News bites: April 12, 2012

by javabeans

It’s the return of the News Bites! Can you believe it’s almost been two whole years since we did the last one? Either time flies or we’re lazy. Because those things are mutually exclusive and all.

• All eyes were on Equator Man Wednesday, to see if it would take over in a timeslot vacant of princes. It jumped up from last week’s 10.2% to a series high of 14.3%… which seems low, to me, somehow. You’d think it could’ve scooped up more of the Rooftop / King pie (mmm, royal pie…), which adds up to about a 23% slice. But okay, maybe the parliamentary election was important and stuff. [Source: BNT News]
• Rooftop Prince changed its mind and is only showing Episode 7 this week, pushing Episode 8 for next week. (The King 2 Hearts airs both 7 and 8.) Cue gnashing of teeth. On the upside, does this mean we may get a 1-episode extension down the line? [Source: Hankook Ilbo]
• After years of wedding rumors, Jeon Ji-hyun (Blood the Last Vampire, My Sassy Girl) is finally gettin’ hitched in April, so she’s done a wedding-themed shoot for Elle magazine. I swear I’ve seen her dressed in a wedding gown a zillion times, so this looks like just another day in the park for Jeon. Another gorgeously coifed, perfectly made up, expensively outfitted day in the park. [Source: Chosun]



• Lee Dong-wook and Shin Dong-yup’s first episode of variety talk show Strong Heart aired this Tuesday to 11% ratings. You know, when they announced that Lee Dong-wook would be taking over Strong Heart, we worried, only to find out that Shin Dong-yup would be the real MC and Lee Dong-wook his eye candy MC friend. The world, it makes sense again. Lee did well for his part though, with lots of cute banter, though it helped to have a bunch of his army buddies on as guests. Not the smoothest first outing, but a promising pair. [Source: Nocut News]
• Sunday variety show 1 Night 2 Days has delayed filming a second time since key members of the crew have joined the strike. The next outing is now scheduled to shoot April 20-21. In order to make up for the week without an episode, the second half of the current trip will be stretched over the next two weeks. Way to announce that you’re going to edit in a whole bunch of filler, guys. [Source: Star News]
• Yoon Kye-sang drops his latest project, crime thriller film Suspect, following Choi Min-shik’s departure from the production as well. The 10 billion won blockbuster from the director of Seven Days is now without a cast, and due to start filming in May. Er… maybe not so much. [Source: My Daily]


Miss Korea Lee Sung-hye

• Huh. I know next to nothing about 2011 Miss Korea Lee Sung-hye, but is she a dead ringer for Eugene or what?. Are we sure she’s not just her time-warped reincarnated soul running around Seoul, causing mischief and mayhem? [Source: TV Report]
• Hwang Jung-min’s coming off a disappointing drama run (Hanbando / Korean Peninsula) with a new role in a stage musical, playing Don Quixote in Man of la Mancha. Wonderful actor, brilliant in films, not so much lucky with the dramas. But with his film resumé (Dancing Queen, Moby Dick, The Unjust, Happiness), who needs dramas? [Source: SBS]
• Park Han-byul (Yoga School, Oh My Lady) and Kim Ji-suk (Take Off) are teaming up for a horror-thriller movie Two Moons, which has just started principal photography. I wish I could like her more, I do, but she seems to epitomize the generically pretty, generically bland lead actress of the industry: She’s good looking, but lacks charisma. He can be super hit or miss, but at least he’s an entertaining miss (see: Personal Taste, Hometown of Legends 2009). The movie plans to release in July. [Source: FNN News]
• Okay, this headline is super disappointingly misleading: “Equator Man Uhm Tae-woong Lee Jun-hyuk Kiss Scene Face-off ‘Bus Kiss’ vs ‘Drunk Kiss.’” Javabeans’ reaction: “OOH! OOH!” followed by “Ohhhhh, you mean kissing other people…” Girlfriday’s reaction: “That is so misleading! Man-Kiss! Man-Kiss!” [Source: TV Report]