City Hunter confirms casting Park Min-young
by javabeans
The news was hinted recently, and now it’s confirmed: Park Min-young will play the lead in the City Hunter adaptation starring Lee Min-ho.
Ehh, I wasn’t enthusiastic about the prospect of Park in the Kaori role before, but it seems the new adaptation will have a number of differences with the original, so there’s probably no point in hoping for faithfulness to the original. Park’s character is named Kim Nana, and is a Blue House (presidential residence) bodyguard.
After Nana loses her parents in a car accident, she supports herself through a number of diverse odd jobs, which includes a background in judo. After struggling, she ends up at the Blue House, where she meets a member of the international communications network team (and MIT grad), Lee Yoon-sung (Lee Min-ho), and they begin a bickering-filled courtship.
Well, they sure have cleaned up and gentrified the setting, haven’t they? What happened to Ryo being a lascivious womanizer? That was practically the heart of the franchise, along with the PI angle. It sounds a lot less like the original material and a lot more like Rivals (Strong Opponents) redux. Can they even call it City Hunter with that premise?
Oh well. I would’ve loved to see Im Joo-eun or Seo Hyo-rim in the Kaori-inspired role, but it doesn’t really matter anymore. City Hunter premieres on SBS on May 25.
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Tags: City Hunter, Park Min-young
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1 jo
February 20, 2011 at 4:26 PM
MEH.
I'm out.
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Annie
February 20, 2011 at 5:02 PM
Meh x 2. But Lee Min Ho is still enough to keep my interest.
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beansprout
February 20, 2011 at 5:55 PM
MEH from me too. and kind of not happy with the way they change the story ine, might as well just come up with their own everything. No need to hit the drum playing "city hunter" However, because oh Goo jun pyo, I will watch it. :) I will just hypno myself, delete whatever expectation of Ryo. then I'll be fine.
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poo
February 20, 2011 at 9:27 PM
MEH x 5!
am out too...boring pair!
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Liz
February 21, 2011 at 5:16 AM
MEH x 6! x 1000! LOL
Haru
February 24, 2011 at 3:47 AM
Well if they had an older leading man ~ Ha Ji Won would have been the perfect Kaori :(
Why are the leading characters so young for this?
Also why is it called City Hunter ~ if it doesn't sound remotely like the manga?
I will go as far as only watching the first episode as I do with every other new Kdrama :(
loorie
February 20, 2011 at 5:15 PM
A third MEH for me too.
But, I would love to see some LMH hotness. While prolly I'll skipp every PMY scenes. Kinda bored of her now, she's everywhere. MEH.
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miss unknown
February 20, 2011 at 5:41 PM
MEH X 4!
not watching even if Min Ho is in here...
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Dara
February 20, 2011 at 8:06 PM
Yeah all the way, trust her to deliver the role, see her bickering with LSJ, I'd love too see her with LMH. Actually, LMH is enough, I'm on and counting May 25. LOL
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Trina
February 21, 2011 at 9:07 AM
MEH.... X 7 X 1000 X 10000 ^^
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Tia
February 23, 2011 at 1:59 AM
MEH x 1000000000 from me too
I think I will definitely watch it if PMY is not the female lead. Now.. sigh
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bee
August 3, 2011 at 10:07 PM
have u watch city hunter??i think PMY did a gud job there......wonder why u hate her...hmmm.....
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2 Birdie
February 20, 2011 at 4:32 PM
Can they change the story so much without upsetting the original author of the manga? Can PMY do action scenes- just wondering...
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lucertola
February 21, 2011 at 3:39 AM
I'm wondering the same thing. Where's the mangaka opinion in all this!??
I was looking forward to CH drama adaptation. I didn't think LMH was the right choice at the beginning. But he convinced me with that stupid lecherous smile of his. If they change his womanizer side, and Kaori's background, it won't be CH anymore.
I'm wondering who'll act Falco & Saeko's characters?
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3 clichique
February 20, 2011 at 4:35 PM
............... What. How is this... This is just like Rivals again??! I don't understand.
Also, LOL at Lee Minho's character being a MIT grad (seems like my school is the new "Harvard" that smart characters graduate out of, i.e. Ironman, etc.)..
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Ani
February 20, 2011 at 6:48 PM
But it's not new that Tony Stark went to MIT. That's part of the original comic. So it's more like MIT was always the Tech Harvard. XD
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alex
February 20, 2011 at 11:50 PM
And really..isn't it? I always thought of MIT as Tech Harvard.
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im_eve
February 20, 2011 at 11:50 PM
& i'm pretty impressed u r from MIT! naks! good job!
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4 mskololia
February 20, 2011 at 4:35 PM
Mehh, I'm out too.
What a pity....
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5 Shorties
February 20, 2011 at 4:36 PM
wtf? with all the story changes, this shouldn't even be called city hunter anymore....
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6 carmz
February 20, 2011 at 4:37 PM
I'm going to watch it anyway 'cos Lee Min-ho's in it. But, yeah can't really work up any enthusiasm for Park Min-young, maybe if they chop off that hair.
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7 Sarah
February 20, 2011 at 4:39 PM
wow :S i'd like to say im out but i'm still curious how it'll turn out...
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8 ockoala
February 20, 2011 at 4:42 PM
O_O
Come again? The drama has NOTHING in common with City Hunter. I can probably find a handful of random dramas with more in common with City Hunter than this proposed adaptation.
Why bother even using the same name? Now I'm so confused and bothered.
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lucertola
February 21, 2011 at 3:42 AM
Exactly my thoughts!
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9 Deeliteful
February 20, 2011 at 4:45 PM
where's the pervism?! and from what I gather the story is now more about her? than him?...
oh well i'll probably still watch it sine my baby is in it (judgeth not!)
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10 Revy
February 20, 2011 at 4:48 PM
wtf is this. Seriously don't call it City Hunter if they change the story so much
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11 lupin93
February 20, 2011 at 4:56 PM
Honestly i can understand live adaptation from books/manga must be tweaked here & there. But this much, really!? The plot nor the characters fit the CH manga, not even the most basic tidbits. I wonder how Hojo Tsukasa feels about this. Why bother use the same title? Might as well don't cited the manga as source material.
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12 MSA
February 20, 2011 at 5:04 PM
I'm hopeful, because the author of the manga wouldn't approve a lot of crazy changes to the story, which is what stopped City Hunter from having a live version up until now. Maybe the character descriptions sound a bit off (well, more than a bit off, actually so off that they left the road and crashed) but when the drama starts we'll start seeing all the things that made the mangaka accept this retelling.
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13 Quaggy
February 20, 2011 at 5:07 PM
Cool. I'm in! :-) It helps that I never read City Hunter, so I have nothing to compare it to.
It seems to me that their solution to being compared unfavorably to (or dismissed as a knock-off of) Runway: Plan B was to change the plot & characterization completely.
Unfortunately, that means it's an adaptation of City Hunter in name only... but that doesn't mean it won't be good. (I hope.)
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danna
February 20, 2011 at 6:25 PM
same here...i guess it helps if you have no clue about the manga.....its just that genre itself isnt really my type...so as long they can make this fun and not bore me like say ATHENA or Runaway
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14 mayke
February 20, 2011 at 5:10 PM
Now I'm fearing this drama fate to be like Athena and Fugitive. I don't want to badmouthing in this premature stage, but imo South K better rest for a while doing action series, or if they insist, lets just hope they learn from emptiness and superficial glitter in those 2 "meh" action drama.
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AB
February 20, 2011 at 5:23 PM
YEAH. IKR. I feel the same way too. But I'm hoping for the best for LMH. Though I'm not fond of his partner. PMY? pssh... sorry girl.
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Reina
February 20, 2011 at 6:10 PM
Korea never have high viewership for action series. Movies, yes, but not series. Look at Lobbyist, Rivals/Powerful Opponents, Man Called God, Plan B, Athena, with each high profile stars, touring the world, and ratings disappointment. The exception just for IRIS, mostly thanks to Lee Byung Hun. Say what you want about him, but guy is one rare megastar in Korea. People will watch anything with his name attached. Like Song Kang Ho in movie or Bae Yong Joon in TV. Without him, IRIS wont get ratings that high.
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15 snow
February 20, 2011 at 5:18 PM
sounds terminally boring, ehhhh. doesn't resemble the original manga, so what's the point of calling it city hunter?
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16 Linh
February 20, 2011 at 5:25 PM
The story changed wayyy too much. i was looking forward to a womanizing Lee Min Ho. Ah...all of my enthusiasm for this drama went down the drain
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17 KareBear
February 20, 2011 at 5:39 PM
I would have loved someone else but idk. I guess we should still give it a shot and see a least a few ep's and see how it pans out, and plus Lee Min Ho is in it ! isn't that a reason enough :P !
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18 deyaa
February 20, 2011 at 5:39 PM
they should casted an actress who's match with the character..and not the opposite, the story match with the actress...
why should casted someone when she doesnt fit with the role...
learn this from Ha jiwon, Moon geun young, Shin minah...they can fit with any character...
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Ladybug
February 20, 2011 at 7:05 PM
Is that ur big problem, pmy was cast because she fits the character acording to the producers, if you dont like then dont watch
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saraha
February 20, 2011 at 11:01 PM
Chill. That's how deyaa sees it, no need to be pissed.
And of course the producers are going to say she fits the character, they're the ones who cast her.
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Liz
February 21, 2011 at 4:36 AM
She was cast because she is a 'new' icon now and because she can make the ratings a bit high...
It no she fits the character, the made the character fit her, this means the original character was changed too much just to cast her, Read the article again and you'll got it!
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19 theedie
February 20, 2011 at 5:40 PM
Maybe such drastic changes were made because of all the Runaway hullabaloo. I like both Park and Lee, so I'll keep this on my radar although I have no high hopes at this point.
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20 ais
February 20, 2011 at 5:42 PM
I was looking forward to LMH as a playboy... too bad there has been a lot of changes from the manga. PMY is such a beautiful and talented girl but she doesn't have that tough girl aura which I think this character requires... they need to have a HJW for this generation :)
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21 Samara
February 20, 2011 at 5:48 PM
Bi rain character's in Fugitive/Plan B have more in common with City Hunter than this drama...
Really dissapointed :(
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lucertola
February 21, 2011 at 3:49 AM
I was thinking the same thing. :(
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22 djeedjes
February 20, 2011 at 5:55 PM
Heh? Indeed the description has too many things in common with Rivals.
Ah, I really want to see playboy pervert Lee Minho!
I actually like both leads, but the story kills the anticipation.
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23 Meiko
February 20, 2011 at 5:55 PM
Thanks jb,
Like what I wrote earlier, they can't follow the jap ways of doing things,
Well, I will go for SPARKLING - ALL THAT GLITTERS ... right now !!.
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24 kitkat
February 20, 2011 at 5:58 PM
Meh... can't seem to get excited about this female lead casting...
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25 hapacalgirl
February 20, 2011 at 6:01 PM
Like Min Young, but the girl is a weak actress and her casting has decreased my interest in this about 95%. I have no idea what "city hunter" was about but based on descriptions I think this is not a good choice for the role.
Like you, I would of loved to see Im Joo Eun in this role, the girl can act, looks feminine, but also looks like she could kick a guys butt.
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