[Jang Hyuk 장혁]

10 hours ago, dramafan33 said:

I will trust you guys about who is in the VIP premiere pics because I can’t see a thing. I just noticed JHs hair is getting longer and a bit out of control

 

@YouwinJH Choi Ki Sup is also called Andrew? 
 

Since I don’t follow other korean actors I can’t tell if interviews tend to be as repetitive with others. I know JH comes off as “boring” but since he is so private there is a limit to what he will ever reveal through short interviews. The questions could definitely be better but it might also be a fact that he is kinda “boring” or rather is not willing to reveal much. Im actually grateful he is like that, very focused on his work and stays away from trouble. 

Honestly, JH is about the most repetitive I've seen but the Korean media and entertainment programs just do surface level stuff with everyone. They don't have magazines that do in depth profile of stars like some American ones do. At least he does do interviews and goes on variety programs. My other favorite actor is Ji Sung and the only quotes you get from him are from press conferences for his dramas. 

[Jang Hyuk 장혁]

10 hours ago, Biology Lesson said:

 

I'll be the very very last time.  So if he was there why no pictures? Then I thought that we know that JH will do his best to go to all the weddings he's invited to, but we get pics from just a few of them. So what I'm thinking is that either he was late, or he was there with his wife. That might explain the complete lack of pics- people know never to released his wife's picture...

 

so sweet!

It could have been either, I guess. The wedding was private. The only pics and videos that I saw from the wedding were all posted by the guests themselves.  If JH slipped in quietly and didn't sit with the other celebs, I think it's entirely possible for him to go unnoticed. 

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13 minutes ago, YouwinJH said:

Off-topic: Ji Sung is another Korean actor I'm fond of -not to the same extent as Hyukie but the handful of stuff I've seen him in I have liked

 

Anyway not seen Devil Judge but thinking of Family, I'm hoping for similar gray shades. Below is a matter of aesthetics only because I haven't seen a single episode. I'd be game if Family has similar sexy undertones. There has been a draught of sexy / romantic Hyukie off-late in dramas - notwithstanding he looked hot in Tomb of River / Paid in Blood and I'm loving the broody vibes of The Killer as well (and there were moments in BH that I went whew!)

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CfRbCDMpqaF/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

I love Ji Sung. He and JH are my ultimate biases. Ji Sung was excellent in Devil Judge and so sexy with both Kim Min-jung and Jinyoung. It was kind of a BL drama without being labeled BL lol. Anyway, I remember thinking that I wished JH would be offered a role like that. 

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8 hours ago, dramafan33 said:

@Biology Lesson Gumi once told me that what they call “managers” in SK are more like assistants. More like a “road manager”. Someone who drives the artist around, books their flights, basically takes care of them but its a little different from our concept of manager who is actually the person responsible of reading scripts, finding work for the actors (an agent) etc Not sure exactly what those are called instead and how things actually work in k-industry tho. 

I've watched The Manager before and you're right, younger managers or road managers are assistants and drivers. Managers with more experience take on roles we would associate more with agents, like reviewing and deciding on projects and networking, etc. Some managers have went on to form their own agencies. Cha Tae Hyun founded Blossom with his manager. Ji Sung recently left Namoo to follow his long-time manager to his newly formed agency. 

 

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Watched Episode 16 without subs but followed along well enough. 

Spoiler

As a JH fan, I'm happy even though PGW died. He and PJY had the best writing and story throughout the series. Definitely false advertising implying LT and YJ were the Romeo and Juliet of Joseon and would hold their swords to each other's throats though. PGW and QD were the ones with the tragic love story.

 

As a LJ fan, I'm not so happy. It was just as I feared yesterday. No real character development throughout the series to up the stakes on whether he would choose love in the finale. Sigh. Of course they got a HEA because a kdrama is going to kdrama. It would have been more interesting if he stayed bad.

 

 

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Spoiler

You know how I feel about the lack of character development for LT but I would actually be kind of impressed if it was on purpose and that they mean him to be the bad guy. I doubt it though. He'll probably choose love at the last minute, and I'll be pissed about the lack of a true redemption arc. This is still a k-drama and they just can't resist. 

 

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On 6/18/2022 at 12:59 PM, Biology Lesson said:

Exactly!

 

I hesitated to write this, as I know there are fans of Lee Joon here and I really don't mean to offend- but I feel that Lee Joon didn't do much in order to elevate his character in this show. I agree the script isn't helping, but I feel like he could have injected more complexity into his portrayal to make the character less arrogant and more torn. Instead, he just went "arrogant"! If you look at the BTS, you see that all of the other main actors, meaning JH, KHN and PJY, were struggling with what their character is really feeling and how to convey it through the delivery of their lines and acting (this is mostly aided by JH). LJ, on the other hand, is more focused on the technical aspect of his performance and remembering his lines. Also, he goofs around the most- I kinda cringed when he put his feet on that table...  Even when KHN cooperated with his jokes, she would talk as if it's her character speaking, and not her, meaning she was very immersed in her role in comparison. Remember, in the beginning I didn't like KHN's acting either, as a I felt the cheerful and innocent vibe she was trying to give wasn't working. But then she got better...

I kinda hoped to see him actually interact with JH in their scene together, but all we saw was JH talking, and LJ listening. It's possibly that his shyness and respect that he has for JH got the better of him and he failed to use that moment to improve his performance like KHN so often did.

I'm late responding to this but don't worry about offending. I think arrogance was Lee Tae's dominant trait but LJ and the script could have certainly added more complexity. I know LJ was worried about doing a sageuk so it's understandable that he was more focused on the technical side of things and he's at a different stage of his career than the others. He has less experience and that's okay. He's talented. He'll learn. JH isn't the same actor that he was in his first major leading role. I think everyone should be proud of their performances in this drama, regardless. 

 

On 6/18/2022 at 1:54 PM, Biology Lesson said:

And lets not let PGW off the hook here - he could have easily communicated his real purpose to the king, once he realized the king is kind but weak, which probably would have prevented almost everything from happening. PGW is the one who got this entire tragic snowball rolling. On the other hand, if he hadn't, we wouldn't have had a show, so... 

 

 

He really did. I know the former King chose love over power, which made him weak in PGW's eyes, but a man who loves his wife that much is not going to turn into a tyrant. This all could have been prevented if PGW had taken a collaborative approach with him instead of a stranglehold. 

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4 hours ago, Biology Lesson said:

Isn't it funny that in his interview, JH himself looked as frustrated as PGW when LJ answered the question about love Vs. Power?!

 

What amazes me is that the show itself acknowledges that LT is a spoilt brat! He is the ML after all and the beloved of the FL! I really thought the show will ignore all of his faults and pretend like he is really worthy of YJ's love. We have been saying from the beginning that YJ's love for him wasn't justified and that it was rushed, and, to my surprise, the show is now saying that! Have you guys ever seen a kdrama that did that?! 

In the preview YJ says that she will keep LT is check. Doesn't look like she's gonna forgive him. In a way it's prefect- her love for him allowed the show justify her getting pregnant from him. And now that she sees who he really is, the baby gives her the precedance over any other woman so she can become the effective queen. Now I wonder if the show will end up killing him...

 

I wonder- How are LJ's fans reacting to this?

I'm a LJ fan too, and I'm honestly very disappointed by the writing for LT, as are a lot of other fans, I think. I don't mind a flawed anti-hero. I love the idea, actually. I just feel like the show has crafted such complex characters and LT is just ...not. LJ has given the character his all but there just hasn't been much for him to sink his teeth into. LT has been the same arrogant, spoiled brat from beginning to end, and that's been a writing choice. It may even be a brilliant one when you look at the show as a whole, but it's not really fun to watch your fave play a character everyone agrees is useless and dumb. 

[Jang Hyuk 장혁]

I liked this episode but was kind of disappointed by aspects too. You guys pretty much covered it already.  It's weird because of a fan of both Lee Joon and JH, I was excited for this drama for LJ but not JH. I've ended up being disappointed as a LJ fan but happy as a JH fan. 

[Jang Hyuk 장혁]

@Prettysup

Spoiler

The way I understood it in Episode 1 was that the Queen gave LT a one-time very small amount of poison in that tea, enough to make him sick but not kill him.  So the revelation in Episode 13 was new.

 

[Jang Hyuk 장혁]

LT and YJ still might fight each other again, and I'd rather like that, but I'm not really paying attention to the synopsis at this point. It doesn't necessarily always cover the whole drama. It was fairly accurate for the first 6-8 episodes when YJ and LT's motivations were at odds. 

[Jang Hyuk 장혁]

1 hour ago, Biology Lesson said:

 

It wasn't? I didn't know, didn't watch...   a slice of life can be really nice. Something about a small town, and an outsider coming to it, trying to heal of something, and just meeting quirky and sweet characters? I love that in anime...

 

But- there are hints that this will be action- so maybe something like Mr. and Mrs. Smith?

 

You just described the recently concluded My Liberation Notes lol.

 

JNR and JH would kill a Mr. and Mrs. Smith scenario.

[Jang Hyuk 장혁]

I'm thrilled. JNR is one of my favorite actresses, and I like most of her drama picks. It might not be a rom-com but JNR's dramas usually have romance in them.  Her last drama, Sell Your Haunted House, was the closest to action that she has come but maybe she liked playing a badass and this drama will have some action too. 

[Jang Hyuk 장혁]

I think this was kind of a difficult drama to promote. I get why they went the Romeo and Juliet route because romance is an easier sell than political sageuk. Most people find the political portion of sageuks boring. It's easy to say "This drama is different, we promise" but nobody will believe it before the drama airs lol. 

[Jang Hyuk 장혁]

I've seen people say elsewhere that Lee Tae is like the typical weepy, useless FL, and it's true. I really like Lee Joon and wish he was being given meatier material because he can definitely slay it, but maybe it will come since Lee Tae keeps looking at his game pieces. 

 

I was most worried about the writing but overall, I think the writer is doing a good job making a twisty political romance. The main romance was rushed at the beginning, but I am invested. It took me a while to feel anything for PGW and the QD but this week I finally did. I love that this drama has strong FL's. Tbh I find them much more interesting than either of the men. 

 

I think if anyone dies it will be PGW but who knows. It makes sense to me that his character arc would end with him sacrificing himself for YJ and for the country. 

 

 

[Jang Hyuk 장혁]

I liked Episode 6 as a whole even though the outcome was obvious. 

 

The forbidden love with the leads works for me and the forbidden love on the Queen Dowager's part works for me (I really like the actress and the character is really interesting) but I didn't feel much from PGW. Even his panic that YJ might have escaped felt muted.

[Jang Hyuk 장혁]

Episode 5 was good, even without much JH. The moves and countermoves were fun and really built the tension even though the outcome was never in doubt. The cutesy, rushed romance didn't really do it for me but they are selling the forbidden aspect. PGW is smart, but so inscrutable. I want to see him lose his cool or something. 

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@yoeda @dramafan33 I thought the performances in The Red Sleeve were good but don't really get the huge love for it. I did think the last two episodes were effective in showing how lonely it was being one of the King's women, even one he loved. There are some pockets of the Internet that keep comparing BH to TRS, which I don't really get. They are both sageuks and that's about it but poor LJ keeps getting compared unfavorably to Junho because some think he's the only one allowed to play a King or something.

 

I kind of agree with comments from those that aren't really feeling JH's character yet. I don't like mustache-twirling villains, but PGW's a little too laid back even though I know he's done terrible stuff.  

[Jang Hyuk 장혁]

It was definitely my favorite episode. All the pieces are in place now, and I'm excited for the battle ahead. PGW won the first round. 

[Jang Hyuk 장혁]

4 hours ago, Biology Lesson said:

 

And yet, the ratings dropped... what does this mean?

The Good Data rankings don't always correlate to ratings, the top drama and actors right now are from My Liberation Notes on jtbc, which is only pulling 3-4% ratings, but is a bit of a cult hit and generates a lot of discussion. Lee Joon topped the list earlier in the year for Bulgasal, which was low-rated, but he got talked about because he was a scene stealer in it. The first week of any drama generates a lot of news articles and discussion from fans of the actors; Unfortunately, for BH that didn't entice more people to watch. 

 

Quote

Haha exactly! I was wondering why he kept having tears in his eyes? I mean, one or two times is ok, but why constantly the same tears-in-eyes look ?

 

I remember LJ calling his character a crybaby before the drama was released, so I assume he's being directed to do so. It is a bit excessive though. He's more interesting when he's plotting.

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Disappointing regarding the ratings but the drop from Episode 1 to Episode 2 wasn't a good sign. I didn't expect this much of a drop again though, the reception was pretty good and sageuks usually do well. I believe Moonshine was the only recent one that struggled. I'm enjoying BH more than most of the sageuks from last year, but I guess Koreans are not. 

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It did cross my mind that PGW might have been slowly poisoning the Queen so he could put someone else in the position, especially if he truly has a niece or someone to act the part. The Queen's father was annoying him plus the Queen wasn't producing an heir. If Lee Tae were to produce an heir, it wouldn't be long before PGW orchestrated a reason to get rid of him and have the Queen Dowager act as regent until the child came of age. 

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@dramafan33I understood it as the Queen died from an illness too, and they were keeping it from Lee Tae so they could make plans and probably because PGW just doesn't want him knowing anything. The code in the poetry book was the Eunuch letting Lee Tae know that she was about to die.

 

@Biology LessonThey were married for several years because they talked about the Queen not having produced an heir. I don't think she was sick the whole time, she just suddenly developed an illness and died, which was common back then. She was the daughter of a prominent official, hence the marriage.

[Jang Hyuk 장혁]

I was hoping the ratings would rise, the reception was positive. I guess next week will be the test, but I admit I was hoping for more. Koreans usually love their sageuks, and this is well made. 

 

I mostly agree with all of your thoughts. Lee Joon is killing it and has a very interesting character to play. I like heroes that are on the gray side. 

 

I'm interested in the romance, not so much this part, which is typical K-drama stuff, but what happens when she finds out he's the King and starts her revenge. That might turn up the heat lol. So JH's character will probably be the one to tell her and then he'll bring her into the Queen selection to mess with Lee Tae.

 

JH is doing well. His character is kind of one-note so far, but I trust that JH can bring layers to him and they will show more of what happened in the past and what makes him tick.

[Jang Hyuk 장혁]

I thought it was a really strong first episode. The cinematography is wonderful. JH and LJ were both good, separately and together. Their power struggle is going to be fun, both are ruthless. I liked the actress playing the Queen Dowager. I liked Kang Hanna too, she just doesn't have as strong of material yet. I feel good about the directing, now if the writing can just hold up.