Jang Hyuk 장혁

[Biology Lesson]

2 hours ago, azureblue7 said:

I like it that he watches his old shows whenever he feels like it. I wonder which film made he laugh like a crazy person.  

It's interesting because many actors say they can't stand watching themselves, but not JH. It's like after a test, there are those kids that don't want to compare answers and those that do. Those that do compare are aspiring to improve, so it makes sense for JH. Also it explains why he recently spoke about having regrets about The Great Ambition. I guess he saw it and analyzed his performance in it...

[The Reel Life]

11 hours ago, Biology Lesson said:

Well, he has been taking roles in production that are not that good for years now, (I actually think Chuno was a horrible production) but no matter what, he will always excel through his own hard work and insight, so he almost never gives a bad character or performance, especially in recent years. 

Yeh but I sometimes just wonder what wonders could transpire if he was paired with a great cast and a great director/writer. Such wasted opportunities at times. I just hope - no more of Those OCN Voice ppl. However hard to say, he may just collaborate again. I think he enjoys working with people whom he has worked before (which isn’t wrong). But sometimes his loyal to a fault as @budgerie previously mentioned, like his loyalty towards Sidus. Nope, at his stage in his career I don’t think he will ever leave Sidus already! It’s already like his 2nd home. 
 

Btw, 3 more weeks to Seoul Bumpkin! I think Hyuk will be his usual shy but unknowingly humorous self haha. Does anyone know if any streaming sites will pick it up? 
 

Off topic: there is an upcoming show in July called Elegant Friends. It looks like a good mystery drama with seasoned actors if anyone is interested! 

[Biology Lesson]

37 minutes ago, The Reel Life said:

Yeh but I sometimes just wonder what wonders could transpire if he was paired with a great cast and a great director/writer. Such wasted opportunities at times.

Well, we also saw that  the result of that was FTLY and BM...

We often discuss this, about wanting to see him in better production. But in the same breath, when asked to recommend shows that are the product of those "better productions", you guys find it hard to find a show that you thought was actually good. Where are those shows? "Mr. Sunshine"? I got bored midway and stopped watching. "Memories of Alhambra"? Tried the first episode and it couldn't capture my interest. Also, most of you guys didn't even recommend those shows when you were asked... What else? Chocolate? Boring. "Crash landing on you"? Give me a break! "Hotel De Luna"? Again, got bored half way to the end...

 

37 minutes ago, The Reel Life said:

I just hope - no more of Those OCN Voice ppl. However hard to say, he may just collaborate again. I think he enjoys working with people whom he has worked before (which isn’t wrong). But sometimes his loyal to a fault as @budgerie previously mentioned, like his loyalty towards Sidus. Nope, at his stage in his career I don’t think he will ever leave Sidus already! It’s already like his 2nd home. 

I think we've already established that really good kdramas are actually rare, and JH has more than a few of them under his belt. Do I think he would have done wonders for those shows I mentioned above and made them bearable to watch? Maybe. But it's possible that those production wouldn't be so accepting of JH's style of working and the fact that his will change his character and the script. Look at all the productions he's been in in recent years. All of them allowed him a certain measure of freedom when it came to his character. I think this is why he likes to work with the same people. Not just loyalty (which I'm sure is also a factor), but knowing that these guys' ego allows them to accept his contribution. Look at what happened in "Innocent thing". That was the only production that I know of that rejected almost all of JH's contribution, and the fact is that it is one of the only movies of JH that I dislike. 

Even though I have been saying I'd like JH to be cast in the remake of "The house of paper" I actually am not sure it's a production suitable for him, for the reasons I mentioned before. 

I still hope for JH to become more involved in productions. This is what I think will produce really good shows...

 

[budgerie]

13 hours ago, Biology Lesson said:

His fear of being replaced

I think he talked about this fear of his quite openly, his fear of not getting a next project. He's the sole breadwinner & he got many mouths to feed. I think the standard of living in SK is pretty expensive (true)?

 

Could also be this reason that he's jumping from 1 project to the next project without any rest (unlike some other artistes who has time to ponder over the script if it'll bring in ratings & viewership).

 

But of course, his is true passion. And he likes roles that are challenging & difficult to portray but such roles doesn't guarantee viewership/ratings. He's an underrated actor. He deserved much more "recognition". If only he would be "selfish" for once & go for good drama which would bring in viewership/ratings/award. Am I asking too much??

 

13 hours ago, The Reel Life said:

This is why even if one day after this man is no longer popular, even if he makes less stellar acting role choices (please don’t, though), I’m a loyal, unwavering supporter already, for the fact that he is such a humble, earnest, genuine, hardworking, gentle human being. I’d choose all these over immense award-winning popularity and talent any day. 

True fan is difficult to find. Clap clap to you! Hahaha! Some fans only support if the actor is still popular/famous/handsome. Once the actor goes bts, fans also disappear or if the actor becomes fat/ugly, the fans also criticise. Lol...

 

10 hours ago, Biology Lesson said:

Those that do compare are aspiring to improve, so it makes sense for JH. Also it explains why he recently spoke about having regrets about The Great Ambition. I guess he saw it and analyzed his performance in it...

I've also heard c actors/actress commented on their past drama performance & said that if they were to do it again, it would be done differently from the last time. I think as time goes on, people mature & thinking also different. 2015 JH & 2020 JH would have been different in analysing the script.

 

[budgerie]

1 hour ago, The Reel Life said:

Yeh but I sometimes just wonder what wonders could transpire if he was paired with a great cast and a great director/writer. Such wasted opportunities at times. I just hope - no more of Those OCN Voice ppl. However hard to say, he may just collaborate again. I think he enjoys working with people whom he has worked before (which isn’t wrong). But sometimes his loyal to a fault as @budgerie previously mentioned, like his loyalty towards Sidus. Nope, at his stage in his career I don’t think he will ever leave Sidus already! It’s already like his 2nd home. 

After being in this line for so long, I think he already has a circle of friends that he works with. The Directors....etc. Or the people who will approach him for a role. Mostly are those that he had worked with before. Have we come across (recently) that he works with a new Director?

 

31 minutes ago, Biology Lesson said:

We often discuss this, about wanting to see him in better production. But in the same breath, when asked to recommend shows that are the product of those "better productions", you guys find it hard to find a show that you thought was actually good. Where are those shows? "Mr. Sunshine"? I got bored midway and stopped watching. "Memories of Alhambra"? Tried the first episode and it couldn't capture my interest. Also, most of you guys didn't even recommend those shows when you were asked... What else? Chocolate? Boring. "Crash landing on you"? Give me a break! "Hotel De Luna"? Again, got bored half way to the end...

This is very subjective to each individual their taste for a drama/movie. What's good to one isn't good to the other so I think we can't compare this way. Some people like chicken while others like prawn. IMO, I think he needs to be in a production that's more "acceptable" to the general audience. I guess Sidus needs to do a survey what's the "in thing" that people watches in SK these days. Or Sidus needs to actively promote a drama that JH is in (maybe)? Or JH should consider not going into the production without receiving the full script? I just feel Sidus isn't doing their job promoting his work. But of course, this is my opinion only.

[The Reel Life]

9 minutes ago, Biology Lesson said:

But in the same breath, when asked to recommend shows that are the product of those "better productions", you guys find it hard to find a show that you thought was actually good. Where are those shows? "Mr. Sunshine"? I got bored midway and stopped watching. "Memories of Alhambra"? Tried the first episode and it couldn't capture my interest.

Haha well, I actually do have quite a number of good shows to recommend and which I think were very good productions, but they weren’t to your liking (which is ok, everyone has their personal tastes) but those were very good shows and were also very widely loved. At the end of the day our personal preferences do not negate the fact that certain shows are very good. 
 

I previously mentioned World of The Married (great production), secret affair (great story, great actors, controversial yet well done topic), Pinocchio (very good story and character arcs), Mystic Pop Up Bar (underrated gem, but I’m so invested in this show even if I unintentionally stumbled upon it), Doctor Prisoner (excellent acting and excellent pacing and overall production), My Love From The Star (I can understand the hype, I watched it and it was really good) and of course I thought FTLY and MF were amazing productions too. Some audiences may not like the shows above for reasons that differ, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that they were great shows with very good productions and stellar acting, and they were widely loved for a reason. Everything just fit nicely. 
 

But anyway, I’m really not trying to say that JH has not been in great productions, what I’m trying to say is his recent shows have been more low-key in nature and also he hasn’t been acting with a cast that creates such chemistry and bouncing off each other’s talent since MF, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed for that time to come! 
 

 

[budgerie]

Quote

what I’m trying to say is his recent shows have been more low-key in nature and also he hasn’t been acting with a cast that creates such chemistry and bouncing off each other’s talent since MF, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed for that time to come!

@The Reel LifeLet's go into "and they live happily ever after"...imagine the ML FL ends up together, starting from MF.

Frankly IMO, I didn't find PJ NMH has chemistry. Neither do I find Chil Sung has chemistry with Sae Woo in WOL. Do you think/feel that BW has chemistry with HJ in My Country? But I was hoping there would be some loveline between them. Hahaha! Definitely couldn't find any chemistry between OHJ/SY in TMWYS too. 

[budgerie]

17 minutes ago, corey said:

The only exception for me is WoL because that girl is sooooo annoying and Chil Sung is such a weird character (WoL was the first show with JH that I watched and I did not even think him handsome at that time, or anything out of ordinary- I guess he played his role of a gangster too well)

I didn't like the way they dressed the FL, the hairstyle especially. She looked prettier in other photos. What's with her hair in WOL? My apology, but I beg to differ. I think CS looked too (pardon my bad english, can't find a suitable word) handsome/gentleman as a gangster. I would prefer if he was more rugged & rough looking

[Biology Lesson]

2 hours ago, budgerie said:

This is very subjective to each individual their taste for a drama/movie. What's good to one isn't good to the other so I think we can't compare this way. Some people like chicken while others like prawn. IMO, I think he needs to be in a production that's more "acceptable" to the general audience. I guess Sidus needs to do a survey what's the "in thing" that people watches in SK these days. Or Sidus needs to actively promote a drama that JH is in (maybe)? Or JH should consider not going into the production without receiving the full script? I just feel Sidus isn't doing their job promoting his work. But of course, this is my opinion only.

You are right- it is subjective, and I guess I can only speak for myself on this point. I tried watching some of the more popular shows and rarely found a show that I liked. In a previous post I think I listed the non-JH shows that I like and there were less than 10. Now? if I try to think about it, there are only three that I would rewatch- "Ms. Temper & Nam Jung Gi", "Misaeng" and "I am not a robot" (liked the acting, not annoying). three! 

So I guess I'm saying I personally am not wishing for him to appear in the more high profile shows, as most of them I don't like. Do I want him to get more recognition? Sure, but it's not essential, and reading his interviews, it's clear he's not aspiring to be a star. He just wants to work. I want him to continue what he has been doing for the most part in terms of his choice of characters, cause even if I didn't like the shows, I love almost all of his characters (except for that idiot in Tazza  ). The only thing I want him to change is the level of his involvement in the entire script. I want him to be more involved. That, I think, would have made TMWYS and MC, extraordinary.

 

Btw- someone posted a picture from The swordsman that I've never seen before, but it's on IG... How on earth can I post the picture on here now?! I mean, the posting of pictures is strange enough, now we can't post IG... What about twitter?!

 

Well, the ban is on embedding IG posts. Is it OK to just post the links without embedding?!

[dramafan33]

@corey To be honest, older kdramas were also inspired in webtoons and/or manga (when webtoons were not a thing I suppose) Its part of their culture since forever I believe

 

Also, the very old classic kdramas like Winter Sonata or Stairway to Heaven were like soap operas so kdramas have actually evolved, imo. They have gone through different phases, themes, they now attempt more genres and production value has certainly gone higher. They just need to continue evolving

 

@Biology Lesson I’d say, the few dramas that I think have gotten almost universal approval (critics + audience + ratings) are such like Misaeng, My Mister, Hospital Playlist and Signal (Interestingly most of them very atypical kdramas except for Signal which was a very TVN/OCN style crime mistery, but kinda “new” at the time) 

 

And the only writer who over the years seemed to have the Midas touch was  KES, who wrote Secret Garden for JH, she was inspired by him but unfortunately we (you and me) don’t like her writing style and people in general love it or hate it . And while most of her dramas have been blockbusters  (Secret Garden, Descendants of the Sun, Goblin and to a lesser extent Mr Sunshine) even she can fail, I believe her latest drama, The king of eternal monarch was not a success in ratings. So, obviously no guarantee that even if JH managed to inspire her again, they would be able to create a blockbuster. 

 

 

 

 

[Biology Lesson]

15 minutes ago, dramafan33 said:

@Biology Lesson I’d say, the few dramas that I think have gotten almost universal approval (critics + audience + ratings) are such like Misaeng, My Mister, Hospital Playlist and Signal (Interestingly most of them very atypical kdramas except for Signal which was a very TVN/OCN style crime mistery, but kinda “new” at the time) 

You haven't seen My Mister yet, right? Even though I liked it, it's not a show that I would have liked JH to do. The main male protagonist was too passive in my eyes. Very stoic. Watch it, you'll understand what I mean... That show has the feel of a Korean movie, more than a kdrama

 

15 minutes ago, dramafan33 said:

 

And the only writer who over the years seemed to have the Midas touch was  KES, who wrote Secret Garden for JH, she was inspired by him but unfortunately we (you and me) don’t like her writing style and people in general love it or hate it . And while most of her dramas have been blockbusters  (Secret Garden, Descendants of the Sun, Goblin and to a lesser extent Mr Sunshine) even she can fail, I believe her latest drama, The king of eternal monarch was not a success in ratings. So, obviously no guarantee that even if JH managed to inspire her again, they would be able to create a blockbuster. 

But do we want him to create a blockbuster with this writer?! It's not that I just didn't like Goblin, I thought it was embarrassing! I was actually embarrassed for the actors for having to act in those stupid scenes, uttering horrible lines and behaving like 10 yrs old, or, rather, Aliens that don't know how to human...  I for one would like him to stay far away from any show this person writes, no matter how successful it might be...

I mean, remember, Voice was also a big hit, and yet all of us were concerned when we heard JH agreed to do TMWYS, and rightfully so, to some extent, even though I adore OHJ...

 

 

[dramafan33]

@Biology Lesson No no! I respect KES, she does her thing but its not my style at all. The only one I liked was Mr Sunshine but who knows if I’ll ever connect with her again, its too much of a risk. My point is that, even she who supposedly had the Midas touch doesn’t always nail it so I basically agree with you that going for the “popular” writer is not worth it. JHs approach of going for characters that appeal to him is better. It will at least guarantee that he’ll continue enjoying the character creation process and acting which is what he ultimately wants. He just wants to work forever because he loves the job, not because he “needs” money. At this point if he was too worried about supporting his family only he could dedicate himself to real estate. 

[Biology Lesson]

So I was trying to watch "The king and the clown", the role that JH said he most regrets losing, and I wonder why. I mean, I see that that movie became the highest grossing Korean movie of all times at the time and that the actor that did end up doing the role was highly praised, but I'm seriously baffled by the fact that JH was even cast to that role, as he was too young and too handsome. His casting doesn't make sense to me   I Wonder if it was his ability to do the acrobatics that got him that role. The actor that did get the role did some of it, but the majority of the stunts were obviously done by a stuntman. The role is nothing special. The character is very annoying and is essentially responsible for exposing himself and his friend to danger through his arrogance. As to the performance- I actually think the other actor, the one playing the effeminate character, gave a much better performance. The movie itself is an unpleasant watch. I truly don't understand why it was so successful. Very brutal and unpleasant... I tried watching it once before, a few years ago, and stopped in the middle. And even now, trying to watch it again I couldn't continue till the end...  

Also, knowing that JH wanted to do this movie, should lay to rest any doubt that JH would do a gay character if he was offered one. The gay elements in the movie are very strong, and also it is quite clear that his character was in love with his friend. There are plenty of sexual innuendos and simulations of sexual acts in the street plays that they performed... 

Though I am sorry that losing this movie is a regret for JH, I actually don't mind that he lost it, since it was pre-military service JH that would have performed in it. I don't think that that guy was suitable for that role. Now, if it was post- military service JH... that would have been a whole different thing... 

I wouldn't mind seeing JH do a role like this now, though I could do without the idiotic street plays... 

[The Reel Life]

10 hours ago, corey said:

I am so sad that Mystic Pop-up Bar is coming to an end. I think it wil be one of a very few shows that I will re-watch. With the exception of a very few toilet and fart jokes, it is sooo good. Good writing, good acting, the couples are devoted to each other despite obstacles, there are pretty boys and mature men, angst and warm feelings. I very much hope the last two eps will not spoil the overall picture.

@corey yes it’s so wonderful isn’t it! It was a show I went in with no expectations, not attached to any of the actors, not attracted by the theme, not hyped by anyone - and yet it has been the most pleasant watching journey for me. I don’t remember the last time I watched a show where I was waiting so eagerly for each episode to come out. So far, every single episode has delivered, some even better, and I continue to be surprised by how cohesive the storytelling is, and how great the chemistry of our trio is. Despite it being nothing outlandishly unique, with the typical tropes, yet they manage to make it so special to the viewers who follow their journey and they do the tropes with so much endearing simplicity, not tackiness. Gotta credit the wonderful actors who played their part perfectly. 
 

9 hours ago, dramafan33 said:

I believe her latest drama, The king of eternal monarch was not a success in ratings. So, obviously no guarantee that even if JH managed to inspire her again, they would be able to create a blockbuster. 

Yeah that’s true. I rather have him work with other writers that produce more nuanced storytelling. KES shows have good production quality no doubt (cos of all the sponsorship they get) but ppl have said the actors carry the show, not so much the writing. I watched The King, and all it was, was that it was really pretty. Wasn’t even sure what the show was trying to do or tell. The characters didn’t feel human at all! Just like Memories of Alhambra. Very interesting concept but just generally hard to relate too as it feels too superficial and too flashy for the sake of it. If we look at recent SK viewing trends, audiences seem to have been appreciating more real life dramas that are grounded with life lessons, or those dramatic high quality makjangs involving the wealthy. Lol. 

[dramafan33]

“all it was, was that it was really pretty. Wasn’t even sure what the show was trying to do or tell.The characters didn’t feel human at all!”
 

This is exactly how I would describe Goblin (although to be fair, two of the main characters weren’t human )

 

I actually enjoyed Memories of the Alhambra quite a bit  

[phoenix24]

I saw this on facebook.  Did anyone here vote?  He still in top 10 https://kingchoice.me/topic-most-handsome-korean-actor-of-all-time-close-june-30-2020-61.html?fbclid=IwAR0YN1BXJpdHYG3yrbkRiv1nNbqmjgCgOMOqUSlkVU7wIgcVr0-SoelqLRo

[dramafan33]

@phoenix24 Is that poll going to result in something? (as in, is it for an award?) or just a fan made poll? I see a lot of people really invested on it to the point of thinking up strategies to get him higher up and I don’t get it. I guess it’s the quarantine boredom (?)  I don’t love the concept of downvoting others either. 

@Biology Lesson I suppose The King and The Clown was made for the korean audience primarily. They might include those street plays because it’s part of their history. It probably make the movie look more authentic. Koreans love their historicals (especially older generations) 

 

@corey

 

“I really think that his career would have taken a different turn but for the bahaviour of Sidus's CEO. I believe JH would be a star similar to Hyun Bin now - but it is never going to happen now, sadly”.

 

I agree with you here except on the “sadly” part. I still prefer JH’s choices to Hyun Bin’s. Hmmm maybe the difference wouldn’t be too significant because JH had a huge hit already which was Chuno (great ratings and overall positive critical response, great popularity in Korea) SG would’ve simply made him more of a “Hallyu” star like HB but would that then mean he would be less workaholic? (I bet not) and the thing with being in one project after another is people take him for granted somehow (as oppose to actors who milk their “star” status and overthink and strategize their choices based on possibility of success) Also, maybe it would’ve affected his later choices, for example he may not have accepted FTLY in order to not repeat the role of an eccentric CEO. Now that would’ve been SAD! 
 

Speaking of The King and the Clown, JH said that had he gotten to be in that movie, he probably wouldn’t have felt the immense desire to play Daegil. So in my (selfish) opinion, it all turned out excellent 

 

[Biology Lesson]

1 minute ago, dramafan33 said:

@Biology Lesson I suppose The King and The Clown was made for the korean audience primarily. They include those street plays because it’s part of their history. It must make the movie look more authentic. Koreans love their historicals (especially older generations) 

It's interesting that you say that this movie was made for the Korean audience, when it's filled with crude sexual jokes and actions, gay relationship- well it's not really a relationship as the king is involved. I guess it can be called rape or gay prostitution. I remember we had a discussion as to why Kdramas are so asexual, and then the explanation was, again, the culture of the Korean audience. So what is it? The Korean audience is conservative or is it sexually permissive? The disparity between Korean TV and Korean cinema is very confusing to me and frustrating. But even of they love their historical- I'm sure the street plays could have been better. 

[dramafan33]

42 minutes ago, Biology Lesson said:

It's interesting that you say that this movie was made for the Korean audience, when it's filled with crude sexual jokes and actions, gay relationship- well it's not really a relationship as the king is involved. I guess it can be called rape or gay prostitution. I remember we had a discussion as to why Kdramas are so asexual, and then the explanation was, again, the culture of the Korean audience. So what is it? The Korean audience is conservative or is it sexually permissive? The disparity between Korean TV and Korean cinema is very confusing to me and frustrating. But even of they love their historical- I'm sure the street plays could have been better. 

Then for who was it made? I think you again dismiss the difference between mediums. Open network TV has its own rules and that is a fact worldwide. 
 

I don’t remember this movie that well but I’ve seen other productions which included street plays and it never occurred to me to question their “quality”. It’s like watching chinese opera. I don’t expect to understand it because its not my culture and its also “old”. I suppose like many things it’s either an acquired taste or something that you see as part of the historical setting. 

[Biology Lesson]

37 minutes ago, dramafan33 said:

Then for who was it made? I think you again dismiss the difference between mediums. Open network TV has its own rules and that is a fact worldwide. 
 

Obviously it was made for the Korean audience. What I'm saying is that it doesn't make sense that for one medium the culture of the Korean audience is this way, and for a different medium it's another way. In most countries there is consistency between the different mediums, if it's in the US, in Britain, South America, in Turkey, it doesn't matter- movies and TV correspond. It seems like only in Korea there is this disparity.

 

At any rate, my main point was about JH losing that role. Even though I don't think he was right for that role at the time, I wonder if he would do a similar role today. It also reminds of the story JH spoke about wanting to do with Jang Nara, and if he'd stick to the transexual part of the actual story, rather than change the sexuality of the protagonist to a woman, like they did in the chinese shows.