Joo Won 주원 [Drama- The Midnight Studio/ 야한(夜限) 사진관]

[kittyna]

Just popping by quickly to show you all something that came up in my Pinterest feed the other day.

If anyone can help me locate the artist so I could credit this properly, please!

[lavender2love]

@kittyna....... verrrrrrry nice pictures. Good work girl . Thanks for sharing.

I've got to run too but just saw this pose. It is from Yong Pal ... So macho !!! The dimple in the other pic is like a moon crater right ?

[kittyna]

Sorry if it's bad form to post twice in a row on a forum like this - but here are some interesting points you've all made that I want to respond to.

From @yonaomi123

Quote

I saw a post about JW's Good Doctor drama from a few years ago, up above.  And that reminded me that it's getting remade into a US tv drama/show.  I saw the trailer for it yesterday, and it looks like it'll be pretty faithful to the original... all of which makes me want to re-watch the original.  

I've seen that trailer, too! While it looks interesting, I'm still iffy on whether "Good Doctor" would translate over well to a U.S. television drama. It's not that I doubt the cast and crew can't create a good story, but that I'm not sure if a character as innocent as Park Si On would actually take off well enough to actually carry the show. lol - "Good Doctor" is one of my absolute favourite K-dramas, so I suppose I get just a tad protective of it, when push comes to shove.

From @airplanegirl

Quote

Regarding BoA's songs, masayume chasing, listen to my heart and valenti are amazing songs to start with. In my opinion, her Japanese discography is just much more superior to her Korean one.

I have to admit that one of the funnier aspects of the news that BoA and JW are dating is that, years ago, I was in a J-pop phase and really, really liked listening to the handful of BoA songs I was able to accumulate. Over time, I've deleted a number of other J-pop songs and artists from my playlist as my musical tastes shifted, but not hers. Of course, at the time, I had known she was actually Korean and sang in both languages, but since I wasn't into Hallyu yet, that was just a back burner fact. Thus, by the time I started watching K-dramas and becoming a fan of Hallyu, she was firmly in my mind as a J-pop artist. I would, however, notice if she was mentioned in, say, 2D1N or another variety show, though.

And then, seemingly out of nowhere, the relationship news got out. I remember just sitting there going, "Wait...who's dating whom now?" and "OMG, I actually know who this girl is! Who would've thought?"

From @flutterby06

Quote

I think it's good for their relationship that media has less stories about their relationship. JW is in military now. So the less people know about them, the less they'll bother BoA.

I definitely feel a lot more assured about their relationship with the bits of information that have been scattered throughout this forum since; I was worried at first because it sounded so sudden, but if they've been friends for years...I love it when that happens (i.e. when friendship grows into romance). I also like it when celebrities try to keep these things relatively private - with the whole slew of various scandals over the past year or so (in my memory, that would be multiple sexual assault/prostitution scandals, drug scandals, etc.), I'm starting to feel like no news is good news when someone is doing his military service. So maybe not hearing anything save for the occasional "JW was spotted on a TV news broadcast of military activities" or "Fans share an Instagram photo they took with JW on leave" is a good thing.

From @airplanegirl

Quote

I've actually seen some international drama fans say the acting in Bridal Mask was bad. Man, Bridal Mask had some of the best acting that is hard to find these days. There are also fans who have tried to say that Joo Won's acting in Good Doctor was bad, just because, it wasn't a rom-com

I remember seeing some comments that JW was "over-acting" in "Bridal Mask", but personally, I don't think so. Rather, I think such elements in his style (e.g. some of the various crying and yelling scenes in that drama) can be attributed to his theatre background. And I like that. It's something that makes him unique compared to those actors whose careers started on screen.

One of my favourite things about JW's acting style is that he doesn't hold back. For example: the "GAKSITAL!!!!" screaming...isn't that how someone would actually scream in rage in real life: rising and straining until you go hoarse and then eventually run out of breath? I'll confess that most of my drama watching has been in Chinese dub, so I don't know if holding back a bit is a norm in K-dramas or if that's the fault of the dubbing voice artists, but "Bridal Mask" is one of the handful of shows I watched in its original form (i.e. in Korean with English subs). Man, am I glad I did, because I thought JW's voicework was brilliant throughout.

As for "Good Doctor"...again, I think his acting there is some of the best I've seen. The way I've heard another fan whom I know offline put it is the best I've come across: "You could tell just from stills that he's playing a character with autism." That implies a certain immersive, full-body acting that takes everything into account: posture, comportment, micro-expressions, voicework (again - he's been brilliant with this)...the whole package. You can see that, too, in subsequent interviews where he literally has to get into a certain physical position in order to do Park Si On's voice on demand - he can't separate the voice, the posture, and the character, but needs all three in one package, even if it's to deliver a quick greeting on the fly.

(Apologies for the weird formatting - still trying to get the hang of this whole quoting thing.)

Edited August 2, 2017 by kittyna

[kittyna]

5 hours ago, lavender2love said:

@kittyna....... verrrrrrry nice pictures. Good work girl . Thanks for sharing.

 

You're welcome. Glad you liked that one. I'll see if I have anymore that I could share. Honestly, I should if I search through my Pinterest stuff again.

I find that JW's features and overall style lend themselves very well to chibi-fication (or whatever word would be used for caricature in a chibi style: https://www.joshuanava.biz/manga/chibi-style.html

EDIT: I bring you...more JW chibi fanart! Apologies if any of these had previously been posted, but I thought they were too cute to resist (okay, calling "Gaksital" fanart "cute" is a stretch, but you get the idea.)

Again, I usually find these in my Pinterest feed without credits, so if anyone can fill in the details for me, much appreciated.

[flutterby06]

On 8/1/2017 at 1:23 AM, airplanegirl said:

I've actually seen some international drama fans say the acting in Bridal Mask was bad. Man, Bridal Mask had some of the best acting that is hard to find these days. There are also fans who have tried to say that Joo Won's acting in Good Doctor was bad, just because, it wasn't a rom-com.

Really? May be it's just because they've no idea what "great acting" is. I pity them.

Good Doctor and a few other dramas are the reason why I thought I could keep watching K-Dramas. And Bridal Mask not only has a solid story but also some pure acting by JW, PKW and others. I didn't it know it was possible to be more amazed at his acting until I saw Bridal Mask. It's a pity that they don't know how to appreciate a solid acting.

On 8/1/2017 at 1:23 AM, airplanegirl said:

A majority of his fans dislike the drama, because they felt like Joo Won could have easily done 2 dramas in the span of that 1 year used to shoot this drama. Many Kr fans acknowledged that Oh Yeon Seo and Joo Won's acting saved this drama

JW could actually be involved with more K projects if he wouldn't have to do those Chinese Projects which I'm sure was the idea of his agency. I didn't see Sweet Sixteen but I read here that most of his part were cut down. And Love Express is now a big uncertainty! Even if the drama gets released, I don't think it'll achieve the success it was expecting. But we all know he worked really hard. Some viewers of MSG who know Chinese, complimented his Chinese pronunciation. I'm sure it became so good because he was trying very hard for the two projects even if they use dub.

On 8/1/2017 at 1:47 AM, lavender2love said:

Well there was a howl when he kissed her too soon in church so they say..... roll eyes here... !! I'm in the minority who love all their romance and kisses with a fervour. The only thing I wish was the writer had written him a stronger character in helping her drain the swamp at the hospital I wanted him to be strong and smart and help her make Hanshin Hospital great again with him revamping the 13th and 14th floor.

 

Here I thought I'm in the minority to think Tae Hyun kissed Yeo Jin too quickly!  

I actually liked Tae Hyun's character there. It was sad that he had to leave Yeo Jin in the hell hole alone. But it was her decision to stay there, in the middle of all those two faced people. She believed that as her world while Tae Hyun detested to be a part of that world. He tried to persuade Yeo Jin to stop being so revengeful but she didn't want to stop. She thought revenge would make her satisfied but it only made her alone and measurable. They're two lover who have different ideology. So I loved this conflict and how Tae Hyun's character dealt with it.

@lavender2love, may be we can have a thorough discussion later? 

7 hours ago, kittyna said:

As for "Good Doctor"...again, I think his acting there is some of the best I've seen. The way I've heard another fan whom I know offline put it is the best I've come across: "You could tell just from stills that he's playing a character with autism." That implies a certain immersive, full-body acting that takes everything into account: posture, comportment, micro-expressions, voicework (again - he's been brilliant with this)...the whole package. You can see that, too, in subsequent interviews where he literally has to get into a certain physical position in order to do Park Si On's voice on demand - he can't separate the voice, the posture, and the character, but needs all three in one package, even if it's to deliver a quick greeting on the fly.

 

@kittyna, it's good to see there are people like me who joined soompi recently to talk about JW. Welcome in this thread. 

Like I said before, GD is actually one of first few dramas that made me interested to keep watching K-Drama. It was also the drama where I saw JW first. So when I saw his acting I kept saying to myself HE'S NOT REALLY AUTISTIC, RIGHT? HE'S ACTUALLY ACTING.. So I had a good impression on K-Drama, I thought they're very passionate about acting. But as I continued to watch dramas I understood that while there're some good actors there're none like JW. Later when I saw in the interview how he needed to bring out Park Shi On I was really surprised thinking how much he worked hard for this one character. 

Good Doctor is GOOD DOCTOR because of Joo Won..He literally gave his all and more to this role. While GD has a heart touching story, it touched people's heart so very much because of the Park Shi On, Joo Won portrayed.

On 8/1/2017 at 11:54 PM, kittyna said:

I sort of beg to differ on this point - not because I disagree with the statement that he succeeded based entirely on his own skills, but because, as it turns out, his real-life persona lines up very well with my "ideal type". So...yeah, "perfect boyfriend" image for me, at least

 

I think by JW lack of "Perfect Boyfriend" image @airplanegirl meant that when we first see JW acting,what strikes most is that his acting is awesome not how good  he looks or how perfect he is. He's not just a pretty face who is delivering his lines. Many people has this perfect boyfriend image because people swoon more at their pretty face ignoring other facts. I'm not sure but I thought she meant that. Correct me if I'm wrong, Dear Admin. 

Of course he's a perfect boyfriend type when we see how sincere he is- not only his works but also about life and love.   But these things comes after you get to know his personalities through interviews and public appearances.

I love JW chibis.. They're so cute...The chibi picture you posted is new to me. thanks a lot. 

[kittyna]

32 minutes ago, flutterby06 said:

But we all know he worked really hard. Some viewers of MSG who knows Chinese, complimented his Chinese pronunciation. I'm sure it became so good because he was trying very hard for the two projects even if they use dub.

I recall watching the segments on "Life Log" when he was learning Chinese for "Sweet Sixteen." And although I hadn't watched that series yet, from the few snippets I've seen of "My Sassy Girl," his efforts paid off.

 

35 minutes ago, flutterby06 said:

And Bridal Mask not only has a solid story but also some pure acting by JW, PKW and others.

Yes to this SO MUCH! It's not just that JW was great at his role, but the whole cast was. I knew in advance that PKW playing the villain would give me the creeps, having previously watched him in "The Slave Hunters", but to see him, JW, and others just give it to each other blow for blow in terms of intensity was on a different level altogether. Just a great ensemble cast overall.

 

37 minutes ago, flutterby06 said:

I think by JW lack of "Perfect Boyfriend" image @airplanegirl meant that when we first see JW acting,what strikes most is that his acting is awesome not how good  he looks or how perfect he is. He's not just a pretty face who is delivering his lines. Many people has this perfect boyfriend image because people swoon more at their pretty face ignoring other facts. I'm not sure but I thought she meant that.

Okay, I get it now. Sorry, the whole "teenage heartthrob" trope never really took off for me, even during my teens I've seen plenty of the "OMG, he's so hot! OPPA, SARANGHAEYO!" stuff before, and have always just been rather bemused at it all. lol - I might refer to some as "Oppa" or think "Saranghaeyo" to them, but not because of their hot-ness. There's got to be more than that for me.

[flutterby06]

If I had to summarize my story, I would put it this way: “Sometimes, you don’t know what you want until you see it. And sometimes, what matters isn’t whether you can obtain it, but simply that it exists.” - @kittyna

Wow..Love the way you expressed it. 

I can relate to you in a way.. His devotion for his family and the way he wants to cherish his pure personality is very admirable. JW is very different. The image he has, is not only very sincere but also feels real. Before JW, I didn't know that I actually could be moved this much by an actor's acting along with his persona. The change is inevitable but I hope he stays honest and real as much as he want and can accept his changing self.

[hibiscus23]

@kittyna hi well said my chingoo! i luvd the way you said 'handsome....but it depends on who you ask" or something like that, mind u when i first saw him in Baker King i wasn't a fan i was more into Yoon shi yoon and since JW's charac was the antagonist if you will  & viewers like me had that tendency to loath him & it wasn't until i saw him again in Ojakyo brothers that i started falling for him, yes he may not be the handsomest but woah he's got that charisma, let alone his acting skills & i can go on & on! Furthermore, he's only 7 yrs in showbiz and what a load of accomplisments and achievements since he's started, that really shld fall under HALLYU actor if they will ask us i agree he may not be that flower boy type but i guess what's more impt is not only he's popularity but people even ahjummas love him; who's not to love this kinda guy? he's down-to-earth, humble, kind, lovable, great son who gives all his earnings to his mom he seems flawless!! btw i luv those Gaksital fanarts! soooooo nice!

@flutterby06 chingu you took the words off my mouth! JW is a sincere person no doubt about it; aside from maintaining his pure image, etc me too i nvr thot i'd be moved by him and the rest is history (so they say).

hello to all here & TTYL

[kittyna]

2 minutes ago, hibiscus23 said:

i agree he may not be that flower boy type but i guess what's more impt is not only he's popularity but people even ahjummas love him; who's not to love this kinda guy? he's down-to-earth, humble, kind, lovable, great son who gives all his earnings to his mom

You've just reminded me of another way that I think JW is different from your typical Hallyu star: money - or, rather, what he does with the money.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think I've ever come across a story in which he makes a large charitable donation. Sure, fans might in his name, but he himself? Maybe I just haven't been looking in the right places, but at least for as long as I've known him as an actor, I've yet to see anything (so, from early 2016 until now).

At first, I thought that was, well, rather odd. Mind you, as a matter of principle, I'm a bit skeptical about the whole celebrity charity thing: it happens so often here in North America that I end up wondering if it's actually genuine or done for publicity (rationally, the truth is probably a combination of both, but still). But I could also see how Korean entertainers' charitable deeds get talked about and really fan the flames of fandom. I also know that, although exact figures are confidential, JW can't have just been earning a small amount with his dramas, CFs, etc. So where on earth is the money going?

When I found out it was going to his family - and he makes it clear that save for a small cut for himself, it ALL goes to them - then it clicked. He's "donating" to the "cause" that matters most to him - and I can't fault that when I came to like him for his Confucian values to begin with, can't I?

[lavender2love]

@kittyna " I bring you...more JW chibi fanart "

They are so cute. No Yong Pal ? Sniff !!!! ( kidding )

 

@flutterby06     '  Here I thought I'm in the minority to think Tae Hyun kissed Yeo Jin too quickly!  

 I actually liked Tae Hyun's character there. It was sad that he had to leave Yeo Jin in the hell hole alone. But it was her decision to stay there, in the middle of all those two faced people. She believed that as her world while Tae Hyun detested to be a part of that world. He tried to persuade Yeo Jin to stop being so revengeful but she didn't want to stop. She thought revenge would make her satisfied but it only made her alone and measurable. They're two lover who have different ideology. So I loved this conflict and how Tae Hyun's character dealt with it.    

      

@flutterby06 Hmmmnnn ......... well from episode 8 and 9 onward of YP , the decibel of noise received stratospheric level. There were heated arguments about a powerful Yeo Jin and a leisurely doctor in a rural clinic. There were so many areas of contention. Anyway I'm unfazed...... I loved the 90% story and character arc and 10 % the waste of Dr Kim Tae Hyun's talent in surgery. He was a brilliant surgeon. Even as I'm writing this sentence I imagine I'm raising the heckles of  fierce opponents. I stand by my reasons.

@lavender2love may be we can have a through discussion later? 

?

 

 

 

[lavender2love]

Lest we forget........ Joo Won really has a lovely complexion. Just found out in MSG that his height is 6' 1"  which makes him so manly. Fans are missing him. After 80 days it's no longer 2 years right ?

[kittyna]

1 hour ago, lavender2love said:

Lest we forget........ Joo Won really has a lovely complexion. Just found out in MSG that his height is 6' 1"  which makes him so manly.

Yet, at the same time, he's revealed in an interview that his skin isn't perfect and that he had to figure out through trial and error what worked best: https://joowoncutie.wordpress.com/2014/08/22/interview-instyle-men-2014-september-issue-beautiful-morning-joo-won/

On a side note, I want to give a shout-out to @rionae in particular as one of the Joo Won Cuties translators. You guys have made JW's interviews, variety show appearances, etc. so much more accessible than what I could have expected (my experience is that outside of stuff relating to K-pop idols, it's hard to find much of anything translated into English), so thanks so much!

At first, I'll admit I was a bit weirded out by the InStyle interview, because I was new to Hallyu and new to the ways that Korean guys are really candid about things that would make them seem effeminate in North America: fashion, but skincare more so than that. However, as I read it, I remember thinking with a sense of relief that celebrities really are just normal people: they're not born perfect and struggle with things like sensitive skin, acne, etc. like other teens and 20-somethings. Not to mention that their appearance is really a paradox: expected to have the healthiest looks in the general population, while simultaneously living one of the unhealthiest lifestyles possible (hint hint nudge nudge at a certain caffeine addict who still regularly had to pull consecutive all-nighters in order to give us the dramas we love )

Incidentally, I speak from experience that the tip from the interview about using gel-type moisturizers and just letting them absorb into the skin rather than rubbing them in has really, really worked well for me

[kittyna]

Although I gave an answer to the question posed by @hibiscus23, I actually have a question of my own regarding JW's Hallyu status:

Why is it Joo Won so frequently compared to Lee Min Ho?

The thing is, almost all of the comments I've seen in various places that compare JW's acting, star persona, popularity, looks, etc. with others in order to show how different or unique he is end up using LMH as the point of comparison (i.e.. "Unlike LMH, JW is...") I've even seen that extending to the dramas they're in (e.g. "Here's why "Gaksital" is better than "City Hunter"" or "I like JW because he doesn't do projects like "Boys Over Flowers"). Having only started being a fan of his in 2016, I am aware of this pattern, but feel like I've been plunked down into it with no context to work from: where did this tendency come from, and why don't I see JW being compared to any other Hallyu star actor (e.g. Kim Soo Hyun, Lee Jong Suk, Song Joong Ki, etc.) nearly as often?

Just a disclaimer: I'm not bringing this up to bash either JW or LMH - my being on this forum should tell you where I stand in terms of liking JW, and, as I've previously mentioned, I have yet to watch a LMH drama, so know next to nothing about him nor have any real opinion of him. It's just that this is something I've noticed for a long time, but never had a community of fellow Hallyu fans whom I could ask for an explanation.

So, if anyone has any idea on this - fact or opinion - please let me know. Thanks!

[lavender2love]

 

3 hours ago, kittyna said:

Yet, at the same time, he's revealed in an interview that his skin isn't perfect and that he had to figure out through trial and error what worked best: https://joowoncutie.wordpress.com/2014/08/22/interview-instyle-men-2014-september-issue-beautiful-morning-joo-won/

 

“My skin is sensitive and I received so much stress.  Because I don’t have much beard,"

 

@kittyna... Thanks for pointing that out. Come to think of it he has a clean cut look. That means he can't get scruffy. You know, that what's what happened once to an actor we were enjoying looking at. Throughout he was well groomed and the cameraman always angled the best shots and there was no hint of any fuzz. The came the wrap party and he let go .... facial hair , stubby chin, bad skin tone and. ugliest beanie which made him look bald..... We were shocked beyond words and so disillusioned.

That's why we don't get it with Joo Won, always clean., perhaps only eye bags from lack of sleep.  Plus he has a very lovely smile , very genuine and of course hi dimples are exceptionally cute. In MSG, there were dimples galore, from Joo Won, Oh Yeon Soo, the little boy prins, and the queen. Dimpled cast.

If his skin is sensitive it could mean he's fair. I could be wrong.

 

 

 

[sagaseed]

52 minutes ago, kittyna said:

Why is it Joo Won so frequently compared to Lee Min Ho?

The thing is, almost all of the comments I've seen in various places that compare JW's acting, star persona, popularity, looks, etc. with others in order to show how different or unique he is end up using LMH as the point of comparison (i.e.. "Unlike LMH, JW is...") I've even seen that extending to the dramas they're in (e.g. "Here's why "Gaksital" is better than "City Hunter"" or "I like JW because he doesn't do projects like "Boys Over Flowers"). Having only started being a fan of his in 2016, I am aware of this pattern, but feel like I've been plunked down into it with no context to work from: where did this tendency come from, and why don't I see JW being compared to any other Hallyu star actor (e.g. Kim Soo Hyun, Lee Jong Suk, Song Joong Ki, etc.) nearly as often?

Just a disclaimer: I'm not bringing this up to bash either JW or LMH - my being on this forum should tell you where I stand in terms of liking JW, and, as I've previously mentioned, I have yet to watch a LMH drama, so know next to nothing about him nor have any real opinion of him. It's just that this is something I've noticed for a long time, but never had a community of fellow Hallyu fans whom I could ask for an explanation.

So, if anyone has any idea on this - fact or opinion - please let me know. Thanks!

 

My opinion - Looks aside, I think it's because their hit dramas in their early acting years were roughly in the same period. LMH's hit dramas which helped him gained fame - Boys Over Flowers (2009), City Hunter (2011) and Heirs (2013). JW's hit dramas after his debut were Baker King (2010), OB (2011), Gaksital (2012) and Good Doctor (2013). Whereas those other actors in your hallyu list gained popularity slightly later. Moreover, both of them are born in 1987. KSH, LJS and SJK are not. 

Actually, rather than LMH, I heard more comparison with Ji Chang Wook. Both are 1987er, musical actors and can sing well. They also have similar images/good boy vibes. In fact, I heard of JW fans becoming JCW fans after Healer. 

[lavender2love]

@kittyna " Yet, at the same time, he's revealed in an interview that his skin isn't perfect and that he had to figure out through trial and error what worked best: https://joowoncutie.wordpress.com/2014/08/22/interview-instyle-men-2014-september-issue-beautiful-morning-joo-won/ " 

I realised two things today 1. Kittyna is from Canada half a world away from Korea and an ardent Joo Won fan

2 , Then I read the link she attached to her post..... joowoncutie and realised @rionae and @sagaseed attended this fanmeet. I knew rionae had attended the previous one but is it a first for sagaseed ? Good job ... !!!

 

June 5, 2016 by Joo Won Cutie

[FANACC] Joo Won Thailand Fanmeet 2016 by rionae

It took a little long, but I finally finished it (^-^)/

[FANACC] AIS presents 2016 ‘THE BEST OF ME’ JOO WON
20160220 Thailand Fan Meeting @ GMM Live House

I

EXCERPT: ( this is so touching )

Seeing it, Joo Won… cried again this year T^T
“Fans ask me not to cry, but they make me cry.”
Joo Won ssi, please know that fans always think of you and support you, even though we are faraway. "

 

Thank you both for being there and being here.

Many fans are counting the days when he returns with new drama, variety shows. .... and a WEDDING.

[hibiscus23]

chingoos @kittyna i guess i missed this one e.g. that JW is being compared with LMH, first time seen LMH in BBF and thought he's a fresh face whereas i've been a huge fan of veteran actors like SSH, BYJ to name a few after seeing the Endless Love Story series then ventured to new faces etc. & as far as i can recall i was impressed with the leads but was more taken by Kim hyun jong at that time! to make it short i didn't however got this deep likeness to JW in comparison to how i felt with LMH (not saying he's not great but that's just how i feel even now). My being more enthused with JW seems having a more lasting impact on me than any of the other vet actors i mentioned above, i think JW's charisma i'd say is much stronger than others, but this is only my opinion! i know i liked LMH in Heirs but that was the only 2nd time i've watched him (believe u me guys) after BBF, and i must confess Choe jin hyuk brought me to watch it after seeing him in Emergency Couple drama that is! interesting how we get to like certain  K actors partly has to do with the roles they've played in a drama!

btw i did like JCW when i first saw him in Sol Pharmacy and i followed him till five fingers drama but after seeing JW again n again i kinda lagged on JCW and haven't watched any of his projects since FF!

 

[kittyna]

5 hours ago, lavender2love said:

Come to think of it he has a clean cut look. That means he can't get scruffy. You know, that what's what happened once to an actor we were enjoying looking at. Throughout he was well groomed and the cameraman always angled the best shots and there was no hint of any fuzz. The came the wrap party and he let go .... facial hair , stubby chin, bad skin tone and. ugliest beanie which made him look bald..... We were shocked beyond words and so disillusioned.

That's why we don't get it with Joo Won, always clean., perhaps only eye bags from lack of sleep.  Plus he has a very lovely smile , very genuine and of course hi dimples are exceptionally cute. In MSG, there were dimples galore, from Joo Won, Oh Yeon Soo, the little boy prins, and the queen. Dimpled cast.

If his skin is sensitive it could mean he's fair. I could be wrong.

I...have no idea which actor that was in the first bit, given my newness to Soompi, but that does make for an interesting story.

As for whether JW is "fair", in my observation, the term I would use to describe his colouring is "winter fair". In other words, in the winter, he can be as light or fair-skinned as the rest of them, but I have noticed that in the summer months, he could get quite tanned. It's the most noticeable in "Gaksital", since it didn't really matter how dark Lee Kang To got, since he's a cop/vigilante whose character description seems to suggest a rather outdoors lifestyle. However, in the summers of 2013 and 2014, with "Good Doctor" and "Nae Il's Cantabile" respectively, I observed that JW actively took steps to prevent himself from tanning. With "Good Doctor", he'd already started getting a bit dark, but then kept himself from tanning even further by using copious amounts of sunscreen; there's a scene on 1N2D where he's hiking with Sung Si Kyung and, on a rest break, covered himself with so much SPF80 sunscreen that it looked like greasepaint (SK's reaction to that was priceless, I might add). As for "Nae Il's Cantabile", that was filmed in the fall, but JW had a full summer to prepare for it; anticipating that Cha Yoo Jin, being a more introverted type, wouldn't go outside much and, thus, would have a fairer complexion, JW spent months covering himself up completely with close-fitting long-sleeved shirts, leggings, a hat, a mask, gloves...the whole shebang. I know this from seeing it on "Life Log", and he also mentioned it in the "Healing Camp" interview. Considering how hot summers get in Korea...that's some serious commitment, if I may say so myself. It paid off, though - Cha Yoo Jin, complexion-wise, had JW's "winter" look, so mission accomplished, I suppose.

2 hours ago, lavender2love said:

1. Kittyna is from Canada half a world away from Korea and an ardent Joo Won fan

Yes, I am half a world away from Korea - so it's uber-expensive to travel there. Thus, I rely on the wonders of the Internet to get my fix

2 hours ago, hibiscus23 said:

My being more enthused with JW seems having a more lasting impact on me than any of the other vet actors i mentioned above, i think JW's charisma i'd say is much stronger than others, but this is only my opinion!

That happened to me with my first JW drama, which was "Kim Tak Gu". I was initially really invested in Yoon Shi Yoon's character (i.e. Kim Tak Gu), but my mother (who had previously watched the show and was actually re-watching it with me this time around) kept saying, "Don't just look at him! Pay some attention to Ma Jun!" Next thing I know, as the story progressed, I understood why: not only did Ma Jun have a very fascinating and intriguing story, but JW had a certain charisma to him that was hard to beat. As I later said to my mom, "He's not classically handsome, but he makes you look at him again." I think, at the time, it was the eyes that did it for me: they were so...cat-like. Like, slanted upwards rather than downwards, which was the norm among the Korean actors I'd seen up to that point.

 

4 hours ago, sagaseed said:

Actually, rather than LMH, I heard more comparison with Ji Chang Wook. Both are 1987er, musical actors and can sing well. They also have similar images/good boy vibes. In fact, I heard of JW fans becoming JCW fans after Healer. 

Ah, I've seen people comparing JW and JCW before, too - mostly as singers, though, given their shared background in musical theatre.

@sagaseed Wait..are you one of the Cuties, too? If so, wow, this is so awesome!

 

[hibiscus23]

@kittyna my sis lives in that part of the world......Canada! Let me share a bit about that b4 i go with JW anyway, altho it's a world away her interest in SK grew as i introduced her to Kdramaland, she's the type who won't be keen in watching something w/subs but when she did the rest is history! anyway based from that interest we both traveled to SK and woah you guys shld do that someday and experience the country first hand, it's a beauty even though we can't speak the lang, ppl were accommodating n v helpful gg out of their way to guide you if you hv questions on directions, etc. more nxt time let's go back to our guy JW. If i may quote this from you: "He's not classically handsome, but he makes you look at him again." believe it or not i was also paying attn to Yoon while watching Baker King n thought the same thing about JW not that classically handsome but the more you look at him esp those cute dimples, he melts your heart  woah and that singing voice added more to my interest in following him! i got the BK dvd which i'm planning to re-watch after i'm done with some of JW's old projs! but what i wanted to point out is he's very diff from the other K actors i came to admire, i can't explain it into words but you guys know what i mean!

yesssssssssssssss we'll be waiting for his return, time flies b4 we know it he'll be back! i read the other day that Lee seung gi who was serving is due back i believe in Oct? see how time flies? he's another cutie!

chingus, i think i like his tan in Gaksital, u know what the saying goes: tall, dark and handsome and that's him!

thx to u all for sharing ev.thing about JW! he's worth our while! (pls excuse if you find or notice some typos as i don't hv time to proof now)

[sagaseed]

@lavender2love Yes, I attended the same 2016 BKK fan meet with @rionae but it was my FIRST time meeting Joo Won in person! BKK is so close to SG so I thought that was the only chance for me to see him before his enlistment. It still feels surreal that I have met him (and yes, shake his hand too!). I was asked to pen a fan account but I doubts about my writing skills and I knew @rionae could write an amazing piece (and she did!). From my seat (different side and row from rionae), I couldn't take nice photos of him with my miserable mobile either. But I was verrrrrry lucky to be seated on the same side and one row in front of his parents so JW kept facing this side of the audience while singing. All those moments, it seems as though he was singing to me muahahaha.. I don't think I need to tell everyone how impressive his live singing was. I was sooooo star-struck during the couple shot that I forgot how his hand felt. Maybe I was too focused on telling him I'm from Singapore (to let him know he has supporters from SG) and making sure I face the camera (before the cameraman snapped the photo) that I forgot his touch. Everything happened in like 2 seconds..?!? I wish I have another chance to attend his fan meet again because his performance on stage is so awesome!

@kittyna No no.. I wouldn't claim I'm one of the Cuties who took great efforts to maintain Joo Won Cutie page for years. I only started checking out this JW soompi thread after YP. One of the JW Cuties administrators mrdimples requested for help in soompi to translate stuff from Chinese to English and I volunteered to translate one magazine article. Subsequently, I helped to translate a very small portion of Healing Camp from Chi to Eng. Compared to other Cuties who did tons of translations, timing, typesetting and encoding work before the subbed videos can be uploaded, I really didn't contribute as much and felt it was a pity I couldn't do more. But I was very grateful for the opportunity because 1) I am very thankful for the subbed videos and articles that helped me learn more about JW; and 2) I learned that so much work and time is involved to sub a video which makes me appreciate JW Cuties even more. At the end of the day, it's these devoted fans who helped bring our Joo Won closer to other fans and build his fan base, isn't it?