Daemul’s President Go Hyun-jung

Now that SBS’s Daemul is finally rolling, looks like they’re eager to get your attention (and for a positive reason, for once) with all their new stills. Go Hyun-jung is featured in the latest set, looking every bit the part of Korea’s first woman president.

In these photos, Go’s character, Seo Hye-rim, is at a summit talk at the White House with the American president. The faked White House was staged at the Damyang Dnasty Country Club Hall in South Jeolla — which, by the way, was also the set of Gu Jun-pyo’s mansion in Boys Before Flowers. This scene will be shown in the first episode. (I can only hope it contains as little acting in English as possible. These types of scenes always make me cringe; the Korean actor rarely sounds like s/he knows what s/he’s saying, and the English speaker always tends to speak slowly like his co-star is a child or an idiot.)


It also makes me relieved that Go decided to come back to the production, because I can’t imagine another actress being better at being commanding who’s also capable of vulnerability. Well, maybe Lee Young-ae, who was the original choice for the role, but she would have brought an entirely different energy, and I think part of the fun in having Go is in the meta awareness of how sly and brilliantly manipulative she can be with her last drama role, Mi-shil of Queen Seon-deok, still on everyone’s minds.

source: dramabeans

[REVIEW] TV series "Playful Kiss" - First episode

"Playful Kiss" - First episode (MBC TV, 9:55 PM)

The lighting was bright and the colors eye-blindingly brilliant. The picture shown in "Playful Kiss" was as warm as a spring day, enough to capture the mellow and shy sensitivity teenage girls feel when reading romantic comics. However, a drama is not a painting of a landscape. A drama only comes to life when the people in the picture move about and form relationships. This is why the first episode did not leave any impression other than confirming the skills unique of its producer. During its hour-long run, the drama failed to describe the characters in the show. It was difficult to differentiate whether the character Baek Sung-jo (played by Kim Hyun-joong) was being arrogant or is level-headed and the portrayal of Oh Hani (played by Jung So-min), with her flat personality which is typical of the main female characters in romantic comics, failed to deliver any refreshing elements. Too add on, there was not a single character including friends, family and teacher who seemed to have been created after much thought into. Even the use of exaggerated and incoherent regional dialect of the reckless and idiotic Bong Jun-gu (played by Lee Tae-sung) was enough to make the viewer feel complacent. Such issues seem even more problematic since "Playful Kiss" has neither an elaborate plot nor dramatic composition. The characters are the foundation, pillar and roof to comedies, and even more so in romantic comedies are made of. The colorful spoons in a restaurant, the imagination scenes which are as free as the heart of a female high school student and shiny school grounds will not be enough to capture the hearts of the audience. Because dramas exist due to viewers accepting the made-up lives in dramas as if it is their own business. Before becoming like one's diary which does not matter if left unread, will the drama be able to create a memorable kiss that will leave the viewers wanting to re-watch the show?

source: 10.asiae.co.kr

Kim Hyun-joong to endorse THEFACESHOP

Singer and actor Kim Hyun-joong has become the new face of Korean cosmetics brand THEFACESHOP, according to Kim's agency KEYEAST on Thursday.

KEYEAST announced through a press release that the 24-year-old heartthrob will endorse THEFACESHOP both domestically and internationally starting September through television commercials.

"Kim's refreshing yet elegant image fits well with the concept of 'natural elegance' that our brand is pushing for following its growth as a global brand", an official from THEFACESHOP was quoted as saying in their reason for signing with Kim.

THEFACESHOP is currently the No. 1 Korean-made cosmetics brand which has been exported to 18 countries across the world.

Kim, who debuted as a member of K-pop band SS501 in 2005, has been popular throughout Asia as the leader and main vocalist of his five-man group but shot to stardom in the region after starring in last year's smash hit TV series "Boys over Flowers".

He recently newly signed with Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon's KEYEAST, after his group's contract with their former agency DSP Media expired in early June, and is starring in new MBC drama "Mischievous Kiss", the Korean small screen adaptation of Japanese comic series "Itazura na Kiss".

source: hancinema

Playful Kiss ratings round two: 3.7%

I know some viewers were holding out for a marked improvement in Playful Kiss‘s numbers given its surprisingly poor start yesterday, but alas, it was not to be. Episode 2 didn’t fare much better, following Episode 1′s 3.5% rating with a 3.7%.

Competitor drama Baker King Kim Tak-gu hit yet another series high at 45%, while My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho held firm with 12%.

Most of you probably don’t care about ratings numbers, and I don’t use them to gauge a show’s quality. These days there are other ways to catch dramas, such as rebroadcasts and online, and no doubt younger audiences gravitate toward those alternative methods.

Still, the ratings are important in determining ad revenues, and that, as we know, can be significant. Heck, the current union strike is happening because these companies have no money to pay their actors because they’re spending more than they’re making. There are other residual benefits as well, with high-rated hits bringing in more CF opportunities for its cast. (Expect to see a LOT of Baker King‘s Yoon Shi-yoon in the near future!)

For its own sake, I hope Playful Kiss can hang in there until Baker King wraps. True, its successor, Rain‘s Runaway, may also provide competition, but at least they’ll be on more level playing ground. And there’s always the export market.

source: dramabeans