Choi Eun-seo in first leading role opposite Hwanhee
by javabeans
Choi Eun-seo played bratty Hye-mi in Personal Taste earlier this year, which was the highest-profile role of her young career to date. Now she’s getting her first leading role, and will head an MBC daily drama called Stormy Lovers [폭풍의 연인], which also stars Fly To the Sky singer Hwanhee.
This drama tells the story of the love and hardships encountered by a woman who is disabled but possesses a beautiful spirit. Choi Eun-seo plays that character, named Shim Eun-hye, whose physical healing and recovery will be expressed symbolically within the story. You may recall Choi in her first big break, the youth series Sharp #2, or from teeny parts in Dal Ja’s Spring and Coffee Prince.
Hwanhee plays a talented PD who overcame an underprivileged family background. This’ll be his third acting endeavor; his debut role, fittingly, was in 2006’s Over the Rainbow, which followed the lives of aspiring pop stars in their trainee lives. His second was 2008’s sweet romantic series I Love You.
As for second leads: Cha Soo-yeon (Yoga School, The World They Live In) plays a woman who lost her first love in an accident on a road trip to Santiago, and is now prone to depression. Hwanhee’s PD character wants to make a drama out of her “undying love from Santiago.”
Choi Won-young (Neighbor Enemies) has an interesting (read: weird) mix of characteristics, which could be funny or confusing: He plays a plastic surgeon who is also a playboy, also prone to getting himself into trouble, and also a film producer who finds all of his movie projects tanking and therefore gets him constantly chased by debt collectors.
Last but not least is Jung Chan, aka the ridiculous English-spouting President Ahn of You’re Beautiful, for whom I have a lot of inexplicable affection. (I hear a lot of people calling him sleazy and cheesy, but that’s strangely WHY I find him so funny.) His character comes from a prestigious family and attended a top law school, and harbors political aspirations. He finds himself married after “one moment’s mistake,” but can’t leave behind his social ambitions.
Hwanhee
The drama was previously called “Love Is Stronger Than Death” in its planning stages, which is the first thing that gives me pause. Perhaps that’s just referring to the woman pining for her lost love, but it also suggests a tone and direction that I don’t find appealing.
The second red flag for me (if I was into dailies, that is) would be the writer, Na Yeon-sook of East of Eden (even more grumble grumble) — who, depending on which story you read, was either fired from or left that production due to poor health. (Yeah, remember the clusterfuckery that was East of Eden? She later stormed back in to disrupt a script rehearsal after she had technically left the drama, arguing about the direction the script was taking, leading to a shutdown of filming for an entire day.)
On a less contentious note, directing is Go Dong-sun of Queen of Housewives and Sweet Spy.
Stormy Lovers follows current daily series Goldfish and premieres in mid-November.
Cha Soo-yeon
Choi Won-young
Jung Chan
Via Yonhap News, TV Daily, Chosun, Star News
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Tags: Cha Soo-yeon, Choi Eun-seo, Choi Won-young, Hwanhee, Jung Chan
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1 ujsid
October 16, 2010 at 3:59 PM
wow i didnt know she was in coffee prince
Hwanhee is cute :D
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SM
October 16, 2010 at 5:39 PM
I think she was the new girl at very end of Coffee Prince which our waffle chef is supposed to b interested in. The girl they
Found to replace Eunchan
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pv
October 17, 2010 at 12:35 PM
She's the one who was speaking japanese with Kim Jae Wook, who plays in antique bakery.
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2 reese
October 16, 2010 at 4:00 PM
Well for me, this sounds kinda interesting (and its a good thing I like dailies). Now, I just hope that it's either going to be completely subbed the people on viikii, or a fansubbing group will take it on...
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3 Lea
October 16, 2010 at 4:02 PM
I loved her in Personal Taste. Looking forward to Choi.
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4 snow
October 16, 2010 at 4:03 PM
i'm interested, if only to see how hwanhee does in this since it's his first lead role. i've missed FTTS! they were good together.
haven't seen choi eun seo in anything else, though. love the pic of jung chan.
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5 otk
October 16, 2010 at 4:07 PM
I have no clue whther NYS decided on that ENDING for EoE but I have to say I'll never forget that series. Both positively and somewhat negatively.
I'll anticipate this project due to her messy writing :)
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6 Sweet
October 16, 2010 at 4:17 PM
Hwanhee Hwanhee
!YEah.
Finally a leading role for him!
Im still counting the days for him to pair up with Seo Ji Hye .
He star two dramas with her,
but never ending up with her!
Yikes.
On on!
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7 theedie
October 16, 2010 at 4:18 PM
I don't know why, but I find myself strangely attracted to Jung Chan. It's not a particularly strong attraction or anything, but it's hard to describe. In any case I did find him funny in You're Beautiful.
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gala
October 16, 2010 at 6:08 PM
he was amazing in Lovers. i pitied his character so much in that drama. but he was such a douchebag in Dandelion Family [is that drama even familiar among hardcore kdrama fans? heh]. he's quite a flexible actor, i think.
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annie
October 16, 2010 at 7:58 PM
He was incredibly creepy in DF, but I was so impressed with his acting. I hadn't know he could do anything more than sleazy humour (although I like him doing that too).
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rikufallon
October 16, 2010 at 9:04 PM
I love Jung Chan! He can be counted on to be one of my favorite parts of any show he's in. He's just always fun to watch, somehow, no matter what role he plays.
Hwanhee... I cannot recognize him at all. Is he really that same guy from Over the Rainbow???
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Abie Lee
October 17, 2010 at 10:50 AM
Yes, rumor is that he's had some plastic surgery done.
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belleza
October 17, 2010 at 12:51 PM
Oh that ain't no rumor. Hwanhee felt self-conscious about his nose and got it redone.
Now he looks like a Vato Loco!!! :D
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bd
October 17, 2010 at 7:57 PM
He did more than just his nose; he's pretty much unrecognizable from when he appeared on X-Man.
belleza
October 17, 2010 at 9:46 PM
He got his eyelids done too, but it's almost granted now. Like braces or wisdom teeth surgery.
But, other than that, I think it was mostly his nose. Nose tip is narrower and points down, and his bridge is plenty high. That one will give you a "jennifer grey" before/after change.
I like him either way. If they ever make a Korean version of American Me, Hwanhee is totally on my frontrunner list!
8 Denali
October 16, 2010 at 4:27 PM
Oooh. Jung Chan. So appealing in "Auction house", an underrated drama.
Darn, Hwanhee. So obnoxious and detestable in WGM.
Hmm. The result's a tie. Will see with recaps. ;)
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9 Majicatt
October 16, 2010 at 4:55 PM
BYJ's KeyEast management company definitely gets its actors cast in dramas. I can think of half a dozen dramas on air or in production with BOF/KeyEast actors. Good luck Hwanhee!
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10 danna
October 16, 2010 at 5:18 PM
damn!....hwanee looks so cute....why do these dailies all look so appealing?
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11 v
October 16, 2010 at 5:31 PM
i'm afraid i won't have the time to watch this drama....
although i remember eun seo from banolim.... i liked her in it... and i like the cast in general... so i think i'll just wait for 20 ep or so to be out before i marathon it... kk
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12 Haj
October 16, 2010 at 6:04 PM
wow. no. it cant be. she looks like the girl who appeared in the last episodes of coffee prince, the girl that wanted to work there and spoke japanese with Sunki. I didnt see it in personal taste but this picture....it cant be?!
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13 Annie
October 16, 2010 at 7:14 PM
First lead role for both. I've seen both Coffee prince and Dalja's Spring and I can't for the life of me remember what character Choi Eun Seo played. Either her role was really small or I have horrible memory.
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14 djeedjes
October 16, 2010 at 9:55 PM
That's a very good picture of Jung Chan!
I liked him in Lovers - never like Lee Seo Jin. I only saw JC again in YAB, I like his character , crazy but adorable.
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15 amatsu
October 16, 2010 at 10:04 PM
she's also a really good friend of lee min ho haha
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16 Linh
October 16, 2010 at 10:33 PM
I like Jung Chan since The Typhoon Last Summer, yes, even with the weird hairdo in that drama. But I think he's one of the great actors of his time.
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17 Keylye
October 16, 2010 at 10:47 PM
Nooooooooo. Have mercy! Don't get me interested in another daily drama! I still have a bunch of daily and weekend dramas to finish - the sheer number of episodes is killing me!
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18 Rin
October 16, 2010 at 11:12 PM
Hwanhee is such a cutie! I really did wish he end up with the girl in Over the Rainbow but sadly no :[
I would soooo watch this for him but gaah, it's a daily... no one subs daily dramas! And they're long... I get tired of trying to watch them.
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19 kixbaby
October 16, 2010 at 11:29 PM
I don't know why Korean directors tend to give lead roles to noobs.
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20 chichaloca
October 17, 2010 at 1:12 AM
i love her in coffee prince.look sweet with the character especially when she want to learn making waffles and she looks daring in personal taste!!
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21 bd
October 17, 2010 at 1:40 AM
Choi Eun-seo looks better (w/ that hair) than in CP.
As for Hwanhee, I'm not sure I can ever watch anything w/ him in it since his face kinda freaks me out (due to it being completely diff. from his X-Man appearances).
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Indy
October 17, 2010 at 11:41 PM
I don't think he's that much diff. from back then, I think he's being skinnier than his Xman days, make his face skinnier too, just like when he was in his debut days.
I think he's a lot cuter, that's good right?
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22 Porcelain
October 17, 2010 at 6:08 AM
As much as I hope she ended up with Tae Hoon in personal taste, as far as acting goes, this girl does good at iritating character... and she was also cute in Coffee Prince... almost couldnt recognize her from the haircut!
And I do like Jung Chan too... he may be the best thing from Lovers... which I do adore the drama a whole lot, but LSJ... argh... why do you have to break Kim Jung Eun heart irl?
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23 creidesca
October 17, 2010 at 10:56 AM
In Dalja's Spring, Choi Eun-soo played the girl who had a limp whom Taebong was saving up money and sending money to--the one whose parents committed suicide but before they did sent a homemade meal to Taebong, which led him to leave the lawfirm.
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24 LadyIgraine
October 17, 2010 at 12:38 PM
i remember seeing her in "coffee prince" during the last episode or so...she was already an eye-candy during that brief cameo, and she was to be partnered up with kim jae wook's character in the end. i wondered what happened to her, but now she resurface :)...this seems promising, someone who is disabled that finds love despite the obstable!
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bd
October 17, 2010 at 8:05 PM
CP had a no. of cute gals who should have gone on to bigger roles.
Han Yeh in was just about perfect as Eun Chan's bratty sister; she needs a break-out role.
Han Da min, who played Ha Rim's love interest, appeared in Dong Yi as a Lady Investigator, but it wasn't exactly a demanding role.
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25 meo
October 17, 2010 at 2:50 PM
okay..hwanhee sings REALLY good...but his acting ...*ahem* i would have to say is very mediocre....but i notice he looks even CUTER now since his nose job....dang ..if i could ask him who his surgeon is....mang...koreans does the best plastic surgeries ive seen so far....=)..
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26 Anime1234
October 17, 2010 at 7:17 PM
Choi Eun Seo would make a great Kyoko Mogami in the live action version of Skip Beat. Imagine her with Choi Siwon and Donghae. Just a thought.
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27 Indy
October 17, 2010 at 11:35 PM
Hwanhee!!! I miss him so much... I hope he's doing well with this drama.
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28 maldita
October 18, 2010 at 4:09 AM
I kinda laughed when I read the name "Choi Eun-seo." I watched "Autumn in my Heart" again last month after years of not seeing it. Song Hye-gyo popped into my head.
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29 Dee
October 18, 2010 at 12:04 PM
I adooore Jung Chan!
He's always so enjoyable to watch
^^
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30 jlo
November 1, 2010 at 5:53 PM
I hope someone subs this one!! Can't wait to see Hwanhee in this lead role. Is this a romantic comedy or serious drama?
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31 Winterrose
December 25, 2010 at 3:38 PM
Hwanhee 's doing good . Although just discovered him recently -he is just doing his roles right ,no overacting or underacting ,no wooden body, facial expressions appropriate ,voice modulated as needed. I don't know what people's criteria are for good acting -don't tell me actors should always act in hysteria , intensely over dramatic ,or doing all the bad boys poses ,or contorting their faces to be considered good .
Look at the roles and what they require of the actors -not your personal preferences . Some people are just not into idols ,singers going into acting . Why ,what is your problem? C'mon people . It is now multitalent actors that are into dramas. So down with your prejudices!
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