Jang Hyuk 장혁

[AgnesO]

8 hours ago, azureblue7 said:

Me too! It used to be so quiet when I first joined. @Prettysup always updates  without fail despite that. So thankful to her for that. But now ..I need to speed read to keep up

Agree agree. I have no time to read the other thread on TMWYS.  This thread already keeps me busy and staying up late, on top of watching TMWYS.  I'm not complaining though 

[budgerie]

15 minutes ago, AgnesO said:

Talking about first love, mine is Tony Leung in the same generation.  I like his acting a lot.  And similar to JH, his eyes can really talk, plus that babyface, he kept me following him for quite a few years.  Even now, I still occassionally watch him if he has new shows coming up.

I watched him in Lust & Caution with actress Tang Wei. 

[Prettysup]

16 minutes ago, AgnesO said:

 

After losing interest in BYJ, SJS and HB, I started searching for other kdramas where I can fall in love with.  I looked up Chuno, intending to watch another actor in the same drama.  But instead I fall in love with JH.  And like what I usually do, I started watching his other dramas, and checking up anything about him.  And I realized the original male lead for SG is JH!  I don't know about you gals, but I find HB's style of acting in SG is kind of like following JH's style.  That's why I see JH's shadow in SG.  Am I the only one who feels like this?

 

 

 I didnt watch SG so I can't comment. But were u intending to watch OJH when u looked up on Chuno? Haha.. for me I saw comments on Chuno and went to look it up, but was turned off by the messy hair pics of JH. Then somehow I decided to give it a chance and realised the messy hair looks much better in motion than in pictures.

[azureblue7]

Looks like we all agree that the more we read about him, the more we fall for him..haha! And it doesn't help that besides his charisma and seriousness,  his off screen personality  can also be super cute! And he doesn't even need to try hard to be cute!

 

 

 

[azureblue7]

13 minutes ago, Prettysup said:

 

 I didnt watch SG so I can't comment. But were u intending to watch OJH when u looked up on Chuno? Haha.. for me I saw comments on Chuno and went to look it up, but was turned off by the messy hair pics of JH. Then somehow I decided to give it a chance and realised the messy hair looks much better in motion than in pictures.

I shouldn't have relied on just pics..I should have watched him in motion. then I would have become a fan a few years earlier! 

 

 

[AgnesO]

13 minutes ago, budgerie said:

I watched him in Lust & Caution with actress Tang Wei.

Ya, i watched that too.  Very engaging acting by both actors.

[dramafan33]

@Biology Lesson I hear you on this. That passion and joy for acting that Jang Hyuk transmits is inspiring! And even his discipline. I honestly think about him whenever I’m feeling lazy and shame myself into going to the gym lol. See? Fangirling Hyukie is actually good for our health 
 

HB, It took me many years to see the appeal. Young HB still doesn’t appeal to me. But MOA HB did, later in the series. I think he is manly? Eh, I don’t know. And his acting must’ve improved because his crying in MOA was convincing to me. I liked that series because of the sci-fi ish theme and it later became like a horror thiller video game style. The locations in Spain were stunning. And so eventually, at some point I felt, ok, I guess HB is alright. I can now see the appeal. 
 

About his popularity Im not sure but I think Kim Sam Soon is one of those “hallyu” (korean wave) internationally successful dramas and then his popularity dwindled a bit but soared again with the success of Secret Garden. Internationally, it seems rom com and heavy soapy melodrama was for years, the genre of preference for international kdrama fans. This is even before Netflix (if you read my post about how I got to know HB you’ll see) Hyun Bin is one of those uber popular “hallyu” representatives. After he came back from Military Service he did some successful movies. 
 

Now what I would like to understand is why koreans are obsessed with Won Bin. Won Bin hasn’t done anything in years and still tops any poll conducted in Korea about popular actors. I don’t understand. 
 

@AgnesO Well, the fact that the male lead character in SG was actually written inspired by JH must mean something. I didn’t really enjoy SG though. So I’m not sure JH would’ve been able to make me like it? 

[AgnesO]

12 minutes ago, Prettysup said:

I didnt watch SG so I can't comment. But were u intending to watch OJH when u looked up on Chuno? Haha.. for me I saw comments on Chuno and went to look it up, but was turned off by the messy hair pics of JH. Then somehow I decided to give it a chance and realised the messy hair looks much better in motion than in pictures.

No, i was intending to watch Lee Jong Hyuk.  Not that I particularly like him, but I watched him in another show (I've forgotten which one), and thought to check him out in Chuno.  Though later I realized he's not the lead.  I was thinking at that time that the lead doesn't look very handsome leh, but i continue watching.  Maybe it is his screen presence, or his energy or his eyes, I don't know, but JH has a way of drawing you in, and then I'm hooked.

[The Reel Life]

8 hours ago, budgerie said:

  Hide contents

I'm not a fan of Chi Lam but I truly admire man who love his wife. Chi Lam has been with his wife for very long. I watched Triumph in the Sky starring Francis Ng & Chi Lam. In that era, my fav actors were Felix Wong, Michael Miu, Simon Yam, Francis Ng, Kevin Cheng.   

 

My fav was Gallen Lo and Louis Koo 

[AgnesO]

16 minutes ago, azureblue7 said:

Looks like we all agree that the more we read about him, the more we fall for him..haha! And it doesn't help that besides his charisma and seriousness,  his off screen personality  can also be super cute! And he doesn't even need to try hard to be cute!

 

 

 

Obviously we're not the only one who finds him cute 

 

[The Reel Life]

17 minutes ago, dramafan33 said:

Now what I would like to understand is why koreans are obsessed with Won Bin. Won Bin hasn’t done anything in years and still tops any poll conducted in Korea about popular actors. I don’t understand. 

There is one reason and only one reason. He is considered the most handsome man in Korea. I have to agree (second to JH) ! Haha. It’s more like his handsomeness is considered out of the world by Koreans, and the fact that he rarely acts or appears makes him enigmatic, but seriously, we all know it’s the looks that keeps him on top of lists haha. 

[Biology Lesson]

3 minutes ago, The Reel Life said:

There is one reason and only one reason. He is considered the most handsome man in Korea. I have to agree (second to JH) ! Haha. It’s more like his handsomeness is considered out of the world by Koreans, and the fact that he rarely acts or appears makes him enigmatic, but seriously, we all know it’s the looks that keeps him on top of lists haha. 

Oh, I guess that is why I don't get it- I think JH is much better looking  So I will leave Hyun Bin to the Koreans...

[budgerie]

27 minutes ago, The Reel Life said:

My fav was Gallen Lo and Louis Koo 

Spoiler

Both aren't my fav but in those TVB days, Gallen Lo has got lots of drama. I like him to pair with my fav TVB actor Felix Wong in the Police series. Handsome too when he was younger. 

 

[dramafan33]

21 minutes ago, Biology Lesson said:

Oh, I guess that is why I don't get it- I think JH is much better looking  So I will leave Hyun Bin to the Koreans...

In this case, we are talking about Won Bin, not Hyun Bin

 

Won Bin is like a legend, without doing any acting work for 10 years (I think) Still he is sought out and gets a lof CF contracts. He is like the opposite of JH to me. JH works and works but does not get to be that “famous” (not that I find that super desirable) but I mean, JH did use to be more of a star (Im told) he used to get ton of CF contracts (commercials) which is sort of a reflection of marketability (its not me saying this btw, its what Ive been told) 

 

I guess the “downside” to being a workaholic actor is that you don’t get to be “picky”, “mysterious”. Maybe people take him for granted. But who cares? I’d rather follow an actor who actually works a lot. I get to see more of him, and how do you improve your craft if you don’t practice it?

 

But anyway, back to WB, it is still strange to me how he has been able to maintain that fame. Good for him I guess? I personally don’t see his beauty as out of this world. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder and his beauty is not in the eye of this beholder 
 

 

[AquariusMY]

Hello ladies, very interesting to read all of your ever-flowing comments. So many that I wish to quote buy too difficult to do so on my phone.

 

Yes, I wish JH in TMWYS can get rid of that thick jacket of his, get some wound gel to clear up his red fresh scars, get over his reliance on Soo Young on the investigations and quickly just catch The Guy. And also for the scenes to brighten up by turning on the lights, instead of using torch lights.

 

I totally agree with comments on why we stick to JH as the first favourite actor on our list. His dedication, seriousness in his work, his loyalty, discipline as well as the fact he is married with kids are all what makes him appealing.

 

I chanced upon FTLY which I was not even impressed by the poster cover of the drama. I thought this actor looked matured for such genre but yet over time, I find him appealing. I like guys with neat short hair, and his eventual hair cut in FTLY sealed the deal. I started to Google about him and love him for being a married man who is true to his wife and kids. Loved him even more in Dragon Bromance, Urban Cops and the now dated interviews/ variety shows he was present. Of course, Money Flower was great as his character was intelligent and always ahead of his game. And he was clean shaven too. To me, Jang Hyuk is always truthful and being himself. He is not trying to portray himself as an idol to his fans, at least that is my view about him.

 

There were other short term crushes of other actors, which really depends on the dramas they acted in. I prefer more matured actors, as opposed to those in their 20s. I may like one or two young ones based on their characters in the dramas. However, I must admit I really liked Hyun Bin in Secret Garden, but I didnt watch his other productions except for Memories of Alhambra and CLOY. As much as I like him, I do not understand why he is THAT popular especially when his drama is aired. So much hype. Perhaps he is still more sought after for being an idol actor, whereas Jang Hyuk is categorized as a capable actor? You know what I mean? 

 

Anyway, I have always wondered what is it about Korean dramas that make us so hooked? Is it because of the storylines? Or the fact they popularised the dramas and lead actors/actresses via the BTS clips? Particularly in romance dramas, they somehow make us wish the male and female leads are together in real life. How do they do it and capture the likes of us who are civil minded adults to be fan girls??

 

 

[Biology Lesson]

2 minutes ago, dramafan33 said:

In this case, we are talking about Won Bin, not Hyun Bin

 

Won Bin is like a legend, without doing any acting work for 10 years (I think) Still he is sought out and gets a lof CF contracts. He is like the opposite of JH to me. JH works and works but does not get to be that “famous” (not that I find that super desirable) but I mean, JH did use to be more of a star (Im told) he used to get ton of CF contracts (commercials) which is sort of a reflection of marketability (its not me saying this btw, its what Ive been told) 

 

I guess the “downside” to being a workaholic actor is that you don’t get to be “picky”, “mysterious”. Maybe people take him for granted. But who cares? I’d rather follow an actor who actually works a lot. I get to see more of him, and how do you improve your craft if you don’t practice it?

 

But anyway, back to WB, it is still strange to me how he has been able to maintain that fame. Good for him I guess? I personally don’t see his beauty as out of this world. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder and his beauty is not in the eye of this beholder 
 

 

I heard about Won Bin, he gained his popularity for doing The man from nowhere, Which was an international success, right? For me actors that don't act- what is the point in them?! For that matter I can present myself as an actress who never acted at all! I'm even more mysterious! Give me CFs!!

I just checked, he hasn't done anything since that movie, so it looks like he's retired... Who knows what kind of an effect this whole fame had on him?

 

I think JH is exactly where wants to be in terms of popularity- it's very clear he's not into fame that much. The only thing is that he's still insecure about his next job due to him not being top tier, though I really am not seeing the top tier actors doing shows of great quality, so... And also- we need to remember the entertainment world is usually depraved, who knows what you really need to do to reach the so called top? Also, knowing the media, many articles are actually payed for by studios and representatives, so, again, we don't know what's going on behind the scenes... 

Hope JH's next project will not just have a great JH performance, but also a great script. 

[The Reel Life]

1 hour ago, budgerie said:

  Hide contents

Both aren't my fav but in those TVB days, Gallen Lo has got lots of drama. I like him to pair with my fav TVB actor Felix Wong in the Police series. Handsome too when he was younger. 

 

I liked him because he was in alot of the makjang shows like Secret of the Heart, Cold Blood Warm Heart and the likes haha. Gallen was actually a very good actor by HK's standards!

[The Reel Life]

54 minutes ago, dramafan33 said:

But anyway, back to WB, it is still strange to me how he has been able to maintain that fame. Good for him I guess? I personally don’t see his beauty as out of this world. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder and his beauty is not in the eye of this beholder

Haha, my opinion is that his looks is really what sets him apart from the rest of the Korean actors. Actually both he and his wife, Lee Na Young (whom JH partnered with in Please Teach Me English) seldom act but they get tonnes of CF deals. Lee Na Young recently acted in the recent show RIABB with Lee Jong Suk, though (he was a big fanboy of hers haha). 

 

38 minutes ago, Biology Lesson said:

I think JH is exactly where wants to be in terms of popularity- it's very clear he's not into fame that much. The only thing is that he's still insecure about his next job due to him not being top tier, though I really am not seeing the top tier actors doing shows of great quality, so... And also- we need to remember the entertainment world is usually depraved, who knows what you really need to do to reach the so called top? Also, knowing the media, many articles are actually payed for by studios and representatives, so, again, we don't know what's going on behind the scenes... 

Hope JH's next project will not just have a great JH performance, but also a great script. 

Agree! Just hope he gets a continuous flow of good scripts. It is hard to do a project every year and have hits every year. The rest of the hallyu stars who have hits act only every 2-3 years, and they are very selective, so i guess, if you act less, and pick only high profile scripts, the chances of succeeding is definitely higher by that logic, right? you can't possibly get good scripts every single year, that's why he may not be seen as that "successful". However, he still sticks to wanting to act, because he just loves acting so much, and that's what I admire about him. Just curious though, I guess we will never know if he has not received CF offers vs he actually rejected some CF offers that he gets? Maybe he just doesn't want to be seen as a "CF star" or is not comfortable with it anymore at this age? 

 

53 minutes ago, AquariusMY said:

Perhaps he is still more sought after for being an idol actor, whereas Jang Hyuk is categorized as a capable actor? You know what I mean? 

Yes, he is more under the category of capable actor. Perhaps in the past he used to be more of an idol actor? But actually I also don't think he really fell under the idol actor category, because his drama choices and movie choices have always been quite unique. It's hard to be an idol/hallyu actor if you are not picky with projects or if you do less glamorous roles. JH does everything in the spectrum, not something a traditional hallyu actor would do, but a passionate actor would  

[dramafan33]

@The Reel Life I seriously doubt anyone would reject CF offers. It doesn’t affect their reputation negatively at all. It just earns them “easy” money. And he never seemed to have anything against them. Something happened but, who knows? 
 

Actors of all ages do CFs. I recently saw one with Lee Duk Hwa for Burger King (he has worked with JH many times btw, and he always talk very fondly of him)

Being a fan of actors that are not so active must be torture! Can you imagine? Gong Yoo only has two successful dramas, Coffee Prince and Goblin. I heard he almost retired from dramas after his drama Big failed. He concentrated on movies. I imagine this is why fans have a collection of “oppas” lol
 

I think JH being so prolific is what has given him the chance to have more than 3 or 5 memorable characters. How many actors can claim that? This is also what allows me to focus on him, never get bored and not look at other guys  

 

What I’d like is for JH to do at least one good and successful movie. 
 

When JH was young the “idol machinery” wasn’t as polished. They tried to make him an “idol” but since he couldn’t sing they made him rap  We owe “TJ” and his one hit wonder “Hey girl” to that attempt 

[dramafan33]

@corey I don’t recommend TJ until you are ready to cringe, laugh and then “forgive” JH lololllll and his look with blonde hair is a big no no for me 

 

P.S I know some friends here love TJ though  there’s always at least one fan for every JH work