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News bites: August 23, 2023


Han Ji-min, Lee Jun-hyuk

  • The busy Han Ji-min (Behind Your Touch) is reviewing offers for her next project, putting her psychic-veterinarian days “behind” her and potentially sitting at the big desk as a dashing CEO in Acquaintances (working title). Also in discussions – and also dashing – is Lee Jun-hyuk (Dark Hole), who is up to play said CEO’s secretary. As per the rules of dramaland, romance is of course on the horizon. Yes please, sign me up. [My Daily]

  • New character posters have dropped for ENA’s upcoming Day of Kidnapping, showcasing the black comedy’s motley foursome, with dad-but-not-dad Yoon Kye-sang (Kiss Sixth Sense), sassy Yoo-na (Green Mothers’ Club), determined cop Park Sung-hoon (Not Others), and inscrutable Kim Shin-rok (Shadow Detective 2). Coming to our screens on September 13, production is being led by PD Park Yoo-young (A Model Family) and writer Kim Je-young (Cheese in the Trap, the film). [News1]

  • A new rom-com called Treat Me Carelessly (roughly translated) is in the works, with Lee Yoo-young (Insider) reportedly cast as the lead and L (a.k.a. Kim Myung-soo) (Numbers) still in talks. Taking a page from ye olde classics, the webtoon adaptation has the former playing a self-made modern woman and aspiring designer, while the latter’s character is a traditional stiff upper lip, hailing from the Confucian-trained hills. [Dispatch, Star News]
  • Speaking of webtoon adaptations, A Good Day to Be a Dog has been picked up by MBC and is planning to air once a week in a new Wednesday slot. Starring Cha Eun-woo (Island), Park Kyu-young (Celebrity), and Lee Hyun-woo (Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area), the fantasy rom-com finished filming this past April and is currently in post-production. PD Kim Dae-woong (Start Up the Engine) is at the helm with scripts by Baek In-ah. [MBC]


    Cha Eun-woo, Park Kyu-young, Lee Hyun-woo

  • Over on SBS, the War for Survival is about to begin in the newest teaser, featuring our apprehensive leads – minus Eom Ki-joon (Little Women). Starring an intense ensemble cast including Hwang Jung-eum (Men Are Men) and Lee Joon (Red Heart) among many others, the makjang thriller will be kicking off next month on September 15. [Herald Pop]
  • Also coming in September is Netflix’s wistful romance A Time Called You, and in the newest batch of stills, we get another look at our love smitten leads: Jeon Yeo-bin (Glitch), Ahn Hyo-seop (Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim 3), and Kang Hoon (The Secret Romantic Guesthouse). I can already feel my heart being pulled into so many directions and I don’t know if I’ll make it out alive when the full series arrives on September 8. [Newsen]

 
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There was a short form drama that aired on KBS called Naked Fireman, Lee Jun-hyuk was great in that and I've always wanted to see him in a pure rom com.

"Someday or One day" is one of those dramas that really shouldn't be remade, lightning rarely strikes in the same place twice

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I saw less than two episodes of the Taiwanese original and the pacing of the plot as well as the actors I didn't like. That's why I was waiting for the Korean version. But I don't like Taiwanese dramas in general mainly because of the slow storytelling. The only Taiwanese drama I liked was Lost Romance.

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For the sake of people who haven’t seen the original I hope they justify the remake and do a good job. I will stay away from it.
I really can’t see anyone replace Greg Hsu, and Ahn Hyo-Seop feels like an odd choice. I never found him charismatic so may be it’s personal.

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SOME DAY OR ONE DAY was a masterpiece- I agree that it seems unwise to do a re-make. But the K-drama re-make of FATED TO LOVE YOU was in most ways better than the T-drama original, which was very good. We will cross our fingers and hope for the best.

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The first drama sounds like Ms. Temper & Nam Jung-Gi (highly recommended for anyone who hasn't seen it). In other reports, it was even mentioned that the secretary is a single father.

With that said, hopefully HJM and LJH get cast. They both have similar vibe and will probably look great together.

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MS. TEMPER AND NAM JUNG-GI was very good. I recommend it too.

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Lawyer Cha!

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1) Lee Jun H-Hyuk suits the secretary role! He was really good in Are You Human too. I'm happy to see him in a lead role with Han Ji-Min as a costar! If he's single father, it will be her second time to date a single father and its consequences!

2) I hope Park Sung-Hoon will be more present physically in this role than in No Others.

3) I like both actors and after wachting My Dearest recently, I'm totally rooting for a FL fighting against a Confucius lover!

4) I will watch it for Park Kyu-Young, she's very versatile and was so stunning in Celebrity. For the male leads... I hope they won't be too boring.

5) Not for me.

6) I'm hesitating. I really like Jeon Yeo-Bin but Ahn Hyo-Seop's scenes didn't appeal me... But there is Kang Hoon, but he's the SML...

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Kang Hoon for me is an actor who steals all scenes in dramas. On the other hand, Ahn Hyo-seop is for me an actor who literally disappears in every role. I feel like I will see the drama as the story of the character played by Kang Hoon. I won't be able to stop it.

This drama about turning into a dog sounds weird to me. I don't like stories like this with people turning into animals. What do these characters do when they are animals that are known to have their own instincts and are not "civilized"? Hmm.

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I thought Good Day to Be a Dog sounded totally weird at first, but I read the webtoon and it worked a lot better than I was expecting! There are definitely some things that they could improve to make a tighter, better story, but the core of it was really charming. I hope it's a good adaptation!

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A Good Day to be a Dog is really good! I have learned that people don't like me to spoil anything about the webcomic premise, so let me just say instead that I think the story will address your concerns (I mean, assuming it's faithful which I should not assume)

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Excited for the Lee Jun Hyuk casting news! I've always considered him super underrated and can't understand why he wasn't firmly launched into ML territory years ago - I mean what have the PD's been on??!! Hope he signs on, I love the role reversal and the secretary/dad with young kid role sounds like it'd really suit him, not to mention that I've been DYING to see him in a compelling romance since City Hunter...

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Yes to all this!! 😁

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I am so bummed by A Good Day to be a Dog only being one ep per week. How will I survive?? The wait for 19th Life (before it went off of the rails) was bad enough, and I don't even like that comic half as much as A Good Day to be a Dog!

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Did anyone else see that photo of Han Ji-min up top and think it was a high school yearbook photo?

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No, but you must be the reason why the production team made Han Ji-min play her high school self in Behind Your Touch.

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Well, for what it is worth, it wasn’t so much how young she looks as it is the blue background with vaguely geometric shapes on it and the lighting which makes her cheeks glow so brightly!

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I have mixed feelings about the casting offer for Lee Joon-hyuk, surprisingly. I guess I am both happy to hear that he's being offered a lead role with a very good co-star (loved Han Jimin in Rooftop Prince but haven't really seen her in anything like it since) but also anxious because there's no mention yet of who the screenwriter is. Which makes me worry that the project was solely created to take advantage of his current rise in popularity. He's handsome and breathtaking in suits and white coats, but I feel that only shows one aspect of his charm. I found him most compelling and alive when he's playing a detective type, toting a rifle around saving people. If I had a choice, I would really give up the rom-com aspect and instead have him star in a drama with a really interesting premise, perhaps a fantasy thriller. A corporate office setting sounds so bland, no wonder he hasn't jumped on the offer yet. It would be interesting to see him play a single parent and interacting with his kid. And while Han Jimin became one of my favorite actresses after Rooftop Prince, I also have no idea whether they would have chemistry together. After the casting news came out, I went to watch her dramas, and maybe it was the dramas, but I wasn't really drawn into them the way Rooftop Prince captured my imagination. I think maybe both of them would be better suited to a more intense, emotionally-driven, and action-packed drama akin to Rooftop Prince and Dark Hole rather than a tame one set in an office. So, again, mixed feelings!

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Wasn’t Lee Joon-hyuk (1984) cast against type as a baddie in the summer box office hit film THE ROUNDUP: NO WAY OUT.
This is the third film in a series with THE OUTLAWS (2017) and THE ROUNDUP (2022) being the other two and both are available (end enjoyable imo) on Viki US. I look forward to seeing the third film at some point.

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My first LJH drama was SBS’s CITY HUNTER (2011) which was my sixth kdrama when I entered kdrama land in 2016. I have been a fan of his since. He may have not become a top top tier ML but I think he has had a very successful career and maybe staying just under the radar has had its benefits for him.
Look what he did playing that weasel Prosecutor Seo Dong-jae in FOREST OF SECRETS/STRANGER (2017 (2020) (Netflix US). He played that character to a tee twice and there are reports that apparently he has been rewarded with the role of ML in an upcoming spinoff titled: GOOD OR BAD DONG JAE. I don’t think it can get much better than that.

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I think it sucks being a top tier actor in Korea - very low quality of life, snapped everywhere you go. Just the other night, Lee Joon Hyuk was recognized and surrounded by a bunch of fellow attendees at a musical. They all just whipped out their phones and started filming him. No wonder celebrities all just stay home. I think it sucks to be someone on the fame level of Lee Minho, he literally has no personal freedom. So I am so happy for Lee Joon Hyuk that he's never gotten super ridiculously famous, especially at a young age. I don't think it would do him any good mentally, emotionally, romantically. I've taken a vow to never film him or any other celebrities I see in their private life. Only if it's an official event like a film premier. It's so creepy how people, however good-intentioned, do that. On a larger scale, it's an incredibly destructive invasion of privacy. As for Good or Bad Dong Jae, it was supposed to start filming back in May, but there hasn't been any news of that happening. The screenwriter has another drama coming out, so I don't know what's the deal with that.

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I was also looking forward to seeing him in The Roundup No Way Out but didn't really enjoy the movie that much. While his acting was good enough (my favorite was his opening scene) you don't really get to know his character that much. You just see him grimacing, menacing, frowning, beating up/killing people, getting beat up, etc. It's a lot of action without any meaning or depth to it. What can you do. There's like a 5 second scene of his bare naked chest, all buff and tanned. Enjoy lol

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1 - I've read that ML is sweet and optimistic single father (!) while FL is a socially awkward loner... Well, that's a reverse of quite a few tropes already, let's see how they'll handle it.
3 - I'm so very sorry, but L and LYY?! What kind of casting is that? Pretty sure both of them can do better than yet another "noona romance: the plot" show.
Moar webtoon adaptations! It's like superhero movies rage from last decade all over again. Chill a little, dammit!
Oh, right, almost forgot - it today's wtf news: China is remaking FLOWER OF EVIL. Don't ask me why pls, I'd rather do math than try to reason this. Cannot wait to see how badly they'll maul the plot thanks to censorship...

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Is #3 really a noona romance? She's too young for that kind of drama opposite L. And arguably a much better actor too.

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LJH and HJM, a pairing I never saw coming. Most of the time, once casting news comes out, even if they say that it is one of the works they are currently reviewing, is already a done deal. HJM have not acted as a CEO before and this is a romcom with a good actor as co lead. Bring it on.

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I do hope he takes it, even with my misgivings. I mean, it would be so hard to decline at this point since the co-star is Han Jimin and all his fans want him to do a rom com. It's like he has to accept this project even though his agency didn't sound too enthused with the offer, they just said it's one of several they're considering. They haven't announced the writer yet, so I was afraid it would turn out into a random forgettable rom com fluff commissioned by greedy studio bosses to a newbie writer.

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Oh cool, another webcomic to read before the live action adaptation comes out…

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After the experiences I've had with adaptations of comics I've actually read, I'm learning it's better NOT to read them. Unless you're talking about A Good Day to be a Dog, in which case I recommend it to anyone, anywhere, anytime.

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The plot premise for TREAT ME CARELESSLY has been done before but if done well it works well and can be highly entertaining. I am not sure if I can picture L is the Traditional Family Confucian Scholar but we will see.

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1. Acquaintances - Definitely interested, such a good casting. (I like both the actors and I am up for some 30 something or older romancing)
2. Day of Kidnapping - at the moment a pass in spite of Yoon Kye-sang
3. Treat Me Carelessly - I love Lee Yoo-young but story is not giving me much hope.
4. A Good Day to Be a Dog - I liked the comic so definitely interested.
5. War for Survival - pass.
6. A Time Called You - Cautiously optimistic

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I hope some of these are watchable, with recent dramas ending , I’m down from 3 to 1 K drama.

I’ll give the Some Day or One Day a shot .

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Glad 'A Good Day to Be a Dog' is coming out soon, because I love PKY but for the love of dramas Celebrity is so underwhelming.

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