Joo Won 주원 [Current Drama 2024 - The Midnight Studio/ 야한(夜限) 사진관]

[kittyna]

8 hours ago, Calli said:

I'm very much prone to agree since, like I said in my previous post, I really do find all his features very distinctive~ I remember thinking while watching Good Doctor, that he looks very unique and unusual, in a very interesting and pleasing way that made me feel like I wouldn't tire looking at his face, ever (an impression that was very much reinforced during Alice).

 

Yeah, that's exactly what I mean, I think: I didn't think JW was handsome at first, but he was definitely very striking. Like, I thought, "This would be a face that would just catch my eye anywhere I saw it."

 

8 hours ago, Calli said:

It's the shape of his eyes, his cheekbones (like you described so well @kittyna) but particularly his nose, too^^ I have a thing for noses and when I look at someone my eyes tend to focus into the center of their face. So unless I've known someone forever, I mostly can't tell what color their eyes are but I can always tell about the shape of their nose. So, Joo Won's nose was one of his distinctive features that I noticed even before I noticed the unusual and lovely shape of his eyes. His nose is really lovely... very unique too and just perfect for his face.

 

lol - I guess I don't really pay much attention to noses besides just the general shape. Of course, I was always aware of how nice JW's profile was, but I don't think I paid much attention to his nose in particular until I was watching Alice and I realized that the casting directors did an amazing job casting our main family: like, JW could feasibly be a blend of Kim Hee Sun and Kwak Si Yang's features, and I thought that was awesome. So, for instance, I noticed that JW's eyes were somewhere in between his "parents'", and that while his face shape from the front was like Kim Hee Sun's, his profile (in part because of the nose) was similar to Kwak Si Yang's.  

 

8 hours ago, Calli said:

What I've noticed body wise is his posture. It obviously suffered quite a bit while he was filming Good Doctor (he always comits so completely to his roles, body and soul) but I feel his posture pre and post-military is quite different. Not that that's a very astute observation, since his body went through quite the transformation in that period but in Alice he just feels so much more... I don't want to say "manly" because he was looking "manly" before as well, but I guess more "mature"?

 

He also carries himself differently after his enlistment, and I think at least part of that comes from the fact that he appears more confident now than he was before 

 

8 hours ago, Calli said:

Not in the sense that he looks older cause he doesn't imo, but definitely in the sense that it's harder for him to pull off a high schooler now because he's so much bigger than them^^

 

 Oh my God - I definitely noticed that in Alice and it was hilarious! Like, it was less obvious in Fashion King (since almost all the high school characters were played by 20-somethings), but because the high school extras in Alice were actual teenagers...my own head-canon (i.e. my interpretation of the story's canon) is that Park Jin Gyeom hit his growth spurt way earlier than everyone else...and that he takes after his dad in terms of his height and build  

 

8 hours ago, Calli said:

He added quite a few centimeters to his shoulder width as far as I can tell and his posture is always perfect now, not just in Alice but in all his post-military appearances I've seen so far. His ears always line up perfectly above his shoulders now^^

 

That's true: his shoulders are broader now than they used to be. But I do think there's only so much weight training can do, and there's a difference between being bulked up and having, say, broad shoulder blades. So, in terms of his skeletal structure, he's not as broad-shouldered as a number of his Hallyu peers would be under similar circumstances because the actual position of his shoulder blades is not particularly broad (he's not scrawny either: just somewhere in the middle). However, that being said, JW does make up for it by being generally athletic and muscular as a whole: he just tends to gain muscle in his limbs first before it spreads to the rest of his body.

 

8 hours ago, Calli said:

At first I was really impressed by how he didn't need other's approval and didn't mind being misunderstood, but with each passing episode more of his selflessness, his capacity to love and his strong sense for right and wrong comes through and that makes him such a lovable and admirable character to me. Especially because, like you said @kittyna, with the hardships he suffered since childhood he could have chosen to see himself as a victim, blame others and go the easy route but instead he chose to be a fighter, take responsibility (esp for his little sister) and is even willing to sacrifice himself if that means saving or helping someone else. Especially his loved ones. And he's a real doctor - through and through - even if some people throw the opposite in his face in the early episodes. 

 

I think what stood out to me in the earlier episodes was just how jaded Kim Tae Hyun was. Like, he did develop that reputation for being the miserly, sycophantic "money bug", but the joke's lost on most of the people who dislike him for it: he's just doing and saying in public the things everyone else thinks in private, and I loved that that was his way of subverting the wealth-based system that had kept his family at or below the poverty line (due to his sister's chronic illness) and killed his mother.

[Calli]

11 hours ago, kittyna said:

I don't think I paid much attention to his nose in particular until I was watching Alice and I realized that the casting directors did an amazing job casting our main family: like, JW could feasibly be a blend of Kim Hee Sun and Kwak Si Yang's features, and I thought that was awesome. So, for instance, I noticed that JW's eyes were somewhere in between his "parents'", and that while his face shape from the front was like Kim Hee Sun's, his profile (in part because of the nose) was similar to Kwak Si Yang's.  

Oh, that's interesting. To my eyes Joo Won looks nothing like either one of them - taken either of them individually or as a mixture (that I can imagine). Especially because of his nose (its shape is very unusual and unique for a Korean imo) but also his eyes to be honest. But it's really interesting how differently each one of us perceives faces and what we focus upon when we look at someone.

I respect Joo Won's privacy completely but a part of me would love to see a picture of his parents just to see what kind of genetic mixture brought about Joo Won's unique, interesting and beautiful face. 

 

I've been watching Korean dramas for only about 5 years, and very very sadly - because my eyes back then were very unfamiliar with Asian faces and features - at first I had a  bit of a hard time distinguishing all the faces I was seeing from one another well  (I'm rather embarrassed about that because I always frowned at some ppl when they said awful and inadvertently racist things like "they all look kinda the same to me" referring to any ethnic group they're not familiar with and I would remind them that those ethnic groups must feel exactly the same way about my ethnic group; and yet there I was having a hard time when I encountered an ethnic group that my eyes weren't familiar with at the time through Korean drama). Now happily though it's a very different story - the shapes of eyes, noses, lips, faces all stand out very clearly and are vastly different from another to me. And if someone asked me what a "typical" Korean looks like I would give the same answer as if someone asked me what a "typical" German or Greek face looks like (my parents are both Greek) - namely "there is no such thing". But I still retain that interesting feeling you get when you encounter someone you would not have been able to guess is German or Greek (in my case) because they look rather unusual, because their face just doesn't conform to any pattern your mind has stored while scanning all those faces of your countrymen/women over the years? And all you can say is that they must be mostly Caucasian (or African or Asian, etc)? Maybe you know what I'm talking about~

What I'm trying to say with this impossibly long preamble is that amongst the Korean faces I encounter sometimes there are some that my eyes perceive as "atypical" (for lack of a better word) and Joo Won's is definitely one of those. I'd love to know what kind of genes went into creating his lovely features^^

 

11 hours ago, kittyna said:

He also carries himself differently after his enlistment, and I think at least part of that comes from the fact that he appears more confident now than he was before 

 

That's such a good observation. I was reading his Arena Homme interview from 2019 yesterday and that is something that stood out to me for sure. When the interviewer said that now, post discharge, he must be more manly than ever, Joo Won replied by saying that now he knows how to express his point of view with conviction; how before he would try to "fit into his environment" and how he now feels that this attitude had caused him a lot of stress, trying to make concessions and following other people's opinions. 

From the whole interview it seems military life really gave him a chance to halt and take a very good and close look at himself and his life. A real time or introspection. And I'm so happy he came away with such profound and wise conclusions. His whole twenties and the time until his enlistment, it seems to me, he lived very frantically... I wonder if in all that time he ever had the chance to really breathe, take in and process properly. 

He definitely seems more confident and less committed to working non-stop now. And that's such wonderful personal development. Even if that means that his fans end up seeing less of him ㅠㅠㅠ

 

I was meaning to ask, Joo Won used to have a different insta account that doesn't exist anymore. Do you guys happen to know why? 

Edited April 9, 2021 by Calli

[kireeti2]

2 hours ago, Calli said:

I respect Joo Won's privacy completely but a part of me would love to see a picture of his parents just to see what kind of genetic mixture brought about Joo Won's unique, interesting and beautiful face. 

I think there are photo of him with his mom and dad on Joo won's Instagram account. Also, he is the tallest guy in the family,apparently he ate some of kind of baby formula when he was in third or fourth grade, which helped him in his height growth

 

2 hours ago, Calli said:

When the interviewer said that now, post discharge, he must be more manly than ever, Joo Won replied by saying that now he knows how to express his point of view with conviction; how before he would try to "fit into his environment" and how he now feels that this attitude had caused him a lot of stress, trying to make concessions and following other people's opinions. 

From the whole interview it seems military life really gave him a chance to halt and take a very good and close look at himself and his life. A real time or introspection. And I'm so happy he came away with such profound and wise conclusions. His whole twenties and the time until his enlistment, it seems to me, he lived very frantically... I wonder if in all that time he ever had the chance to really breathe, take in and process properly. 

He definitely seems more confident and less committed to working non-stop now. And that's such wonderful personal development. Even if that means that his fans end up seeing less of him ㅠㅠㅠ

But one thing haven't change, him acting cute around his seniors, especially in presence of Noonas, which is sort of his trade mark and he is still okay with skin ship, which haven't changed from his 1 day and 2 nights show.

2 hours ago, Calli said:

That's such a good observation. I was reading his Arena Homme interview from 2019 yesterday and that is something that stood out to me for sure

In these pics, it is evident that he has improves in his posing and does look manly, when we compare with his 20's modelling photos.

 

[Calli]

49 minutes ago, kireeti2 said:

I think there are photo of him with his mom and dad on Joo won's Instagram account. 

 

 

There is? I couldn't find any on his instagram. Maybe I overlooked it?

 

I remember him mentioning the baby formula on Knowing Bros^^ I'm pretty sure it's genetics above anything else that led to his lovely height.

 

51 minutes ago, kireeti2 said:

But one thing haven't change, him acting cute around his seniors, especially in presence of Noonas, which is sort of his trade mark and he is still okay with skin ship, which haven't changed from his 1 day and 2 nights show.

 

 

And I am so glad that is the case. I hope that will never change. It's such a vital part of his personality imo and it is part of why he's so very lovable. 

 

Here's a little bit of Joo Won posted on Ah Rheum's insta today. She's saying goodbye to Ghost. Joo Won is featured on 28'' and he looks all kinds of cute and hot at once 

 

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CNcKdRVFXWC/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link 

[kittyna]

2 hours ago, Calli said:

I've been watching Korean dramas for only about 5 years, and very very sadly - because my eyes back then were very unfamiliar with Asian faces and features - at first I had a  bit of a hard time distinguishing all the faces I was seeing from one another well  (I'm rather embarrassed about that because I always frowned at some ppl when they said awful and inadvertently racist things like "they all look kinda the same to me" referring to any ethnic group they're not familiar with and I would remind them that those ethnic groups must feel exactly the same way about my ethnic group; and yet there I was having a hard time when I encountered an ethnic group that my eyes weren't familiar with at the time through Korean drama).

 

Well, you were just getting used to it, and as someone who is Chinese Canadian, let me point out that I've also got my own blind spots here. For instance, I'm absolutely terrible at telling what specific ethnicity anyone is: whether they're East Asian (i.e. is that person Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc.?), Caucasian, Black (and this is the blind spot I'm particularly embarrassed about), etc.

 

2 hours ago, Calli said:

Now happily though it's a very different story - the shapes of eyes, noses, lips, faces all stand out very clearly and are vastly different from another to me. And if someone asked me what a "typical" Korean looks like I would give the same answer as if someone asked me what a "typical" German or Greek face looks like (my parents are both Greek) - namely "there is no such thing". But I still retain that interesting feeling you get when you encounter someone you would not have been able to guess is German or Greek (in my case) because they look rather unusual, because their face just doesn't conform to any pattern your mind has stored while scanning all those faces of your countrymen/women over the years? And all you can say is that they must be mostly Caucasian (or African or Asian, etc)? Maybe you know what I'm talking about~

What I'm trying to say with this impossibly long preamble is that amongst the Korean faces I encounter sometimes there are some that my eyes perceive as "atypical" (for lack of a better word) and Joo Won's is definitely one of those. I'd love to know what kind of genes went into creating his lovely features^^

 

The interesting thing is that even East Asians will tend to think there is a "typical" Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc. face, and I'm speaking as someone who is one (Chinese), but who has been mistaken for another (Korean) by people of that ethnicity (i.e. Korean). So it happens  

 

Of course, what features you associate with a "Korean" face or otherwise is very individual. So, for example, if you were to ask me whether there's a Korean celebrity who I think looks very "Korean" (or, at least, has features I tend to associate with Koreans), I would answer someone like Jung Il Woo or Yoo Ah In, whereas someone like Ji Chang Wook actually registers to me as Chinese at first and someone like Park Ki Woong registers to me as Japanese (lol - mostly because of Gaksital and then noticing that a number of Japanese models and actors have similar features).

 

So I definitely know I'd be terribly off the mark if I try to actually guess anything  As for JW...I think I just registered him as an ethnically ambiguous East Asian, to be honest.

 

32 minutes ago, kireeti2 said:

I think there are photo of him with his mom and dad on Joo won's Instagram account.

 

There are pictures, but JW has also pointed out that his family's generally really private about their relationship. So you won't find much by way of pictures - but fans who went to his fan meetings in the past (which his parents occasionally attended) have learned to recognize them and will sometimes point them out in photos.

 

33 minutes ago, kireeti2 said:

Also, he is the tallest guy in the family,apparently he ate some of kind of baby formula when he was in third or fourth grade, which helped him in his height growth

 

Not third or fourth grade - he was at least in middle school (i.e. grades 7-9) by then  When he mentioned that on Knowing Brothers, he mentioned in hindsight that he probably just happened to pick up the habit of eating baby formula at the time his growth spurt would have naturally started anyway.

 

3 hours ago, Calli said:

That's such a good observation. I was reading his Arena Homme interview from 2019 yesterday and that is something that stood out to me for sure. When the interviewer said that now, post discharge, he must be more manly than ever, Joo Won replied by saying that now he knows how to express his point of view with conviction; how before he would try to "fit into his environment" and how he now feels that this attitude had caused him a lot of stress, trying to make concessions and following other people's opinions. 

 

36 minutes ago, kireeti2 said:

But one thing haven't change, him acting cute around his seniors, especially in presence of Noonas, which is sort of his trade mark and he is still okay with skin ship, which haven't changed from his 1 day and 2 nights show.

 

I think one major paradigm shift for JW during his enlistment was simply the fact that, as a celebrity, he was older than many of his fellow soldiers by default, and he took on even more of a leadership role by choosing to stay in the boot camp as an assistant instructor for his term. So the confidence and "manliness" that he exudes now probably comes from the fact that, for nearly two years, he was consistently the hyung/leader of the group rather than the maknae (which he was not only on 1N2D, but a number of his dramas as well).

 

So, as the maknae, he might have felt pressure to just go along with whatever his seniors or elders were doing: he's rather old-school like that (unlike the usual variety show maknae, who's more mischievous, tends to talk back to the hyungs, etc. - which is why some viewers said he wasn't funny). However, that also means that once he ends up in a leadership or hyung sort of position, he'll step up to the task quite naturally as well, and I think that confidence still helps him a lot after he's left the army.

 

3 hours ago, Calli said:

I was meaning to ask, Joo Won used to have a different insta account that doesn't exist anymore. Do you guys happen to know why? 

 

I can't say I know, sorry!

[Calli]

5 hours ago, kittyna said:

Well, you were just getting used to it, and as someone who is Chinese Canadian, let me point out that I've also got my own blind spots here. For instance, I'm absolutely terrible at telling what specific ethnicity anyone is: whether they're East Asian (i.e. is that person Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc.?), Caucasian, Black (and this is the blind spot I'm particularly embarrassed about), etc.

 

 

The interesting thing is that even East Asians will tend to think there is a "typical" Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc. face, and I'm speaking as someone who is one (Chinese), but who has been mistaken for another (Korean) by people of that ethnicity (i.e. Korean). So it happens  

 

Thank you so much for sharing your insight and experience @kittyna!

It's so interesting and helpful getting your perspective on this. 

It's really interesting that East Asians tend to think there is a "typical" Chinese, Korean, Japanese face. I guess the same is true for Europe to a certain degree, where people think that Spaniards, Italians and Greeks have a certain "typical" Mediterranean look while Germans and Scandinavians are also presumed to have a "typical" northern look, etc... and while I guess it can be helpful in terms of broad categorization, when you start really looking at the individuals it often isn't helpful at all. Especially when living in an area or going to an area where people didn't limit themselves to having children solely within the same ethnic group. And that's where some of the most interesting and often beautiful (imo) faces come from; the ones that defy any categorization. And just like that I'm back to our dear Joo Won^^ 

 

5 hours ago, kittyna said:

So, for example, if you were to ask me whether there's a Korean celebrity who I think looks very "Korean" (or, at least, has features I tend to associate with Koreans), I would answer someone like Jung Il Woo or Yoo Ah In, whereas someone like Ji Chang Wook actually registers to me as Chinese at first and someone like Park Ki Woong registers to me as Japanese

I actually know what you mean~ Even if my exposure to Chinese and Japanese faces is still rather limited. 

I think that generally speaking many of the actors we see in Korean dramas and movies already look "atypical" compared to the general population and I somehow have the impression that Koreans think that the less "Korean" someone looks, the more attractive they are? Which - if true - is really sad. But what we perceive as beautiful is 99% cultural indoctrination so what I call "sad" is just fact to someone else. I do think though that a case should be made for people not having to feel like they have to change their absolutely fine features to look less "Korean" in order to be seen as beautiful... especially in SK where plastic surgery is done a lot a lot a lot. A lot. 

 

Anyway. I digress. I also have certain actors that register as more "Korean" looking in my eyes. For example Shin Hye Soon looks very "Korean" to me, and very beautiful~. 

 

5 hours ago, kittyna said:

There are pictures, but JW has also pointed out that his family's generally really private about their relationship. So you won't find much by way of pictures - but fans who went to his fan meetings in the past (which his parents occasionally attended) have learned to recognize them and will sometimes point them out in photos.

I think it's a wise thing that he and his parents are rather private about their family. I love it whenever I've heard him talk about his mom, and his grandparents and other family members because he so obviously loves them and grew up with a lot of love - but considering how some fans can be it is probably best not to have everyone know what your family looks like. I think his brother appeared on one episode of 1D2N though? I've been looking forward to getting to that episode and seeing Joo Won intract with his hyung~

 

5 hours ago, kittyna said:

 I think one major paradigm shift for JW during his enlistment was simply the fact that, as a celebrity, he was older than many of his fellow soldiers by default, and he took on even more of a leadership role by choosing to stay in the boot camp as an assistant instructor for his term. So the confidence and "manliness" that he exudes now probably comes from the fact that, for nearly two years, he was consistently the hyung/leader of the group rather than the maknae (which he was not only on 1N2D, but a number of his dramas as well).

 

So, as the maknae, he might have felt pressure to just go along with whatever his seniors or elders were doing: he's rather old-school like that (unlike the usual variety show maknae, who's more mischievous, tends to talk back to the hyungs, etc. - which is why some viewers said he wasn't funny). However, that also means that once he ends up in a leadership or hyung sort of position, he'll step up to the task quite naturally as well, and I think that confidence still helps him a lot after he's left the army.

I'm sure that played a very big part. He did explicitly mention assuming more "responsibility" while in the military in his interview with Homme Arena and how not being the youngest anymore helped him shift his perspective.

Based on what he said, all of his experiences while serving helped him a lot, both as a human and as an actor.

I do think though that the fact that he had to decelerate his life's pace for 2 years in which he couldn't work and couldn't be in the public eye a lot also played a big part in helping him gain perspective and confidence. Having the time to process past experiences - or like Joo Won said: looking back on what kind of person he'd been - and making new experiences (including meeting new people and assuming a new role) can help a lot in figuring out who you are, maturing and making changes that help you be more at peace with yourself and your surroundings. 

Edited April 9, 2021 by Calli

[kittyna]

9 hours ago, Calli said:

I guess the same is true for Europe to a certain degree, where people think that Spaniards, Italians and Greeks have a certain "typical" Mediterranean look while Germans and Scandinavians are also presumed to have a "typical" northern look, etc... and while I guess it can be helpful in terms of broad categorization, when you start really looking at the individuals it often isn't helpful at all. Especially when living in an area or going to an area where people didn't limit themselves to having children solely within the same ethnic group. And that's where some of the most interesting and often beautiful (imo) faces come from; the ones that defy any categorization. And just like that I'm back to our dear Joo Won^^ 

 

Slight tangent, but I have noticed that with European faces - so I could generally recognize some features as being, say, more Eastern European or Mediterranean (although, then, northern Italians can throw me off ), Germanic or Scandinavian, etc. But it's also one of those things that I might not actually register until after I know a person's ethnicity: at which point I might go, "Oh, so that's why they looked like X - because they are!"

 

9 hours ago, Calli said:

I think that generally speaking many of the actors we see in Korean dramas and movies already look "atypical" compared to the general population and I somehow have the impression that Koreans think that the less "Korean" someone looks, the more attractive they are? Which - if true - is really sad. But what we perceive as beautiful is 99% cultural indoctrination so what I call "sad" is just fact to someone else. I do think though that a case should be made for people not having to feel like they have to change their absolutely fine features to look less "Korean" in order to be seen as beautiful... especially in SK where plastic surgery is done a lot a lot a lot. A lot. 

 

Yeah, it's a bit surreal to compare modern-day Korean beauty standards with historical ones, but the difference is really noticeable when you realize that some actors and actresses look really naturally fitting in period dramas and others don't. As for JW, he can do both period and contemporary styles, and that's one of the things I like about him.

 

10 hours ago, Calli said:

I think his brother appeared on one episode of 1D2N though? I've been looking forward to getting to that episode and seeing Joo Won intract with his hyung~

 

Yes, his brother does show up in one episode, and it's hilarious because his hyung was so star-struck by the other cast members and eventually said to JW that it was because he'd "never met a celebrity before"  I guess the kid-brother doesn't count, huh?  

[Calli]

10 hours ago, kittyna said:

(although, then, northern Italians can throw me off ) But it's also one of those things that I might not actually register until after I know a person's ethnicity.

Ahahaha^^ I had to laugh at your Northern Italians comment. Totally. There's a lot of Germanic genetic material infused there historically, especially around South Tyrol where German is still the main spoken language, even though it's an autonomous region of Italy. That's why travelling is so educational and can be such an eye-opener: it can really do away with prejudice or bias... if you're fortunate enough to be able to travel (before the pandemic that is).

Anyway. I'm glad Joo Won got to travel a little in 2019 when he went to the States after his discharge - if I understood correctly. I don't know if he got to travel as extensively as he wanted (maybe you guys know?) but even a little in a busy life is a lot. 

10 hours ago, kittyna said:

Yeah, it's a bit surreal to compare modern-day Korean beauty standards with historical ones, but the difference is really noticeable when you realize that some actors and actresses look really naturally fitting in period dramas and others don't. As for JW, he can do both period and contemporary styles, and that's one of the things I like about him.

I haven't watched Sassy Girl yet but based on the pictures and clips I've seen so far I agree wholeheartedly~ He really looks wonderful both in hanbok and in contemporary clothes. 

It was so interesting going through the post you shared. Some actors really look rather awkward in traditional clothes, even to me who doesn't know a lot about what Korean beauty standards used to be like. I also feel that the more natural (aka less surgically "enhanced") an actor's face is the easier it is for them to pull of hanbok...

 

10 hours ago, kittyna said:

Yes, his brother does show up in one episode, and it's hilarious because his hyung was so star-struck by the other cast members and eventually said to JW that it was because he'd "never met a celebrity before"  I guess the kid-brother doesn't count, huh?  

 

Yeah, I don't think I could see my sister as a celebrity either, even if she was super famous - she'd still be my noona. (edit: I meant "unnie") 

I'm currently on episode 19 of season 2 (ep 251 overall I think) so I probably still have a long way to go till that epsiode with Joo Won's hyung? It was so nice though, at the beginning of said episode I'm watching now, to hear Kim Seung Woo talk about how most articles on 1N2D are written about Joo Won and how cute he looked eating the lemon in the previous episode, and how he's getting so many CFs (he referenced the Cantana one where Joo Won is in court) and doing really well. It made me so happy to hear all that and see Joo Won's bashful smile throughout~ I wish so badly I would have known him since back then already but it's nice being able to experience a bit of how that period of him shooting Gaksital and being on 1N2D was like, even ca 9 years after the fact. 

Edited April 10, 2021 by Calli

[partyon]

Chingus, please let me know if you'd like me to put up a poll on this thread.

 

I just put up a poll on another oppa's thread this morning, and I thought Joo Won's fans might like one too.

 

As I am not yet so familiar with Joo Won (have only watched him in Good Doctor and Nodame's Cantabile), I would need your help.... Just let me know what type of questions you would like.

 

For the other actor's poll, I put up 3 questions:

1) Favorite dramas actor was ML in

2) Favorite character actor has played

3) Genre you would like actor to do next

 

PS. Also for future reference, do not hesitate to tag any of us Event Organizers if you want us to put up a poll or create some kind of event on any of the threads you're active in.

[kittyna]

4 hours ago, Calli said:

Ahahaha^^ I had to laugh at your Northern Italians comment. Totally. There's a lot of Germanic genetic material infused there historically, especially around South Tyrol where German is still the main spoken language, even though it's an autonomous region of Italy.

 

What it was was that most Italian immigrants to North America were southern, so that particular appearance became the associated "look" for many people here (as well as the accent, actually), but I had classmates growing up who had northern Italian ancestry (twins, both with blond hair and blue eyes), so I learned to tell that difference pretty quickly. Not to mention that it's the northerners who were oftentimes depicted in Renaissance art  

 

1 hour ago, partyon said:

Chingus, please let me know if you'd like me to put up a poll on this thread.

 

I just put up a poll on another oppa's thread this morning, and I thought Joo Won's fans might like one too.

 

As I am not yet so familiar with Joo Won (have only watched him in Good Doctor and Nodame's Cantabile), I would need your help.... Just let me know what type of questions you would like.

 

Well, dang - thanks for the offer! I'm usually the one doing this sort of thing here, but I tended to focus more on the drama characters, which I later found out was a bit of a grey area, relevance-wise. So if you can come up with fun challenges, polls, interactives, etc. that are more about JW as an actor, I'd say go for it - it takes a load off my back!

 

As for possible questions, just off the top of my head, I've got these:

 

Spoiler

• Favourite character/role/drama/film (obviously)
• Some sort of acting bucket list (e.g. a list of different types of characters JW hasn't played yet, and we choose which one(s) we like
• Best genre for JW's acting

 

4 hours ago, Calli said:

It was so interesting going through the post you shared. Some actors really look rather awkward in traditional clothes, even to me who doesn't know a lot about what Korean beauty standards used to be like. I also feel that the more natural (aka less surgically "enhanced") an actor's face is the easier it is for them to pull of hanbok...

 

None of the actors in that Instagram post looked particularly awkward in my opinion, but I do think some actors pull off sageuk better than others. So, for instance, I personally think Kim Soo Hyun, Jung Il Woo, and Yoo Ah In pull it off better than they do contemporary roles, someone like Lee Jong Suk is a flat-out "no" (if you haven't seen him in Face Reader yet, look up stills: that's what I meant by "awkward in period dramas"), and most actors (including JW) are can pull off both provided the makeup artist knows what they're doing  

 

As for actresses, you mentioned that you thought Shin Hye Sun looks really "Korean" in your eyes, and I'd agree. I personally tend to think more towards some of the veteran actresses, though: those like Lee Young Ae (obviously) or Park Jin Hee. For younger actresses, I would think of those like Park Hye Soo (who you're seeing now in Yong Pal), Chae Su Bin, or Kim Sae Ron. lol - I guess I have a thing with associating delicate features with "Korean" faces.

 

4 hours ago, Calli said:

Yeah, I don't think I could see my sister as a celebrity either, even if she was super famous - she'd still be my noona. 

 

Your "noona"? Does that mean you're a guy, by any chance?

 

4 hours ago, Calli said:

I wish so badly I would have known him since back then already but it's nice being able to experience a bit of how that period of him shooting Gaksital and being on 1N2D was like, even ca 9 years after the fact. 

 

Same - I've been watching K-dramas for 5-6 years, like you, so I missed JW's heyday in terms of popularity (2012-2015). Still, it's nice finding out all this stuff in hindsight and seeing where he started. And the fact that he was doing shows like 1N2D, the talk shows, and Joo Won's Life Log means that even those fans who started later in the game could see how he grew over time.

[partyon]

@kittyna Thank you so much for your feedback.  Let me put a poll together for you!

 

With regard to any events or polls you would like to organize on this thread, do not hesitate to tag us Event Organizers. Our job is to help with these types of things on the forum, so you're always free to contact us if you need a hand. We have a couple of other threads who tag us from time to time too.

 

It's no problem to include drama characters in events / polls on this thread, as long as it relates to Joo Won's drama characters. Again, feel free to tag us if you have any questions.

 

re: my EO colleagues @Sleepy Owl @Lmangla

[Calli]

1 hour ago, kittyna said:

Your "noona"? Does that mean you're a guy, by any chance?

Omg! I laughed so hard at myself when I read your question^^ No, I'm very much a girl, but for some reason I went with "noona" instead of "unnie". So sorry for confusing you. 

 

And I very much agree on your take on Lee Jong Suk and looking awkward in hanbok. He's actually one of the actors I had in mind when I said the more natural a face (aka non surgically changed) the likelier the actor/actress can pull off period dramas/movies.

 

It honestly makes me so sad to think that I missed Joo Won's heyday in terms of popularity :'( 

But since he can attract new fans like me even in 2021 (and I'm sure I'm not the only one), I'd like to think that his magnetic power is still very much there. And in terms of acting I'm sure there is still so much to come. With his talent and his hardworking spirit the sky seems to be the limit. I'm really excited for what he has in store for us~ 

 

@partyonI'm still very new to the forum so I know nothing of polls but I'll happily participate 

Edited April 10, 2021 by Calli

[partyon]

@kittyna @Calli @kireeti2 @Abs_ triggered @sadthe1st @Sleepy Owl @flutterby06 @joccu @4evrkdrama

 

A Joo Won poll is up. Please vote!
 

 

Thank you to @kittyna for the questions. Unfortunately, I wasn't yet ready to write a bucket list for Joo Won (haven't watched enough of his dramas), so I included a topic that is often discussed on the add-subtract thread instead: Joo Won's abs Hope no one minds...

 

re: @Lmangla @Sleepy Owl

[kittyna]

Thanks for the poll, @partyon! I didn't think it would be put together that quickly, since I thought you'd wait for any other possible questions from the other regulars on this forum first  

 

As always, a quick run-down of my answers:

 

1. Which are your favorite Joo Won dramas / movies? (choose up to 3)

I went with Yong Pal (because I thought it was interesting and outside of the box, and I loved Kim Tae Hyun as a character), Nae Il's Cantabile (because I just like it for some reason - I like classical music, yes, but not necessarily musically-themed dramas, yet this one was a win for me somehow) and Good Doctor (for what I hope are obvious reasons).

 

2. Which genre do you think Joo Won shines in (or would shine in)? (choose up to 3)

Here, I went with Action/crime thriller (because JW doesn't disappoint, no matter which side of the law his character's on), Psychological thriller (because after seeing the Evil Park Jin Gyeom, I just want him to try it at least once), and Melodrama (because I think that's the best way for him to cement himself as a serious actor who could become a veteran in the future). In short, yes, I mostly went with things I want to see him in rather than things he's necessarily good at or known for now (e.g. medical dramas).

 

3. Do you prefer Joo Won with abs or without abs?

lol - Rule of neutrality here: I went with the middle option because while I'm not someone who particularly cares for abs myself (not just for JW, but in general), I know plenty of fans who do, so hey, if it makes everyone happy  As for what bodily feature (i.e. not face, but body) I personally find most attractive on JW...his proportionately narrow waist. Don't know why, I just do.

[partyon]

40 minutes ago, kittyna said:

Thanks for the poll, @partyon! I didn't think it would be put together that quickly, since I thought you'd wait for any other possible questions from the other regulars on this forum first

 

Yeah, we event organizers are quick when we're in our creative flow state... A lot of the events you see here on this forum have often been created in the spur of a moment

 

40 minutes ago, kittyna said:

3. Do you prefer Joo Won with abs or without abs?

lol - Rule of neutrality here: I went with the middle option because while I'm not someone who particularly cares for abs myself (not just for JW, but in general), I know plenty of fans who do, so hey, if it makes everyone happy  As for what bodily feature (i.e. not face, but body) I personally find most attractive on JW...his proportionately narrow waist. Don't know why, I just do.

 

On the add subtract we often post this gif. We adore it.

 

cr. to @Abs_ triggered

 

Especially my twin @Abs_ triggered , me and  @sadthe1st. To our knowledge, @Min2206 @joccu and @4evrkdrama also don't mind it. heheh

[partyon]

Guys, I updated the thread title to reflect Joo Won's upcoming movie "Carter". Hope it was ok?
Just let me know if you want it changed to something else.

 

I also noticed that the first post of this thread is not displaying pictures and there are some broken links. Anyone know if the thread creator is active here?

[Calli]

Thank you so much for posting this poll@partyon  It was really fun, but also harder to fill out then I expected^^ 

 

I've only watched 4 of Joo Won's dramas so far so my opinion is not that well founded but I think I probably would have picked Good Doctor and Alice even if I had watched more of them. Good Doctor because, for one, it was my first Joo Won drama and he impressed me with his acting so deeply from the first episode already that I had to look him up right away. What he accomplished in this drama - his complete commitment, body, heart & soul - really blew me away. I didn't know at the time yet that that's the mindset Joo Won brings to all his projects. Good Doctor is also one of the most healing dramas I've ever watched. 

Alice was my 2nd drama and seeing Joo Won be someone else so completely - from Si On - but again also from his real-life persona made me a fan for life~. I love every single aspect of how Joo Won chose to bring Park Gyeom to life. Really every single detail. He was playing someone with an inability to properly process/understand and express emotion and yet Joo Won made it so easy to feel for PJG. And his dark PJG was so so amazingly horrifying - I really believe there's not a single character or emotion that Joo Won cannot convey in a way that will move me. Alice was also just eight up my alley storyline wise, and despite not tying up all loose ends the way I would have liked, I've watched and enjoyed this drama twice already. 

And I picked Yongpal third because I just love Kim Taehyun so much and I don't think anyone but Joo Won could have brought him to life the way he did. As a whole I don't think Yongpal will remain amongst my favorite Joo Won dramas, but as a character he played, Kim Taehyun left a very big mark on my heart.

 

When it comes to genres, I had a bit of a harder time picking to be honest. For one, I don't know what the difference between melodrama vs romance is in re Korean drama. My knowledge on what melodrama means differs quite a bit from what I learnt (through context) that it means in SK. So I picked melodrama because I think it contains somewhat more of a tragic element or dramatic element than simply romance? And I think Joo Won, with his endless capacity to make you feel for his characters, could convey an intense love story with a bit of a tragic/heartbreaking element really really well. I also picked "action" and "psychological thriller" because he can pull off both so easily and so well, but having said that I believe that Joo Won is one of those actors that defies the concept of being good in a specific genre or even genres. I think he can shine in any genre - if the character is well written and is someone he can really sink his teeth into I don't think the genre matters. 

 

And in terms of Q3^^

If Joo Won had only been one of the many attractive people one encounters in Korean entertainment it certainly wouldn't have been enough to turn me into a fan who joined a forum for him~

What drew me in so completley about Joo Won was first his acting - which prompted me to want to learn more about him - and then his personality. And then his sunshine smile - and really all of him. And that includes his lovely appearance.

So while I predominantly care about his acting and his personality I'm also not blind^^ and I do think he's absolutely stunning. The more I look at him the more stunning he becomes. And post-military he looks particularly dashing. With his shirt on. And without it. 

 

Edited April 10, 2021 by Calli

[kittyna]

2 hours ago, partyon said:

I also noticed that the first post of this thread is not displaying pictures and there are some broken links. Anyone know if the thread creator is active here?

 

I'm not sure who the original thread creator was (and am currently too lazy to check ), but I do know that JW's online fan base has migrated through a number of locations through the years (right now, Instagram is the place to be, it looks like), and a number of the older links would have expired for various reasons due to shifts outside our control: YouTube/Dailymotion/Vimeo accounts being lost due to copyright issues, the fact that Instagram posts don't embed here properly anymore (so they just end up as blank spaces), sites like Photobucket or Flickr just falling out of use more generally, etc. 

 

1 hour ago, Calli said:

Good Doctor because, for one, it was my first Joo Won drama and he impressed me with his acting so deeply from the first episode already that I had to look him up right away. What he accomplished in this drama - his complete commitment, body, heart & soul - really blew me away. I didn't know at the time yet that that's the mindset Joo Won brings to all his projects. Good Doctor is also one of the most healing dramas I've ever watched. 

Alice was my 2nd drama and seeing Joo Won be someone else so completely - from Si On - but again also from his real-life persona made me a fan for life~. I love every single aspect of how Joo Won chose to bring Park Gyeom to life. Really every single detail. He was playing someone with an inability to properly process/understand and express emotion and yet Joo Won made it so easy to feel for PJG.

 

If you look at Good Doctor and Alice side-by-side, then I think it's interesting that JW has already played neurodivergent characters twice in his career. And while I can't vouch for his accuracy in either his depiction of autism or alexithymia, I can say that he at least seems to approach the roles sensitivity and a "person-first" mentality.

 

1 hour ago, Calli said:

And his dark PJG was so so amazingly horrifying - I really believe there's not a single character or emotion that Joo Won cannot convey in a way that will move me. Alice was also just eight up my alley storyline wise, and despite not tying up all loose ends the way I would have liked, I've watched and enjoyed this drama twice already. 

 

And, yes, Evil Park Jin Gyeom scared the crap out of me when I first saw him - not because he looked particularly frightening, but because he looked so cold and evil, if that makes sense. I remember getting to that moment and being like, "Damn - and I thought Lee Kang To was bad! Okay, Oppa - you won this time; now stop with the nightmare fuel."

 

1 hour ago, Calli said:

For one, I don't know what the difference between melodrama vs romance is in re Korean drama. My knowledge on what melodrama means differs quite a bit from what I learnt (through context) that it means in SK. So I picked melodrama because I think it contains somewhat more of a tragic element or dramatic element than simply romance?

 

Yeah, that's my understanding too, at least for the purposes of a poll like this. So, when I hear the word "melodrama" as a genre, I think of how "drama" is used as a film genre in Hollywood or something: stories about the characters' individual emotional journeys, oftentimes with some dark, tragic or noir elements. These seem to be a favourite among audiences right now (thinking of dramas like Penthouse or World of the Married here), and I think that I would like to see JW taking on a mature role in a drama like this.

 

1 hour ago, Calli said:

but having said that I believe that Joo Won is one of those actors that defies the concept of being good in a specific genre or even genres. I think he can shine in any genre - if the character is well written and is someone he can really sink his teeth into I don't think the genre matters. 

 

lol - Confession time: JW has yet to really sell me on a romance.  It's not that I don't ship his characters with the girls they end up with (I do), but I don't think I've really felt myself being moved by their romances yet: other parts of the relationship, definitely, but not the actual dating/courtship/marriage part. Or maybe it's just me, as I'm not all that into romance as a genre, period  

 

I do think that Yong Pal came the closest in terms of moving me, though (for reasons I won't reveal since @Calli's currently watching it)  

[kittyna]

By the way, I was just looking through the poll results as they stand right now, and I'm curious: @Sleepy Owl, I saw you answered "Horror" as a genre you'd be interested in seeing JW in, so please tell us more. Is there a particular sort of horror story or role you were thinking of?

[partyon]

3 hours ago, kittyna said:

By the way, I was just looking through the poll results as they stand right now, and I'm curious: @Sleepy Owl, I saw you answered "Horror" as a genre you'd be interested in seeing JW in, so please tell us more. Is there a particular sort of horror story or role you were thinking of?

 

Well, I'm gonna let my dongsaeng @Sleepy Owl answer in detail why he chose the horror genre for Joo Won. But I'm gonna guess that he chose it because he likes the horror genre?

 

I think Joo Won would do well in a horror genre too, but I still prefer him in action and melo.