Legend of the Blue Sea returns from overseas shoots, holds first script read
by javabeans
Ah, we’re a month out from the premiere of hotly anticipated fantasy-romance series Legend of the Blue Sea starring Jeon Ji-hyun (in a reunion with her You From Another Star writer, Park Ji-eun) and Lee Min-ho (in a reunion with his City Hunter director, Jin Hyuk), and the production just released these images from the cast’s recent script reading, held on October 8 in Seoul. The drama has actually already begun filming, although only its foreign location segments; the production recently wrapped two months of shooting in Spain, and is now back in Korea.
The drama is based on an old folktale of a fisherman fetching a mermaid out of the sea, and Jeon Ji-hyun will play the last mermaid on earth, her kind having gone virtually extinct. The story unfolds as she encounters a master swindler (Lee Min-ho) in the city, and learns to adjust to life on land, leading to unexpected, comical, and romantic developments.
Lee Min-ho forms a con-man trio with Lee Hee-joon (Yoo-na’s Street) and Shin (Big), and I’m dearly hoping for hilarious chemistry between the boys, even if Lee Hee-joon has to do the heavy comedy lifting. I have to admit Lee Min-ho has been pretty humorless in his past roles (so serious! so perennially straight-faced!), but I’m hoping that with the right context and writing, he’ll find the fun in the role. This writer does have a knack for light-hearted comedy (she also wrote The Producers and You Who Rolled in Unexpectedly), so my fingers are crossed.
(Also, girlfriday is already mocking me about this, but apparently I can’t say no to a pretty boy in a perm, because I kind of love that rumply hairdo he’s sporting, which has somehow managed to bring me back around after all those ugly sweaters and sullen faces turned me off in Heirs. It also magically takes about five years off his age. So maybe the style itself isn’t exactly fashion-forward, but there’s something so friendly and approachable and youthful about that messy ajumma perm, okay? It’s the Seung-gi effect!)
The story will interweave past and present, and it looks like that’ll employ at least three different timelines, since both leads each have two child actor counterparts. Precocious child actor Kal So-won (Dazzling Temptation) plays Jeon Ji-hyun’s younger childhood version, while Shin Eun-soo (Vanishing Time) will be the teenager. Lee Min-ho’s counterparts will be played by young Jeon Jin-seo (My Daughter Geum Sa-wol) and GOT7 idol Jinyoung (Beloved Eun-dong).
In addition to the two main leads, the pictures from the script read also include supporting stars Shin Hye-sun (Five Kids), Lee Hee-joon, Shin, Sung Dong-il (Answer Me 1988), Hwang Shin-hye (What is Mom?), Moon So-ri (The Handmaiden), Na Young-hee (The Producers), and Lee Ji-hoon (Mirror of the Witch).
Legend of the Blue Sea will be a Wednesday-Thursday drama that follows Jealousy Incarnate, and premieres on November 16.
Via TV Daily
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Tags: Jeon Ji-hyun, Lee Hee-joon, Lee Min-ho, Legend of the Blue Sea, Shin, Shin Hye-sun, Sung Dong-il
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1 voice
October 17, 2016 at 3:08 AM
So excited for this!
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2 ChocoChip
October 17, 2016 at 3:24 AM
Woah, did anyone else do a double take when they saw that Lee Min Ho picture? Did he lose weight or does his big poof hair just make his face look much smaller than usual?
Also I'm really looking forward to this drama!
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kitkat
October 17, 2016 at 4:24 AM
yep, me too. the vibe is different. is it hair? but he had big hair in faith and city hunter... dunno.
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Yuki
October 17, 2016 at 12:09 PM
I agree that it's the haircut that makes him look like this...
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Gidget
October 18, 2016 at 2:16 PM
Right! If his name wasn't in the title he wouldn't be recognizable. He is naturally handsome. SO why-oh-why do his stylists think they need to push his look to extremes? Since his City Hunter days it's been a long slide down, on a progressively more over-managed image. And here - to my eye - they've michaeljackson-ized him. *ABSOLUTELY no insult intended with that comment. Not his fault.*
If I could make a comment to his handlers it'd be this:
Too gaunt...it hurts our hearts when it looks like someone is making him starve himself skinny. We like him with a little meat on his bones.
Too pale...we lurve him best with his natural skin color.
And for goodness sakes, stop with the lipstick...we lurve his lips and we like our men real. :-)
Reminds me of what a great writer once said: "The key to beauty is knowing when to stop." With LMH's looks, they can stop before they do anything at all.
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mary
October 17, 2016 at 4:48 AM
He looks so good, yes. ^___^ I suddenly miss him on my screen.
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Sweetsammy
October 17, 2016 at 5:07 AM
you speak my thoughts!
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Adal
October 17, 2016 at 7:06 AM
Woah! I did a double take too, when I saw LMH's picture, he looks like a wax figurine with doll-like features. What did he do to his face?!
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Adal2
October 17, 2016 at 3:23 PM
He did nothing to his face. His face so much better than yours. ?
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신류지
October 17, 2016 at 4:01 PM
Hey I think you might wanna take a look at the commenting policy ;)
http://www.dramabeans.com/about/commenting-policy/
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Sua2
October 18, 2016 at 7:42 AM
Hey! It would be best if you read it first ??
gauui
October 19, 2016 at 6:59 PM
Can't tell if comments 2.4.1 and 2.4.1.1.1 are seriously trolling or joke trolling (there is a difference!) but damn, we get all sorts 'round these parts, huh?
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neslinin
October 17, 2016 at 7:20 AM
"wow this new actor looks like LMH a lot"
That is what I thought when I first saw the picture. His facial bone structure seems altered. Idk maybe the weight loss or the angle make it seem so.
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sisterkiller
October 17, 2016 at 7:38 AM
he looks like lee soo hyuk, sortof
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JuicyFeet
October 17, 2016 at 9:41 AM
I thought from the pictures he looked more like the kpop lee min ho instead of actor lee min ho
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3 Aidualc
October 17, 2016 at 3:30 AM
After the wight loss and with that perm he looks like Ahn Jae Hyun in that photo. I'm not sure I like his look but at least it's better than his Kris Jenner look.
Why did they have to make her the last of her species? Extinction of any life form, even fictional ones, makes me sad as that's where we are headed with many real species rapidly dissapearing from the wild. I'm curious how she got to be the last of the mermaids, was it because of humans?
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mimi
October 17, 2016 at 4:00 AM
Ever since people started mentioning how Lee Min Ho looks like Kris Jenner, oh my god!! I've totally stopped finding LMH attractive now but Kris Jenner is ALL I see whenever I see LMH's face!!!
K-netizens, you've totally ruined my love for LMH (well that and Heirs)!
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poko
October 17, 2016 at 4:09 AM
But it wasn't k-nets who started Kris Jenner comparison, it's a i-nets from netizenbuzz who started it. Knets have never complained about his looks.
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mimi
October 17, 2016 at 5:44 AM
Sorry I meant i-netizens! My phone autocorrected yeah k-netizensnever complained about his looks. It was international -netizens on netizenbuzz that compared him to Kris Jenner LOL
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Mimi2
October 17, 2016 at 3:28 PM
Yeah I-nets like you ?
Aidualc
October 17, 2016 at 6:46 AM
I don't know who started the comparision but there was an instant where his rounder face coupled with an unfortunate choice of sunglasses made for an uncanny resemblence to Kris Jenner lol.
https://www.dramafever.com/st/news/images/LMH2.png
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Aidualc2
October 17, 2016 at 3:24 PM
Kris Jenner must be your dad for you to remember him through the years. Yikes, what a family ?
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purpleowl
October 17, 2016 at 4:59 PM
I'm sorry if this is trolling but I can't help it.
@mimi2 @Aidualc2
Kris Jenner being anyone's dad would be too amazing and miraculous to laughed at. Because Kris Jenner is a cis-gender woman. Kekeke
For any curious non-native English speakers, Chris is the male version and Kris is the female. Not all the time. It depends on the parents' way of spelling it but most commonly that is the distinction.
Thanks for the language laugh ?
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sweettangerine
October 18, 2016 at 10:13 AM
Purple Owl, I'm laughing along with you. :D
This ignorant troll, who's running around defending LMH, must be the same one who was clueless as to who Hyun Bin was, who (on another thread) attacked me for sharing my opinion on why far-more-experienced Hyun Bin was better suited for LMH's role.
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TheImprintOnMyNose
October 18, 2016 at 1:17 AM
By the end of the story, she's going to turn into bubbles
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4 saranga
October 17, 2016 at 3:38 AM
he looked ridiculously good with a perm in BOF, so much so that i've always thought he should have kept it. but he looks nothing like go jun-pyo anymore... his face changed, slowly but surely over the years. it's become more rounded and softer in general, and i really don't think it was weight gain. i'm pretty sure he fixed his face. i think he looked SO much more handsome before he did...
i also just finished re-watching/skimming BOF (oh man, so bad, but i was so addicted at the time!), and then i happened to see one of his CFs and for a few moments, i didn't even recognize him.
i hope that's just a strange picture, because he doesn't look like himself. definite weight loss, and probably the hair too. i haven't seen him without the reddish/orange hair in years.
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micky
October 17, 2016 at 4:02 AM
Let's be honest, his poodle hair in BOF days was not his best hairstyle... -__-
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tellmewhy
October 17, 2016 at 4:08 AM
The only thing changed from LMH is his hairstyle. I'm sure if he did PS he wouldn't want to make his face rounder. He will make it with Korean face standard (egg shaped face) and make it like wonbin or kangdongwon LOL . Plus he kinda looks diff bcos myb he has been extremely overworked since BOF days so it kinda affects his face a bit :)
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poko
October 17, 2016 at 4:14 AM
K-actors do plastic surgery to make their faces angular, his face became rounder which is normal with age.
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pigsnout
October 17, 2016 at 4:48 AM
It's well known that the trend in Korean cosmetic procedures is to get fillers injected for a fuller/younger looking face. Korean celebrities don't want an angular face or prominent cheekbones because that's not their current beauty standard.
Also in what world do faces become rounder with age? It's the opposite, they usually become more angular because of fat loss. Unless you gain large amounts of weight of course.
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YellowEyes
October 17, 2016 at 5:22 PM
Actually its the opposite. Have you seen the famous gwiyomi song rutine? Why do you think they put the hands under their chins like that? Its to make the face look angular, because asians usually have rounded faces, and, like anybody else, they seek for what they dont have (same with the eyelids and the noses) Also, how could you say that people usually lose weight when they age?! Are you serious?... Its a joke, right? Otherwise, its you who seems to be out of this world, because the world we live on, its full of middle aged people struggling with fat bellies and chubby faces.
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ET
October 17, 2016 at 7:04 PM
I don't agree. The Koreans do not want an angular face per se but one which is small and v-shaped. Their natural face shape tends to be broad, flat and wide cheekbones hence they do PS to make it slimmer as opposed to big and broad, v or oval shaped as opposed to angular or square jawlines.
@pigsnout is right. Faces become less round with age unless you put lots of weight. As one gets older, your metabolism goes down and you tend to put on weight round the middle and of course everywhere. However, the face still loses fat and thus there is a hollowing out effect. This is why older folks go for fillers to plump up their faces.
fayyyy
October 17, 2016 at 4:52 AM
@saranga The last drama where the original lee min ho can be found would be personal taste. Some say it might be city hunter, but I have not watched that, so for me it's personal taste. After that he at least looked quite charming on 'faith'. But then heirs happened and I can't recall anymore what effects he had on me in past lol.
On a different note, why everyone's so serious in the script reading photos? Looks like they're on a mission to save the universe and can't deal with the burden or something :-S
LMH almost seemed to be there on the chair by force or on hostage.
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tellmewhy
October 17, 2016 at 5:16 AM
lol nice fanficㅋㅋ
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Maria Selena
October 17, 2016 at 10:48 AM
YES! LMH looked his best in Personal Taste. It is also my favorite among his dramas. Even if his leading lady Son Hye-jin is older than him, they had great chemistry.
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imbuk
October 17, 2016 at 6:55 AM
I liked his hairstyle in boys over flowers too!
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Saranga2
October 17, 2016 at 3:30 PM
I'm sure you'd live properly even without being negative.
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saranga
October 18, 2016 at 12:17 AM
and i'm sure it would have killed you to move on if you didn't like my comment.
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5 Milenia
October 17, 2016 at 3:49 AM
Please make me fall for Lee Min Ho again. I'll be eternally thankful.
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beansoverflowers
October 17, 2016 at 7:25 AM
Oh, this is spot on for me.
I was fairly obsessed with him in BOF, waiting in my early high school years until 4am in the morning to be able to watch the episodes straight away. Him giggling and huffing at how he has /not/ been counting the minutes of her absence in that ridiculous bachelor pad with his friends, him so raw and devastated after the video of him and his father at a young age, him finding his memories when jandi falls into the water ...
And then. I couldn't get into him again. Personal Taste was cute, I guess, but I couldn't even get into City Hunter, really.
YOU CAN DO IT. (I can do it.)
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buckdawna
October 17, 2016 at 8:09 AM
Exactly. I want to love him like I used to, but Heirs murdered my love for Lee Min Ho. I want the magic back. That old spark! I feel like this show will be make-it or break-it for our relationship.
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Lol
October 17, 2016 at 3:31 PM
Lol that intense???
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6 samantha1
October 17, 2016 at 3:52 AM
I may be in the minority but I'll just check this one out for Moon So Ri alone.
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Karuna
October 17, 2016 at 7:08 AM
Joining the minority. Moon So-ri is so cool and effortless and her face has so much character. Wish she did more lead roles.
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7 PurpleJen
October 17, 2016 at 3:58 AM
So excited for this, the waiting is killing me! Please be good, please please!
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8 tellmewhy
October 17, 2016 at 3:59 AM
Lee Min Ho looks cuter and younger haha im waiting this drama. Fighting^^
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9 Hannah
October 17, 2016 at 4:08 AM
NOT liking the hair but I CANNOT WAIT!!!!!!! 1 more month to go, woohoo!!!
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10 Kim Sun👸💖💖💖
October 17, 2016 at 4:23 AM
Lee min ho looks like his personal taste days,I really want jealousy incarnate to end pretty soon so this drama can start *giggle*
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11 royal
October 17, 2016 at 4:31 AM
I didn't know Lee Hee Joon is part of this cast. He's working with the writer again. His role in You Who Rolled Unexpectedly was awesome. It was the drama that totally made me like him. So, OMG! YES. I'm totally sold.
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mary
October 17, 2016 at 4:52 AM
Seems like this writer like reunion with her stars. She did Producers and YFAS with KSH. YFAS and Blue Sea with JJH. You Who Came Unexpectedly and Blue Sea with LHJ.
And she always makes her characters shine. It must be part of why they're willing to work again with her. :D
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pigsnout
October 17, 2016 at 5:05 AM
I hope she reunites with IU or Gong Hyo Jin next, I really liked them in Producer. Cindy was truly a role to remember!
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saranga
October 18, 2016 at 12:22 AM
she's also worked with kim nam-joo a whopping three times—queen of housewives, queen of reversals, and you who rolled in unexpectedly.
queen of housewives appears to have been her first solo work, and it was a massive hit. she worked on some good stuff before her debut though—get karl oh soo jung, which was a really fun watch. and i could have sworn she also worked on nonstop and kimchi cheese smile (a fave sitcom of mine), but it doesn't appear on her credits so maybe i'm confusing that with a different writer.
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royal
October 19, 2016 at 2:37 AM
Nonstop?! I LOVE NONSTOP!
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mary
October 19, 2016 at 8:08 AM
Oh I didn't know the writer for Unexpected You and QoR was the same person. That's 2 out of 3 of the only "long" non-sageuk dramas I liked.
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12 Ace in the Trap
October 17, 2016 at 4:33 AM
I was looking for second leads Yoo Inna and Lee Dong Wook ... and realized that they're in that other drama that I want to watch for the cast but can't really bring myself to be enthusiastic about because of the writer.
I need a new drama because even if some of the current ones are good, they haven't really gotten me hooked emotionally since W. :( Hope Legend would give me a show to be excited about before the year ends...
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13 kanz
October 17, 2016 at 4:41 AM
Is there no second leads in sight? Will the writer only develop main leads romance?
Since I'm prone to 2nd lead syndrome, I'll gladly accept no second leads meddling, only 1st leads all the way to the sea(?)
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14 pigsnout
October 17, 2016 at 4:49 AM
Jun Ji Hyun looks beautiful.
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UmbrellaMan
October 17, 2016 at 7:44 AM
When does she not.
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15 jellybine
October 17, 2016 at 4:58 AM
When I read the "foreign location segments," I was reminded of those California scenes in the Heirs! :) Still, very excited for this. <3
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16 fkdjfkdjfajla
October 17, 2016 at 5:17 AM
OH my GOsh!!! JJh so gorgeous without makeup.. love her messy, undone brows ,her super flawless skin and her long, straight, jet black hair..
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17 amoi
October 17, 2016 at 5:20 AM
JJH!!....looking forward to drama
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18 V
October 17, 2016 at 5:22 AM
With Jeon Ji-hyun, Sung Dong-Il and the You From Another Star writer I have to watch this don't I? ?
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19 chiyako92
October 17, 2016 at 5:35 AM
I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed LMH looks so young in these photos.
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Baek
October 17, 2016 at 6:11 AM
Yea i think he looks great in the photo :)
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20 Peppa
October 17, 2016 at 5:36 AM
I'm very curious how her mermaid character will be able to cope up without being in water. There's got to be some magic right? To make it unique, why don't they make her drink 10L of water a day as the secret behind her having legs. Heol. It would be great if there's Ursula.
Since were talking about mermaid, why don't you read the webtoon Siren's lament? It's about mermaids (duh) and two (hot?) dudes fighting over a half human-mermaid. LOL.
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purpleowl
October 18, 2016 at 9:30 AM
I was going to respond last night but instead went on a mermaid research adventure. I'm an intense mermaid fan.
So basically what I found with my research is some mermaids need magic to have legs, i.e. Ariel. And others do not. They simply need to dry out, i.e. Splash (which I still haven't seen, sad)
And some times, the mermaid needs magic to get legs the first time but can keep them from then on, just by being an average human. But when they get wet they gain their tail back.
I believe in Aquamarine the film, the mermaid has to drink water all day and be in water if not around humans that didn't know.
Oh! Maybe Jeon Ji Hyun will live in someone's bathtub when she's not around unknowing humans.
I'll have to check out the webtoon you mentioned. Thanks!
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21 Jibbs
October 17, 2016 at 6:11 AM
Not a fan of the hair at all! I liked the city hunter look. I just prefer straight hair on him period - even in BOF. Hmm I do think he lost weight because I had the opportunity to see him in person when he visited Malaysia and he looked chubbier then. Anyhow, LMH FIGHTING!
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salt N pepper
October 17, 2016 at 5:56 PM
Glad I'm not the only who's not liking the hair. IMO he looked best in his City Hunter days (and also Personal Taste). That semi-perm he's sporting above reminds me of those effeminate actors like Noh Min Woo and JGS, whose hairstyles I'm often not fond of.
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22 aegiomma
October 17, 2016 at 6:48 AM
Maybe he looks younger because he started using moisturizer again after his preparation for Gangnam Blues? ;) Actually, I just have this suspicion that he has to really starve himself to get his face to slim down like that, and I expect he did that for this role. I feel like maybe he's an actor/model that has a hard time maintaining the extremely low weight required these days.
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23 Sea
October 17, 2016 at 7:31 AM
Random question: Do script readings happen before they film every episode? Or does the cast just get together to read the first script to get a sense of the show?
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joycie
October 17, 2016 at 8:46 AM
I was wondering about that too. Thought it was weird that the foreign location shoot happened before the script reading. Hope someone can clarify :)
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purpleowl
October 17, 2016 at 5:04 PM
I was confused by the locations shoot timing too? Like did they not talk during those shoots? Was it only the underwater scenes?
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24 Nika94
October 17, 2016 at 7:32 AM
*SCREAM* XD
I did scream when I saw Lee Min Ho's face. Why does he look soOooo handsome in this pic??? OH MY GOD!! HE looks SoOoo young and cute!!! Like a doll!!! He really looks like a doll!! I'm so into his looks that I still havent collected my thoughts to express my opinion about the story. LOL
He looks sOooooo gooooood
I just changed my phone background and selected Lee Min Ho's script reading picture. I realllyyy cannot wait 4 lee min ho's come back. I missed him so much in the past three years ??????It was so hard without him in dramaland.
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PurpleJen
October 17, 2016 at 8:04 AM
I've really missed him too. He's one of my favorite actors, and it's going to be great seeing him in a drama again. And I think he looks as amazing as ever, he's such a beautiful man.
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25 sweetsour
October 17, 2016 at 7:33 AM
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