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[Beanie Recs] Actors in dual roles


Ahoy, Beanies! It’s time to gather your collective genius for a recommendation series that features you and your drama knowledge. We’ll drop a drama conundrum and leave it up to you to provide a drama rec, and the appropriate rationale behind it, be it long or short.
 

@Britney: I recently watched Arthdal Chronicles: The Sword of Aramun and I liked that Lee Jun-ki not only played dual roles but they also interacted with each other. I wanted to know if there are more dramas where an actor not only played dual roles but the characters also interacted. If that’s too hard, then just dramas where an actor plays dual roles would be appreciated.


Have a very particular drama itch that needs scratching? In need of a Beanie Rec? Email us at hello @ dramabeans.com and we’ll feature your topic in a future post.
 
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top of the head Our Blooming Youth

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Tae San & Tae Gang

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But, I remember the gangster guy in Strong Woman Do Bong Soon having multirole, no? but they didnt interact of course

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I forgot about this one! Did they have a moment when they met for a second? I can't remember.

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Me neither but he really played them like his life counted on it

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They passed each other at the hospital and wordlessly stared at each other

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It's giffed in my Oh fan post.
https://www.dramabeans.com/activity/p/1500226/

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Oh, oh: Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938!!! epic and hilarious

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This was the same character though! I guess since it's at really different times in his life maybe it counts?

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I think it counts, cause their attitude was also very different. and it had to be filmed twice. Man, the "mirror" scene! Even the reactions were really different, he had to think out of the box

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Definitely counts

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Spoilers! Hahaha I thought about mentioning this one too and decided it was too spoilery.

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maybe maybe but I didnt say who they were in the drama

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would Ghost Doctor count? Because he had to change demeanor depending on who was in charge of the body

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It definitely does.

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You got it first! Just watched the handsome actor Heo Won-Seo do a fantastic acting job playing 2 roles. This young man is only 22.

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The first one that comes to mind is The Crowned Clown. Beanies are divided on this drama, but they are largely not divided on the fact that Yeo Jin-gu was incredible in his dual roles. The two roles don’t have too much interaction, but they do meet, so this fits the stricter requirement too. I really loved this drama and found it really intense to watch - such high stakes!

Another great one is My Holo Love - this one is fun because one of the characters is an AI interface that the ML (same actor) created. The FL meets the AI and then later meets the ML and understandably gets them mixed up. It’s a quick, sweet drama that actually has a good use of face-blindness.

A Time Called You probably also counts because there are doppelgangers galore in this drama (it’s part of the setup). Not as many of them meet here, but often the actors’ characters are very different from one another, and it can be fun to pick up on the subtleties (or in some cases, the not-so-subtleties!).

The last one that I can think of is The King’s Affection which doesn’t have as much of this, but the child actor who plays the young FL also plays her twin brother and they have a fun encounter (and more in flashbacks I think). Not so much when they are adults for *kdrama reasons*, but the FL is a really cool character and Park Eun-bin plays her incredibly well (as is to be expected).

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I forgot The Crowned Clown's Yeo Jin-gu 🤦🏽. Can you imagine.
Yeo Jin-gu did wonders in his dual role here. His performance was unquestionable. And its excellence is not even up for debating.

About TKA, they never met as adults. So there's no "not so much", except the moments we don't have Park Eun-bin donning the King's regalia.

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Agreed! Sorry, I was using "not so much" to mean "it doesn't happen", but we do get some really fun moments when Park Eun-bin plays an alternate version of herself very late in the drama, and she is so different that it's almost like a separate character.

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Her dream was really interesting and sad.

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Kim So-hyun in School 2015, playing identical twin sisters with very different lives.

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Kim So Hyun in School 2015 and also in Bring It On Ghost. Ghost Hyunji and Human Hyunji were different yet similar in many ways.

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Only tangentially relevant because they're films rather than drams and the characters don't interact, but Son Ye-jin played the female lead and her mother 30 years in the past in The Classic.

Additionally, without being too spoilers, Jung Ryo-won had distinctly different traits while playing the same character in Two Faces of my Girlfriend

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The King: Eternal Monarch had a clutch full of people.
- Woo Do Hwan
- Kim Go Eun
- Lee Jung Jin
And quite a few more.

Lee Mi Sook in Greasy Melo (Wok of Love).

If A Time Called You counts then perhaps so will Lovely Runner (Carry Sun-Jae And Run) and also Atypical Family!?

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Woo Do Hwan was the only objectively good thing about King:Eternal Monarch am awful drama that still has my heart lol

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Agreed!! 🙌

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My favorite for so many reasons.!!

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Perfect call on TKEM!

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Unbreakable Sword.❤️

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The first part of Arthdal :p Personaly, I thought Song Joong-ki did a better job to play the twins.

Yeo Jin Goo was great in The Crowned Clown like @jls943 wrote.

Hyun Bin did in Hyde, Jekyll, Me but it was the same person with 2 different personalities, so they didn't meet. And the whole drama was bad...

Seo Kang-joon as a person and a robot in Are You a Human?

Yoon Hyun-min as a person and a AI in My Holo Love too.

Yoon Park had a duel role in You Are My Spring.

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I've never seen S1 of Arthal Chronicles. Should I give it a try for his performance?

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I didn't like this drama, so I would say no.

It would be weird to watch the first part if you already watch the second, wouldn't be ?

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Some could say it was weird for me to watch the second season without watching the first haha

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I became a huge fan of Seo Kang Jun in ARE YOU HUMAN, TOO? The transition between two characters was seamless, like turning a switch on and off. His eyes, body language, tone of voice would change instantly... Awesome performance.

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I always use SKJ’s AYHT performance to prove that he is very capable of doing ‘nasty’.

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I was disapointed by the story but his acting was great!

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DESTINED WITH YOU had the same actors of the current timeline enact different roles in a preceding timeline (so they don’t meet… „themselves“).
Same with THE STORY OF PARK‘S MARRIAGE CONTRACT.

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...and See You In My 19th Life.

Shin Hye-sun was chilling in her preceding timeline.

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I remember yang se Jong played a dual role in a series called Dual/duel. They were estranged brothers. I don't remember the exact story but it involved human cloning and one of the brothers is an anti hero. I remember enjoying it while it was airing.

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Somehow @superwhopotterlock I missed that you beat me to it. YSJ was outstanding in DUEL and made me a fan for life.

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He was. Unfortunately I didn't like any of his other dramas. I was only able to finish 30 but 17.

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Chae Soo-bin in I’m Not a Robot is something I enjoyed a lot.

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Does Ji Sung in Kill me Heal me count?

Uhm Ki Joon in Defendant

Chae Soo-bin in I am not a Robot.

Now that the topic has come up, im suprised it doesnt happen that often in makjang dramas

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at first I thought maybe Kill Me Heal Me is out for no interaction, but now I do remember: Shin Se Gi left video messages to Do Hyun & appeared in the mirror

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Makjang dramas where it does happen in:
Penthouse - Lee Ji-ah https://youtu.be/GKEPtC0WrIw&t=15
What's Wrong With My Mother-in-Law (Search: WWW) - Lee Jae-wook https://youtu.be/jc-arFBASL0&t=73

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I LOVE!! that you included What's Wrong With My Mother-in-Law LOL.

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First one that comes to mind is Ji Sung in Adamas!
For characters that dont interact Ji Sung in Kill Me Heal Me also works.

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I am not a robot
Are you human too?

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Nope, I'm actually a robot.

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😂😂😂😂

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I am a fox, for fox sakes

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Hello fox. I am bunny.

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om nom nom

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Does Psychopath Diary count? I'd say it does! 😂
-->This drama is a favorite of many @britney. Not me, but many others.

Also, while the actors only play themselves in one (?) of the past lives, See You in My 19th Life also has this trope--and you could say that they interact.
-->This show is much better as a binge-watch than it was live. @claire2009 is leading a Fan Wall Community Watch on it, and I am convinced it's better than the reviews/recap comments might let on.

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This link goes to our CW page that has all the links for 19th Life and Our Blooming Youth
Enjoy the comments and join in

https://www.dramabeans.com/members/Seeker/activity/1581434/

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Seo In-Guk in High School King of Savvy.

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I am a little confused why probably the best of the lot Yang Se-jong’s OCN drama DUEL (2017) is still available. He gave an incredible performance of really 4 roles: good clone, bad clone, clone creator and (for story purposes) the good clone imitating (or trying pass off) as the bad clone.

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That show was so intense and so dark that I had to drop it at ep8 only because my heart couldn't take it any more! And this is not a criticism!

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I'm only on the first episode and the corruption is already turning me off haha.
I'm also not feeling particularly sympathetic when the kids are used as an excuse.

I'm gonna try to stick with it until I at least see the guy who's playing the dual roles.

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I guess it won't get any easier to watch. Everything was dialed up to eleven in that show. But yes, I agree about at least watching a bit of the dual roles.

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The production thought so much of Jang Se-jong’s performance that they released a video of his audition. Recall, DUEL was only his third drama following DR. ROMANTIC (2016) and SAIMDANG, LIGHTS DIARY (2017).
Here is YSJ DUEL audition video (enjoy):
https://youtu.be/lDLJkGejO60?si=kXDOySTt1AB2UTWP

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Wow, truly impressive audition!! I may check out DUEL one day for him.

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Unfortunately OCN’s DUEL (2017) is difficult to find. MyDramaList says it is available on Apple TV but I can’t confirm that since I don’t subscribe to Apple TV.
Perhaps a beanie could look and see if DUEL is available on Apple TV.

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AppleTV has arrangements with other providers to allow subscribers of those providers to watch their shows via AppleTV. Duel is one such show. You can sign up for "CJ ENM Selects" through AppleTV for $4.99/mo and then watch Duel that way. (amazon prime video has this model as well, but no arrangement with CJ ENM Selects.)

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Thanks @zindigo for that information.
Question, is the $4.99/mo an addition to the Apple TV monthly fee of $9.99/mo?

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@marcusnyc20 I'm pretty sure you can subscribe just to CJ ENM through AppleTV without subscribing to AppleTV as well.
You'd need an Apple ID, which you can obtain without an Apple device. And you can access the content via the AppleTV app on a smart TV like a Roku.

I also found this article: https://cjenm.com/en/news/cj-enm-selects-now-available-on-the-apple-tv-app-for-users-in-the-us-and-canada/

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@marcusnyc20 There's also a free 7-day trial, so if you have an AppleID and the AppleTV app, you can try it out for a week before subscribing.

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@zindigo, thank you for the follow up responses and the link. I have an Apple ID (iPhone, iPad) so I will do some investigating.

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Ooohhh, this seems interesting. I don't know where to find it though.

I'm a bit scared of trying it (if I find it) cause conspiracy dramas can get all convoluted or confusing.

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DUEL was his best drama to me.

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One DUEL memory (and I remember chatting with our dear @pakalanapikake about this) was that (it was my first Yang Se-jong drama and I didn’t know him at all) it wasn’t until the final episode 16 that he flashed that million dollars smile of his. My response was like WHAT!! LOL.

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Our dear @pakalanapikake is greatly missed.❤️
Yang Se-jong was one of her faves.

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Greatly missed indeed.

Do you remember a series of posts @pakalanapikake made about how easterners perceive storytelling compared to westerners? That in the western storytelling culture the story is expected to have a distinct arc, growth, and conclusion. While in eastern storytelling culture a story can start in a middle, and end in a middle, just to tell a story with no need for clear growth. And that this is the base of most criticism of western audience of Kdramas. I found those posts and the wisdom behind them fascinating but I haven't been able to find them since.

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@midnight,
She had a lot of wisdom to share and expressed it eloquently. I missed watching sageuks with her.
I remembered her post but don't remember what thread it was under.

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I read every post of hers many many times. Even if I wasn't watching the show being discussed. Truly one of a kind.

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@midnight,
She was and more!
I knew that she was having difficulties with her eyesight even before Covid. I regret not asking for her contact information at that time.

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@pakalanapikake is greatly missed indeed.

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Another favorite of @pakalanapikake was Yoon Shi-yoon. Although I had some sageuk experience it was watching little TV Chosun’s GRAND PRINCE (2018) (Viki US) with her and some faithful beanies that I think cemented my love for the genre. Also it aired (Mar-May 2018) during what I call the ‘Troubles’ at DramaBeans and we had to resort to hijacking a GRAND PRINCE or YSY news post (I forget now) for beanies to post comments on the episodes as they aired. Glad all that is well behind us.
Then Yoon Shin-yoon arrived in SBS’s YOUR HONOR (2018) (Viki US). We had a ball with that one also. Memories.

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Train
Switch
Your Honour
Two Cops
Bride of the Century
Room #9
What Star Did You Come From
Ghost
Mask
The Light in Your Eyes
Brain Works

There are so many 😄

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Amazing! Do you remember these or take notes? I’m so impressed

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I looked at my watched list. I could never remember that many only from memory 😅😅

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Scrolled too far for Train! Yoon Shi Yoon was excellent in it.

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Truly excellent.

And as @isagc has noted further down, YSY has done dual roles 3 times already.

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He is already an expert in that kind of double roles (or playing two very different personalities of the same character).

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I love love love Train. I just melt at the mere thought of all the scenes of him interacting with himself.

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Bride of the Century is the one I was here to say, it’s great 😊

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Ji Sung : Adamas.

He played both characters with clear distinction that you can tell who is who, even when they are playing a fast one on their enemies.

Ryu Hye-young : Law School.
She plays Kang Sol A and Erica. There's more Kang Sol A than Erica here.

Yoon Park : You Are My Spring.

Yoon Park plays a twin here. The one we spend most of our time with is the Doctor Chae Jun. No need for intros. But then there's the other twin I spent so little time with but made an impression, the other twin Choi Jung-min. This drama subverted the power trope in twin relationships, highlighting the insecurity of the supposed "power" twin.

Song Joong-ki: Arthdal Chronicles.

Song Joong-ki plays not 2 but 3 characters in Arthdal Chronicles 1. The third character is a pseudo one. But color me intrigued and wow when the pseudo character was revealed to be one of the twins, Saya, masquerading as a woman.

Choi Myung-bin : The King's Affection.
If you think Song Joong-ki played feminine Saya to a tee in Arthdal Chronicles 1, Choi Myung-bin plays male and female twin in TKA, an impressive performance in the midst of accolades due to TKA. She was a revelation. She disappeared completely into the male twin counterpart, you'd never tell she's female.

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ADAMAS!!!
What’s better than Ji sung, it’s two Ji Sung!! There were plenty of scenes with both of them together.

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No no no... what's better that 2 JiSung is 7 characters of him, which each one with different personality and Segi even spoke with Do Hyun in legendary Kill Me Heal Me 🥰🥰🥰

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He was so good in it.

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@fydea THANK YOU for raising the flag in Ji Sung's name for his classic: 'Kill Me Heal Me'. Each of of those seven characters were so finely nuanced in delivery, especially the teen girl. Hilarious. Best one for me though, was the 'bad boy' personality who became a love rival for Hwang Jung Eum's heart. It's in my top 10. Saw it five times. Actually, remembering all the laughs (as well as the angst lol) I think I might go back for my sixth viewing before I watch him in 'Connections'.

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Mr. Queen: Shin Hye Sun as both the queen and Jang Bong Hwan trapped in the queen's body.

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In Hwayugi, Lee Se-young was both the lovable zombie Richie and the vengeful, centuries-old Ah Sa Nyeo.

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BuJa!!! She was one of the reasons I stuck with the drama as long as I did.

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Ji Sung in Adamas played twins
Lee Dong Wook in Tale of the Nine Tailed
Chae Soo Bin played two roles in I Am Not a Robot
Yoo Jin Goo is amazing in The Crowned Clown
Ji Sung played multiple roles in Kill Me Heal Me to great success

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Yeo Jin-goo's performance in CROWNED CLOWN is memorable to this day. He should have gotten the Best Actor Baeksang award for this performance.

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Amen! Total agree with you AND (if memory serves) he was only 21 at the time.

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He was eight years old when he first started acting—an impressive career as a child actor.
Do we have an upcoming sageuk with Jin-goo? I lost track of his dramas since he seems to be taking a break or prefers low-key variety shows.

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YJG was incredible in Moon Embracing the Sun. I think he was 14-15 at the time? They had so many episodes with the incredible cast of younger actors that when it switched to the older actors I was disappointed!

His next sageuk is Serenade (aka "A Bird's Eye). The release date is not yet known but I'm going to guess 2025 since it's been a while since it was announced.

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The young actors were the best part for me too!
Thank you! I remembered he was cast in a sageuk, but I can't recall which one.

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Thanks @zindigo for the reminder about Yeo Jin-goo and the upcoming sageuk SERENADE. There is not too much information available as of yet on this. It looks like we have a prince (hopefully NOT a crown prince) who cuts loose from the palace and has his adventures. Indications are that it is a historical comedy. All good so far and I will be there. For some reason on my notes I have tvN connected with this drama but I can’t seem to confirm that.
What initially caught my eye about SERENADE is the short synopsis in MDL which begins:

“Set in a virtual Joseon and it will tell the romance story of the prince of Joseon who wants to escape…”

Virtual Joseon, hmm.

WARNING. POSSIBLE JOY OF LIFE SP0ILER:

O/T. This is what got me thinking that in one sense JOY OF LIFE might be considered a virtual drama.

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Serenade is a tvN production! Interesting re: JOL comparison. I'm wondering if it's just poor translation of some preliminary marketing. "Virtual" definitely implies something different than "fictional".

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Oh, I think I recall something - isn't it the one where ML runs away to find himself a bride based on feelings contrary to typical for his status arranged marriage with a stranger? That can be very funny, if done right. Also, isn't it very FL-like story? Usually it's girls who dramatically escape from loveless political marriages in historical fiction^^

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Reborn Rich
Oh My Ghostess
49 Days

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How did I forget Switch (Jang Geun-seok). I mean, it's in the title!

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And speking of Jang Geun-seok, I suppose Love Rain counts.

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I miss him. I wish he would do more sageuks. I loved him in "Hwang Jini". He was so young back then.

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This is outside kdrama, but I've been seeing a lot lately of Garret Dillahunt who they liked so much in Deadwood they cast him as a second totally different character in the same series (and he even showed up as yet another character in the movie).

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In terms of ones people haven't mentioned yet, Resurrection does this, although the interaction between the two characters is limited. The Best Hit also does a version of this, although it's technically the same character meeting himself in an earlier time period. If you want to venture outside of K-drama, one of the most interesting takes on this trope I've seen is the Taiwanese show Someday or One Day where multiple actors play multiple characters.

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"Resurrection" is still one of my favorite K-dramas from the early 2000s. It's too bad Uhm Tae-woong screwed up his career.

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