[drama 2008] Beethoven Virus 베토벤 바이러스

[Guest AlecRuby]

that's cool that lee ji ah is finally accepting a second work. however, is she getting paired up with kim myung min? i'm not saying he isn't good, because he is a good actor, but i don't know about the pairing.

i think this drama will be very interesting. seeing ji ah as a unhygenic girl...

[Guest Feelings]

oh my goodness!

a korean remake of nodame cantaible??

wow! i love this~

[Guest kdramafanusa]

Source: Javabeans

Lee Jia trades in her shortbow for a violin bow

April 1st, 2008 // by javabeans

Joining Kim Myung Min in the upcoming MBC drama Beethoven Virus is Lee Jia, the Korean-American who made a huge splash with her acting debut as Bae Yong Joon’s love interest Sujini in last year’s fantasy-historical epic Legend [Taewangsashingi].

In Beethoven Virus, Kim Myung Min portrays a strong-willed, perfectionist orchestra conductor, while Lee Jia has been cast as a violinist with a “refined” and “feminine” outward appearance but a lively and mischievous personality. She’s started taking violin lessons to appear natural with the instrument. (Aside: If she’s just learning now, she’s going to drive me nuts. It’s a particular pet peeve of mine that people always look so incredibly fake while “playing” the violin.)

The Wednesday-Thursday drama will air in July and is brought to you by some notable people: director Lee Jae Kyu of Damo and Fashion 70s and writers Hong Jin Ah and Hong Jaram. This pair of Hong sisters — not the ones who penned My Girl or Hong Gil Dong — also wrote kpop-centric Over the Rainbow and sports-themed Taereung National Village.

Perhaps the mere topic of classical music has linked the drama in viewers’ minds with popular Japanese manga (and later drama) Nodame Cantabile, which was also popular with Korean fans. That, combined with the high profile of the actors and producers involved, leads to a building buzz around Beethoven Virus.

Via Star News, Sports Chosun

[Guest kdramafanusa]

^ Since "Beethoven Virus" will be on Wednesday/Thursday timeslot, it will air after Son Ye-jin & Ji Jin-hee's "Spotlight" finishes.

Have to check the calendar for the approximate starting date. Can't wait!!!

[Guest ripgal]

Wow, Lee Ji Ah's new project! Cool

I'm totally fine with the pairing altho there's an obvious age gap.. love KMM and LJA!

Can't wait!

[ay_link]

And since it's said to be in July, that means Spotlight will be 18 episodes?

and BV will start on July 2nd~~ YAY~!

[Guest kdramafanusa]

And since it's said to be in July, that means Spotlight will be 18 episodes?

and BV will start on July 2nd~~ YAY~!

Ay_link, I'm not exactly sure but Newsen article mentioned end of June.

I just checked the calendar, it might start on June 25, 2008.

Who Are You? (16 episodes): [2008.03.05 ~ 2008.04.24]

Spotlight (16 episodes): [2008.04.30 ~ 2008.06.19]

Beethoven Virus (16 episodes): [2008.06.25 ~ 2008.08.14]

Unless there are changes, it will be airing on the same timeslot with Go Hyun-jung & Kwon Sang-woo's SBS drama "Daemul" which will start on July 23rd; "Iljimae" (20 episodes) runs from May 14th to July 17th.

[[[schedule can change by a few weeks if there are pre-emption, extension, special programs during/after a TV series.]]]

I'm totally fine with the pairing altho there's an obvious age gap.. love KMM and LJA!

KMM was born in the same year with LJA's Legend co-star Bae Yong-joon. Nam Sang-mi (KMM's co-star in Bad Family) is pretty young too.

[Guest Pyoungsang]

The cast looks really good so far ... I don't know anything about the jdrama but if KMM is in it, it should be good. Such a versatile actor. EJA will also get to spread her acting wings in this one ... I even like the supporting actor guys mentioned on the previous page.

[Guest junkiluv]

omg lee ji ah is coming back! woo hooo!

my two favorite actors!

[Guest White Star]

Ay_link, I'm not exactly sure but Newsen article mentioned end of June.

I just checked the calendar, it might start on June 25, 2008.

Who Are You? (16 episodes): [2008.03.05 ~ 2008.04.24]

Spotlight (16 episodes): [2008.04.30 ~ 2008.06.19]

Beethoven Virus (16 episodes): [2008.06.25 ~ 2008.08.14]

Unless there are changes, it will be airing on the same timeslot with Go Hyun-jung & Kwon Sang-woo's SBS drama "Daemul" which will start on July 23rd; "Iljimae" (20 episodes) runs from May 14th to July 17th.

[[[schedule can change by a few weeks if there are pre-emption, extension, special programs during/after a TV series.]]]

Best of luck to the series since it would be head to head with Daemul (GHJ always guarantee solid rating) and Iljimae (lee junk ji are popular now aday)

+WS+

[Guest kdramafanusa]

Best of luck to the series since it would be head to head with Daemul (GHJ always guarantee solid rating) and Iljimae (lee junk ji are popular now aday)

+WS+

According to TNS, GHJ's last drama "H.I.T." averaged 15.48% while LJK's "Time Between Dog & Wolf" got 14.06%.

[Guest kdramafanusa]

Source: Javabeans

Moon Geun Young returns to dramas; the sageuk revival continues

April 3rd, 2008 // by javabeans

It looks like we’ve got a lot of upcoming dramas garnering some buzz from the high profiles of the actors and producers attached. (There’s Daemool with Go Hyun Jung, Kwon Sang Woo; Rivals with Chae Rim; Beethoven Virus with Kim Myung Min, Lee Jia and PD Lee Jae Kyu; Iljimae with Lee Junki; Iljimae with Lee Seung Gi; Choi Kang Chil Woo starring Eric; Boys Before Flowers by sheer virtue of its Hana Yori Dango connection; and so on.)

Add one more to the list: The Painter of Wind [바람의 화원], starring Korea’s Little Sister Moon Geun Young — taking her first role since entering university — and veteran actor Park Shin Yang.

Based on a bestselling book of the same name by writer Lee Jung Myung, the series is based in the late Joseon era and will be directed by Jang Tae Yoo (War of Money, Bad Housewife), airing on SBS as a Wednesday-Thursday drama. Originally planned to premiere in early September, it has a high chance of airing instead in October.

The story centers around two talented artists and their lives, artistic rivalries, and loves (Moon Geun Young’s character dresses as a man, while Park Shin Yang’s a senior artist and something of a mentor); the plot thickens with a mysterious murder.

I know you’re gonna say it, so I’ll say it first: Moon Geun Young paired with Park Shin Yang?? Nothing against the guy — he’s a fine actor — but lordy that’s a squicky age difference (she was born in 1987, he was born in 1968). I know, I know, there have been other big age gaps that don’t bother me; for instance, Seo Ji Hye (23) with Ahn Jae Wook (36) in the upcoming I Love You. Or, Ara (18) versus either Yoon Kye Sang or Jin Yi Han (both 29) in the currently airing Who Are You? But while Yoon Kye Sang and Jin Yi Han both have youthful and trendy images, Park Shin Yang has always been an ajumma-magnet.

Via Herald Biz

[Guest Gummi Bear]

Seo Ji hye with Ahn Jae Wook is fine with me but Moon Geun Young with Park Shin Yang? There might be pairings that have a larger age gap but this particular pairing...he looks old enough to be her dad or it might be be because she looks like 14? I don't know how to say it but they don't look compatible to be a pair of lover.

Back to topic, so is LJA playing a piano or a violin? One article said she's playing a piano and the latest news is she's gonna be a violinist.

[Guest s2_syj]

LOL sounds interesting. lee jiah's an awesome actor, and kim myungmin as well :]

[aYuko]

I don't know how they're gonna beat the original Nodame Cantabile. Chiaki sama played by Tamaki was sooooo amazing and Nodame played by Juri is out of this world. The actors in there made it look like they have been playing musical instruments forever. NC is my favorite all time J-drama. I really hope the Korean version will be good...I wonder who's gonna play Mine and Milch????

But I am super glad to see LJA in a new project and hope she shines as brightly as her last project.

wow ... so it's really that japanese drama nodame they are going to remake ...

i can't wait to see their result ... as the original jp drama was really very famous and a success one...

can't wait for JA in that comedy show ... i wonder how she will look like ... must be real damn funny ...

[elaiine]

Gummi_Bear

I believe she's going to play the violin (:

There are articles saying that she's gettin coached to learn how to play the violin, and this will prob be a major diff from Nodame

[insertusernamehere]

i hope they only base this drama LOOSELY on the manga, because they already changed SO MUCH already T_T if the story is still somewhat the same im gonna mope forever T_T i mean, since when did the female play VIOLIN? T_____________T

but im a fan of Lee Ji Ah her beauty is extraordinary hope that this drama will be good

[Guest zend]

can't imagine Ji Ah's GYABO~~

or her messiness. XD

[Guest kdramafanusa]

Source: Javabeans

Clean and fair Kim Myung Min

November 15th, 2007 // by javabeans

Like I needed another reason to like Kim Myung Min. If you asked me who my favorite Korean actors are, I’d have a hard time answering, but if you asked me who I think is the best, Kim Myung Min really flies to the top of that list. He’s equally capable of being intense (White Tower) as he is hilariously funny (Bad Family), and always throws himself into the characters he portrays — read this interview (it’s in English; note: there are significant White Tower spoilers) to get an idea of his approach to acting. He just seems like he’s one of those people who was meant to be an actor — not for the fame or the glory but because of the actual, duh, acting.

I don’t know if he’s an intelligent man, but he’s always had an aura of intelligence, so I’m pleased but not surprised to hear the latest news: He’s been selected by the Central Election Management Committee to act as an advocate for a fair and clean upcoming presidential election.

He was picked to speak out on the issue due to his “clean and trustworthy image,” and has recently shot campaign CFs as the spokesperson. The ads, both on- and offline, will be out in full force from now until December 18, the day before the elections, in hopes of reaching as many voters as possible.

Kim Myung Min expressed his hopes with the campaign: “Because being the name of this clean election campaign brings with it a lot of responsibility, I do feel some burden, but I’ll do my part as best as I can and guide our citizens to a culture of fair and clean elections.”

Kim Myung Min is currently in the midst of filming the movie Open City with actress Son Ye Jin, which opens in January 2008.

Via Newsen

---

Source: CHOSUN Mar.16,2007 07:17 KST

Kim Myung-min Still Haunted by 'White Tower' Role

It's well-known fact that actor Kim Myung-min doesn't smoke -- there's a famous story of him passing out after smoking cigarettes all day for a scene in the 2001 movie "Sorum (Goosebumps)". And yet, to our surprise, during a recent interview he politely asked if he could light up, and he then proceeded to suck down several cigarettes one after the next. “I tried to be a surgeon, but that turned me into a smoker,” he joked.

Kim was referring to the past five months that he spent playing Jang Joon-hyeok on MBC's hit drama “White Tower.” Jang Joon-hyeok is a brilliant and power-hungry surgeon who suffers a medical accident and eventually dies of cancer. Now that the show is finished, Kim has finally had a chance to return to himself. But the strain of the performance has taken its toll on the actor, for when the Chosun Ilbo met with him for the interview, he looked haggard.

-- You looked terribly pale during the last episode. Was that make-up?

“I imagined that I really was a sick person, and that made me really get sick towards the end. I felt like all these viruses were getting into my body. I felt so sorry for Jang Joon-hyeok, he was dying after all that stuff he had been through. It almost made me feel like I was going crazy. I lost so much weight that I'm just skin and bones now.”

-- How did you feel when you watched the final scene?

“I watched it at home, and I felt like it was me who had actually died. I sat there empty-headed until late at night.”

-- Do you feel better now?

“I still feel empty. I also had hard time with depression when I finished shooting the KBS drama ‘The Immortal Yi Sun-shin.’ I comforted myself by thinking, ‘It’s only because I've been shooting this drama for too long.’ When I started shooting the latest show, I thought I wouldn't feel so empty because it was just 20 episodes, but it turned out devastating.”

-- I heard that it took up to 20 hours to shoot a single operation scene. The delicate portrayal of the scene even became the talk of the town. What was the hardest part for you?

“It's not too difficult to imitate a surgeon if you watch surgery videos and do a little practice. What was most difficult for me was understanding the character. First of all, I couldn't understand being a surgeon as an occupation. Before shooting this, I thought that doctors were unkind and easily annoyed. So it wasn't easy for me to become one that I hardly sympathized with.”

-- What do you think about Jang Joon-hyeok?

“I couldn't understand at first why he was so obsessed with power when he's already a genius as everybody recognizes. But I got to understand his passion and self-awareness that made him think that as the best surgeon, he could save more lives. He was a more realistic, humane and integral character than anybody else. And that's what made viewers identify with him. He may have been viewed as a villain, but many times I cried for him in my heart. That may be why I've found it so hard to forget about him.”

-- You've mostly played characters who agonize over their identity and their sufferings in life. Jang Joon-hyeok, Yong-hyun in the film “Sorum,” and even Dalgun in the comic drama “Bad Family” are all similar in that respect. How do you choose your roles?

“I like the noir genre. I feel a catharsis by playing a character who struggles to make a better life from nothing and goes through heartbreaking or devastating experiences while doing that. My most favorite movie is ‘The Fan’ with Robert De Niro because it was chilling to see an ordinary man going crazy as he becomes more and more enthusiastic about a famous baseball player.”

-- You lived in obscurity for quite a long time after your debut in 1996. And even after you started to become known as an actor, you had some breaks from time to time. How did you deal with those times?

“Things didn't go well as I thought they would after ‘Sorum.’ It almost killed me then, and I thought seriously about immigrating to New Zealand. But looking back now, the hardships I suffered then have made me more patient and moderate.”

-- You may feel strongly about all the characters you've played, but which of them do you think is most like you?

“Well, I think that's Jang Joon-hyeok. He's similar to me in that we both want to be the best. The difference, if anything, is that he's already the best but still has ambitions to go higher and higher, whereas I'm still struggling to be the best. I still have long way to go.”

(englishnews@chosun.com )

[Guest kdramafanusa]

Source: JoongAng Daily

Intensity and sense of purpose create the materials for a star

August 22, 2007

[image]

Actor Kim Myung-min excels at being cold-hearted. By Kim Seong-ryong

Actor Kim Myung-min was thought to be an up-and-coming star after his debut in 1996 but his life went in a different direction. He was badly injured while performing a stunt and his film contracts kept being withdrawn. This series of unfortunate events led him to quit stage acting in 2004.

Ironically, the year he gave up his stage life was also the turning point in his career. He was given the opportunity to play the lead role in a historical drama called “The Immortal Lee Sun-shin.” The opportunity was a double-edged sword because viewers showered him with harsh criticism, saying he was not the best choice to play Joseon naval hero Lee Sun-shin. Nevertheless, the drama made him a star and he became extremely busy.

In January Kim appeared in “White Tower.” He played Dr. Jang Jun-hyuk, a cold-hearted and intelligent figure who possesses a secret and contemptible ambition. With his quirky appearance and ambiguous good looks, Kim successfully embodied the character.

Kim also hit movie screens with the thriller “Return,” which was released on Aug. 8. This movie portrays a boy who wakes up during surgery and feels every cut. The shock makes him become a serial killer. Kim took a lead role in this film and has just begun shooting “Open City,” another thriller.

Q. The characters you played in “White Tower” and “Return” somewhat overlap with each other.

A. I played a doctor in both films, but they have different traits. “Return” is a more sentimental work. Its main focus is the murderer, but there is a deeper message. The four main characters (Kim Myung-min, Yoo Jun-sang, Jung Yoo-suk and Kim Tae-woo) of this movie form an unstable structure which is bound to collapse when any of them fails to be modest. The message conveyed was “Be humble.”

Why do you favor thrillers?

I find romance films pathetic and dull. I am more drawn to dynamic thrillers, where faithful friendships, complex characters and a community of robust men are involved.

Your powerful acting was conspicuous in White Tower after you character loses his wife. Was that difficult?

Ironically, acting itself isn’t that tough. In fact, the real challenge is to revive my emotions when the staff continually break the scene to fix settings and lights. The flow of acting is constantly being broken but I have to restore the same feelings. It often takes hours to shoot something that lasts for a few minutes.

Why did you stop acting for a week after shooting the film?

I had a sore throat. I thought I would be exhausted so I had asked for a break beforehand.

How did you integrate yourself with the film character?

I try to think like the movie character would. The spirit of Cho Dae-young, the character I am currently playing in “Open City,” frequently comes into my mind. For example, if I were being myself, I would have already enjoyed this snack (pointing at some juice and a snack in front of him). However, the Cho Dae-young in my head commands me not to. In this way, I am able to naturally assimilate my mind with his.

I can imagine that once the shooting is over, getting that character out of your mind is going to be hard.

It is. When filming is done, I am left with an emptiness in my heart, just like after a breakup with a lover. After I finished “White Tower” my head ached for a month. I think actors are bound to suffer from short-term mental disorders.

You have a reputation for your powerful voice. Why did you once have an inferiority complex about it?

I used to be criticized for my loud voice; but after my success, no one has dared to disapprove of it.

Why do you like TV dramas?

It’s unfair that the public belittles TV dramas compared to movies. When actors participate in TV shows, the staff doesn’t wait for them to display appropriate reactions; rather they’ve got to deal with whatever circumstances confront them. On the other hand, movie stars can always take their time until they get the right emotions. To be honest, I am bothered by the fact that many people praise Korean movies out of patriotism. A movie should be judged by its quality not its nationality.

By Yang Sung-hee JoongAng Ilbo [estyle@joongang.co.kr]