Ryu Seung Beom 류승범

[bellaangel012]

I love that movie Conduct Zero. i dont know what it is about him but he just changes everytime he takes on a role. Such a chameleon.

To tell you the truth i would love to see him pair up with Bae Doo Na, Kang Hye Jung or Jo Seung Woo in a movie. I would fly over to korea to see that one. Too see his talent play off against equally talented people, i would be in heaven.

Quite frankly, i think he is more suited to the silver screen rather than in dramas, although i can see why they did put him in that drama with SHG and Jo Hyun Jae. To market his adorableness to the masses with a lameo storyline.

But i would love to see him expand and grow more on the movie screen than in the dramas, there is too much trendiness with little talent on the tube lately except for the rare few that really amazed me. If he could do a drama with Bae Doon Na totally prefilmed or even with Yang Dong Gun, then maybe....

[Guest mj07]

hmmm … I agree, I don't think there are any dramas that deserve him!

[Guest bubblieri]

i liked him in beast and beauty...he may not have the looks that have fans falling for him...but i thought he was a pretty good actor....hahahah the space beast sounds :D

[Guest mj07]

Is The Beast and the Beauty worth seeing? I was thinking about renting that one.

[Guest s3rene]

Is The Beast and the Beauty worth seeing? I was thinking about renting that one.

It is. The movie was cute and funny, although there were some really ridiculous scenes. Ryu Seung Beom was funny in there.

[Guest luckyyou]

The Beast and the Beauty [야수와 미녀] (2005) - Ryu Seung Bum & Shin Min Ah

available @ http://clubbox.co.kr/NowNForever

[Guest dadedum]

Thanks for starting this thread! Like almost everyone, I enjoyed his performance in Conduct Zero and Crying Fist. Haven't seen Arahan but sounds like it's worth checking out. I bought Family Ties the other day but haven't had a chance to watch it yet. He had a cameo in Guns&Talks? I can't recall the scene..

If he could do a drama with Bae Doon Na totally prefilmed or even with Yang Dong Gun, then maybe....

A drama with YANG DONG GUN!?! Can we dream the impossible? I re-watched New Nonstop recently and couldn't get enough of YDG's hilarious scenes.

[Guest thunderbolt]

Thanks for this thread. I've just discovered RSB and am adding him to my list of favorite actors. Have watched him in Beast & the Beauty, Godok and Waikiki Brothers and he's so naturally talented. Will hunt for his other works. Am also thrilled to know he's good pals with Park Hae-il. I wonder if they became friends from working on Waikiki Brothers together in 2001.

RSB in Waikiki Brothers:

credit: hancinema; jisubaddicts.com

[melusine]

He had a cameo in Guns&Talks? I can't recall the scene..

It's blink-and-you'll-miss-it. When I saw G&T listed in his filmography, I just had to watch the entire movie again just to look for RSB (not that viewing that film for the nth time is a chore, quite the opposite actually ). You know the part where Shin HaKyun's lying because he hadn't killed the pregnant girl yet? He says he couldn't shoot the girl from his car because a guy on a motorcycle blocked her from view, then he says the guy was a cop when the other 3 butt in, and so on, as his story keeps changing.

^It's definitely RSB. I think he's pretty close to Jang Jin's Film It Suda crew. He even did "No Comment" with them. And as far as I can tell, the K-film community is a tight-knit one, with both famous and up-and-coming directors (Park ChanWook, Kim JiWoon, Bong JoonHo, Ryu SeungWan etc and their juniors) forming some sort of clique and using the same pool of talented character actors. So I'm not surprised that RSB, Im WonHee, Jung JaeYoung and Shin HaKyun have crossed paths plenty of times and become pals.

Film2.0 article

Cine21 article

Am also thrilled to know he's good pals with Park Hae-il. I wonder if they became friends from working on Waikiki Brothers together in 2001.

Probably. ^__^ I know that which stars choose to hang out together has nothing at all to do with me personally, but on some weird level, I do feel glad when I find out that my favorite actors are friends. I guess I like seeing cool, talented people flock together lol.

I think RSB also became friends with Hwang JungMin during the shooting of "Waikiki Brothers". I read that HJM credits that film as the one that made him stick it out when he was thisclose to giving up on his acting career (good thing he didn't, huh? ). I also read that it was released to critical acclaim in 2001 but didn't make a lot of money (same as "Nabi", "Take Care of My Cat", "Flower Island"). So fans formed the WaRaNaGo Movement (from the initials of the Korean titles of those 4 well-loved small films) to bring them back to the theaters...and they succeeded.

I wannawannawanna see "Waikiki Brothers"!!!

thunderbolt: You can check out the reviews (I've put links in the 1st page) to help you choose which RSB movies to see next. The guy's made some fine films. And with "Waikiki Brothers", "Aachi & Ssipak" (which isn't out on DVD yet) and his 2 shorts as the only stuff of his that I haven't seen yet, believe me, I know of what I speak. Happy hunting!

Did someone mention Yang DongGeun and Jo SeungWoo???

Cine21 article on Seol KyungGu, RSB, and Yang DongGeun

To tell you the truth i would love to see him pair up with Bae Doo Na, Kang Hye Jung or Jo Seung Woo in a movie. I would fly over to korea to see that one. Too see his talent play off against equally talented people, i would be in heaven.

So would I. What a casting coup that would be. I don't know how soon, but I'm betting it'll happen. After Ahn SungKi, Choi MinShik, Hwang JungMin... it's only a matter of time.

(Btw, did you guys hear the gossip that he and KHJ supposedly dated pre-JSW? I wonder if it's true. If it is, he has good taste in women )

Quite frankly, i think he is more suited to the silver screen rather than in dramas, although i can see why they did put him in that drama with SHG and Jo Hyun Jae. To market his adorableness to the masses with a lameo storyline.

But i would love to see him expand and grow more on the movie screen than in the dramas, there is too much trendiness with little talent on the tube lately except for the rare few that really amazed me. If he could do a drama with Bae Doon Na totally prefilmed or even with Yang Dong Gun, then maybe...

Really, lameo? From the bits I saw here and there, I had a feeling "Sunlight Pours Down" wasn't all that great. (I took a peep at the drama thread and apparently many viewers are complaining that RSB ended up with Song HyeKyo. I was quite surprised myself. Wasn't he the 2nd fiddle and JHJ the lead? K-dramas don't usually deviate from the formula. Did his <quote> adorableness <unquote> win the day? Seriously though, was there a sudden reversal in public (=netizen) opinion or something? I mean, RSB's a way better actor than JHJ and I'd pick him--but I would've thought lots more people would root for the cuter guy (who also benefited from a better set-up script-wise--hence the understandable outcry from fans).

As much as I'd like to watch 16-20 hours of RSB, I gotta agree that film fits him more as a medium and gives him greater room for creativity. Still, "Alone in Love"+Gam WooSung gives me hope that, someday, maybe, with the right script+PD+cast, he'll be tempted to go back to TV (the current trend of prefilmed dramas doesn't hurt either). RSB with BDN and/or YDG--I like your dream cast. ^__^

Too bad I can't find a copy of his old dramas "Godok" and "Wonderful Days"--would love to watch them. It's telling what an intelligent actor RSB is that out of the 3 dramas in his filmography, he's worked with Noh HeeKyung twice! (I've become such a NHK fangirl after "Goodbye Solo" ). Crossing my fingers there'll be a third time...

Till then, I'm quite content having him blow me away 1-2 films per year.

Haven't seen Arahan but sounds like it's worth checking out.

It is! It is! "Arahan" is sooooo much fun. As is "Conduct Zero". Love them both.

I first saw RSB in "Conduct Zero" which I thought was very funny, as well as having a lot of sweet moments. Next up was "Arahan", which I had the pleasure of watching in a packed house two years ago at the San Diego Asian Film Fest. The audience was laughing hysterically throughout and I loved it. At the same fest last year caught him with Choi Min Shik in "Crying Fist" and was even more blown away by his ability to pull out a fabulous dramatic performance (especially when you consider who he was sharing screen time with!)

I envy you. What I would give to see "Arahan" on the big screen! Since we're swapping RSB stories... I have fond memories of "Arahan", that's when I started liking him (and his brother ). He wasn't handsome, but there was something very appealing about him, whatever it was--charm, impeccable comic timing, being unafraid to look like a fool (which the role called for). He made me laugh so much, and so effortlessly made me root for him. *Palm blast, woohoo* I watched "Conduct Zero" soon after and couldn't find any traces of the dorky policeman of "Arahan" in his new incarnation as the tough-talking school bully awkwardly falling in love for the first time with the unlikeliest girl. Korean cinema is littered with stories of high school violence--some serious, some mixed with comedy like this one, some indistinguishable from the rest of the pack--but RSB's JoongPil made "Conduct Zero" come alive, stamping that role with more than enough personality that I can't imagine anyone else playing it. Plus it's such a fun, fun movie and GOOD waaaay beyond a teen comedy had any right to be. Yup, my "like" got bumped up to "like A LOT". I giggled as I watched him and his 'gang' in "No Blood No Tears" try and try again; looked on in satisfaction as he stole his fair share of scenes from Shin HaKyun and Jung JaeYoung in "No Comment"; felt the hairs on my arms rise whenever the guy-with-cerebral-palsy he was playing in "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" popped up onscreen. But what sealed the I-heart-RSB deal was "Crying Fist". What an achievement for a young actor: not only to go toe-to-toe with the great Choi MinShik, but to prove that you're a match for him. The acting of those 2...dude, I have no words. (There are quotes in the 1st page that describe it more eloquently than I ever could.) That film made a big impact on me. I'll never forget it.

The rest is history. I'm a RSB completist now. *grin*

[melusine]

Cine21 article on RSB and Jo GeunShik, director of "Conduct Zero"

[melusine]

and i was a little sad and he and gong hyojin broke up.... i loved them in CONDUCT ZERO, although gong wasn't the lead girl...

Aww, I wish he'd get back together with Gong HyoJin too! They made an awesome couple. I'm so glad they did "Conduct Zero"--it's a great film, one of my favorites. Breakup or not, it's a movie they can always be proud of (unlike, say, Bennifer and "Gigli" ). Btw I don't think a reconciliation is completely out of the question (lalala), because they're still very good friends. RSB even appeared in a cameo in GHJ's recent film "Family Ties" ...as her ex-bf (hee). Plus they went to last year's Pusan Intl Film Festival (PIFF '05) together, HOLDING HANDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

<clickable thumbnails>

Okay okay, so GHJ was also holding Hwang JungMin's hand (drat ). But a shipper can dream, right? ^__^

(More RSB-GHJ shipping here)

Vogue via Daum

Film2.0 article

Cine21 article

Koreanfilm.org's Kyu Hyun Kim on "Conduct Zero": As for Ryu Seung-bum and Gong Hyo-jin, how can I put this without sounding like a weenie fanboy of the couple? Well dish it, I am the number-freaking-one weenie fanboy of theirs! They are fabulous together, they are fabulous on their own, they are just so frigging talented, they completely disappear into their roles. I've never seen the kind of chemistry between any major Korean stars in the last 5 years as Ryu and Gong casually sling over their shoulders in their scenes with minimum of dialogue ("What are you doing here?" "Just passing by." "Go ahead and pass by then.").

[melusine]

Is The Beast and the Beauty worth seeing? I was thinking about renting that one.

I liked it. It's fluff--but cute, fun, entertaining fluff. RSB is funny and endearing as always (even with one eyebrow hee hee) and SMA's adorable. Given how this sort of romcom usually goes, I expected the deck to be stacked against the cute guy, but Kim GangWoo's character is surprisingly likable and human as well. Plus one of the supporting characters--a bumbling gangster at the bottom of the jopok food chain--is hilarious. Rent it, don't expect too much, and enjoy.

Movieweek article

Premiere article

Harper's Bazaar

credit: http://cafe.daum.net/mabubcastle/6wjl/14059

[Guest mj07]

I think Gong Hyo-Jin and Ryu Seung-Beom's scenes together in "Family Ties" were some of the best in that whole film! Everyone should watch it! They had even more scenes together that were cut from the film. While I understand why the director cut them, I still wish they'd been included! Ahhh…the scene where she calls him over to come pick up his stuff from her place, he looks SOOO heartbroken, his acting is amazing in that scene, you can just feel the pain! Sigh…

That said, I've yet to see Waikiki Brothers, is it worth a look? And thanks, melusine, for investigating "Guns & Talks" to find Ryu's cameo! I kept wondering why he was listed in the cast b/c I couldn't remember seeing him! Must go back and look, again! I think he's also good friends with Shin Ha-Kyun, I would love to see them in a movie together (again)!

Did we have this pick yet?

DELETE

guess I shoulda looked harder!

[melusine]

^Yup, that pic's already on the first page, along with other "Crying Fist"-related photo shoots. (I transferred some of the pics/articles to page 2 so that page 1 would load faster )

His cameo in "Family Ties" was so wonderful, I was saddened his role was so small.

I think Gong Hyo-Jin and Ryu Seung-Beom's scenes together in "Family Ties" were some of the best in that whole film! Everyone should watch it! They had even more scenes together that were cut from the film. While I understand why the director cut them, I still wish they'd been included! Ahhh...the scene where she calls him over to come pick up his stuff from her place, he looks SOOO heartbroken, his acting is amazing in that scene, you can just feel the pain! Sigh...

Even though I knew it was just a cameo, I wish RSB had more scenes too. And not because I thought it was necessary to the story (his 2 scenes was just the right amount = maximum effectivity). I just wanted to see more of him, more of them.

Scenes that got cut out of the final edit:

<clickable thumbnails>

The interaction of those 2 characters (and the performances of the actors playing them) made for such a great viewing experience, I wouldn't have minded if the entire movie was about them (that this isn't the case is of course one of the beauties of "Family Ties"). I was deluding myself: Once she's sorted out her issues, let some time pass, maybe, maybe... And even though SoonKyung 15 years later is a serene, content, self-confident woman who's made peace with herself and her choices in life, part of me is a leeeetle sad that she hasn't found the right guy (however un-PC that sounds). Esp since the movie posits that she may never will, and it doesn't matter because she isn't really looking. That's an incredibly empowering statement for a woman; but because I love SoonKyung, I can't help but worry for her. I don't want her to be lonely. Maybe she was made to be alone, that her life is complete showering her love on her brother (and one supposes his future family), her friends, her work. Not a bad life at all. But among the many guys who've passed through her life, I wonder if he still crosses her mind from time to time: the one that got away. Some love stories aren't meant to be, but oh how I wanted that impossible, cliched happy ending for them .

I was hooked from their very first scene together: When they run into each other at the tourist spot and she's all super-friendly and fluttery, exclaiming "Oppa! How nice to see you! You look great! Ohmygoodness, how long has it been?!" like they haven't seen each other for YEARS and he goes, "Almost a month" with this indescribable expression on his face, like, I cannot BELIEVE this girl --> Classic! OMG, I laughed and laughed. You know, from the annoyed look on RSB's face as GHJ kept insisting on taking a pic of him and the girl he was with, I really think he wasn't on a date. It looked like the girl already liked him and their relationship could certainly veer in that direction eventually, but at that point in time, he wasn't over GHJ yet or ready for a new relationship; it was just a platonic outing (he may even have gone to that place hoping to get a glimpse of her). You can see so much emotion in how GHJ overcompensates by being maddeningly cheerful, and in the way RSB holds himself awkwardly, exasperated, uncomfortable and (clueless how it happened but finding himself) with no control over the situation AT ALL.

And I agree, the part where he picks up his stuff from her place, oh maaaaan. *sigh* They were sooo superb in that scene, you can practically read the history of their characters' relationship in what they say and don't say. There's a world of pain in the silences and the glances and the little shrugs and the crossed arms and the seemingly trivial words. And when they hurl the accusation: "How could you do this to me?" "No, how could YOU do this to ME?" --> their hearts are breaking (and so is yours) but you know it's impossible for them to understand each other. You're witnessing a relationship in its final, bitter moments, thrashing in its death throes. His knocking over the coins was the final outburst of a mild-mannered man, and it again shows the dynamics of their relationship: He darts a look at her like he's scared of her reaction, and ruins the grand gesture by pathetically scooping the coins back to their container; she barely reacts, like it didn't matter, like he didn't matter. Because she'd rather die than show him otherwise. I truly believe he didn't cheat on her. She's so untrusting and cold that she drove him away. You know she wants to be loved, you know it, but she can't help herself. Because of how she grew up, she'll never let herself be vulnerable to anyone, especially a man. To her, all men cheat (and what happened at the tourist spot is proof--even though technically they're already broken up, she still considers it a betrayal; even if there's an innocent explanation for it, she'd never believe it). And though he (very obviously) loves her, there's only so much sh!t he can take. His walking away (which is understandable) only confirms her belief that men don't stay, that men shouldn't be trusted, that love is folly. *deep breath* Yeah, all that from ONE SCENE, folks. It would've been tough to ruin such excellent writing and direction had lesser actors been involved. But it was pure genius to cast RSB opposite GHJ for 2 reasons: (1) the scene exploited the viewer's perception that some smidgen of autobiographical tension might've crept in (whether or not there was any, who knows); and more importantly, (2) they're both awesome actors. GHJ would've done great with any other actor (though we don't know if that 'other' actor would've fared as well); but RSB is a worthy match for her. More than anything, watching them feed off each other's talent made that scene what it ought to be: absolutely excruciating. And pitch-perfect.

I'm so glad RSB went <to hell with the gossip!> and did "Family Ties". It's my favorite film of 2006 (so far).

i dont know what it is about him but he just changes everytime he takes on a role. Such a chameleon.

So true. I just watched "Bloody Tie" (the very definition of GRITTY) and though Hwang JungMin's performance was predictably excellent, once again, RSB steals the show. He was amazing and utterly believable as this low-life, ingratiating, ambitious drug dealer (with a Busan accent!). It's a good noir--well-crafted, realistic in its moral ambivalence, extremely uncomfortable to watch. I derived my biggest pleasure from seeing 2 fine actors play off each other. Which they did very very well.

[Guest mj07]

Melusine, as usual, your comments are SPOT ON, love it! Agree with everything you wrote in your "spoiler". I think that due to the quality of the performances of those two actors, their scenes really didn't NEED to be expanded (I just wish they had been b/c I enjoyed them so much, but like I said, I understand why they were cut.) Most definitely, you can get a complete sense of what their relationship was, how they had interacted, what their issues where, etc. etc. from the few scenes they had together. Really powerful stuff!

And such a great, over-looked movie, I might add!

PS another Ryu cameo I was unable to spot was in "Lady Vengeance" (according to hancinema.net he's in it). Anyone know where he was in that one? IMDB has his brother listed as "passerby", which makes me wonder if one or the other of my sources is wrong???

[Guest thunderbolt]

There's no Godok thread so I hope it's okay to post my thoughts about it here. If it's not the right place, let me know and I'll remove it. I finished this drama just 2 days ago.

Godok (Solitude/Loneliness)

~ Lee Mi-sook as Jo Kyung-min; Ryu Seung-beom as Min Young-woo

~ Writer: Noh Hee-kyung

~ 2002 KBS; 20 episodes

Synopsis:

Warning: The following contains MAJOR Spoilers, including spoilers about the ending

This drama begins with two brothers cycling on a long and quiet road and ends with one of the brothers and his love cycling, this time on a winding rural road that seems to stretch forever. In both scenes, the characters are going somewhere but we don't know where. And that's what this drama is about: journeys.

Each of us is on a different journey in life but all of us know that we share the same ultimate destination: death. Like the father in the drama says, "Everyone lives and everyone dies. In every family there is bound to be someone sick someday. That is life." The father is so matter-of-fact because for years he tended to his sick wife. And when she finally passed away, he made a resolution: his future daughters-in-law need not be beautiful or rich but they HAD to be healthy. He would never allow either of his sons to date anyone who was ill.

But his younger son, Min Young-woo, does exactly what his father is so vehemently against: he falls in love with a woman who is gravely ill. And not only is this woman ill, she is 15 years older than Young-woo and she also has a daughter. A sick 40-year old woman with a 15-year old daughter. The outraged father tells his older son: "Throw all of Young-woo's belongings out of the house." The older son, Young-chul, does what his father orders because he himself is disgusted with his brother. "What do you see in that old woman?" he yells at Young-woo.

That "old" woman who is the cause of the rift within the Min family is Jo Kyung-min, director of a corporate imaging company. At 25, she becomes pregnant after a one-night stand with her drunk boyfriend. She loves him but he's at that stage in life where commitments mean nothing. The morning after their lovemaking, he leaves a note to say "Sorry," then leaves for Vienna. She does not see him for the next 15 years. In that 15 years, she struggles to raise her daughter, Jung-ah, because her own parents have emigrated to Canada to escape the shame that Kyung-min has brought to their family. Straddling the demands of single motherhood and a demanding career, she succeeds financially but the years of toil have left their mark: she no longer smiles or laughs easily.

Why was Young-woo attracted to Kyung-min the moment he saw her on that rainy day in Jeju Island, a day that started out so gloriously with calm skies as he and Young-chul cycled and laughed on that coastal road? She was beautiful, certainly, with sculptured features so different from his own. But it wasn't her face that caught his attention but a certain melancholy in her demeanor. After that chance meeting, he talked sometimes about her to his brother. And when he met her one year later and realized she was going to be his boss, he made up his mind: he would make her smile. He would date her and marry her. He and she and Jung-ah would live happily ever after.

But even as Young-woo was beginning his journey with a still-reluctant Kyung-min, another man's journey was taking him back to Seoul. Kang Eun-suk, the man who had left Kyung-min so abruptly 15 years ago, was back. Older and divorced but still debonair and dashing, he returns to a bag of surprises: Kyung-min is the director of a company that has a joint venture with his own company. He is the father to a daughter he never knew he had.

And so begins this drama that is inappropriately titled Loneliness but is really about the opposite: companionship. It is about family and shared journeys, and overcoming the prejudices that divide us and make us cowardy and wretched. It is about being big-hearted instead of small-minded, about embracing all the trials that life throws at us with courage and optimism, choosing to live one day at a time instead of focusing on the end of the road. It is about being loved so fiercely, so unconditionally, that you know one day of happiness is worth 15 years of heartache. When you go to bed at night and you fear sleep because you might not wake the next day, but then you look at the man sleeping next to you - that same man who transformed this ramshackle house for you into a haven by the lake, who has vowed to protect you till the very end... and you realize that the physical pain you feel is bearable after all, that life is worth living after all.

Comments:

If you are not in a hurry, if you enjoy how a story unfolds instead of how it ends, then I recommend Godok. It's very slow and some people may find it too bleak and draggy but I love it. It reminded me a lot of the first drama that I fell in love with 4 years ago: Have We Really Loved. Both are Noh Hee-kyung dramas but Godok is half the length of HWRL. I'm a big fan of Lee Mi-sook so it was a treat to see her for 20 episodes. But the best part of Godok was Ryu Seung-beom who plays not a dreamboat but a dream. He's almost too good to be true, so dogged in his love for the LMS character. I LOVE everything about him here. The rest of the cast is great too. I finished Godok last night and miss it already.

credit: thunderbolt, jisubaddicts.com

[melusine]

I'm already sold on "Godok" because of 3 things:

1. Noh HeeKyung

2. Ryu SeungBeom

3. Lee MiSook

But reading your rave, esp this part...

But the best part of Godok was Ryu Seung-beom who plays not a dreamboat but a dream.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

Must. Find. This. Drama. Must. Watch. This. Drama.

Film2.0 article

PS another Ryu cameo I was unable to spot was in "Lady Vengeance" (according to hancinema.net he's in it). Anyone know where he was in that one? IMDB has his brother listed as "passerby", which makes me wonder if one or the other of my sources is wrong???

IMDB's right, HanCinema's wrong. When I was surfing for RSB info for this thread, I used several sources and only HanCinema listed him as part of the cast. And as much as I like and use that site, it's really not super reliable (another time I was researching Gong HyoJin's filmography for her thread, and HanCinema listed her as part of some movie's cast but I couldn't find anything on the Web AT ALL, no pics, no mentions in other sites. It drove me a little crazy lol. Then I realized that the actor Gong HyungJin was in that movie... Mystery solved. *rolleyes*). RSB's official website--which even lists his MVs/play/music gigs, the filmo's that comprehensive--also doesn't list SfLV. Conclusion: RSB is not in SfLV.

Wish he was, though. Every other star in the PCW-universe was there, they should've squeezed him in. Bae Doona and Lee ByungHun too.

Heh, that SfLV cameo list in IMDB is mighty useful, isn't it? Confession: I watched the film again just to find Kang HyeJung and Yoon JinSeo (I missed them the first time) and I STILL couldn't spot Ryu SeungWan, gaaahhh (but he's there, X mentioned it in his SfLV review @ Twitch).

[Guest mj07]

I'm not positive, but I THINK the Ryu Seung Wan scene might have been in the flashback when GeumJa calls her teacher from the aquarium. There's a "passerby" who the camera seems to linger on a little more than you'd expect, he walks by the fish and the lead is far to the right in the scene. I should go back and check.

Here's Ryu the younger in a scene from "No Comment". He totally steals away the whole first section of this so-so film!

and, a couple of the über-cute promotinal shots for "Beast and the Beauty"

PS yes, Hancinema is a great site for those of use who can't read or speak Korean, however, it really can be unreliable! It lists BOTH Ryu brothers as having cameos in SFLV!

PPS after reading Thunderbolt's synopsis and review, I want to see "Godok", too! Where can we find it, anywhere??? I see it listed on YesAsia, but one reviewer said the English subs are REALLY bad. Something like that puts me off spending $100 for the DVDs!

[Guest mj07]

PS I got "Godok", aka "Solitude" off someone on Ebay. It's the Chinese version, but has removable subs and the quality seems pretty good (though yes, the subs DO fly by too fast in some places.) I'm about 1-1/2 episodes through it and loving it so far. I can't wait to see how Ryu is going to win the ice queen's heart!

[Guest thunderbolt]

PPS after reading Thunderbolt's synopsis and review, I want to see "Godok", too! Where can we find it, anywhere??? I see it listed on YesAsia, but one reviewer said the English subs are REALLY bad. Something like that puts me off spending $100 for the DVDs!

I was meaning to reply you but forgot. Sorry. The subs in my set are pretty good. KBS-subbed sets normally have very decent English subs. I can't read Chinese.

Enjoy Godok. Twenty episodes of RSB. YUMMY!!

***********

Reposting what I wrote today about two RSB movies:

Since I'm on a Ryu Seung-beom roll, here are two movies I watched recently.

Conduct Zero (2002)

I watched this twice in the past few days and am salivating just thinking of Watch No. 3. It has now become my favorite movie in the teen/high school genre, way cooler (for me) than My Tutor Friend, Wolf's Temptation, He's Cool and other titles in that genre which I can't remember.

I love the movie because it doesn't take itself too seriously, it has lots of funny and sweet moments, the acting is amazing, and most importantly, it doesn't look sleek or contrived. I just hate it when a movie tries too hard to milk our responses, be they tears or laughter. Conduct Zero does not fall into that trap at all.

RSB is perfect in this role as Joong-pil, king of Moonduk High. He is supposed to be this legendary fighter that all the boys in school kowtow to. In reality, he's not very bright, he doesn't fight very well, he can't count, he's not really a bully, and he has a crush on a pretty but very bookish girl, Min-hee. It is his chut sarang (first love) relationship with Min-hee that drives the movie and gives it its many sweet moments. I love how fumbling and unsure he is when he's with her and how their relationship develops so credibly without fanfare and fireworks. Min-hee herself is a surprise because she looks timid yet is strong and brave. She's a delight to watch, dorky glasses and all.

But for me the best part of the movie was Gong Hyo-jin as Na-young. If Joong-pil is the king of his high school, Na-young is the queen of hers. She's one toughie girl and she likes Joong-pil. Her scenes in the movie are the coolest I've ever seen GHJ. Everything from the way she talks, walks, stares just spells COOL. Her chemistry with RSB is amazing to watch; just the body language is enough to make you feel like applauding. The two were a real-life couple at the time of the movie but alas have since broken up.

I also loved the tall tales spun by the boys in the school, such hilarious storytelling that blew everything out of proportion. The ending is unexpected but so satisfying as well. Highly, highly recommended... and not just because I'm RSB-crazy now...

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Beast and the Beauty (2005)

Shin Min-A is Hae-ju, a blind girl who plays the piano at a nightclub. RSB is Dong-gun, Hae-ju's doting boyfriend. All is lovey-dovey in the couple's world until HJ tells DG one day that she is going to have an operation that will restore her sight. That announcement turns DG's world upside down because he is NOT exactly the most handsome guy around. He has a facial scar around his eyebrow and worse, he has told HJ that he is actually quite handsome. In fact, very handsome. Uh oh...

The movie is very funny although some moments are quite silly and exaggerated. But it's all in good fun and I enjoyed the ride. I still giggle when I think of some of RSB's antics. He's really good in comedic roles. SMA... I've always liked her and she didn't disappoint here. At the start of the movie, she gives the impression that she's going to be this sweet dainty thing but as soon as RSB starts hiding from her, she becomes Miss Feisty. And oh boy, can she wail.

If you want to watch a lighthearted movie, if you want to see the amazing RSB (yes, yes!!) or the beautiful-as-always SMA, watch Beast and the Beauty. It's jolly good fun.

credit: Jisubaddicts.com