Lee Joon Gi 이준기 | [Drama 2023] "Arthdal Chronicles: The Sword of Aramoon"

[willenette]

On 12/5/2020 at 2:42 AM, astrantia said:

 

No photos from the awards ceremony? How so?

 

https://ibb.co/026WJwr

 

Hm... cannot insert image  

 

 

 

 

 

@astrantia, can I do this for you? There are photos of him - in fact, I saw his picture together with Seo Ye Ji together. They each won the Best Actor & Best Actress award for their respective 2020 dramas so, they were onstage at the same time. Here's the video during the event.

 

 

video source : http://koalasplayground.com/2020/12/06/lee-jun-ki-and-seo-ye-ji-adorably-reunited-2-years-since-lawless-lawyer-accepting-best-acting-prizes-at-the-2020-asia-artist-awards/

 

 

[violina]

On 12/4/2020 at 7:46 PM, hiluna said:

I hope a translated AAA award ceremony will be available.

Here. There are two versions.

The onstage one:

 

The backstage version

 

 

 

[violina]

Your Ultimate Lee Joon Gi Movie Guide

From critically-acclaimed ‘The King and the Clown’ to multi-awarded drama ‘Fly, Daddy, Fly,’ our favorite sageuk king has quite an impressive line-up of movies, too!

 

Justin Alexandra Convento

October 20, 2020, 01:41 AM

 

In his two decades in the industry, Lee Joon Gi has gifted his fans with a massive range of titles, many of which turned out to receive both critical and commercial success. Since making his debut, this veritable action star and "King of Sageuk" has starred in a total of 18 dramas and 8 films, as well as appearing in several reality TV shows and producing an impressive number of hit albums. 

 

While Lee Joon Gi is widely popular for starring in some of our favorite dramas such as Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016), My Girl (2005), Lawless Lawyer (2018), and, of course, Flower of Evil (2020), he wouldn't be where he is today without first landing his first leading role playing a clown in the critically acclaimed film The King and the Clown (2005).

 

His portrayal of the effeminate clown named Gong-gil in the Joseon Dynasty led him to win Best New Actor at the 42nd Baeksang Arts Awards and the 43rd Brand Bell Awards. Numerous award-giving bodies also gave him recognition for his outstanding performance as Gong-gil. A year later, he was awarded Most Popular Actor for his role in Fly, Daddy, Fly at the 43rd Baeksang Arts Awards.

 

BTS of Lee Joon Gi at a shoot for drama 'Lawless Lawyer' | tvN

 

And we admit it, we absolutely love watching Lee Joon Gi in all his dramas but we love seeing him in his classic films, as well. Below, we round up all eight movies you can watch him in—chronicling his rise to Hallyu star status and his fantastic growth as an actor and artist!

 

And we admit it, we absolutely love watching Lee Joon Gi in all his dramas but we love seeing him in his classic films, as well. Below, we round up all eight movies you can watch him in—chronicling his rise to Hallyu star status and his fantastic growth as an actor and artist!

 

Follow this link to see the full list and sypnosis of each movie: 

https://metro.style/culture/film-and-tv/your-ultimate-lee-joon-gi-movie-guide/27759

 

Have you watched all of Lee Joon Gi's films? Let us know which ones are your favorites!

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Lead photos from Cinema Service and CJ Entertainment. Background image by Alex Cochinillos on Pexels.

[willenette]

The Best Of The Best: Top 10 Korean Actors Of 2020

 

A K-drama script can be amazing, but without the right actors who bring the story to life, the drama will never reach its full potential. The year 2020 has brought us many great K-dramas with incredible actors. In this list, you will see some familiar faces and some faces we haven’t seen in awhile, but one thing is for sure, these actors gave it their all in their respective roles. Here are 10 of the best Korean actors 2020 had to offer.

 

Disclaimer: List is in no particular order. 

Spoiler

8. Lee Joon Gi

 

Lee Joon Gi starred alongside Moon Chae Won in the mystery thriller “Flower of Evil.” He starred as Baek Hee Sung, a perfect husband and doting father to a little girl. To the visible eye he was perfect, but there’s another life he leads – one filled with murder, deceit, and lies. In one moment, Lee Joon Gi can go from looking innocent and sweet to smirking with a devilish grin. The juxtaposition in personality and character is thrilling to see; it will send chills down your spine. Needless to say, Lee Joon Gi killed this role and it is only a testament to how great of an actor he is.

 

 

Watch Lee Joon Gi in this bone-chilling role:

 

Watch Now

 

 

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credit : soompi news

 

[Tuiwgn]

On 12/11/2020 at 8:55 PM, willenette said:

The Best Of The Best: Top 10 Korean Actors Of 2020

 

A K-drama script can be amazing, but without the right actors who bring the story to life, the drama will never reach its full potential. The year 2020 has brought us many great K-dramas with incredible actors. In this list, you will see some familiar faces and some faces we haven’t seen in awhile, but one thing is for sure, these actors gave it their all in their respective roles. Here are 10 of the best Korean actors 2020 had to offer.

 

Lee Joon Gi is the best!  best of the best actor!

[hiluna]

@violinaThank you so much! He gives really good acceptance speeches and they were different for each of the venues. I am watching Mr. Queen and I would love to see him act with Shin Hye Sun in a comedy. I think he would have made Mr. Queen even more hilarious because of his ability to use micro expressions and his eyes while keeping a straight face. I keep checking any drama news for his next project. 

[willenette]

For Your Viewing Pleasure: Sing the Blues

 

 

 

source : seoulbeats

[willenette]

10 K-Dramas Based On Non-Korean Novels And Shows

Did you know that these K-Dramas weren’t originally a Korean work?

 

Many TV shows are actually remakes or adaptations nowadays. However, many international fans may not even notice that the K-Drama they’re watching wasn’t originally a Korean work.

 

Let’s explore 10 dramas that were based of of non-Korean novels and shows!

 

 

3. Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

When a total eclipse of the sun takes place, Go Ha Jin (IU) is transported to the Goryeo Dynasty during King Taejo’s rule. She wakes up in the body of 16-year-old Hae Soo and finds herself in the house of 8th Prince Wang Wook (Kang Ha Neul), who is married to her cousin. Although she knows she shouldn’t get involved in fights over the throne, she becomes a pawn in the struggle, as several of the Princes fall in love with her.

 

 

While based on the Chinese novel, Bu Bu Jing Xin by Tong Hua, this K-Drama changed quite a few things. For starters, they obviously had to change it to fit Korean history instead of Chinese history. However, one of the biggest changes fans were upset with is that they did not include the sequel set in the modern-day. This show is only one season, but the Chinese version had two and many were hoping to see it.

 

| Amino

 

 

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source : Koreaboo

https://www.koreaboo.com/lists/10-k-dramas-based-non-korean-novels-shows/

[Tuiwgn]

3 hours ago, willenette said:

This show is only one season, but the Chinese version had two and many were hoping to see it.

True that the Chinese version had season two but it was disappointingly bad.

 

Wang So stays with us for such a long time partly because there is no closure, it teases with our longing for his happiness...let’s just keep it at that

[violina]

 

Lee Joon Gi was named one of the ‘2020 Icons’ by Korean culture & art magazine ‘CULTURA’ in its December 2020 issue. It has two essays on Lee Joon Gi’s acting and his character Do Hyunsoo in Flower of Evil. And here’s my English translation. 

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2020 ICON – Drama Category, Actor Lee Joon Gi

 

Lee Joon Gi: Unexpected Charm, Hybrid Genre

by Joo Chan Ok (drama writer)

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It’s been said that, although <King and the Clown> drew an audience of 10 million, the number is overhyped. The reasoning behind this is that many moviegoers watched it over 10 times to just see Lee Joon Gi and, when you take out the repeat viewings, it simply does not amount to 10 million. In a similar vein, there is this kind of gossip going around: Of those ’10-million audience’ movies, some are genuinely 10-million audience movies because there is no way anyone would have watched those pieces of **** more than once; that those were truly watched by 10 million individuals. I will not say what movies ‘those’ refer to.

 

For my part, I only watched <King and the Clown> once. Since it has been quite a long time, I do not remember with whom I went to watch it. My only recollection is that I was impressed by the unexpected baritone voice of that beautiful man Gong-gil the moment he opened his mouth.

 

The charm of Lee Joon Gi lies in that unexpectedness.

 

First of all, he has mysterious eyes. He has monolids, which lends his slanted eyes sharpness. Most beautiful men are just beautiful, whether when they smile or when they keep their mouths closed. But Lee Joon Gi has many different feels to him.

 

When he smiles, he looks like an innocent pretty boy who is prettier than any woman. But when he keeps his mouth closed and becomes expressionless, he comes off as cold and heartless. That expression on his face can make him look like an assassin or even a murderer. Or should I say that he can not only be many different things but he can also swing back and forth between extremes?

 

In <King and the Clown>, <My Girl> and the pomegranate drink commercial, Lee Joon Gi projected a feminine or androgynous image. When you search ‘Lee Joon Gi cigarette’ on YouTube, it shows videos of Lee Joon Gi smoking a cigarette where he looks incredibly sexy. They do not look like scenes from a movie or a drama, but those of his everyday life.

 

On the other hand, in <Iljimae>, <Gunman in Joseon>, <Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo>, and <Lawless Lawyer>, he pulls off action performances in his outbursts of masculine energy. Then, finally, in <Flower of Evil>, his facial expressions blossom into a hybrid of different genres, as he switches from happy and loving husband and father to cold-hearted psychopath that sends chills down your spine.

 

Drama <Flower of Evil> aired on tvN from July through September this year.

 

In it, Lee Joon Gi plays a psychopath whose real name is Do Hyun Soo but who lives under the false identity of Baek Hee Seong. A psychopath!

 

Psychopaths, or sociopaths, have become commonplace in Korean dramas. At first, they took root as serial killers in police procedurals; recently, they have evolved into ‘psychopathic protagonists.’ Among them is Cho Seung Woo, who can’t feel emotions in <Stranger>; another recent example is Joo Won in <Alice> – although, unbelievably, Joo Won’s character bursts into violent sobs when his mother dies.

 

When those psychopaths actually commit crimes, it becomes simple for the actors. Because, then, it all comes down to how cruel they should make their characters look. Of course, ‘simple’ acting does not mean it is easy. Actors say, while it depends on the person, shooting such scenes [committing crimes] is so demanding they even suffer a mental breakdown.

 

The protagonist of <Flower of Evil> is such a difficult psychopath for an actor to play. Lee Joon Gi [as Do Hyun Soo] practices smiling naturally while looking in the mirror and puts on the mask of a caring father and husband. At least that is what he believes himself to be – appearing caring while feigning happiness. He believes himself to be a psychopath because his father was a real psychopath.

 

However, it does not sum up easily as: “It turns out, he is in fact a nice guy.” For a long time, Do Hyun Soo has hidden or repressed emotions and lived a life of lies, which has rendered him emotionally dead inside. That’s why he has become a ‘psychopath.’ This character has several layers of consciousness like an onion, or a pie with its layers coming off softly. In Episodes 15 and 16, in particular, he gets portrayed in even more diverse ways – by none other than actor Lee Joon Gi, through his incredibly rich performance.

 

In Episode 15, Do Hyun Soo mistakenly believes his wife is dead because the real psychopath, played by Kim Ji Hun, says he killed Hyun Soo’s wife. From that point on, he turns into something akin to his psychopathic father. The actor ramps up the tension in his depiction of the moment when the murderer gene – which Hyun Soo has long been afraid he has in him – wakes up.

 

When Hyun Soo is about to kill Baek Hee Seong (Kim Ji Hun), he hears his wife calling his name – the wife he thinks is dead. This is when Lee Joon Gi exhibits an emotional variation that unfolds like a panorama: In moments of disbelief and shock, he doubts if his wife is really alive, and if he is seeing his dead wife (Cha Ji Won, played by Moon Chae Won) just as he sees his dead father, and then in a moment of relief, he finally starts walking towards Cha Ji Won and cries. He cries, just like a child, completely disarmed after having turned evil. It is a tremendous feat of concentration and such a riveting performance.

 

Episode 16 is so equally impressive it’s worth mentioning. Since we already saw an explosion of emotions in Episode 15, what follows could have been a relatively lackluster ending. Viewers have been disappointed time and again by dramas, whose tension-filled stories culminate in far-fetched endings of reconciliation, forgiveness, and life lessons of sorts.

 

Initially, I was a bit worried when the amnesia cliché appeared [in the last episode], but I was soon to put those worries to rest. The finale has just the right amount of time [Hyun Soo needed] to restore what makes us human in him, and it is a good enough ending for us to look deep into the human condition. The script is solidly written like a piece of literature, and the actor’s performance is such a rich and delicate manifestation of that writing.

 

Even with his memories coming back little by little, and with the people around him telling him about his relationships [to his loved ones], Do Hyun Soo still cannot trust himself. That’s because of the confusion he’s in – because, all his life, he has kept his true feelings deeply tucked away, and because he has never lived freely as himself, just the way he is. That is exactly what Lee Joon Gi has been showing. Finally, Hyun Soo accepts the fact that he was genuinely in love and happy when he was with his family. And it is the actor’s brilliant depiction of that moment when Hyun Soo starts to believe in himself that brings the drama to an end.

 

It has been 15 years since <King and the Clown> was released.

Maybe it is lucky for an actor to have such a career-defining character, but it can also be a trap. Yet, Lee Joon Gi seems to have already grown out of this impactful character Gong-gil, and he did it brilliantly. So now, why don’t we renew our expectations for this actor, Lee Joon Gi? What will he be look like when he gets older? How far could he possibly go?

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Monthly Drama Review

 

Various Faces in Drama <Emotionless>

A Flower Named Lee Joon Gi

by Kim Min Jung (drama critic, professor at Chung-Ang University)

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In 2017, <Stranger> received considerable attention for the birth of a new type of character in prosecutor Hwang Si Mok. A protagonist who dares to be ‘emotionless’ in Korean drama, a medium characterized by human bonding and humanism! It was indeed an astonishing event that caused a seismic shift in K-drama characters. Now, four years later, what’s happening in 2020 Korea? Four dramas, which aired around the same time, tout ‘emotionless’ characters as their protagonists.

 

This small ball of seeds that Hwang Si Mok in <Stranger> started rolling gathers more momentum through Go Moon Young, from <It’s Okay to Not Be Okay>, and finally turns into an attractive, fully-bloomed flower through Do Hyun Soo in <Flower of Evil>. Although the latest addition to this trend, Park Jin Gyeom in <Alice>, seems to have veered off course, there seems to be a consensus that 2020 has been the year of ‘emotionless’ characters. These ‘emotionless’ characters continue to broaden their spectrum as they draw viewers in with their respective idiosyncrasies and charms spanning across diverse genres, from police procedurals to romance, thriller, and science fiction.

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Hwang Si Mok, from <Stranger>

 

By now, in 2020, it’s safe to say there are about four ways to defeat evil in Korean dramas: First is the classic strategy of pitting ‘good’ against evil. Second is the dialectical strategy of turning to a character who has become an evil monster for the sake of good. Prosecutor Lee Chang Joon, who basically carried Season 1 of <Stranger>, is the quintessential example of this ‘dialectical’ character that deliberately puts himself in harm’s way by walking into the den of evil to fight government-business collusion and corruption. He’s the scapegoat of our era and the product of our collective tragic view of reality: that good alone cannot defeat evil. Now, third is the last resort you use when you really have no other choice. That is, the “fight fire with fire” strategy of using another villain that’s even more powerful than your main villain. You can find a great example in drama <Bad Guys> (2014).

 

But it ain't over till it's over. We have another creation that’s given birth to by those creators who carefully reasoned that evil cannot possibly be defeated by humanity – hence the emergence of the ‘emotionless’ character. This is an AI-esque character created to deliver justice; a non-human human who is completely deprived of all human qualities. The first three character types exist on the boundaries between good and evil, have beating hearts, and do as their hearts tell them. On the other hand, this fourth ‘emotionless’ character cannot feel emotions and lacks empathy. Hwang Si Mok, who underwent a surgery that left him emotionless, works to serve justice by diligently performing the duties assigned to him. He represents a ‘cold’ type of justice, which he tries to deliver, not out of some sense of duty, but because it’s his job. The kind of justice he seeks exists outside of the system of dualistic good/evil thinking.

 

Since he can’t feel emotions, he isn’t afraid of anything. For him, there is no sacred ground he can’t step on when it comes to fighting injustice. In Season 2, in 2020, his notion of ‘cold’ justice extends to the inside of the system, namely, the prosecutors and the police responsible for crime investigations. With the government and police at loggerheads over investigative authority, Hwang Si Mok aims his gun at both the police and prosecutors that both employ unlawful methods to achieve their goals. To defend the prosecutors’ power, elite prosecutor Woo Tae Ha tampers with an investigation and tries to stop Si Mok, saying because of Si Mok’s dogged pursuit of justice, prosecutor Lee Chang Joon committed suicide. Still, Si Mok won’t budge but pushes ahead with his investigations. At this point, I think we might as well call Hwang Si Mok a living AI robot.

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Go Moon Young, from <It’s Okay to Not Be Okay>

If Hwang Si Mok’s emotionless character is the sort of strong-willed ‘hero’ about to save Korean society from the evil of corruption, then Go Moon Young in <It’s Okay to Not Be Okay> is only a pitiful ‘grown child,’ who grew up in the hands of her overbearing psychopathic mother and hearing curses from her father that she would become a monster like her mother.

 

While living in solitude as an “empty can with no emotions,” without knowing what love or friendship is, Go Moon Young meets brothers Moon Gang Tae and Moon Sang Tae, ends up living with them, and learns how to connect with other people. Living with her new family of sorts, she manages to get rid of the negative self-concept that her parents planted in her, find her own identity, and grow up to be a real grownup. In the drama, her emotionless character represents not an absence, i.e. lack of emotion, but a blank space to be filled with possibilities – in other words, she symbolizes hope and dreams as a ‘recovering human being.’

 

Go Moon Young asks Moon Gang Tae: “What do you mean, I’m a child?” Moon Gang Tae looks right into her eyes, as if the answer is obvious, saying: “Of course you are. It’s so obvious you’re seeking people’s approval.” Moon Gang Tae, who warmly embraces Go Moon Young, isn’t just a caretaker at a psychiatric ward for nothing. Who hasn’t experienced psychological pain? Who doesn’t want to be loved? Through this sad, aching soul Go Moon Young, the ‘emotionless character’ transforms from an extraordinary hero into an ordinary face that we have, from an agent of catharsis into an ‘aching soul’ persona that leaves us with lingering feelings. Oh, we are so in need of romance.

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Do Hyun Soo, from <Flower of Evil>

 

Owing to actor Lee Joon Gi’s otherworldly performance, Do Hyun Soo in <Flower of Evil> exhibits such an amazing character growth that starts with ‘nothingness,’ as in, his lack of emotion, and expands into ‘infinity’ in which that space of ‘nothingness’ can be filled with anything precisely because it’s been empty of emotion. Those variations of the ‘emotionless character’ – from Hwang Si Mok to Go Moon Young, and to Do Hyun Soo – are all packed in this one person, Do Hyun Soo.

 

Falsely accused and wronged, Do Hyun Soo is relentless and unstoppable in his search for the real killer with his characteristically expressionless face, as prosecutor Hwang Si Mok does. At one moment, he breaks into a journalist’s home and the next, he’s hanging precariously from an apartment balcony. He even negotiates with human traffickers and puts his own life on the line to meet this real serial killer. His recklessness in executing his plans, though, helps him successfully catch the serial killer before the police do.

 

He also identifies his feelings and learns to love all the while chasing the real killer. What Moon Gang Tae is to Go Moon Young is exactly what his wife Cha Ji Won is to Do Hyun Soo. Seeing Ji Won embrace all of Hyun Soo’s wounds, he confides in her about his past and confesses his love in his heartwarming way: “I love you. You are an even weirder person than I am. Jiwon, you are the most inexplicable part of my life. So unreal.” Do Hyun Soo resembles Go Moon Young in that, even though he was raised by a psychopathic parent to be an emotionless person lacking empathy, he restores that ‘humanness’ in him by emotionally connecting with his lover.

 

In <Flower of Evil>, Do Hyun Soo even goes beyond that ‘cold justice’ in Hwang Si Mok and ‘aching soul’ in Go Moon Young, and becomes the ‘lone martyr’ in this age of barbarity and inhumanity. Early in the drama, he is depicted as a cunning psychopath who exploits people’s kind nature for his own advantage. But it turns out, it is actually Hyun Soo who has been exploited. The village head spreads the malicious rumor that he is a psychopath, and steals the money Hyun Soo’s father left behind. Emotionless, Hyun Soo does not feel wronged nor does he get angry. Rather, he accepts his fate, calm and unperturbed. He takes the blame for his sister’s killing of the village head, and comforts his sister who’s trembling in fear: “It’s Okay, because I don’t know how it feels.”

 

Hyun Soo does not become coldhearted and cruel because he is emotionless; instead, he willingly sacrifices himself. Watching him makes me reflect on myself and wonder if those emotions and empathy we have always talked about, as well as that customary expression “humane,” are probably much more based on self-centeredness and self-interest than we think. I wonder if Do Hyun Soo, who seems detached and free from all those joys, angers, sorrows, and pleasures, isn’t the ‘noble martyr’ who can sacrifice himself for others and society. A metal craft artist, Do Hyun Soo runs his workshop named “Where the Morning Star Stays.” In Greek mythology, there is an ugly god of metalworking. Everyone hates him, but he has a wife he loves. The place where his Venus, Morning Star, and loving wife stays. When Cha Ji Won takes Do Hyun Soo, who’s been hurt and persecuted because of the sins he didn’t even commit, and holds him in her warm embrace, she reminds me of the Virgin Mary holding the dead body of Christ after his crucifixion. If this isn’t your Michelangelo’s Pietà, then I don’t know what is.

 

I wondered if Lee Joon Gi’s remarkable acting talent has been underrated all these years because of his gorgeous looks, just as Do Hyun Soo’s innocent heart has been hidden beneath his expressionless face. Every single eye expression, every hand gesture, and every breath of his are so restrained, yet contain all of life’s joys, angers, sorrows, and pleasures. As I watch this marvelous irony of life – in which ‘nothingness’ expands into ‘infinity’ – come into bloom on his little face, I realize when and how our exhausting and shabby daily life can be elevated into art. Following the finale of the drama, actor Lee Joon Gi went live on Instagram, and fans from about 30 countries joined in, hoping to cherish the deep, lingering feelings that the drama left with them. Among them was this Korean, Kim Min Jung. Oh, Lee Joon Gi.

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Credit: @allaboutjoongi

[violina]

Kim Soo Hyun -> Kim Sun Ho, Lee Joon Gi: The male actors’ outstanding performances bring smile to tvN [2020 Entertainment Year in Review – Dramas]

 

 

In 2020, what brought a smile to tvN was the outstanding performances by male actors, from Kim Soo Hyun to Park Bo Gum, Kim Sun Ho, Lee Joon Gi, and Namgoong Min.

[…]

 

First, tvN’s Mon-Tues drama lineup included ‘The Cursed,’ ‘A Piece of Your Mind,’ ‘Mothers,’ ‘My Unfamiliar Family,’ ‘Record of Youth,’ ‘Birthcare Center,’ and ‘Awaken.’ The Wed-Thu drama lineup included ‘Money Game,’ ‘Memorist,’ ‘Oh My Baby,’ ‘Flower of Evil,’ ‘Tale of the Nine-Tailed,’ and ‘True Beauty.’ The Sat-Sun drama lineup included ‘Hi, Bye, Mama!’ ‘When My Love Blooms,’ ‘It’s Okay to Not Be Okay,’ ‘Stranger 2,’ ‘Start-Up,’ and ‘Mr. Queen.’ Then there was the Thursday drama ‘Hospital Playlist.’

 

Of the various dramas enjoyed by small-screen viewers, the Top 10 rated dramas of the year (up until Dec. 18) are: ‘Crash Landing on You,’ (average: 21.7%, highest: 24.1%(Ep 16)), 'Hospital Playlist (average 14.1%, highest 16.3%(Ep 12)), 'Stranger 2' (average 9.4%, highest 10.1%(Ep 16), 'Mr. Queen' (average 8.8%, highest 9.9% (Ep 2)), 'Record of Youth' (average 8.7%, highest 9.9% (Ep 16)), 'It’s Okay to Not Be Okay' (average 7.3%, highest 7.6% (Ep 16)), 'The Cursed' (average 6.7%, highest 7.7% (Ep 1)), 'Hi Bye, Mama!' (average 6.5%, highest 7.6% (Ep 4)), 'Tale of the Nine-Tailed' (average 5.8%, highest 6.4% (Ep 1, Ep 16)), and 'Flower of Evil' (average 5.7%, highest 6.2% (Ep 16)).

 

Many of these dramas generated buzz thanks to the outstanding performances by their male actors. Hyun Bin in ‘Crashing Landing on You,’ Park Bo Gum in ‘Record of Youth,’ Kim Soo Hyun in ‘It’s Okay to Not Be Okay,’ Lee Dong Wook in ‘Tale of the Nine-Tailed,’ and Lee Joon Gi in ‘Flower of Evil’ captivated viewers with their powerful performances in each episode.

 

Kim Soo Hyun and Lee Joon Gi, in particular, showed off their acting chops they hadn’t shown in their previous works. Kim Soo Hyun’s emotional performance shifting between hot and cold and heart-fluttering romance with Seo Yea Ji brought popularity to ‘It’s Okay to Not Be Okay.’ Meanwhile, Lee Joon Gi exuded a powerful and spine-chilling charisma, and his face-off against Kim Ji Hun, who gave a diabolical performance, has generated a lot of buzz.

[...]

 

Credit: @allaboutjoongi

 

 

[willenette]

Kdrama Kisses 2020 Korean Drama Awards

 

 

Welcome to the Kdrama Kisses 2020 Korean Drama Awards! In addition to this, don’t miss out on the big list of my favorite dramas of the year in my Best Korean Dramas of 2020 post, but now we bring attention to some of my favorite performances and dramas in each genre. As always, there were lots of great ones to choose from, but let’s see what ultimately made my list of the best in 2020:

Best Actor:
Lee Joon Gi (Flower of Evil)

 

 

I had a terrible time choosing the winner for the category of best actor. There were just so many memorable performances! A little bias may be coming through though, since ultimately, I just had to go with Lee Joon Gi for his role in Flower of Evil. He gave us an amazing performance of a very multi-dimensional character. He opened a window into this character and broke my heart with the immense amount of turmoil he went through. Truly magnificent!

 

Best Crime/Thriller Drama:
Flower of Evil

 

Flower of Evil was filled with suspense and was roller coaster of emotions. There were plenty of surprising plot developments along with some great cliff hangers. This one is not to be missed with its combination of mystery, heart, and thrills.

 

Best Soundtrack:
Flower of Evil

 

 

 

Flower of Evil had a soundtrack that completely enhanced the drama. It was so powerful and excellent at drawing out emotion. It also was great at leaving an impact for those ending cliffhangers.

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Although a few dramas really took the spotlight, I think I spread the love around a little more this year. There were so many fantastic performances and entertaining dramas. I’m happy I got to highlight a few of them.

 

 

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source : https://kdramakisses.com/2020/12/21/kdrama-kisses-2020-korean-drama-awards/

[violina]

The accolades continue

 

 

[willenette]

The 8 Best K-Drama Couples Of 2020

 

 

One detail that can make or break a K-drama is the lead couple. Sometimes, no matter how out-of-this-world a plot can be, the leading actors just don’t have that it factor together. Luckily, 2020 did not disappoint and offered several iconic couples. In no particular order, here are the K-drama couples that enchanted our hearts this year.

 

 

Lee Joon Gi & Moon Chae Won in “Flower Of Evil”

After working together in the 2017 drama “Criminal Minds,” Moon Chae Won and Lee Joon Gi delighted fans this year when they paired up for the suspenseful melodrama “Flower of Evil.” In the drama, Moon Chae Won plays detective Cha Ji Won, who discovers that her husband of over a decade, Baek Hee Sung (Lee Joon Gi), has been lying about his identity. To make matters worse, he’s the top suspect for an unsolved murder case. Nonetheless, the pair navigate their way through the maze of the past and fight tooth and nail for a chance at a happy ending.

 

 

 

Everything about this drama is fantastic — the plot, the suspense, but most importantly, the romance.

 

This show wouldn’t have left its mark if the leads didn’t have perfect chemistry. Luckily, Lee Joon Gi and Moon Chae Won absolutely nailed it. They delivered amazing performances that crush and revive your heart over and over again. From their blissful scenes as a married couple to their tearful arguments as Hee Sung’s lies spiral out of control, these two demand your attention until the very end. Recently, both actors teased working on a third drama together in an interview with Naver Now Radio, so with any luck, we’ll be enamored by them once more in the future.

 

Catch the first episode below: 

 

Watch Now

 

 

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credit : soompi news

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*** As a special Christmas prank, the agency Namoo Actors decided to give their artists “useless gifts” and film their reaction! Lee Joon Gi gets breakfast cereal, which he guesses in advance after rattling the box around, and complains, “I don’t even eat cereal.” - hahaha - Watch LJK's reaction when he received the gift in the video below :

 

 

 

video source : soompi news

 

 

 

 

 

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First Of January Is Coming … Here’s All The Korean Celebrity Dating Scandals Dispatch Has Ever Released

Who will be next?

 

As it has become tradition for media outlet Dispatch to reveal Korean celebrity dating scandals every New Year’s Day, here’s a list of all the scandals they’ve revealed up to now, as we count down to the new year.

 

 

15. Lee Jun Ki and Jun Hye Bin (2017)

 

 

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source : https://pann.nate.com/talk/356269053

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Mnet Japan Interview

Flower of Evil to be aired in Japan from 3 January 2021

 

 

Lee Joon Gi’s reaction to a Useless Gift from Namooactors

Lee Joon Gi says goodbye to 2020

 

 

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Motto Shiritai! Kankoku TV Dorama*

Vol. 100/ Jan 2021

* Please dont/tag/ mention the magazine in tweets. Thanks!

* I'm also only tagging his English Name just to be safe

 

Lee Joon Gi: A true drama star who continues to shine at the forefront (of the industry)

 

 

In the early days of the Hallyu boom, it was often the case that stars who had been famous in Korea before, were introduced to and gained popularity in Japan. However, Lee Joongi formed ties with Japan by appearing in the Japan-Korea joint film <The Hotel Venus> even when he was still unknown. Following that he had a sudden rise in fame with < The King and the Clown> and carried that momentum, joining the ranks of other Hallyu stars. Joongi, who is strong in both historical dramas and action, continued to act constantly in dramas. He has charmed many viewers with his works ranging from  <Iljimae> to Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo> and continues to draw fans in Japan. Even so, this veteran says of his new work <Flower of Evil>, "I felt that this work would be too difficult for me at this time." Here, he shares many thoughts - On this drama which he considers the turning point of his life as an actor, and as one of the stars who has been driving the popularity of Korean dramas.

 

Thank you for gracing the cover of our commemorative 100th issue. You have been going back and forth between Korea and Japan since the start of the Hallyu wave and actively interacted with Japanese fans. Recently, Korean dramas and music have been well-loved in Japan. What do you think about that?

 

I feel encouraged. Recently, the window for cultural exchange has closed slightly, and I think its a shame, but good projects have paved the way for this window to be opened again, so I feel very happy about that. I hope that cultural exchange between both countries would become active again. I also enjoyed watching <Crash Landing on you> which is popular in Japan. After witnessing a drama produced by a great combination of great actors and a talented production team gain popularity in Japan, I hope that <Flower of Evil> which I appear in, will be accepted by Japanese audiences without any sense of discomfort.

 

Among your overseas activities as a hallyu star, which one was the most memorable event?

 

Honestly, I feel a bit shy being called a Hallyu star. In my case, I only got to be called that because I had good luck and was given good chances. Among all the events that I've experienced, all are so special that it's impossible to choose one. That's because they are all precious memories of shared memories with my fans. If I really had to choose one, I remember the high-touch event at Yokohama International Ferry Terminal well. There were really a lot of fans who came, and the event started from noon all the way till night. It was my first time touching the hands of my fans for a whole day, but I had no recollection of time passing by. When it ended and I came to my senses, my hands were numb, my voice was hoarse, and I had no strength in my legs(laughs).

 

Also, this wasn't in Japan, but the fanmeeting I had in Taiwan after <Moon Lovers> was also memorable. It just so happened that the schedule for my fanmeeting overlapped with IU's so we made a surprise appearance at each other's fanmeeting. The cheers at that time were incredible. That's why I feel sorry for the young actors these days. Due to the coronavirus, events such as fanmeetings, that used to be a given, can't be carried out.

 

 

Which are the best 3 Korean dramas that you would recommend?

 

I like genre-specific work, so I would like to choose <Signal>,  <Secret Forest>, and a show I appear in, < Time Between Dog and Wolf>. < Time Between Dog and Wolf> is a well-known work, so for those who have not watched it, please do so. If it's a romcom, then I'd recommend <Goblin>.

 

 

Among your works, <Two Weeks> was remade in Japan and gained popularity. What other works of yours would you like to be remade?

 

I am happy to hear that <Two Weeks> got a favorable reception and feel grateful for that. If the work that I just mentioned < Time Between Dog and Wolf> could be remade, that would be good. Recently, because of coronavirus it may be hard to produce dramas, and I think it'd be difficult, but if this show could be remade in this age, I think it'd be even more meaningful. If it's remade and I got an offer to make a special appearance. I'll do so gladly.

 

What are your plans from now on?

 

In this time when many people are experiencing a tough time due to coronavirus, If I could use what little I have to give pleasure, happiness and hope, I'm willing to do whatever it takes. Especially since, I'm an actor, If I could give people enjoyment through good works, nothing could make me happier. I'll prepare myself mentally and physically so that I can move on to my next project as soon as possible.

 

Lastly, please leave a message for your Japanese fans.

 

To my fans, please stay healthy no matter what. I think that as long as you stay healthy, we can spend an enjoyable time together (in the future), so please take care to avoid falling ill. Even so, I hope that you won't forget to be considerate toward others. I feel like I will cry when I meet you all again. I'm looking forward to the day when we can meet. I'll also meet you again with another good project. Please look forward to it.

 

Translation Credit: @doramaticbites (Twitter)

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Interview for Allure

 

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Happy New Year to everyone

 

 

 

(ENG) LEE JOON GI’s New Year Message to Hajunse (Korean fan club)

“Hi, guys. This is your actor Lee Joon Gi. Dear Hajunse family, finally, 2021, the Year of the Metal Ox, has dawned. I wish you all a happy new year. 2020, a year that was filled with ups and downs, is gone. The new year has finally dawned. They say it’s the Year of the Ox (cow). You know, there is this thing that my fans and I always remind ourselves of? That I should work hard like a cow every year. [** ‘working like a cow’ is a popular Korean expression meaning working hard and diligently.**] This year is going to be a bit different from any other year. I will do my best to make it a particularly great year by working harder and more diligently like a cow. I hope in the new year you guys get to fulfill all your dreams you couldn’t in 2020. In 2021, I hope you always stay healthy and happy.

 

What’s going to happen in 2021? I am very curious. For me, health comes first. Second, I hope this year I get to present a great project to you. Third, another goal and wish of mine for the year is to become a great actor who gets recognized by not only my fans but also by the public. And I wish you all and your families a home always filled with blessings. I pray for days filled with blessings not just for me but also you all. In the year of 2021, I hope you are always happy. Your actor Lee Joon Gi will stay by your side. Thank you, guys. I always love you. Bye. Happy New Year. Let’s love one another.”

 

JG’s Instagram update 2021/01/01

[trans]
Happy new year 2021. I pray for an even healthier year for you all and that your days will only be filled with blessings in the new year. I hope in the new year we all get to jump high more energetically than we have until now. I hope that the day will come soon when we get our precious ordinary days back and get to look at one another in person, holding hands together. To my people, who always give me big love, I love you.Thank you. Happy new year  Love you all .

 

Credit: @allaboutjoongi