Ju Jihun 주지훈 - [Upcoming Drama 2024] Dominant Species [Movie 2023] Project Silence [Movie 2023] Ransomed

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*** I'll certainly check this out despite my ridiculous backlog of current shows. I am super excited for this one. It will be lovely to watch Joo Ji-hoon in something again.  

 

 

 

TODAY is D-DAY!
 

 

Time slot: Wednesdays (2x week)
Broadcaster: Disney+
Genre: Sci-fi, thriller, drama
Episode count: 10

Reasons to watch: Famed writer Lee Soo-yeon’s latest screenplay is here! Following up Forest of Secrets, and most recently Grid, Blood Free is all about the CEO of a synthetic meat company, and what happens (in the rhetorical sense) when the food chain is disturbed. Starring two of my personal favorites — Han Hyo-joo and Joo Ji-hoon — this thriller should not only keep us on the edge of our seats but also ask some important questions. (Also, can we have a bit of romance please?)

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*** Joo Ji Hoon and Han Hyo Joo pose to promote their new Disney Plus series, Blood Free. Their characters don’t have a loveline in the drama –  his character is married with a kid – but I foresee them getting emotionally entangled as the story progresses.  

 

 

 

photos source : https://breathlesssurvival.wordpress.com/2024/04/12/hands-free/

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*** I’ve watched the first two episodes of Blood Free. I figure there will be twists and turns along the way. I like Joo Ji Hoon in almost anything. Some other characters are quite intriguing aside from the leads, and it will be fun to see how they all fit into this dangerous puzzle. 

 

 

 

photos source : https://breathlesssurvival.wordpress.com/2024/04/11/blood-free-is-reasonably-meaty/

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*** During the presscon on April 8, Joo Ji Hoon asked about his action scenes in "Blood Free", he shared that the 17 vs 1 action scene in the series was his idea, he said that because this drama is set in the near future, they focused on how it will look more realistic and more grounded. This is the first time Hyo Joo and Ji Hoon have collaborated. When Ji Hoon was asked about what it was like to be collaborating with Hyo Joo, he said that Hyo Joo is a very solid and very dense actress and provides very dense performances. “When I talk to her on set or when I’m working with her, I feel like she’s a solid person, so I can rely on her while collaborating with her.” Blood Free is now streaming on Disney+!  

 

 

 

 

photo is courtesy of Disney+

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*** April has just started, but exciting new K-dramas are set to premiere this second week of April. New K-dramas scheduled to broadcast from April 7 to 13. 

 

 

'Blood Free'
Airing: April 10

 

(Photo : Disney+)

 

 

Ju Ji Hoon is making his K-drama comeback with Han Hyo Joo as the duo headlines the sci-fi thriller K-drama "Blood Free."

 

Directed by Park Chul Hwan, it tells the story of a biotechnology company known as BF Group that produces artificially cultured meat. 

 

Because of its unique component, it quickly becomes significant in the market. 

 

Viewers will get to see Han Hyo Joo play BF Group CEO Yoon Ja Yoo, who constantly faces life-threatening challenges. 

 

Due to this, she hired Woo Chae Woon, played by Ju Ji Hoon. A former elite soldier whose experience led him to enter the BF Group. 

 

According to the director, he wanted the set and the overall vibe to look as realistic as possible. 

 

"This is not very far ahead into the future, but a very near future, about one or two years from now. I think all I was trying to focus on was making it feel as realistic and grounded as possible."

 

 

 

 

source : https://www.kdramastars.com/articles/133927/20240410/blood-free-under-gun-more-new-k-dramas-2nd-week-of-april.htm

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*** Interestingly, "Blood Free" airs every Wednesday via Disney+ and also now in Hulu.   

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[Herald Review] 'Blood Free': gripping mystery elevated by veteran actors' performances

 

"Blood Free," a new Disney+ original mystery drama series, is compelling and full of suspense, supported by meticulously controlled performances from some of Korea's veteran actors.

 

Set in the near future, "Blood Free" is a 10-part thriller series that follows the story of Yoon Ja-yoo, (Han Hyo-joo), the chief executive officer of a biological engineering titan called BF. Yoon constantly faces attacks launched by a range of individuals, including agricultural workers -- due to her development of lab-grown meat, seafood and synthetic fur.

 

After a failed attack in which a farmer commits suicide and lands on her car, Yoon hires a personal bodyguard named Woo Chae-woon (Ju Ji-hoon) for her protection.

 

The series follows the ominous events that occur as Yoon's company suddenly falls victim to a ransomware hacker organization called "Citizen X," which demands 80 billion won ($58 million) from BF in return for decrypting the company's files.

 

The drama series is the first work in Korea to discuss the topic of lab-grown meat.

 

However, instead of exploring the controversial topic in depth, "Blood Free" focuses more on unraveling human stories and the process of solving the mystery surrounding the identity of the perpetrator responsible for hacking the company.

 

For those anticipating a series that delves into the philosophical dilemma of humanity's approach to future food production, "Blood Free" might fail to meet those expectations.

 

However, penned by an award-winning screenplay writer Lee Soo-yeon -- who previously scripted the tvN's popular thriller drama series "Stranger," for which she won the best screenplay award in the television category at the 54th Baeksang Arts Awards -- "Blood Free," in itself, is a gripping mystery series which keeps the audience consistently wondering about the identity of the series' primary antagonist.

 

The audience becomes further engrossed by the series thanks to the controlled performance of Han, who, despite being the main protagonist and constantly victimized throughout the series, manages to appear as an enigmatic CEO who remains difficult to label as trustworthy, or even good. If you were expecting a similar performance to Han's role in the thriller flick "Believer 2," in which she was widely criticized for poorly portraying a crazed villain, you might be pleasantly surprised by her composed performance in "Blood Free."

 

Ju's action sequences are also eye-catching -- his bodyguard interview test at BF, where he utilizes VR sets to spar with a virtual opponent, is particularly enthralling. The VR test, comprising different rounds such as driving and sparring, leaves the audience wondering whether this technology will actually be commercialized for use in the near future.

 

"Blood Free" spared no expense in its graphics and depiction of the near future -- Han's presentation in the first episode, where she utilizes holograms to illustrate the killing of animals for consumption, is also visually stunning.

 

The first two episodes of "Blood Free" are currently available on Disney+. Two more episodes will be released on Wednesday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

credit : Korea Herald

https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20240412050497

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*** Episodes 3 and 4 of Blood Free ramped up the pace and intensity of the plot, with Joo Ji Hoon’s sexy charm literally leaping out of the screen. IDK why every time I watch him on the screen he always takes my breath away! Man, he can be my bodyguard 24/7, forever. Heh. On the flip side, she wisely questions herself why she trusts a stranger, Chae Woon and acts on his advice when he hasn’t been around her for more than a few days.  Is it because he is as sexy as hell? hahaha -  My mind would get confused, too, with the sight of the yummy Joo Ji Hoon – suit, overcoat, and a gun? Smokin’ sexy! Their bodyguard-charge relationship is proving to be quite interesting. Ja Yoo rightfully suspects he isn’t exactly what he says he is since he keeps “coincidentally” appearing at the right places at the right time; yet she is grudgingly impressed by his physical competence and quick intellect in managing issues. He has a reasonable answer for all her questions, which frustrates her since her gut is telling her he is lying or hiding things from her on several levels. As for me, I adore this man! He acts well, in his signature, subtle way. Just love how he radiates sexy confidence without trying.  

 

 

 

photos source : https://breathlesssurvival.wordpress.com/2024/04/18/out-for-blood-2/

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Top 10 Must-Watch K-Dramas Dominating Discussions In The 2nd Week Of April 2024 (Good Data Corporation)

 

 

Here is the full ranking of the hottest Korean dramas for the 2nd week of April:

1. "Queen of Tears"

2. "Lovely Runner"

3. "Parasyte: The Grey"

4. "Wonderful World"

5. "Blood Free"

6. "The Escape of Seven: Resurrection"

7. "Beauty and Mr. Romantic"

8. "Nothing Uncovered"

9. "Chief Detective 1958" 

10. "Missing Crown Prince" 

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*** Watching "Blood Free", I can say that Joo Ji Hoon burns my TV screen.    He is gosh-darned walking hotness in a suit and overcoat in the drama. His voice and the way he speaks are sexy, too. This clip (below) proves this point.  

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5n8iqrNC6H/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=cd3f7385-1a42-4e56-96f2-f93d0c2c42e1

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*** Joo Ji Hoon and Han Hyo Joo doing a pictorial for Vogue Korea. Their drama "Blood Free" is currently airing. Their relationship  is still quite open to more than one interpretation, not quite 100 per cent professional, not romance either.  

 

 

 

photos source : https://breathlesssurvival.wordpress.com/2024/04/24/a-touch-of-ambiguity/

 

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*** On this photoshoot with Vogue Korea, Joo Ji Hoon said, “Emotions build up, forming a bond of comradeship, and at times it feels like a friendship; other times it seems almost romantic.”  

 

 

MORE Photos -

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: Disney Plus

 

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*** "Blood Free" has a unique story. Hence, it's not surprising that at the time of writing, the drama has entered Disney Plus' top 10 most-watched shows chart in Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan, according to FlixPatrol.  I'm happy how "Blood Free" has been performing worldwide. It certainly has room to expand further and factors like social media edits and word of mouth are going to play a major role in attracting more attention to the drama. My only complaint is on the slow pacing of the drama. Episodes 5 and 6 of "Blood Free" were released April 24. It will be interesting to see how the numbers change after this week's episodes. "Blood Free" is still streaming on Disney Plus.  

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*** "Blood Free" is Han Hyo Joo and Jun Ji Hoon first time collaborating in a series. As you watch the series, you will get curious about the backstories of their characters. As you learn more about them, you can expect a whirlwind roller-coaster ride of guessing games, pointing fingers at who might be a spy, questioning the characters’ motives, and rooting for them to finally have the truth to be revealed. From here, you start to form your theories. This is a 10-episode thrilling series, with 2 episodes dropping every Wednesday.  

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*** "Blood Free" episode 5 featured an attack on BF Group's CEO (Han Hyo Joo). However, the incident left her bodyguard, Woo Chae Woon (Ju Ji Hoon) severely hurt. He was severely shot in the upper body, leaving him to lose a lot of blood. However, CEO Yoon decided to put Chae Woon in an experiment to see if their plan would succeed and help him with survival. They decided to treat him using cultured tissue, with Yoon Ja Yoo being hopeful that this would be their first success story. The CEO was thrilled with the result after seeing the positive effects on Woo Chae Woon. Unfortunately, Woo Chae Woon realized that the effect of this included having extremely heightened hearing senses. Looking forward to the next EPs.  

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*** "Blood Free" is mind-blowing! Every episode of the series will leave you guessing. Who’s the real mastermind?  Who holds the key to the secrets? Who can be trusted? Ju Ji Hoon is Woo Chae Woon. Is there more to his story? His past actions and secrets raise questions about his true intentions.  

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*** The Korean Business Research Institute has revealed this month’s brand reputation rankings for actors!  The rankings were determined through a data analysis of the media coverage, participation, interaction, and community indexes of 100 actors who appeared in dramas, movies, or OTT content released between March 29 and April 29.    

 

Check out the top 30 for this month below!

1. Kim Soo Hyun
2. ASTRO’s Cha Eun Woo
3. Ma Dong Seok
4. Byeon Woo Seok
5. Kim Ji Won
6. Lee Joo Bin
7. Park Ji Hwan
8. Jeon So Nee
9. Park Sung Hoon
10. Kim Hye Yoon
11. Lee Je Hoon
12. Go Yoon Jung
13. Lee Do Hyun
14. Lee Joon
15. Song Joong Ki
16. Son Suk Ku
17. Lee Jung Hyun
18. Kwak Dong Yeon
19. Kim Nam Joo
20. Kim Go Eun
21. Song Geon Hee
22. Gong Myung
23. Kim Moo Yeol
24. Lee Byung Hun
25. Lee Bo Young
26. Lee Dong Hwi
27. Joo Ji Hoon
28. Kim Hye Soo
29. Lee Moo Saeng
30. Gong Yoo

 

 

 

 

 

 

source : https://www.gpkorea.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=113179

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*** Time flies so fast that it seems "Blood Free" has just begun.The drama completed its 10-episode run with lots of blood. I’m really not a fan of open endings since there isn’t a definite conclusion to the narrative. It’s evident that both Ja Yoo and Chae Woon survived with whatever cultured organs and AI technology Blood Free created. The open ending leaves Disney Plus the option of a second season, and I honestly wouldn’t mind seeing Joo Ji Hoon reprise his role. The plus points were the sleek action and cool CG. Of course, the biggest plus for me was seeing Joo Ji Hoon fighting in a suit and slick hairdo, which made my watching more fun. 

 

 

 

photos source : https://breathlesssurvival.wordpress.com/2024/05/09/open-ending-blood-free/

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New Behind the Scene Image for the Drama "Blood Free"

 

 

 

 

 

 

source : Hancinema

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*** Disney+’s Blood Free  concluded last May 8 and the series ended with many unanswered questions and I think there will be a season 2.