Jang Hyuk 장혁

[The Reel Life]

23 minutes ago, dramafan33 said:

About his older projects, I kinda wish you felt the curiosity to at least watch scenes of Great Ambition/ Daemang or Into the Sunlight. He was not a bad actor and he was cute. He just needed a good role and good direction. The expressiveness and charisma was already there. You are judging him from SSBG and Volcano High which were OTT but that’s like judging him from only FTLY or only Voice, which many people do btw. A guy who is so versatile shouldn’t be judged for one work only. This is not to say he hasn’t evolved but his talent was already there (imo) 

I have not watched any of his projects before FTLY, so would you suggest I watch Daemang and Into the Sunlight as you mentioned above?

 

Also, I understand that people don't like his character in Voice, I didn't like it either haha. In FTLY, I know many non-JH fans who enjoyed the show for what it is actually credited their enjoyment of the show a large part to him and his heartfelt performance, and his wonderful portrayal of Lee Gun! I could go on forever about how much I loved him in FTLY hahahaha. And agree, people who judge him based on one show and not giving him a chance in the rest is losing out on a great talent like JH. But I guess that's the harsh reality of K-ent. Popularity is fleeting and you constantly have to make enough good decisions to outweigh the poor. Most celebrities are not bulletproof like LMH and PBG haha.

[dramafan33]

1 hour ago, The Reel Life said:

I have not watched any of his projects before FTLY, so would you suggest I watch Daemang and Into the Sunlight as you mentioned above?

 

Also, I understand that people don't like his

 I feel hesitant to recommend full dramas because people’s taste are sooo different. These two dramas are very old and prior to his military service, so I wouldn’t recommend the full dramas per se, but maybe check out a couple of scenes only to see the versatility as an actor, already present, prior to military service

 

his best works prior to FTLY are in my opinion Chuno (this one is one of his best of all time and I personally loved it more on rewatch, a bit of an overwhelming drama with lots of characters but the level of immersion I felt and how much Daegil made me cry, is extraordinary). His acting here, was amazing. He totally deserved his Daesang. This one made me into his crazy fan. 

 

Thank you, not so much for him but I loved the story and the little girl, mind you, dramas have evolved and there are some things about this drama that is dated, some level of tolerance for macho behaviour is required, but his character softens and evolves nicely 

 

Robbers, this is a tough sell for new audiences, his character is the ultimate twisted jerk at first but again, his evolution is amazing. It is one of my favorite acting jobs of his but again, I know a lot of people can’t get past how repulsive he is at first and also there is some OTT moments (he gets shouty at times, something he used to do more and was criticized for), its an old drama etc etc etc However, I really love those scenes where you can see how he slowly starts to melt and feel regret for his actions, all in his eyes. His eye acting and character analysis already in place here.  

 

Tree with deep roots, I loved this one. Its my first drama of his and its a great introduction to korean history. Lee Bang Won also appears in this drama. Jang Hyuk’s character made me cry a lot (lol! This is a pattern, apparently? My fave characters are the ones that made me cry) 

 

But I am someone who enjoyed Tazza, despite all the flaws anyone points out, also enjoyed Midas (more for the plot than his character) So Im probably not the best person to recommend anything. Im very tolerant to old dramas and low production values as long as characters capture me, whereas Im intolerant to new expensive dramas if I don’t “feel” the characters (Iris 2, Voice, Gaekju are dramas of his that despite being “recent” I didn’t like) 

 

[Biology Lesson]

2 hours ago, dramafan33 said:

@budgerie @Biology Lesson About his older projects, I kinda wish you felt the curiosity to at least watch scenes of Great Ambition/ Daemang or Into the Sunlight. He was not a bad actor and he was cute. He just needed a good role and good direction. The expressiveness and charisma was already there. You are judging him from SSBG and Volcano High which were OTT but that’s like judging him from only FTLY or only Voice, which many people do btw. A guy who is so versatile shouldn’t be judged for one work only. This is not to say he hasn’t evolved but his talent was already there (imo) 

Oh, I can't comment about how good an actor he was before the army as I've seen very little of him from back then. I actually saw a bit from Jungle Juice, and as weird as that movie was, I didn't think JH was bad. I just didn't like his look and the way he carried himself- I don't know why, but his slumpy stance, head pushed forward and silly open mouthed expression and chubbiness made me think he kinda looked like a troll doll. A cute troll doll . I did hear that in his later projects before the army he looked better and that some of those projects were good, but I'm just not interested in seeing them. I'm more interested in older JH. Even though he looked better after the army, it still felt like his look and personality was evolving a bit. I think I'm one of the only people who didn't like his look in Thank you. Probably also one of the only people who didn't like Thank you itself... couldn't stand the female character...

I actually don't think FTLY or Voice are examples of bad acting. I think he was brilliant in FTLY, which is still my favorite drama of his to this day. Voice I think had bad writing and directing. He did the best he could in that show. 

There are a few shows I think he missed the mark. For example, even though I loved the comedic moments in SOGC, I thought his acting in the scene in which he thought Gaebong was dead was not good (and I'm being polite...)- his constant yelling "Gaebong!" in that scene really distracted and hurt the emotional impact of his acting. I wonder whose idea all that yelling was... Not well done.

Also WOL- I know that many love that character, even people that are not JH's fans, but I didn't! I don't know why, but I have a feeling he had an almost completely free hand with that role and very minimal directing, and it shows...

Tazza I couldn't stand because of the awful hair  and complete stupidity of his character. JH's acting as a teenager was a bit much, though. He even said that it was a problem for him...

As to Midas- I actually think it had a better plot than Money Flower, I just don't understand JH's acting choice in that show. I don't know why he made his character so bland and boring. Maybe it was the director... I think I read in an interview for Money Flower, that JH said that he thought Midas was a missed opportunity and that he took Money Flower essentially to correct what happened in Midas. And I think he succeeded

[Biology Lesson]

9 hours ago, budgerie said:

With the exception of MC? Hahaha! You are still not enjoying it? 

 

Yeah, I'm afraid I'm still not enjoying MC. I love JH's performance, but it's really at the service of nothing. Still waiting for a compilation of all of his scenes from MC, though that MV was really nice... Again, I think he achieved what he set out to achieve in MC, and now it's time to move on already! To a new project with hopefully a focused and good plot.

[dramafan33]

@Biology Lesson Oh I totally agree that FTLY is not an example of bad acting. But it would be inaccurate to judge him based only on FTLY or rather a person would get an “incomplete” picture. That is what I meant by my statement (otoh there are those who judged him based on the purposeful OTTness of that character which worked perfectly well for me but I could understand if it didn’t for everyone) 

 

I totally agree with SoGC, that scene in particular. This was a drama that was “not directed” well, relied totally on actors. I bet if you watch him screaming in Chuno, without cuts, proper score, proper lighting or camera angles, it would probably look “bad”. That scene of him eating eggs and crying is iconic and it made me cry so much in context, but out of context, it looks ridiculous. This is why I can’t fault him entirely for SoGC bad scenes, he is doing his part, but PD is either not directing him at all or not editing the scenes well. Actors can’t “tell” what the scene will end up looking, since they don’t have control of the many factors that actually make a scene into what we the audience gets to see. 

 

In Midas, I don’t think he understood his character. He mentioned that and the shooting was so tight they had almost no access to the script prior to shooting. His character was a bit of a “blank” imo. But the script itself I thought was good. Still, not a drama I recommend for him particularly. So yes, Money Flower was his way of giving this type of drama and character a second chance and the result was great. 

 

Same with LBW. The My Country version is much better than the movie version. 

 

I loved what he did in WOL but I didn’t love WOL 

[Biology Lesson]

2 hours ago, dramafan33 said:

Robbers, this is a tough sell for new audiences, his character is the ultimate twisted jerk at first but again, his evolution is amazing. It is one of my favorite acting jobs of his but again, I know a lot of people can’t get past how repulsive he is at first and also there is some OTT moments (he gets shouty at times, something he used to do more and was criticized for), its an old drama etc etc etc However, I really love those scenes where you can see how he slowly starts to melt and feel regret for his actions, all in his eyes. His eye acting and character analysis already in place here.  

I think you and I are the only fans here that liked Robbers. I actually think that in spite of all the melodrama, robbers is actually one of his most realistic shows, a bit like Bad Papa. It was gritty, showed relationships and issues that are bit more complex. Not to mention this is the only show I like LDH in.

Most kdramas that have con men in them, like Legend of the Blue Sea, show them as charming and make sure to make their con jobs cute and acceptable. Showing the charming con man cheating only "bad people". While in reality con men are despicable! Robbers was the only show that I've seen that showed that reality. I thought the scene in which he destroyed that poor woman was so powerful and real! JH's acting was so brave in that scene! And that horrible scene was what made his later change and redemption so impactful. I would say that Robbers is my third favorite show of JH, after FTLY and BM. 

Also, did you notice that the whole plot line of the gangster trying to help his men find honest jobs was lifted out of Robbers into WOL? I kinda wish they would have lifted the gangster's love story with the mother in law too... that was cute!

 

[dramafan33]

45 minutes ago, Biology Lesson said:

I thought the scene in which he destroyed that poor woman was so powerful and real! JH's acting was so brave in that scene! And that horrible scene was what made his later change and redemption so impactful. I would say that Robbers is my third favorite show of JH, after FTLY and BM. 

Also, did you notice that the whole plot line of the gangster trying to help his men find honest jobs was lifted out of Robbers into WOL? I kinda wish they would have lifted the gangster's love story with the mother in law too... that was cute!

 

OMG Oh Joon was despicable! Almost on a psychopath level and clearly misogynistic, but wasn’t this drama super realistic? That’s why I like it, its different,dark, raw. I like your comparison to Bad Papa. Both are disturbing to a certain extent but they allow the actor to explore and show many shades of a character. 

 

One moment I wanted to punch him repeatedly is when he gave advice to one of the gangsters saying : “All women are like mothers, make them feel sorry for you and they’ll do anything” I screamed! aassshhholeee! Such a user! A manipulator! I still can’t believe he makes me forgive him later! Ughhh but his “begging” scene was so perfect! And Im only human 

[Biology Lesson]

56 minutes ago, dramafan33 said:

OMG Oh Joon was despicable! Almost on a psychopath level and clearly misogynistic, but wasn’t this drama super realistic? That’s why I like it, its different,dark, raw. I like your comparison to Bad Papa. Both are disturbing to a certain extent but they allow the actor to explore and show many shades of a character. 

 

One moment I wanted to punch him repeatedly is when he gave advice to one of the gangsters saying : “All women are like mothers, make them feel sorry for you and they’ll do anything” I screamed! aassshhholeee! Such a user! A manipulator! I still can’t believe he makes me forgive him later! Ughhh but his “begging” scene was so perfect! And Im only human 

Obviously he was despicable. He's a conman! He cheats, manipulates and lies! That's what those guys do. But I don't know if he's a misogynists (though I do think being a con man is worse than being a misogynist), since he also took advantage of his friend. Manipulating people is what he does, it just happens that women were an easier mark for him due to his face, so he specialized in them. 

There are also con men that target the elderly, sick people, or just desperate people. It's what they do. And Robbers was the only show that I saw that showed a con man in a realistic way. Truly a uniquely dark and realistic role for a protagonist in a kdrama.

But remember that Dae gil was also dark- he hunted innocent people for money. Is that better or worse than Oh Joon? Dae gil caused the branding of a man, the beating of a woman to near death and the near rape of a child. 

 

Your quote is interesting because it reminded me of something that JH said about Lee Gun- He said that he didn't want women watching the show to desire Lee Gun, instead he wanted them to want to MOTHER him... isn't that curious?!

Obviously JH is talking about drawing an emotional reaction from the viewers, which he sure got... makes you think... 

[dramafan33]

@Biology Lesson I say misogyny because he had resentment towards his mom and sister for being abused. He also had resentment towards his father but in a way, ironically but realistically chose to “abuse” women himself, repeating a pattern. 

 

I did not remember JH said that about Lee Gun oops! But yeah context is everything  

[azureblue7]

9 hours ago, budgerie said:

@Prettysup @azureblue7You both have stuff at your fingertips always. Do you have the subtitles for these? I have searched high and low but I can't find the sub. Or anyone knows where to find subtitles for these? 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80KggjgNP2I

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo8P-ouExgA

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3aebDDMd84

 

Haha.. guess not enough stuff yet.. I can't find subs to these 2 videos.

[yoeda]

10 hours ago, Prettysup said:

 

No sorry I seldom search to watch his old stuffs. I haven’t even watched Real Man. I’m a bad fan. 

Not you too! Me neither. haha. 

[The Reel Life]

4 hours ago, Biology Lesson said:

Your quote is interesting because it reminded me of something that JH said about Lee Gun- He said that he didn't want women watching the show to desire Lee Gun, instead he wanted them to want to MOTHER him... isn't that curious?!

Obviously JH is talking about drawing an emotional reaction from the viewers, which he sure got... makes you think... 

Wah where did he say this? Is there an interview? I'm super curious haha. 

[budgerie]

9 hours ago, dramafan33 said:

@budgerie @Biology Lesson I agree with many points you make. I remember when he decided to do Real Men, it was at the beginning of my fangirling. My korean friend was in panic saying, why is he doing this? He is only going to revive the scandal! His korean fans were very worried. To me, personally, being ignorant of the importance of military service in Korea I was like, is it such a big deal? Well it was and there will still be people who never forgive him for that (decision wasn’t only his, the agency had a lot to with it, but in their eyes he is not exempt of responsibility) But in the end it was brave and smart decision to do Real Men. It was a way to confront the situation, owning up to it and I think many people respect him for that. 

I also say his agency played a big part in that. Because with him out of the limelight for 2 years, where is the income coming from? But he is gentlemanly not to shift the blame to anyone else but himself and that is a very noble character of him. 

 

I enjoyed Real Men although some episodes without JH is boring. I am biased ya. It has to have him. Hahaha! 1 of the scene I find him cute was don't know which episode now, but a group of young girls prepared lunch boxes and cards for JH, KSR, Sam and the rest of the guys in the same group. While Sam and KSR and other guys were enjoying the girls companionship, JH seemed awkward. He made up for it by feeding her from his chopstick  but otherwise he seemed awkward. I mean, who wouldn't want to sit as close as possible to JH? I would! I think in real life, he is careful not to even put his hand on any women.  

 

Quote

About his older projects, I kinda wish you felt the curiosity to at least watch scenes of Great Ambition/ Daemang or Into the Sunlight. He was not a bad actor and he was cute. He just needed a good role and good direction. The expressiveness and charisma was already there. You are judging him from SSBG and Volcano High which were OTT but that’s like judging him from only FTLY or only Voice, which many people do btw. A guy who is so versatile shouldn’t be judged for one work only. This is not to say he hasn’t evolved but his talent was already there (imo) 

No. Ain't judging him. As I said in earlier post, I blame and rant at the script, the Director, the Writer, the lighting, the makeup, the acting, but it was never JH the person. If I had judged him then, I wouldn't have become a fan. I was just comparing his then and now and his then, to me wasn't great. Not the person, but the acting. To me, his expression was quite exaggerated. However, he was a young actor then, there was much room for improvement. And he did improve! As for Daemang, it seemed to have gone missing because I couldn't find the drama. @Biology LessonGuess we both are the only ones who didn't find his pre military projects appealing. 

 

For FTLY, I agree, there are many fans who have only watched FTLY and wants him remain a LG forever, in every project. They aren't willing to let him do other genres. And in their mind, he has to only team up with JNR. Other actresses will be inferior to the JH JNR pairing. I beg to differ on this. It very much depends on what genre the drama is all about. If he does another lovey dovey drama, I think he can pull it off very well with (just 1 example) Kim Min Jung. You see both of them in Tasty Road and they are so comfortable with each other. 

 

9 hours ago, AquariusMY said:

I have been reading all comments here everyday and I must admit that I learned so much about JH through these comments. I find myself nodding in agreement to each comment here and it is very satisfying to know that all of us here have a consistent view and perception of JH. 

Welcome back to this thread! I was just asking about you afew pages back in this forum. Haven't heard from you here in awhile. Have you finished MF and what are you watching now? 

 

Hahaha yes, we are pretty consistent pertaining to our views of JH. We are not delusional fans, neither are we fanatic fans. We are rational fans. And we are friendly to each other too. Unlike some other threads, the fans would have quarrelled. 

 

Quote

I really admire his wife for being able to continue staying away from the limelight because if I were her, I will need to let the world know that I am the WIFE of JH!

Me too! I'm a big shipper of him and his wife. Doesn't matter if I know about her or I don't. She has my respect. It is so difficult to be his woman from behind the scene, who is non existent to the public eye. 

 

9 hours ago, The Reel Life said:

Also, I understand that people don't like his character in Voice, I didn't like it either haha. In FTLY, I know many non-JH fans who enjoyed the show for what it is actually credited their enjoyment of the show a large part to him and his heartfelt performance, and his wonderful portrayal of Lee Gun! I could go on forever about how much I loved him in FTLY hahahaha. And agree, people who judge him based on one show and not giving him a chance in the rest is losing out on a great talent like JH. But I guess that's the harsh reality of K-ent. Popularity is fleeting and you constantly have to make enough good decisions to outweigh the poor. Most celebrities are not bulletproof like LMH and PBG haha.

Watching a drama actually is a very personal taste and preference. Just like dressing. Some people like a certain dress code, others a different dress code. Just like you love him so much in LG, I love him so much in PJ. The genre and his character in the drama + the writing and directing has to be in sync with you for you to like that drama. Many people found MF boring but that drama seems to have chemistry with me and I love it much. Same like so many fans love Chuno, there are still fans who don't enjoy. So it is very individual. 

 

8 hours ago, dramafan33 said:

Thank you, not so much for him but I loved the story and the little girl, mind you, dramas have evolved and there are some things about this drama that is dated, some level of tolerance for macho behaviour is required, but his character softens and evolves nicely 

Agree with @dramafan33. Not so much for JH portrayal but the little girl. It is a 2007 drama so mind you, the fashion of the day may make you feel this is so old fashioned drama but the story is still "true" even in our modern times now. How people ostracized people with aids. The girl is cute, she is not your goodie girl, she has her moments, her temperaments, rude sometimes but she is adorable and her chemistry with JH is wonderful. How she would just jump onto him to be carried. Being a kid is good isn't it? She gets to hug and be carried by him. The lead actress (ok no chemistry with JH here, but ok it isn't a lovey dovey drama) she is a strong mother trying to protect her daughter. 

 

Infact it was said that no actresses wanted to pair with JH for this drama as it was his 1st drama after military, actresses were wary it might affect them as well, but the lead actress here accepted the role. I don't fault her as an actress but I fault her role here. But again it is the writing. She is so NICE to everyone except to Dr Min (JH). 

 

@azureblue7These are the only 3 interviews which he spoke quite a bit but haven't been able to get subtitles. So frustrating! 

 

 

 

[yoeda]

9 hours ago, dramafan33 said:

 

About his older projects, I kinda wish you felt the curiosity to at least watch scenes of Great Ambition/ Daemang or Into the Sunlight. He was not a bad actor and he was cute. He just needed a good role and good direction. The expressiveness and charisma was already there. You are judging him from SSBG and Volcano High which were OTT but that’s like judging him from only FTLY or only Voice, which many people do btw. A guy who is so versatile shouldn’t be judged for one work only. This is not to say he hasn’t evolved but his talent was already there (imo) 

I really want to watch those two drama but can't find the site or link that has that. Into The Sunlight has an amazing actor like Kim Ha Neul and Cha Tae Hyun. Also if I can I want to find his School drama . but it's only has a bit and piece here and there. Wanna see how high school bad boy Hyukie so bad.

 

Agreed with you bout how ppl shouldn't judge him with one work only. I really want ppl to know how amazing he is. Yesterday, someone ask why ppl obsess with Hyukie in MC thread coz of the netz comment about him. And others recommended Voice to him/her that I just thinking (oh, you're not doing that). But, I understand that others like his Voice character and he gather more fan and younger audience in that drama. Even we don't like him in Voice too much compare to others but the drama broaden him to other ppl radars. I'm glad he's doing MC coz many can see how versatile he is. Maybe they come for younger actors but hope after that they'll stay for him.

[yoeda]

5 hours ago, Biology Lesson said:

Obviously he was despicable. He's a conman! He cheats, manipulates and lies! That's what those guys do. But I don't know if he's a misogynists (though I do think being a con man is worse than being a misogynist), since he also took advantage of his friend. Manipulating people is what he does, it just happens that women were an easier mark for him due to his face, so he specialized in them. 

There are also con men that target the elderly, sick people, or just desperate people. It's what they do. And Robbers was the only show that I saw that showed a con man in a realistic way. Truly a uniquely dark and realistic role for a protagonist in a kdrama.

But remember that Dae gil was also dark- he hunted innocent people for money. Is that better or worse than Oh Joon? Dae gil caused the branding of a man, the beating of a woman to near death and the near rape of a child. 

 

Your quote is interesting because it reminded me of something that JH said about Lee Gun- He said that he didn't want women watching the show to desire Lee Gun, instead he wanted them to want to MOTHER him... isn't that curious?!

Obviously JH is talking about drawing an emotional reaction from the viewers, which he sure got... makes you think... 

Oh God (groan) I can't finish Robbers. It still sit on my DVD rack. I really want to smack him really bad. The winning reason  of that drama, when I annoyed I just admire how beautiful he look. lol. 

 

Dae Gil maybe dark but remember he save the slave that he chased later? Rescuing the child and the woman and bring them to his save haven. On the scale Dae Gil so much better than Oh Joon. lol. 

[yoeda]

9 hours ago, The Reel Life said:

 

Also, I understand that people don't like his character in Voice, I didn't like it either haha. In FTLY, I know many non-JH fans who enjoyed the show for what it is actually credited their enjoyment of the show a large part to him and his heartfelt performance, and his wonderful portrayal of Lee Gun! I could go on forever about how much I loved him in FTLY hahahaha. And agree, people who judge him based on one show and not giving him a chance in the rest is losing out on a great talent like JH. But I guess that's the harsh reality of K-ent. Popularity is fleeting and you constantly have to make enough good decisions to outweigh the poor. Most celebrities are not bulletproof like LMH and PBG haha.

Nah, LMH not that bulletproof. He got harsh critique too about his acting and drama. PBG is a new sensation so he still enjoying the flow. It's a matter of time if he can stay afloat. Hope he does.

[The Reel Life]

27 minutes ago, yoeda said:

Nah, LMH not that bulletproof. He got harsh critique too about his acting and drama. PBG is a new sensation so he still enjoying the flow. It's a matter of time if he can stay afloat. Hope he does.

But bulletproof in the sense that despite harsh critiques, he's still raking in all the CFs, get's major casting (the recent blockbuster project by Kim Eun Sook), and he still tops the Asian popularity charts even during his military service! 

[kohnlee]

13 hours ago, budgerie said:

Not at all....I think you are fantastic. You start every thread of his drama and movie. You keep us updated. That is alot of work!! Thank you for those! I am vexed just looking for these subtitles.  

U must watch real man! It’s fantastic hahah 

[Prettysup]

In case anyone still skeptical about how many episodes 'My Country' has, this should clear all doubts:

 

'My Country' Last 2 episodes! What will be the final twist to the game??

... Meanwhile, the final chapters of "My Country" will air on JTBC at 10:50 p.m. on Nov 22 and 23

 

 

http://news.jtbc.joins.com/article/article.aspx?news_id=NB11913840

[Biology Lesson]

6 hours ago, The Reel Life said:

Wah where did he say this? Is there an interview? I'm super curious haha. 

Oh, man, I really don't remember where I read that... I think it was an interview... You see, I actually went through the entire Soompi forum for FTLY because I wanted to follow the evolution of the reaction to it. And that forum was the most active forum I've seen for a JH drama. I guess I saw there a link to that interview, but since it has so many pages, I don't know how to re-find it

It was interesting to see how people initially couldn't get over his hair and laugh, and then slowly fall in love with Lee gun. Also, I was fascinated by the fact that initially the article criticized JH for even accepting such a role cause he's "too old" and doesn't do comedies... Well, I guess he showed them!

10 hours ago, dramafan33 said:

@Biology Lesson I say misogyny because he had resentment towards his mom and sister for being abused. He also had resentment towards his father but in a way, ironically but realistically chose to “abuse” women himself, repeating a pattern. 

 

I did not remember JH said that about Lee Gun oops! But yeah context is everything  

Again, I don't think he cared who he cheated as long he got money out of it. Since women reacted positively to him and his face, they were his natural target. Considering how easily he accepted his friend being gay and how he said that he if he wasn't in love he might had a relationship with him, shows that if he met a gay guy in his conning years, he would targeted him also. He didn't care who the target is, as long as there was money to get.

As to JH saying that about wanting women to mother Lee Gun- I never made the connection to the statement from Oh Joon till now. But to me it's fascinating, because I did notice that there are a lot of similar elements between Robbers and FTLY- the illness and having to break up with the woman he loves while pretending not to love her, the unusual closeness to the mother in-law and JH's character quirkiness. Remember that Oh Joon was also very strange. It feels like JH took elements that worked in Robbers and perfected them for FTLY, while he dumped those that didn't. So if he used that insight from Oh Joon about how to win over women and used that in order to make Lee Gun more attractive to the female viewers,  that is another evidence to how smart JH really is. I know that many didn't like the male character from the original FTLY, while Lee Gun is very loved,so, again, I wonder if JH used the insights he gained from Robbers and its failure, to make Lee Gun a more likable and human character.