Changmin goes in search of lost love in Mnet drama
by javabeans
TVXQ idol Choi Kang Changmin is giving acting another go with a four-episode Mnet drama titled Mimi, in which he’ll star as a 28-year-old webtoon writer-artist. He’ll also play his ten-years-younger self in what is called a beautiful love story transcending time and space, when a young man and woman find their fates turned upside-down (…whatever that means?).
There’s a lot going on in that description, so let’s try to unpack it a little: Changmin’s character is named Min-woo, and the drama is a first love story that is purported to appeal to teenage hearts (which is Mnet’s target demographic). One day the adult Min-woo comes upon a memo and uses it as the basis for his new webtoon series. The project takes off and becomes a sensation, but as time goes on Min-woo starts to be plagued with mysterious headaches and work-related pressure mounts. That’s when he goes looking for his lost first love from ten years ago.
I don’t think the reference to time-transcendence means literally time-traveling (in the way of Nine where the older hero actually met his younger self); it sounds more like the two timelines (high school Min-woo and grown-up Min-woo) will both be featured prominently. Changmin described the dual role as challenging because the two Min-woos will have very differing memories and sentiments as the plot unfolds. I really do hope he’s up to the challenge—I find him likable enough in variety, but I have seen Changmin trying to act before (Paradise Ranch), and it was not pretty. For his sake I hope he’s found a way to settle into the character and become more natural, because you never want to be watching a drama where your predominant emotion is secondhand embarrassment over the actor’s performance. On the upside, the topic sounds intriguing and its short running time makes for a nice, bite-sized drama experience.
Mimi will air on Friday nights beginning February 21.
Via Mk.co.kr
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1 May
January 22, 2014 at 12:19 PM
I actually thought he was better than Lee Yeon Hee in Paradise Ranch. I watched it because of him.
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lailaluv
January 22, 2014 at 12:46 PM
The awfulness of Paradise Ranch still lingers in people's minds. Is this another SM production, they seem to love casting only their people.
ps. who approved those pictures for release, he looks terrible in them, like really bad.
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samkaz
January 25, 2014 at 12:42 AM
100% agree...PR was just awful. His looks and acting (or the lack of it) and the female leads hair was all I could remember! This was an embarrassment to watch. Not again...why don't you just let him sing and not make a fool out of himself.
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Dbsklove
January 22, 2014 at 10:33 PM
Yeah... I strangely actually enjoyed that drama. Hm.
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2 bebe jam
January 22, 2014 at 12:21 PM
I'm not a big fan... But I'll give it a try. Hopefully his acting skills will move me this time
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3 Panda
January 22, 2014 at 12:25 PM
Let's hope he's improved. SM's actresses most definitely improved. Will watch for Changmin. I was a really big fan of Paradise Ranch even though it was a train wreck.
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Gabby
January 22, 2014 at 3:35 PM
SM actresses, including the idols, really have had a great year. Lee Yeon-hee, Go Ara, Sooyoung, Krystal, Yoona, and even BoA all had positive acting experiences; even if some of their shows haven't been widely watched (as with Sooyoung and Yoona) they at least proved themselves competent, exceeding expectations in some way. Although some of them benefited from having a very low bar to pass.
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yuka5470
January 23, 2014 at 11:47 PM
maybe you'll need new name. apparently the female lead in this mini series is also SM rookies. moon ga young. she's 1996-er, we'll see if she's good enough or not.
putting my sentiment on SM dramas, i'm actually interested in this drama. the cinematography is beautiful, changmin looks beautiful too, looks so young and fresh.
though I didn't watch PR and only took a sneak peek at FWTG, min's acting kinda make me laugh, oh well, he's one of my babies...I want to see him grow as an actor like yoochun ^^ so I'll watch this
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4 anaht
January 22, 2014 at 12:40 PM
Love your way of putting my feelings into words about "secondhand embarrassment".
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5 DarknessEyes
January 22, 2014 at 12:45 PM
yay looking forward to this as a Cassie.... hehe
but yes, I hope to gods he has improved
It took a lot of patience to watch Paradise Kiss.
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6 MistyIsles
January 22, 2014 at 1:30 PM
Not gonna lie, I'm a huge fan, so I'm excited. :) I haven't seen Paradise Ranch, but supposedly he got a lot of praise for that Japanese movie he did, Fly With the Gold. But acting quality (or lack of) never ruins things for me like it does other people, so I'm in regardless.
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7 BabySera
January 22, 2014 at 1:32 PM
I love Changmin...but no one that I know has liked Paradise Ranch, or his acting. Hopefully he's improved. I've never seen him act before, so I'll try to keep an open mind.
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SHINeeGirl
January 23, 2014 at 1:01 AM
I love him too. Can't miss even a minute of Cool kiz because of him.
Haven't seen him act before. But i honestly hope this one turns out well :)
Oppa fighting :)
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8 Miica
January 22, 2014 at 1:49 PM
So this is the rumored remake of "M" movie... I don't know who thought of getting Changmin casted in Kang Dong Won's role.
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skelly
January 23, 2014 at 8:45 AM
Who thought of casting him? Canny managers who know that in every fangirl's heart, hope springs eternal that their idol will grow some acting talent. Like a fungus, I guess it is supposed to grow slowly and naturally, over time, with exposure to active cultures.
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9 Yasmin
January 22, 2014 at 2:24 PM
Oh the horror that was paradise ranch! Blegh!
On the the other hand, all SM artists that have been cast into prjects lately have improved massively - lee yoon hee, go ara, yoona. So here is to hoping that he has improved as well.
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Jyyjc
January 22, 2014 at 3:28 PM
I know isn't it great? It's like they all flipped a switch to acting mode. I swear I had no hope for Lee Yeonhee before.
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Ki
January 22, 2014 at 11:51 PM
Oh, before PR, Lee Ueon Hee was still one of the best young actresses, especially in movie. I enjoy her movies very much. BUt then they bash her every thing. I know every body has a hard time in your study or your job. SO i don't think she is not so bad that you no hope for her. And , now, when she believ again, she nails her role in MK.
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Ki
January 22, 2014 at 11:53 PM
" SO i don’t think she is so bad that you no hope for her." instead of " So i don’t think she is not so bad that you no hope for her." :D.
Sorry for my mistakes
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10 ET
January 22, 2014 at 2:54 PM
I'm not quite sure why people hated on his acting in Paradise Ranch so much. I was captured by him.. and I pretty much loved PR even though the plot sucked.
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11 CaroleMcDonnell
January 22, 2014 at 4:06 PM
I really love Changmin. Paradise Ranch made me cringe but I can deal with cringing... it exercizes the muscle.
Thanks for the info.
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12 changhyun
January 22, 2014 at 4:20 PM
Please no. His acting is downright terrible, and that's the nicest I can put it.
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Lorilei
January 23, 2014 at 12:26 AM
I thought his acting was pretty good in 'Fly with Gold' (his Japanese movie).
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topper
January 23, 2014 at 7:58 AM
It's just a 4 episode Mnet production, not some big acting gig. I like that they put newcomers in small productions, so they have a chance to improve.
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13 magnus
January 22, 2014 at 5:24 PM
I'm actually going to give this a chance, the horror that was his acting in PR will be put in the back of my head. Luckily SM idol actresses have been doing some quality acting in shows lately. I would've passed this up straight otherwise. Let's see if the contagion that is acting only passed through the female population.
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yuka5470
January 23, 2014 at 11:50 PM
the female lead is SM rookies....is that fortunate or unfortunate?
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14 Caitlyn
January 22, 2014 at 5:47 PM
Well, I haven't seen him act in anything so I'm going into this with no preconceptions. Plus, at only 4 episodes, it should be easy to get though even if his acting isn't the best.
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15 jomo143
January 22, 2014 at 6:13 PM
I liked him at the end of Paradise Ranch.
Who will be his co-star(s)?
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yuka5470
January 23, 2014 at 11:51 PM
SM newbie named Moon Ga young, 1996-er
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16 byuldreamer
January 22, 2014 at 6:16 PM
omgsh. the embarrassing nightmare that was 'paradise ranch'.
i love him and his voice...but acting is really not his thing
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17 lizzie
January 22, 2014 at 6:26 PM
his acting in PR was the thing I disliked the most. He kept popping his eyes out, rising his eyebrows so much that ugh.. he couldn't play a spoiled brat so well.. it was just bad. You know it was bad when the pd himself said in a interview it was hard to work with him at first and he was pretty stiff in the first episodes. The pd also said he and chagmin did some scenes over and over and still was hard..
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18 Cynthia
January 22, 2014 at 6:38 PM
Well, let's look at this is a semi-positive light.
Changmin CAN'T be any more awful than he was in that craptastic Paradise Ranch, plus the shortened format will put us all out of our collective watching misery faster!
:)
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19 djprincess
January 22, 2014 at 7:55 PM
what's with the hate towards SM and SM artists? i read so much about this, even in other fora. did SM do something terrible before? sorry, i'm relatively new to to the kpop/kdrama blog world.
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tokkioncrack
January 22, 2014 at 9:32 PM
It's not so much about hate but a deeply seated bias. SM is famous for those wimpy idol groups and excessive control. But the main point is they turn most of the dramas they put their fingers in to vehicles for actors who can't act, taking away good roles from hardworking actors and ruining perfectly good dramas. And it has some scAndakls about slave like contracts etc. also.
In any case the actresses have shown I'mprovement so there's still hope.
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dearly
January 22, 2014 at 9:38 PM
SM = Pretty Looks over talent. I'm not gonna lie, I dislike SM for that. It takes away the hard work of those who are talented but 'lack' the look department. In all honesty, despite the improvement of the SM actresses (including Yoona), there are way better actresses at their age group who still can't get lead roles b/c they lack the 'look' or the strong connection from their company.
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Valerie Gudorf
January 22, 2014 at 10:52 PM
I have to disagree, at least in part, with that assessment. SM has some pretty good talent in the form of some of it male talent. I think both SHINee and EXO have some amazing vocal talents, and you can't beat the choreography on display by both those groups. TVXQ, both past and present, are nothing to sneeze at either. Their girl groups, on the other hand, share some of the same irksome traits K-pop girls everywhere display: vocal anemia backed by ass wiggling and a lot of plastic surgery.
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yuka5470
January 23, 2014 at 11:54 PM
I think what "dearly" mean is the talent in acting department, not singing skill.
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20 maldita
January 22, 2014 at 8:33 PM
I love Changmin and that was my sole reason I finisbed Paradise Ranch. I can legit watch him in anything. LOL looking forward to seeing him give acting in Korean another go. Supposedly he did well in that Japanese movie he was in. I'd like to wish he'd be a nice surprise for the viewers.
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21 jwspazz
January 22, 2014 at 9:14 PM
is this the second drama by MNet after Monstar ? haa. anticipate a bit. though I've a bit dissapointment towards Monstar coz the episode getting not interesting to the end. but the main characters & most of the OST are still lingering in my mind. in addition there're Junhyung & Kang Haneul I give it a chance.
as for Changmin, I hope he'll improve a lot. waiting for his co-star to be announce. then I will decide. coz there are too many time slip drama which have very very good line-up if actors such as Operation Proposal & Dr Jin. but the storyline sonetimes give me a headache. haa.
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22 jwspazz
January 22, 2014 at 9:16 PM
is this the second drama by MNet after Monstar ? haa. anticipate a bit. though I've a bit dissapointment towards Monstar coz the episode getting not interesting to the end. but the main characters & most of the OST are still lingering in my mind. in addition there're Junhyung & Kang Haneul, I give it a chance.
as for Changmin, I hope he'll improve a lot. waiting for his co-star to be announce. then I will decide. coz there are too many time slip drama which have very very good line-up actors such as Operation Proposal & Dr Jin. but the storyline sometimes give me a headache. haa.
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23 CFLH
January 22, 2014 at 10:33 PM
awww...Lord Voldemin...haha...i think he is way better in variety...but i'm looking forward to this even if his acting is well ummm...
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24 Lorilei
January 23, 2014 at 12:28 AM
Paradise Ranch was a disaster, but I liked his acting a lot in 'Fly with Gold' so I'm pretty excited. :D Any else watch Fly with Gold?
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megumi
January 23, 2014 at 3:45 AM
yeah i watched it and you're right, his acting was good in that movie and he has certainly improved, it looks like majority of the people in this comments section haven't watched that movie because they are only talking about paradise ranch, even in paradise ranch his acting for me was passable, it just that the plot of that drama was worse, also it's not like he's gonna play in a major 16 episodes drama or something, it's just a 4 ep drama, i understand people who hate SM because they think they take the jobs away from talented actors and actresses but they fail to realise that there are lot of actress and actresses who are talentless too but still get leading roles in dramas and movies, song seung hun, han ga in, kim tae hee, shin se kyung etc are a few examples, if SM sponsors or produces a drama then they have full right to put their idols as actors and actresses and i don't hate them for that, if people don't like SM produced dramas then they can just ignore it rather than preaching hate because nobody is forcing anybody to watch...
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yuka5470
January 24, 2014 at 12:01 AM
am I the only one who laugh at his expression in FWTG??
OMG, i watched his cuts only, and practically LMAO and close the tab.
no, don't stab me, I'm a hardcore cassie for the last 6 years, i love him and the members equally.
but in all honesty, euh, well.. i'll give him another chance, these days Lord voldamin is on fire, and the cinematography of this drama is pweety, I'm in love with his stills. he looks like mannequin,
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25 blueskymaiden
January 23, 2014 at 12:33 AM
actually like Paradise Ranch and watched it in its entirety more than once....Changmin's acting was not all that bad, especially as the drama progressed....TVXQ fan? maybe a wee bit...would I watch him again? sure, why not. it definitely will not injure my eyes.... :P
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26 momo-ichigo
January 23, 2014 at 7:30 AM
lol paradise ranch was cringe worthy. he has improved in fly with the gold but sometimes i can still see him trying too hard to act instead of being more natural
but i've seen some of his stills for mimi and i'm actually pretty optimistic
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yuka5470
January 24, 2014 at 12:02 AM
IKR?? the stills looks good
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27 kou
January 25, 2014 at 1:40 AM
Although my fandoms are colliding, I'm so sad to see M be redone as a drama miniseries. The teaser looks like a shot-by-shot poor-man's version of what was achieved in the movie. I'm more surprised that this project was chosen. It's not particularly mainstream, and it's a jarring leap from the mess that was Paradise Ranch. The raw material is better, but it's more about a mental breakdown than about a sweet romance. I love Changmin, but I think it's way too ambitious.
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