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Kim So-hyun to romance Yoo Seung-ho in MBC’s Ruler–Master of the Mask

Now, this is a lineup I can get excited about: Kim So-hyun (Bring It On, Ghost) has confirmed taking the lead role opposite Yoo Seung-ho (Remember—Son’s War) in Ruler–Master of the Mask, an MBC historical drama set to air next year.
 
Ruler—Master of the Mask is described as a fresh, youthful melodrama-romance, which is a descriptor that appeals to me because we’ve seen quite a number of youthful sageuk rom-coms, but not many (or any?) that take a dramatic approach. And these two actors are great choices to carry a weightier youthful melo, having shown great range of emotion and ability in their prior works, starting from their child-acting years.

The drama is set in Joseon in the 1700s and is based on true events surrounding the attempt to privatize the control of the water supply, although it will also take creative license in fictionalizing aspects of the story. (That’s a disclaimer that hardly seems necessary anymore; where once sageuks were sticklers for historical facts, now they’re mostly historical fiction.) Yoo Seung-ho plays a lonely crown prince who fights against a secret organization made up of the wealthy and powerful movers and shakers in society who want to control the water.

Kim So-hyun has been cast to play a righteous, intelligent young woman whose father is executed on Yoo Seung-ho’s orders. That spurs her on a revenge mission against him, but she’ll end up falling in love with him instead. This mortal-enemies-to-lovers setup is like drama crack to me; give it to me now.

Yoo Seung-ho and Kim So-hyun have actually been in the same drama before, although they didn’t act together: She played the child version of the heroine in the 2012 melodrama I Miss You, while he played her friend-confidante-co-conspirator in adulthood. They’ve both got plenty of sageuk experience under their belts: Kim So-hyun played the evil jealous rival in The Moon That Embraces the Sun and followed that with a turn as the evil jealous sister in Rooftop Prince. Yoo Seung-ho cut his teeth on historical dramas, and is no stranger to playing royalty: He played young kings in Legend, King and I, and Queen Seon-deok (and King of Heaven in Arang and the Magistrate, which is like half-credit). I’m pretty excited about the prospect of seeing them act together, and will be keeping a close eye on developments for this show.

Ruler–Master of the Mask is being planned as a Wednesday-Thursday drama in MBC, to air in the first half of next year.

Via TV Daily

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so happy with the casting of the leads!! looking forward

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me too! I found a youtube video of Missing you BTS of them looking super embarrassed when meeting each otherrr. hee https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Zt9lxTpksA

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I legitimetly screamed of excitement when I read the title!!! This is a pairing I always wanted to see on the screen since they both are incredibly good at playing dramas!! I'm so happy it happened faster than ever thought it would!!! and the whole enemies-to-lovers story is icing on the cake!! I can't wait for it!!

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The casting is amazing.... I'm just worried though because the plot seems like a redo of a lot of other saguek dramas and I want to see something new. and the writer is a rookie... I can't find any previous works by him or her. I was really hoping that these two would do a modern drama instead. But nonetheless I'm so excited. the visual and acting chemistry should be off the roof.

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MBC is giving opportunities to new writers like Shopping King it's the wtiter debut drama too, maybe this one will be heartwarming and cute drama like SKL, although there wasn't anything new about SKL plot but there were something addicting in that drama and some attraction, and the characters were amazingly written and well acted.

I feel like MBC doesn't care about the ratings war that much like SBS snd KBS, those two are definitely competing hard. MBC got lucky with two dramas that surpassed a two highly anticipated dramas like UF and JI although JI is doing well but who would've thought that SK would win sometimes first place in ratings agains JI.

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I'm sorry to disagree with you. Even SBS and KBS also try to find new talent. KBS "On The Way To The Airport' and 'Oh My Geum Bi' script won a script contest and SBS 'Wanted' created by a new writer. Not only MBC try it.

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They care about ratings, but hiring star writers, such as Kim Eunsook and Park Jieun, become very expensive after they became sucessful with their dramas. KBS and SBS are pretty lucky because they hire them when they are still rookies. So, they have no choice, but to sometimes put their faith in new writers.

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Well SKL's writer gave us something refreshing and adorable, and she was new.

New writers can mean a different perspective and style to a story. Or can also mean copying the style of others. So it can still can go either way.

But as you said, cast is amazing. I've never seen any of their projects. Well I did see most of Moon that Embraces the Sun but heard a lot of their amazing skills so you can see that they'll bring their A-game.

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I will always about new writers when it comes to sageuk. It’s not your typical every day modern genre.
I guess it’s better to start off in a fictional fusion first.
The director did Shine or Go Crazy so he is capable if he keeps it simple.

I’m guessing this is based on the visionary Crown Prince Yi-san (King Jeongjo) <3 who used his own money to create and build water supply channels for farms and turning Hwaseong region into a major agricultural producer.
(I think this region is still the biggest producer of agriculture in Korea to this day).

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*worry*

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Been waiting for this news to be post on dramabeans since morning!! Im super excited for this pairing!!

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finally, he gets to play a young man his age, and has a young woman playing opposite him! i will look forward to this drama pairing...

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All I can keep thinking is I hope someone on Kim So Hyun's team is protecting her, and that in 10 years when she's no longer a child and she's at the ripe old age of 27 she'll be getting the same acting opportunities, and won't be competing with new teenage actresses for the same roles.

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I meant to make a standalone post, but somehow ended up replying to the person above? Sorry.

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They look so good together. And both can act!
Perfect.

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So true. I think this is a perfect pairing.
I didn't think of this before, but when I see them like this...it's just perfect.

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So excited!!!!

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I'm sooo excited about this news! Looking forward to this drama. I think it could be another "Magical Pairing" after Moonlight's YeongOn. Please, be good, drama~

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THISMAKESMESQUEALINSIDEOUTUPSIDEDOWN.

I have a long, long list of K-actor crushes, but Yoo Seung Ho makes my heart skip differently. Lol see, that sentence doesn't even make sense. Oh well, this is a sign to bid farewell to sanity, and welcome Yoo Seung Ho in his beaaaauuuutiful sageuk mane of glory with wide open noona arms. Give his character a fluffy cat and it'll be purrfect (why are there only horses in sageuks?). But him alone, is sufficiently beauuuuuuuutiful ?

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I'm really happy about this casting. So Hyun has only played evil characters in sageuk, so I'm glad to see her as a good person here.

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Well, she appeared on the movie The Last Princess where she was a late joseon princess. She's in hanbok and she's a nice character.

I'm so happy with this pairing!!!! I love Kim So-hyun, she's my fav actress. She is going to be 18 next year, so she's not a baby anymore. And Yoo Seung-ho looks so young, so I'm happy he was paired with someone who looks younger than him (with Go Ara and Park Mi young he looked like their younger bro).

I'm going to follow this drama news closely!

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It's amazing that they've never worked together before even though they're both the few high-profile child actors of their generation. Okay, maybe considering their ages, they're separated by half a generation. Still...

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There were plenty of child actors in his age group back then. By the time she broke out as top child actress, Yoo Seung-ho was in the army.

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WOOOOOOOOOOOON-AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! ???????

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??????????

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I don't understand why this comment is full of upside down chickens

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This chick has flipped.

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I am so behind this pairing! YES! Two brilliant actors together and I love both (although here we go again with a minor-adult pairing). Instead of a light youth sageuk, we get a youth melodrama sageuk. I am liking this!

Give me more drama and tears because Yoo Seungho is one of the few that gets to cry really well that I feel my heart ripping whenever he does. Sohyun needs no further description because girl is so talented. A revenge plot? Count me in! Nothing new, but I am all for good delivery production and acting-wise even if the plot is familiar.

I'm a teeny tiny sad because I was hoping to see Sohyun's next project with Bogum, but this pairing is so good, that I can wait for more years before I see a PBGxKSH pairing. Now drama, please be good.

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Yes, like you, I'm so into the idea of Park Bo Gum - Kim So Hyun pairing. Ever since I saw them MC-ing in KBS Drama Award last year. But I can wait for my dream pairing to happen some time before PBG's military enlistment. "Uri So Hyun, drink a lot of milk and grow big soon. You have to hurry and grow up, so you can be paired up with Park Bo Gum in drama or movie~"

But for now, I'm so happy and looking forward to this Ruler OTP's chemistry^^

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Hehehe! Love the R88 line reference. And yes, I can and will wait. I have a very strong feeling it will happen and Sohyun knows that fans want her to work with Bogum. For now, I am excited for this pairing as I have a soft spot for Seungho as well. 93ers are filled with handsome and talented actors.

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I'm thinking in a few years when Sohyun is of age, that PBGxKSH pairing is going to go OFF.

In the meantime, I am so up for this melodrama pairing between YSH-KSH!

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Yaas, im with you girl, but i have zero percent concern on the age-gap, sincerely because even if other’s think that kdramas should hire an older actress, i think these young actresses deserved this lead roles, it is afterall the fruit of their labor, and they are no stranger to talent, instead of giving roles to untalented drama idols. i think when it comes to whomever gets the lead role, it should be fair in all ages, as long as there is talent and agreeable scene for the actors/actresses.
On the side note, this concerning comparisons with MDBC is igniting my undiscovered nuclear bomb inside, its really frustrating, please stop people, i never noticed it until i have read your comments, its not even noticeable, unless you have this really huge biases, geez, get a grip.

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too biased.

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Yes. Too biased

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again what?

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this site is too BIASED

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Are writers not allowed to have biases now? They're people too-- not just machines that dole out news for you.

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Hm do you want to elaborate? I'm confused

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Too biased, about what or who?

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YEESSS!!!

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How has this not happened before? hahahahaha. This news has made my day!!!!!!!!! YAAAASSSSSSSSS ~~

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My thinking exactly! As child actors, I would have thought they would have acted with each other a few times before now.

This is exciting to see them together! Wooo hoo!

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His leading lady was Park Eun-bin back then both in sageuks and modern drama. I think they had been paired 3 times.

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Yay...another underage pairing...yay...

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Can it really be avoided though? If we didn't want an underage pairing then Kim So-hyun Yoojung etc. should stop being casted as leads and wait until their old enough. Or they should choose a drama with no romance.

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It can easily be avoided. It's why these PDs constantly choosing teenage girls to romance grown men is so concerning. There's no shortage of 20+ actresses, so why is this problem so persistent?

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Yes, it really can.

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Well, he's only five years older than her; it's not as bad as a thirteen year gap that KSH did once. (At least, I think it was her)

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Well, it's Joseon, the reality was worst than that.

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People love to forget that there underage actress still has to play romantic scenes with the grown-ass male actor. If they were dating in real life, that'd be reprehensible. But if she is forced by the scrip to repeatedly fake intimacy with him in her workplace, that is totally fine.

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According to you.

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now its totally fine because it will be a different actress, but when it comes to YJ doing those innocent kissing scene, almost everybody went ballistic.......

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Kim So-hyun romanced Nam Joo-hyuk, who is only a year younger than Yoo Seung-ho, in School 2015 and I don't remember people saying anything about that. Is it because he played a high schooler?

If so, what matters more, the age of the actors of the age of the characters they play?

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I need help to understand all this underage thing.
Maybe it's a cultural thing for me, but in my country, and though the adult age is 18 year old, the society views teen girls such as 16 and above (to be 18) already grown up women.
I never seen on tv or alike things (or even on real life) a girl underage (16-17) and a boyfriend who is (perhaps 23 and above) get criticism and controversial topics.
We get on tv lots of youth tv shows who got love and made many teenage girls/boys get to stardom. In our tv shows there is always a love line with other characters, older or not, they get and I never seen criticism for it.
So I'm not used to all this topic of an underage woman (which for me 16-17, they're not just teens, they're grown up women physically) getting all negative criticism for playing with a male lead who is older and adult.
So I think it's a cultural thing maybe, how society views it. And I think my country is somewhat traditional in many ways, but we're western and maybe we're subjected to other border views as well.
Most girls now lost their virginity before 18, and many had lots of boyfriends even on their teenage years.
Of course I think 13/14 years old, they are still too young, but our society view women 16 and above grown up women, and even my grandmother finds normal 16/17 year old women that are dating guys, and most of the time their are on their 20s. I think what people still talk here is HUGE age gaps for example 20 years difference, or 10 years if the woman is older than the guys.
So it makes me kinda confused about all this thing with underage when the girls are physically grown up women. But again, it's just a cultural thing...I guesss...

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Well, it's a Historical drama. In that era, age doesn't matter.

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I am happy for Yoo Seung-Ho casting, but not Kim So-hyun. He is over 20 years old. He deserves a compatible leading lady and not a teenager, no matter how good she is. She really needs to be only in youth drama, as long as she is under age.

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But he doesn't match with any of the leading ladies lately though...go ara, park min young.. I mean kim so hyun is 18 in 2017. Not to mention they look the same age. I rather have a good actress like her who has great chemistry with every guy she is paired up with.

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Agreed she has good chemistry. But isn't it too hurry to come back. She just finished let fight ghost.

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she finished in august no? and this drama isn't airing until March of next year. She had plenty of time to rest.

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Park Eun-bin who can do sageuk better than any of these child actors have always been known as Yoo Seung-ho's leading lady. They were the sageuk child actors of their generation.

There are plenty of young talents in their 20s who can do sageuk.
Shim Eun-kyung (busy film schedules), Park Bo-young (jTBC Strong Woman), Nam Ji-hyun, Baek Jin-hee, Kim So-eun, Kang Han-na, Kim Go-eun....
(some are 2-4yrs older then YSH)

I love Kim So-hyun, she is amazing! Yoo Seung-ho is charming but I haven't been impressed his last 2 sageuk films after the army. Feels like he was just coasting.

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They should have casted kim ji won.
Best fitted.

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I love Kim Ji Won but she and YSH is a big NO, she looks older and if you wanna talk ab a "noona is pretty" plot it's ok, but in this drama the female lead seems to be younger so KJW is not really a good choice ;_;

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when I think about it again, yoo seung ho looks really young,
the impression of him is a young man and many 20- actress hardly passed as younger than him,
I can only think handful of actress,
kim seul gi?
park bo young ?

yup that's all apparently (my memory seems to not working properly today)

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it was really weird watching him with park min young. I thought that he would match with go ara in his movie but they literally had like zero chemistry. he needs someone that's younger than him to match him because he gives off a boyish vibe.

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@rea

That's exactly how I feel about them in The Magician. Two pretty people with zero chemistry.

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I like Jiwon too but I have the same sentiments. She would look older than YSH. I remember her name being part of the list for MDBC lead and while I like her, she did not fit the character description of Raon which should be around 18 yrs old and looks younger than PBG.

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Yoo Seung-ho is 5 years younger than Taecyeon, and pairing Taec with KSH wasn't exactly a disaster.

KSH is one of my favorites and I'm glad to see her again soon in almost anything. Don't care about who they pair her with, just hope they have a good writer and director.

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It's not about if it didn't turn out to be a "disaster." Taecyeon was 10 years older than her! Just because the gap is a LITTLE small here doesn't make it better.

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"...have a good writer and director."

^ YES. Emphasis on this. Really, So-Hyun is a very talented actress for someone her age. But she's never had a drama/movie in where the plotline was crappy.

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Or HE should only be in dramas with actresses who aren't underage.

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He's only 23 years old. Acting-wise, they're both perfectly fit to be together (if you watched Missing You, you'll know what I mean). The age thing is just a matter of persepectives, really. Besides, its a historical drama and in that era age didn't matter when it came love.

And yes, So Hyun's ability to have a good chemistry with her leading men is no joke. I'm more than happy and excited for this drama to air soooon~~!

(P.S: I think Kim So Hyun is the only teenager actress boardering on roles older than she actually is? Or am I wrong? Nonetheless, her portrayals are top-notch, taking Let's Fight Ghost's Kim Hyun Ji for example.)

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I dont really care about the age gap after seeing LFG's chemistry. I think SH can convince us all especially this time when the age gap is not too much and YSH looks so young :D I love these two and the plot seems interesting for me so, why not?

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This is a casting come true for me and my dongsaeng who said in a recent interview that she would love to act with yoo seung ho..... Its funny that they are going back to MBC for a reunion (I Miss You MBC)

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KSH wishes comes true she said also that she wanted to act with Son Yi Jin or she was her rule model actress then she played her younger version in a movie, and now YSH, lol.

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I can see her as the next Son Ye-jin of Chungmuro. Love it that they resemble each other in physical appearance too.

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Indeed! I miss those days. I really liked everyone in that drama, but most especially So Hyun, Jin Goo and Seung Ho

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I have only watched kim so hyun in bring It on ghost but I really liked her in it. So, happy to get to see her in pretty hanboks and joseon hairstyle.

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You should watch her other dramas, she is very talented and an amazing actress. i recommend I miss you and who are you school 2015 she showed amazing acting there

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Thanks for the drama recommendations, kim. Will check it out. :)

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OMG YOU SHOULD TOTALLY watch SCHOOL 2015!!!
I highly recommend it! ^^ My fave fave drama of all times.

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Ok ok.. Is this like another MDBC in the making? Another sageuk youth romance set in Joseon era? Boy, sageuk is here to stay and Joseon never dies.

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to think about it,
I think it because the other era already has its glory side represented greatly but I hardly think that joseon has a good one in politic theme, Six flying Dragon? but it's like early joseon (most of the notable one is the love story and you can remind me if my memory is wrong),
I can only remember dae jang geum, yisan, Damo, Iljimae and MDBC (perhaps) for the popular title from joseon era ( Tree With Deep Roots and SKK probably can be included),
but I hardly find any representative for Joseon that wasn't about love,

then we have damo, the ballad of seodong, seon deok, jumong, Haeshin, The Kingdom of The Winds, Gyebaek, the legend , Princess Ja Myung Go,Six flying Dragon and the before 2000 saeguk that tell us the story before Joseon and the gat era,
even Empress Ki is like early Joseon,

so personally think Jose on is good but they have to do a better story telling,
Nirvana in fire and many Chinese palace dramas is more like Joseon and I find it entertaining,

* you can correct me if my information is wrong, I probably forget something important,

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Korean media have recently named Sungkyunkwan, Moon/Sun and Moonlight as the troika in youth, fusion sageuk. They're all well-received works based on novels that brought great young actors to the limelight. They're basically the Sageuk Starter Set. Funnily enough, the lovely Ahn Nae-sang features in all three.

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yeah they all well received and well made,
and I just realised that it has Ahn Nae Sang

and he played the same character for SKK and Moonlight
- Sungkyunkwan Scandal (KBS2 / 2010) - Jung Yak-Yong
- Love in the Moonlight | Gooreumi Geurin Dalbit (KBS2 / 2016) - Jung Yak-Yong

I think this team need to cast him too, he is great at acting too

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Lol, Sancheezy. I didn't even realized he played the same character in both dramas! Thank you for letting us know.

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Almost but this one is said to be a melo-drama which MDBC wasn't. I think there will be a surge of youth romance sageuk after the huge success of MDBC that no one expected. I hope this one does well too.

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Joseon seems like the favorite era when it comes to sageuk. It's history was well kept (Annals of Joseon) compared to the earlier era with only references here and there to go by since the original historical documents were destroyed.
Yes, Joseon will never die lol. The highest rating sageuk ever (64.5%) was based on Joseon's Doctor Heo.

Most of the fusion sageuk these days are just dress-up based on novels, webtoons etc.
KBS is the only hope for a more conventional sageuks based on the actual history like "Jeong Do-jeon" (Joseon) and that was 2yrs ago. It's more expensive to make so I doubt they'd come out with another epic traditional sageuk in the future.

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woaah isn't this kinda the same with moonlight pairing?
seungho and sohyun are the same age with Bogum and yoojung, also it's next year!!

I still think they title need a bit improvement, Ruler sounds the actual ruler and not the leader of rule, idk probably just my pet peeves,

MBC has good reputation in saeguk so please be good

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Whaaaaaa... Park Bogum and Yoo Seung Ho is in the same age group?!

Is this because I already watched Yoo Seung Ho since his child actor era? I always feels like that he is still a young boy, hence the thought that Park Bogum is older.

I always thought that Park Bogum has the same age with Kim Soo Hyun...

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Bogum born in June 1993 and Seung Ho is August 1993,

I especially remember that because at 1st I remember Bogum as actor who born at the same yeah with yoo seung ho and look like lee hyun woo

and then I discover that Lee hyun woo born in March 1993, older than bogum and Seung Ho,
what a baby face this 3 guys (I mean bogum is quite young looking for 23, seung hoo and hyun woo is just more young looking than him)

bogum gives older impression because he starts older with more mature role in kdrama imo,
but he played as teenagers in movies before too

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Hyunwoo is older than Bogum and Seungho by months?? OMG bb looks so young. He is like the baby in all the 93ers and he does resemble Bogum a bit. hehe! I love 93ers. They are a talented bunch and not to mention so good-looking and young-looking. hehe!

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Before I came to know Park Bo-gum, I've always thought Park Bo-gum was Lee Hyun-woo's look alike.

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park bogum, yoo seungho, seo kang joon, lee hyun woo.. they're all '93 actors. and to be really honest, I think all of them look their age.

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Apparently, Crown prince is the equivalent of chaebol in modern time, huh?

Oh well, at least the casting is spot on. Like Javabeans said, both of them really good in mello. I especially love how Yoo Seung Ho's eyes able to reflect so much sadness just by looking a far. So much emotion!

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YES omigosh. The only project I have watched with Seung Ho was Missing You (where So Hyun was too), but even in that project only I know Seung Ho's acting capability especially with melodrama

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The acting quality is beyond good, the visual is perfect. I must be too greedy if I wish perfect story too.

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