during her MFL.

People are getting use to EH previous image with her cute and nice character and the fact is she's really that type of person in her real life. That's why people felt hard to believe of her character. From my opinion, it had nothing to do with her acting at all. Arrogant rich people can be interpret in many ways, it can't be compared at all. Arrogant people can be display in many personalities and attitudes.

And another fact is that Lee Min Ho as Goo Jun Pyo was a typical role. BOF had produced for 3 times now and all of versions were all famous. It won't be hard at all to portray the character that people were already well-awared. He got so many guidances acting tips. Not as I'm not find Min Ho portrayed his character well. But this's just my opinion afterall.

YEH FIGHTING!!!!!!!!!!

"Kang Jihwan is the best choice for the male lead.
i can say it’s miscasting."

KJH's romantic chemistry with actresses runs hot and cold for me. I like the idea of him working with YEH but not in this kind of show. He would have been too ironic.

"my perception is that pretty female leads are attacked more often than male ones."

Again, really not true at all. Even on this blog, you'll read occasional reports that various young male actors have been criticized for their portrayals of this and that. It's just that anything connected YEH is going to get bigger response, and so there it goes.

"I think the entire fuss over MFL is a great example: YSH overacts, the other male lead grins while delivering serious lines, plot holes litter every episode, the male leads are bland and without chemistry…but who gets bashed?"

The one with the highest profile and the biggest (by far) contract, which would be Yoon Eun Hye. She can't avoid that now because she's officially A-list actor taking in the same money range as the other A-list TV actresses like Go Hyung Jung and Choi Ji Woo. Lady Castle had tried to get somebody like Kang Dong Wan, which would have been the ideal in this situation.

"I’m going to take the liberty of comparing two actors here: Minho and Eun hye. Their characters are written very similarly,"

This is where I disagree with most people's evaluation on YEH's performance, because it is treated in vacuum from what the show is trying to do. One of my arguments about Lady Castle is that the show plays like a sitcom, and that is why most people simply haven't took to it. Other dramas like My Girl and Full House were cited as examples of similar styles of the "contract rom-com" genre, but both of those dramas mixed slapstick with chemistry-building stuff revolved around the contract. The relationship is supposed to develop with the contract. For much of the show, Lady Castle is really a series of vignettes pitting YEH and YSH against each other, and in turn both actors plays up the slapstick farce aspect of the show. That is, the characters are too "drunk" and "distracted" to develop through their situation. They attraction comes a bit haphazardly.

If Lady Castle was originally a "contract romance", the writers have had no faith in it. Instead, they've put in melodrama bits in order to develop the emotions of both characters. I like that approach, but then YEH's character becomes less coherent. She's the broad character to YSH's straight man.

The Jandi/Junpyo romance in Boys Before Flowers works if you instinctively accept that, in BBF's crazy world, the most abnormal person in the story is really Jandi. When they are together, Jung Pyo is really the straight man, and Jandi is playing the broad, dorky lush. And not everybody did. I was lukewarm over the couple, because I'm not used to seeing "Doumyouji" as the straight, relatively normal person.

Thanks Yum. Well presented points. However, i disagree with some of them respectfully.
You said that it is not hard to portray such a well received character. I disagree. I think it is harder. Comparisons are inevitable. Your every move would be scrutinized. There are other versions to compare your interpretation of junpyo's character. There are expectations to be met. The other versions were hit. Therefore, you should match their efforts to be liked equally. Failures are magnified in such cases. Not every batman movie was a hit. Not every batman was well received despite having an institution behind him. Case in point: Geroge Cloney.
You mentioned how Eun hye's previous characters were similar to her real life personality. I agree. It must be easier to associate with these characters as Eun hye could identify with them on a very personal level.
Having said that, she needs to understand that the label of 'actor' may not be used at her convenience. If she does well, she is a serious actress who is commited to her craft. If she struggle, she is a star who has done well in other areas and has achieved more success than her counterparts in field of acting.
I love Eun hye. Please don't misunderstand me. I loved her in Goong and Coffee prince. Her portrayl of mychan was so heartfelt and on the mark. Her success could be attributed to a well written, carefully thoughout and impeccably directed drama. But in addition to all this, Eun hye brought life and soul to coffee prince. Without her brilliant and breakthrough performance, a well written, carefully planned and impeccably directed drama could have not achieved the success it did. She deserved much credit.
Here, in MFL, despite all other problems with the story, what I struggle to understand is her disconnect with the character. When she read the script, she must've known how further from her real personality this character was. If she choose the role for the sake of doing something different, then she achieved her goal. She is different. Good not so much, but different yes.
Eunhye fell in love with mychan, it was obvious. We fell in love with her. In MFL, she is finding it difficult to make a connection with her character. Hence, we are struggling too.
Just like the success of coffee prince was not entirely due to her. Similarly, the problems with MLF are not entirely due to her either. Expectations may have been high. But then again, I consider her an actress and not just a star.

Personally, I think Lee Min Ho is really special. He just has "IT", just marvelous presence. But, I also wonder whether the BBF Hallyu machine will damage his growth as an actor.

@86 Ayai*
I cannot agree with you more. Kang Jihwan is the best choice for the male lead in my opinion.

Had they casted him pairing up with YEH I'm pretty sure MFL will have more success. I don't know I just don't feel it ..the chemistry is not there with YSH. ..And with the directing.scriptwriting..YSH's over-acting..ohh pls don't let me start.

I still believe that YEH is doing a decent (great if not for that enunciation issue) job on her role as Kang Hae Na..We are enjoying MFL here in US so far.. if not for Ep1 YSH's overrr-acting..as we're only relying on subs (we hardly notice the enunciation issue..and we don't really care). Watching YEH through Ep8..we get the feeling she's beginning to get comfortable playing Kang Hae Na's part. We love her here in Los Angeles.

YEH......... keep your chin up .. you're doing a great job...it's a pleasure watching you grow as an actress..you can always make us laugh or cry. We love you!

@92, You are missing my point. That much is obvious. You cannot tell me that my perception is not true. My perception is my perception. Just because there are occasional reports of young male actors criticized for their portrayals does not negate my perception that on the whole pretty female actresses are savaged more often. If you want to insist on countering with supposedly true evidence, then do so by presenting a comprehensive study of how netizens overall treat female versus male actors. Bringing up how one or two actors were criticized doesn't prove that more female actresses are not trashed by netizens.

Again, I am not localizing this bias just to this blog -- although I think this blog does have those biases.

You are presenting your perception and I am presenting mine. You cannot prove the validity of yours any more than I can mine.

"The one with the highest profile and the biggest (by far) contract, which would be Yoon Eun Hye. "
I don't buy that as an argument at all. Yes, the spotlight was on her b/c of her comeback, but the viciousness of the comments on her acting were beyond the pale. And just because YEH is the main attraction shouldn't make people blind to the flaws of the male leads' pretty horrendous acting.

"Had they casted him pairing up with YEH I’m pretty sure MFL will have more success"

Not sure about that. Except for Aja Geum Soon, none of Kang Ji Hwan's TV shows have drawn huge ratings. KJH IS a popular actor, but it's difficult to draw audiences from both ajumma and younger demographics.

If anything, 2008 already showed that star-driven shows were not connecting with audiences. Lady Castle is no exception to that, and it's silly to square the blame on YEH or YSH or any other actor.

Gotta keep in mind guys that MFL debuted in the middle of Swallow the Sun's run. And Swallow the Sun, while not a big hit, was doing steady mid-teen numbers. Also, KBS2 trendies usually don't pull in ratings like MBC or SBS. MFL's doing okay and again will be the 2nd best performing show until maybe Iris.

"I don’t buy that as an argument at all. Yes, the spotlight was on her b/c of her comeback, but the viciousness of the comments on her acting were beyond the pale"

From the sample reported here, I don't understand how the comments on her acting were especially vicious. If you mean the comments on her enunciation, those are not unusual comments made against actors and it is valid. She's gotten better since her Goong days, but her enunciation is still a work in progress. If you mean about the comment Hye-na is coming across as too "personal" rather than off-putting, well that is a certainly arguable criticism but not in any sense a vicious comment. Finally, if you responding to the criticism that she has regressed from Coffee Prince, well she did win a Baeksang and enormous buzz for it. It is very hard to live up to that, just as it will be difficult for Moon Geun Young to live up to her performance in Painter of the Wind.

Moreover, it's not just about her comeback. For her future shows, she will have the burden and responsibility of being a A-list actor taking top drawer money. Unless she wants to do a smaller part in an essemble drama (say a movie or a sageuk), that's how it will be.

I think YEH's reaction is perfectly normal too. But that is also the reaction that many male and female leads express as well, and that is why being a A-lister is rewarding and HARD.

"Plus, there’s also the issue of many of these dramas being targeted to a female audience, and in particular an ajumma audience. Ajummas LOVE Yoon Sang-hyun, ergo they’re probably more forgiving because they’re just glad to see him acting more now. Jung Il-woo has that “noona complex” attraction. Yoon Eun-hye is very well-liked, but the audience demographic is likely a large contributing factor."

It's also difficult to have a "unlikable" female heroine in a rom-com. Most viewers put themselves in the seat of the female heroine, if the character is just not connecting with you, then you're not going to like the performance.

It's a catch-22, and there I side with YEH. Say if YEH really nails down Hye-na as uber-bitch. If so, then would there be sufficient basis for believable romantic chemistry between her and a butler, or a decent guy. Say if YEH makes Hye-na into a really nice, but misunderstood person. But if you do that, then you're playing the same version of "yourself" and not really playing Hye-na correctly. She loses either way, and she's expressed that.

Lady Castle goes with the concept that if you have two very irresponsible people and put them in enough wacky situations, that their mutual mayhem will ingratiate them with the audience. That the audience will laugh so much that they'll fall in love with the K-drama couple. The problem there is that usually doesn't work for big ratings.

ppl need to chill guy, ppl expecting too much. shes quite young, u cant expect her to be all pro...just b/c of like 2 smash hit dramas u think shes guna be perfect in all dramas?

well i dunno what ppl r critising about...shes adjusting herself to accommodate the character to the best of her ability and i think up to this point her acting is still much more better than some other actresses n i dun wanna name them!

more than her acting, her personality is what makes her stand out and more attractive to all her fans, shes going through a hard time n yet shes even more worried about hr parents who might b hurt by reading those criticisms...i find it really heartfelt.

and exactly ppl r expecting too much of her, shes still young and still learning to be better, so instead of throwing onto her all the criticisms we should be supporting her so that she has the courage to perfect herself...

i think this is why there r so many suicidal cases of the celebrities in korea...!

common guys, be considerate n caring towards them....they r ppl of the public n vulnerable at the same time!

YEH, i will be supporting YOU all the way coz ur GREAT...dun be let down by all those criticism and me n many others know that urr trying very hard!!