The problem with Kim Jae Wook is that something about him screams "second lead guy." The kind of second male lead that you end up liking more than the male lead, but the second lead all the same. He just doesn't feel like a male lead (yet).
Ditto on Jang Geuk Suk though. I've never found him attractive, though I've never found him offensive either. I could probably think of a million other actors I'd pair MGY with rather than him. I'd imagine someone like Lee Min Ki would be able to pull "rocker" off quite well, and he'd match MGY in acting level. Re: the femininity, I don't think his disgusting tight pants and the permanently oily long hair helps. Unfortunately, this probably won't change in Mary Goes Out All Night - I just sighed when I read the articles and they described him as a bohemian indie band singer. His acting in Hong Gil Dong wasn't good, but at least I didn't feel like sporking my eyes out when I saw him there.
I wouldn't hold YAB against him, though. That was just an all-round mess, acting-wise. We had newbies in Hong Ki, Jung Yong Hwa and UEE, and Park Shin Hye completely recycled her performance from Kimcheed Radish Cubes - i.e. short-haired religious person in-training who is brought into the Real World. Comedy ensues because she has dead flies and cotton fluff for brains. She was mildly irritating in Kimcheed, but when I saw exactly the same thing in YAB, AND all the boys fell for her, I felt like reaching into the screen and punching her innocent-looking mug.
The kind of second male lead that you end up liking more than the male lead, but the second lead all the same. He just doesn't feel like a male lead (yet).
He makes me think of LJK circa My Girl so I see what you are saying. Problem is, I am OK with him being a second lead in Bad Guy where first lead is freaking Kim Nam Gil (or if we go back further, Coffee Prince where first lead was Gong Yoo) but in a drama with JGS this throws me like mad because JGS never comes across to me as a lead at all.
l. Re: the femininity, I don't think his disgusting tight pants and the permanently oily long hair helps. Unfortunately, this probably won't change in Mary Goes Out All Night - I just sighed when I read the articles and they described him as a bohemian indie band singer.
Yes. One of these days, I will be very amused when he takes on a role with any testosterone and probably faint in shock (and if he pulls it off, I'll probably be impressed). Re: HGD. His haircut was a dead ringer there for a haircut of one of my cousins and all my cousins are female :) But at least I agree, he was fashion-limited by period attire.
Re: YAB. For what it's worth, I think JGS was by far the best thing about that inexplicably popular trainwreck and was the one who kept me watching as long as I did. But that's sort of saying a cripple is a faster runner than a paraplegic - not much in absolute terms.
ETA: I dled GOE:SS Scandal hardsubs, and you are right, the logo is very distracting. I am going to go ssubs route from now on.
Oh yeah, LJK! He had incredible charisma and energy though; you couldn't help but notice him, and I spent most of My Girl moaning about how much I'd prefer it if Yoo Rin ended up with LJK instead of LDW. While I've always like Kim Jae Wook, I feel he has a different kind of presence; a very quiet, subtle kind. Maybe if they find him the right lead male character, it'd work out? Unfortunately most kdrama heroes are callous jerks/noisy types, and Kim Jae Wook's just too cool for that.
LOL female cousin. He did look extremely pretty in that drama. I never understood why he shot to fame so quickly though. Aside from being pretty, he didn't do much else in HGD that explained all the fuss. Ah well.
I think a good deal of the reason for him being casted as MGY's male lead (other than how much he'd fit the look of an indie band member) is the fact that there are few age-appropriate actors who could be paired up with MGY and equal her in name recognition. Most actors JGS's age are still in the "up and coming" category and you'd be left with a drama that relies mainly on how much people want to watch MGY, whereas JGS's popular both in Korea and overseas after YAB.
Re: Scandal hardsubs; I know, right? I wouldn't mind it quite so much if the logo was a little smaller. I might go with ssubs from now on as well. It's also usually released about half a week faster than the hardsubs.
Ditto on Jang Geuk Suk though. I've never found him attractive, though I've never found him offensive either. I could probably think of a million other actors I'd pair MGY with rather than him. I'd imagine someone like Lee Min Ki would be able to pull "rocker" off quite well, and he'd match MGY in acting level. Re: the femininity, I don't think his disgusting tight pants and the permanently oily long hair helps. Unfortunately, this probably won't change in Mary Goes Out All Night - I just sighed when I read the articles and they described him as a bohemian indie band singer. His acting in Hong Gil Dong wasn't good, but at least I didn't feel like sporking my eyes out when I saw him there.
I wouldn't hold YAB against him, though. That was just an all-round mess, acting-wise. We had newbies in Hong Ki, Jung Yong Hwa and UEE, and Park Shin Hye completely recycled her performance from Kimcheed Radish Cubes - i.e. short-haired religious person in-training who is brought into the Real World. Comedy ensues because she has dead flies and cotton fluff for brains. She was mildly irritating in Kimcheed, but when I saw exactly the same thing in YAB, AND all the boys fell for her, I felt like reaching into the screen and punching her innocent-looking mug.
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He makes me think of LJK circa My Girl so I see what you are saying. Problem is, I am OK with him being a second lead in Bad Guy where first lead is freaking Kim Nam Gil (or if we go back further, Coffee Prince where first lead was Gong Yoo) but in a drama with JGS this throws me like mad because JGS never comes across to me as a lead at all.
l. Re: the femininity, I don't think his disgusting tight pants and the permanently oily long hair helps. Unfortunately, this probably won't change in Mary Goes Out All Night - I just sighed when I read the articles and they described him as a bohemian indie band singer.
Yes. One of these days, I will be very amused when he takes on a role with any testosterone and probably faint in shock (and if he pulls it off, I'll probably be impressed). Re: HGD. His haircut was a dead ringer there for a haircut of one of my cousins and all my cousins are female :) But at least I agree, he was fashion-limited by period attire.
Re: YAB. For what it's worth, I think JGS was by far the best thing about that inexplicably popular trainwreck and was the one who kept me watching as long as I did. But that's sort of saying a cripple is a faster runner than a paraplegic - not much in absolute terms.
ETA: I dled GOE:SS Scandal hardsubs, and you are right, the logo is very distracting. I am going to go ssubs route from now on.
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LOL female cousin. He did look extremely pretty in that drama. I never understood why he shot to fame so quickly though. Aside from being pretty, he didn't do much else in HGD that explained all the fuss. Ah well.
I think a good deal of the reason for him being casted as MGY's male lead (other than how much he'd fit the look of an indie band member) is the fact that there are few age-appropriate actors who could be paired up with MGY and equal her in name recognition. Most actors JGS's age are still in the "up and coming" category and you'd be left with a drama that relies mainly on how much people want to watch MGY, whereas JGS's popular both in Korea and overseas after YAB.
Re: Scandal hardsubs; I know, right? I wouldn't mind it quite so much if the logo was a little smaller. I might go with ssubs from now on as well. It's also usually released about half a week faster than the hardsubs.
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