Go Ara and Yoo Yeon-seok headline Answer Me 1994 cast
by girlfriday
Finally, some movement on Answer Me 1994, otherwise known as the follow-up drama to last year’s huge cable hit Answer Me 1997. Casting is in full swing with offers out to Go Ara (Heading to the Ground) and Yoo Yeon-seok (Gu Family Book) to star. But here’s my question: Are you still going to insist on going with Basketballopalooza, or have we learned from our mistakes?
It seems they have, because everyone’s back to calling it Answer Me 1994 for now. What I’m most excited about is that the drama will be set on a college campus, which YAY. Why don’t people make college dramas anymore? Where are the Neukkims of dramaland? What’s great about it is that college dramas were all the rage in 1994, so making one now set in that era seems like the perfect pop culture homage that the 1997 team is so good at.
Jung-woo, aka You’re the Best, Lee Soon-shin’s Bread Man, and movie actor Kim Sung-kyun (Covertly Grandly) will round out the leading foursome. Along with Yoo Yeon-seok, they’ll be three boys from Kyungsangdo who room together at a boarding house while attending a university in Seoul.
Sung Dong-il and Lee Il-hwa (1997’s awesome Mom and Dad pair) run the boarding house where the boys live, and Go Ara will play their daughter. Cute. So basically, it’s like the sitcom Three Men Three Women, crossed with Neukkim/Feelings and Answer Me 1997. All things I love.
It’s been a while since Go Ara has done a drama (since 2009’s Heading to the Ground and 2008’s Who Are You), but she can be good depending on the role. I see her fitting a bygone-era youth drama with no problem, and as long as her character’s got spunk, which is thankfully almost a given with this writer, I think we’re good. Yoo Yeon-seok has been great in a streak of high-profile, popular projects, from Introduction to Architecture to A Werewolf Boy, and despite his character going nowhere in Gu Family Book, he’s been good in the role. Bread Man Jin-wook is just awesome, so I can’t wait for more hilarity from him.
I had my worries, but the project seems to be shaping up okay. I don’t know that it can recreate the lightning in a bottle that was 1997, but as a cute campus comedy it sounds promising. The cast still has to finalize and sign on the dotted line, but according to the PD, it sounds like they’re a lock.
Answer Me 1994 starts shooting in July for a September broadcast on tvN.
Via TV Report
RELATED POSTS
- Answer Me 1997′s sequel courts parents for a reunion
- Answer Me 1997′s sequel to be about basketball
- Answer Me looks to 1994 for a sequel
- The Answer Me 1997 love keeps growing, along with ratings
- Answer Me 1997 draws praise and strong ratings
- Answer Me 1997: Episodes 1-2
- Ara eyes lead role in soccer drama
- Who Are You: Episodes 1 & 2
- Gu Family Book: Episode 1
- You’re the Best, Lee Soon-shin: Episodes 1-2
Tags: Answer Me 1994, cable programs, Go Ara, sequels, Yoo Yeon-seok
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1 Ivoire
June 21, 2013 at 4:05 AM
Thanks!
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Ivoire
June 21, 2013 at 4:15 AM
Sounds interesting, and the casting seems good. So many dramas, so little time...
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erened
June 21, 2013 at 5:02 AM
Actually, the casting worries me. No offense to SM fans, but Go Ara hasn't shown that she can handle a project of this caliber. She like a lot of SM "actors" (minus their latest acquisitions) are so preoccupied with their image, it leads to lack of charisma and blandness on screen.
Can she act the spunky, middle class role. It seems she only does well in one type of role. I don't know this casting announcement just dampened my excitement for the drama.
Since, one of their (SM) idol is helping kill the Flower Boy Series on TVN, maybe this addition will also put the death knell on the Answer Me Series. *Shrugs*
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Jenny
June 21, 2013 at 6:14 AM
I agree, that's what worries me.
She seems really charming but she's not a very good actress, I've only seen her be good in one role and there she was okay.
They could have given the chance to a unknown actress .
I think Sooyoung is a decent actress compared to the others in her group. She's charming and likeable.
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lu
June 21, 2013 at 8:44 PM
Hum no. Go Ara and Sooyong are at the same level to be honest.
Go Ara was good on ''who are you''
she cried well, did her role well and I could connect with her.
For a SM actor she is really good than others.
But now we can't even talk bad about SM actors because SM made A list actors go to SM.
michyeosseo
June 21, 2013 at 7:23 AM
I don't think Sooyoung's doing a bad role in Dating Agency : Cyrano btw~
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Jo
June 21, 2013 at 10:53 AM
Yea. I really like Cyrano and Sooyoung. This time, I think your critiques are more about SM than about the actress.
erened
June 21, 2013 at 11:02 AM
Don't get me wrong, I am not putting all the blame on her, because there is enough faults to go around. So while she is not a big negative, she is not a big positive either. Which goes back again to SM actors being very bland on screen.
pogo 🍉
June 21, 2013 at 7:34 AM
oh I don't think I agree with you about Sooyoung, she's a surprisingly good/fairly natural actress, none of her idol persona leaks through at all and she's doing a great job of making a potentially VERY annoying character likeable.
Though Cyrano, I do agree, lacks the same heart and emotional connection that got me in SUFBB and FBND - it's fun and I like our setup and format, but I won't revisit it once it's done, or wait breathlessly for new episodes while it's still on.
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okitokki
June 21, 2013 at 10:15 AM
I agree about Ara. I like her well enough, but I don't think she's the greatest actress in the world.. though she hasn't been in anything in almost four years now, so I'll reserve judgement until I can see whether she's improved or not in that time. I don't agree about Sooyoung, though. She's not going to be winning (legit) acting awards (some are really just popularity contests) but I think she's holding her own. Cyrano not being as good as the other Flower Boy installments (in my opinion, anyway) isn't just because of Sooyoung.
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kstalls
June 22, 2013 at 6:46 PM
It's funny how we all justify SM (and other companies) idol's acting as "not as bad as X or B" because in that comment alone, we are pretty much saying - she sucks, but there is worse". It shouldn't be like that. Because there is better, talented, and currently unemployed A & B list actresses that can and would play the role more competently than idols. Don't get me wrong, Cyrano is hitting all the right spots with me right now and I think Sooyoung brings a little fluffiness to the character that I wasn't expecting but either way - imagine how much better it could have been and how much better other dramas could have been if they weren't using idols. (DISCLAIMER: Suzy has my heart and soul in Gu Family Book) The problem lies in auditioning or more over, the lack of auditioning. If an idol could beat other actresses in terms of her (OR HIS) acting skills or manage to portray the character better, then that's great! Bring on the idol drama, BUT when the actress is just a pretty face relaying the script, we can't help question the authenticity of her audition somehow being better than others.
Kate
June 24, 2013 at 7:11 PM
I actually disagree about Sooyoung butchering Cyrano Agency. I admit I'm a big SNSD fan but I have common sense, too, and I don't blindly watch any drama the girls are on. I CANNOT stand Jessica's acting and neither am I a fan of Yuri or Yoona's acting. I never even finished any of Yoona's dramas because I just don't find her convincing or appealing enough as an actress (she is way awkward at times). But I have to say that Sooyoung's actually not bad at all. I find her believable, but I guess I'm in the minority.
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bettinagurl
June 24, 2013 at 6:52 AM
hmmn. havent really watched Go Ara in action (or maybe i have but she didn't stick)... but i could say that having YYS oppa on board is AWESOME! :) i love him in GFB and watching him again would be priceless ;)
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florance
June 24, 2013 at 12:38 PM
I don´t want to be offensive, but it kind of irritates me that Ivoire is constantly posting "Thanks" first and only after that a comment follows or sometimes not. It´s like she is doing the "First!" thing with "Thanks!".
Yeah, but I will watch this drama for sure.
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2 Miky
June 21, 2013 at 4:25 AM
Yeyyyyyyyy for the college dramas,seen t many highscool ones already :D
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3 p3rk3le
June 21, 2013 at 4:28 AM
sounds pretty awesome!!! I'm so glad!! And finally college dramas!! I missed them. kdrama/jdrama-land has forgotten about them (well Love rain kinda went there but...). so YAY~
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4 Sponge
June 21, 2013 at 4:32 AM
Finally more news about reply 1994, and i like go ara and hope this will be a good drama :D i shall be waiting expectantly yay
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5 m92
June 21, 2013 at 4:37 AM
i think goo ara is good and nice to see her here...she need to has a hit drama to avoid her getting attach with bad acting skill because of her company,SM!!
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6 Andrea
June 21, 2013 at 4:46 AM
Yes! A college drama! (This is why these news are exciting, while on the other hand, thinking of "Heirs" doesn't excite me as much... It should be *at least* set in college. Meh.)
Back to Answer Me...
I'm looking forward to it, I trust completely the production team behind it. AM97 is one of my favorite dramas from last year. September, please come quickly!
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7 starlol
June 21, 2013 at 5:09 AM
It should be okay as long as SM isn't involve much in the production.
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8 Carmensitta
June 21, 2013 at 5:16 AM
Should I worry that Tvn is starting to use this many SM idols? I haven't watched Cryano yet but everyone here says SooYoung(hope I got the name right) is good in the role, so I'm happy for her. I really hope GoAra is going to do well. Tvn has proved that they can differentiate between idols that can act and the one's that can't so far so I won't be too worried for now.
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Kiara
June 21, 2013 at 5:30 AM
Is Go Ara considered an idol?. Goo Ha-ra the idol is painful to watch so I'm glad its Ara and not her.
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little bus tayo
June 21, 2013 at 8:39 AM
Probably acting idol? Like how Ikuta Toma is in Johnny's.
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Kiara
June 21, 2013 at 10:29 AM
Thanks, I'm not really familiar with K-pop idols because I don't listen to any of their music.
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maldita
June 21, 2013 at 6:34 PM
Go Ara's not an idol. She's an actress who just comes from a big company so famous for its idols.
maldita
June 21, 2013 at 6:33 PM
She's always been an actress, though, and never associated dabbled in singing with the rest of SM like Lee Yeonhee has.
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Pfffft
June 21, 2013 at 5:53 AM
No that sooyoung girl isnt doing GOOD. She's borderline serviceable. but NOT good.
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pogo 🍉
June 21, 2013 at 7:41 AM
She's no Park Shin-hye, but she's miles and miles ahead of her bandmates in the acting department.
And maybe my standards are just lowered after being scarred by Suzy in Gu Family Book (seriously, she's so blank when doing anything that doesn't require her to smile cutely), but if JB and GF consider her 'serviceable' then Sooyoung definitely qualifies as good. Not great, but decent enough that I won't feel apprehensive once I hear she's been cast in a drama.
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alisa
June 21, 2013 at 9:22 AM
Lol at Park Shin Hye being good actress! She is as mediocre as any idol , people who think she is a good actress should come out of their delusion!
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pogo 🍉
June 21, 2013 at 11:18 AM
......this observation might be valid if you hadn't seen any of her work after Goong S, but if you're referring to anything she did after 2007, you are probably the one who's deluded.
womanofsteel
June 21, 2013 at 1:11 PM
I'm sorry but do you mean that if one thinks that she's a good actress then that person is deluded? She might not be an award winning actress but she's definitely not mediocre.
haha
June 21, 2013 at 3:28 PM
That's why she is one of the most popular if not more popular and demanded actress in her age.
That's why many PD and writer want her
Not sure who is the delusional one here. Even GF, or Koala from the other blog are praising her heartfelt acting
norah
June 21, 2013 at 6:07 PM
PDs and writers also want Han Ga In , Kim Tae Hee ,Yoona,Suzy,Shin Se Kyung etc.
Doesn`t mean they are good actresses. She is wanted based on her popularity not based on her acting talent! She is no different than idols tbh.
Jackie
June 22, 2013 at 11:17 AM
haha same. Park Shin Hye is one terrible actress
nomad
June 22, 2013 at 1:30 PM
Personally I like PSH. I can always connect with her acting. It's her kissing that is a *meh*.
Barbara Starks
June 22, 2013 at 2:35 PM
I agree she on the top 5 worst actress, but I think Go Ara comes in at #1.
kstalls
June 22, 2013 at 6:54 PM
She plays her roles so well! Are you serious? If you watch all her work, you can see how versatile her acting is! Everyone says her kissing scenes suck but everyone should realise that she was told to do the scene that way and she can actually kiss maturely as clearly shown in Flower Boy Next Door. If she was cast in a steamy and risque role, I am completely assured she would once again change to fit the criteria. Over the years, her characters have been typecast but differentiate between the acting and the character. She plays the character to the T - mind the colloquialism but that is really the only way to encapsulate her acting finesse.
I might be a big fan.
Jenn
June 23, 2013 at 8:28 PM
Yes she was absolutely terrible in You're Beautiful. After that, I cannot tolerate watching her "act".
meademoiselle
June 21, 2013 at 6:05 AM
Someone lied to you, Soo Young is not doing good. Cyrano is not doing well at all compared to the other Flower Boy Series.
You raise a good question about SM worming their way into the Cable world, now that broadcast stations are getting stale and have been burnt by way too many poorly performing SM idols - that Japanese high school remake that everyone would like to forget (it was supposed to be SM's Dream High), Yunho (lol, no comment), Yoona (Love Rain), Jessica (search Jessica seizure scene on YT and you will get why), Yuri (Fashion King), Soo Young (see above), Lee Yeon Hee (too many), Changmin (Paradise Ranch) etc. I think you get the picture, lol.
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chocopie83
June 21, 2013 at 10:31 AM
most of sm actors did flop.. but can't generalise them. siwon did okay in king of dramas, then heechul in golden bride was great too, in fact i think many people were moved by his storyline there.. shinhwa's eric was also from sm, haven't watched any of his dramas, but heard he had been doing great too..
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bettinagurl
June 24, 2013 at 7:02 AM
i agree most of sm have flop dramas *cough*Paradise Ranch*cough* if ever they rate well its the popularity of the idol that has put them there. but based on storyline and acting department, they have a lot to improve on. I am a BIG SM fan when it comes to kpop but when it comes to dramas... PLEASE DON'T MESS WITH ME. I'll drop kpop in an instant for a kdrama.
i havent finished king of dramas but i think siwon did pretty well in that drama than in Oh My Lady (im gonna base his acting here since i havent watched Poseidon)...
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pogo 🍉
June 21, 2013 at 11:27 AM
It's not just SM idols who are terrible at acting - the worst two I've ever seen were managed by JYP, and are still getting acting jobs that are far beyond their (extremely limited) abilities.
As for the idols you mentioned, Yoona is somewhat insipid but can be bearable/decent with the right costar, Sulli is completely insipid and has no business getting lead roles in anything, Changmin should also just stick to the day job/variety, Lee Yeon-hee was surprisingly decent in Gu Family Book (not perfect, but at least she managed to emote far more convincingly than the actual lead girl), and Sooyoung's actually the best of the lot you mentioned.
Basically,not all idols are non-actors but agencies have GOT to get better at weeding out the ones who have no talent for it and steering them towards something other than acting. I'm not willing to suffer through another show saddled with the wooden presence of Taecyeon, please no.
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Mama J
June 21, 2013 at 9:04 AM
I don't know Soo Young at all as a singer, but either she's just being herself on this show (and not overacting or being stiff) or she's not being herself on this show (still not overacting, still not stiff) - either way she's conveying what is necessary for me to like and support the character. Ergo, she's doing a good job. If you didn't tell me she was a singer, I wouldn't know it.
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9 Ace
June 21, 2013 at 5:29 AM
Yay! I have no objections to Go Ara. She's one of the few SM artists that's either great or serviceable. Personally, I think she's better than Lee Yeon-hee.
^^comment - I don't think Soo-young is killing tvN's FB series. For me, it all depends on the writer. As long as the script is consistently good, then the drama's fine. If the writer falters like what happened in FBND, then that's when it's not good. I trust the people behind AM1997 as long as they keep it sweet and short and not lengthy (like Nine - which was fine too, just a bit prolonged).
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10 botbot
June 21, 2013 at 5:30 AM
ohh Go Ara, you've scarred me with your blank expressions
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11 Cass.e
June 21, 2013 at 5:33 AM
Go Ara and LHY (Gu Family) as well as SNSD are all from SIM but I don't know why Go Ara never act in K-drama particularly in the big 3 stations for a very long time. LHY and SNSD girls actively doing drama but not her. She only did movie. Is she not that good enough or she plan not to act in a drama.
I kindda like her during her teen drama years and her acting was OK for me.
I'm just glad that I will see her again in a drama.
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12 i love tae seo with yeo wool LOL
June 21, 2013 at 5:39 AM
Yoo yeon seok waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!
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13 snow_white
June 21, 2013 at 5:46 AM
Yay for a college campus :-)
I'm really looking forward to this now!!
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14 i love tae seo with yeo wool LOL
June 21, 2013 at 5:49 AM
*calm* okay. Yes!!! for Go Ara. asdfghjkl yoo yeon seok!!!!!!!
For those who have been following Guga, just have to say that Tae Seo looks way better with Yeo wool. Kthanksbye!
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jiabu
June 21, 2013 at 6:11 AM
Hahahaha, omg this comment. But yeah, I'm so sad that his character never got juicy stuff to do, he's awesome.
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15 observantzani
June 21, 2013 at 5:57 AM
I knew Yoo Yeon-seok would get a leading role soon! I also like him Gu Family Book.
Hmmmm, so what's happening to tvN's Basketball? Isn't that also airing on September? Or will Answer Me 1994 be pushed back so it can have more preparation?
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Ace
June 21, 2013 at 6:02 AM
Basketball(?) is Answer Me 1994
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Noemi
June 21, 2013 at 6:09 AM
I think observantzani's referring to this Basketball... http://www.dramabeans.com/2013/05/basketball-period-drama-to-air-on-tvn/
And I was wondering the same thing! As much as I'm looking forward to Answer Me 1994, I'm excited to see Basketball, too. Hopefully neither one would be pushed back too far!
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jiabu
June 21, 2013 at 6:15 AM
I think observanzani is referring to Kwak Jung-Hwan's Basketball (빠스껫볼)...
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Kiara
June 21, 2013 at 6:19 AM
Aye the 1930s/40s period drama.
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Ace
June 21, 2013 at 6:53 AM
Oh yeah! Forgot about that one. *pencils it in my calendar* Thanks and sorry! ;)
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eunchans
June 21, 2013 at 9:27 AM
They'll probably both air in September, but in different timeslots. I'm excited for both, they sound good.
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16 avarachika
June 21, 2013 at 6:20 AM
No, go ara shouldn't pick this show. Usually a second instalment fails if the original cast aren't casted. I've missed her, she should pick a different project instead. Also, I'm not so fond of the lead guy. Pick a different one.
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okitokki
June 21, 2013 at 10:19 AM
you're right, they should make the entire drama production based on your opinions. lol :p
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bd
June 21, 2013 at 11:48 PM
Usually it's b/c the 1st installment didn't have really good writing either and was cast-driven.
Otoh, 2nd installments of series with talented writers/PDs such as "I Need Romance" are sometimes better.
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17 Jenny
June 21, 2013 at 6:36 AM
Nice that it's a college drama for a change.
The only thing I'm not excited is Go Ara, she's seriously the weakest link. She's sometimes borderline decent but she's not a very good actress.
Why couldn't they have given the chance to a unknown actress instead.
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18 Daisy
June 21, 2013 at 6:38 AM
A bit disappointed its Go Ara was hoping it would be a fresh face! But all well still watching this!
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19 Aly
June 21, 2013 at 6:53 AM
I thought they were going to pick young inexperienced actors for the main roles, like they did for the original Answer me 1997. For me that was part of the charm!
The more I hear about this "Answer me 1994" the lower my expectations get. I really really hope they prove me wrong and it turns out to be an amazing drama.
And I agree that there should be more college dramas! I'm sick of teenage love stories, I want to see young adults! Plus, they usually pick actors in their 20s to play teenagers... so they might as well make the characters adults too.
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pigtookie
June 21, 2013 at 7:48 AM
"For me that was part of the charm!"
Yes, I liked going in with no expectations of their abilities or past dramas. I'd seen none of the main cast act before, besides the parents.
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20 aulia
June 21, 2013 at 7:06 AM
Reading this post makes me scared. Suddenly I lost my interest in this project. I do adore Answer97's writer but picking Go Ara as leading role is, I lost my words. I'm sorry.
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21 dduk
June 21, 2013 at 7:21 AM
AHHH! Yoo Yeon-seok and Jung-Woo (BreadMANNNN!)
OMGAH. I am excited!
less excited about Go Ara though... she def. is the weakest link out of the cast.
hope she can do well with the role.
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22 pigtookie
June 21, 2013 at 7:46 AM
i like this setup! i'm kind of wary of go ara as i was hoping they'd cast more of the lesser known names. i don't know her limits and have heard to be cautious, but the team who helmed AM1997 were able to deliver while working with the weakness of rookies and idols (though not bad ones at that) so it shouldn't be that bad.
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23 Kit
June 21, 2013 at 8:13 AM
I'm kind of hoping this is the role that will surprise everyone at how winning go ara can be. It does happen really late into a career!!!!!!! ...... sometimes ...... I feel like this is one of the dramas where the writing will carry the acting and can't help but be cute. Campus romance and boarding hijinks??? PLEASE LET THIS BE GOOD.
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24 janice k
June 21, 2013 at 8:33 AM
B1A4's Baro, Tiny-G DoHee and actor So Ho Joon also joins this drama.
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25 Trina
June 21, 2013 at 8:33 AM
I am sorry. but another SM idol. I have not seen Go ara movies but to know it is from SM. I think that I will pass on this drama. I was hoping newcomer actress instead. I think I will watch the Basketball drama instead.
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norah
June 21, 2013 at 9:26 AM
Whats the difference if it`s a SM idol or any other idol?
They all suck , there is like four idols ( is Yoochun considered idol?) i can think of that are passable, everybody else should quit!
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eunchans
June 21, 2013 at 9:29 AM
Go Ara's not an idol. She's an actress signed to SM.
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maldita
June 21, 2013 at 6:38 PM
She's not an idol. She's an actress and always has been. And SM is in no way connected to the drama apart from Ara being from SM, so I really don't understand why you're so turned off by it.
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