Oh my God
So, I finally got time to watch Tree with Roots without interruptions (the only way I am going to watch it, because it deserves it), have finished the first two episodes, and all I can say is...oh my God, Song Joong Ki.No, that's not true - there many other things I can say about it - how it is both fiercely smart and fiercely emotional, how the
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SJK said he got so much grief for taking on this role (Chae Tae-Hyun, for instance, told him he was nuts). It was for only 4 eps. (though you'll see that there's a bit more, partly because he became so d@mn popular as the young Sejong), this was his first tv project since SKKS, he was getting lead offers elsewhere, he's already 26 (ie. clock's ticking for his military service), they thought it was a big step back for him. He sure proved everyone wrong.
And I'm certainly not the only lamenting that he can't/won't play the king in the Sun/Moon sageuk. No doubt the powers that be had him in mind too (everyone else did--he has both the looks and the acting chops for the role), but he's about to start his next film project, and even if his schedule allowed it, seems high unlikely he'd want to do three sageuks in a row.
Either way, all eyes are on him for his next drama role. As good as he was in SKKS, 'Do not impersonate the King. The former king is not the king. I'm the King of Joseon!' has become one of those legendary moments you saw magic happen. We saw what a formidable actor SJK is as his alter ego rose to the challenge.
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I have high high high hopes for SJK. The thing that impresses me the most is that I've seen him in three things so far - Will It Snow on Christmas (in a small role), SKKS and now this, and not only is he improving tremendously with each project, the roles have nothing in common - he has huge versatility.
It's true, I didn't think about it, but this role is way 'beneath' him - this is the kind of thing you do when you are unknown or maybe 17 yrs old and looking for breaks. But the way he took it and stole the drama from everyone else is unbelievable.
Now, more than ever, I am tearing my hair about Sun/Moon. But even if he doesn't do that, I hope he won't give up sageuks and get a lead in one in the future - I think doing an amazing job in a sageuk is a real proof of chops - they are, imo, the best acting showcases in dramaworld, most of the time.
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the roles have nothing in common - he has huge versatility.
He's incredibly versatile in TwDR too. It might have been a limited engagement, but what they gave him is an actor's wet dream, and lucky for us, he had the chops to fulfill it. Not going to spoil the rest of his appearance too much, but I could see him play a much darker, edgier role, though he's more likely to find such roles in films than in k-dramas. But some of his scenes in TwDR had his fans dreaming of seeing him as a psychopath, and that should be a clue about the extremes he's been asked to play in TwDR.
I hope he won't give up sageuks and get a lead in one in the future - I think doing an amazing job in a sageuk is a real proof of chops - they are, imo, the best acting showcases in dramaworld, most of the time.
Absolutely, and it's not as if he's shutting the door on sageuks. He wasn't keen on one as a follow-up to SKKS, but the scripts and the role for TwDR were so good, he couldn't imagine not doing it. He's just trying to avoid being typecast as the go-to-guy for sageuks. Not many twenty-somethings can be relied upon to do a good job, so he's often the first name that comes to mind. But he says he's trying to find out what his limits are as an actor and what he can do in his 20s that he couldn't later on in his 30s and thereafter. He's been acting for only 3 years, and with his military service just around the corner, it'd be easy for him to be tempted into rushing things, whether it's establishing himself as a lead actor or squeezing in as many projects as possible to make his mark before he leaves. But for all his ambitions (and he has a very strong competitive streak--tell him he can't do something and he'll find a way to do it), he seems to know the virtue of biding his time. He loves film noirs, he loved Kim Myung-Min in White Tower (says he watched it 10 times), but he knows he has neither the maturity nor the experience for something like that yet, and reading up on him, you get the impression of an intelligent actor building his career block by block.
Reason #192 I can't wait for his next film project, due to start very soon. It's the story of a boy/young man raised by wolves, set in the 1960-70s, falling in love with a girl played by Park Bo-Young, and challenge 1) he has virtually no lines, and challenge 2) he has to build his body. Not necessarily six-pack abs, but wiry enough you could believe he could fend himself in the wilderness. And I love the idea of SJK getting in touch with his inner beast. For all his delicate looks, there's not an effete bone in his personality, and I like that he's getting a chance to project that masculinity physically.
Apologies for the lengthy reply, but he's my find of the year (went a long way towards making up for my disappointment with another series, non-Korean) and I'm thrilled you can share the excitement now.
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Wow, his next movie sounds fascinating - a sort of real-life Mowgli.
All that info about him is fascinating, thank you!
I love how he can appear fragile one moment and terrifying the next. It's quite a feat to pull off.
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Just to offer some additional incentive with your viewing-- there's an amazingly powerful parallel scene in ep. 14. And it's just as long, lasting well over 10 min. I love that they trust the viewers to hang in there with such elaborately executed scenes, though they're so riveting, you don't even notice the length.
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