Jung Yong Hwa and Park Shin Hye Reunite for the MBC Drama Festival

Congratulations to a boatload of second lead shipping fans of You’re Beautiful! Your most fervent wishes have just come true – Park Shin Hye and Jung Yong Hwa have signed on to be the leads in the upcoming MBC drama Festival. It’s set in a college campus music department (okay, and What’s Up still can’t find a slot to air?), and Jung Yong Hwa plays the lead in a campus rock band and Park Shin Hye is a chaebol daughter who is learning the gayageum in the classical music department. Supposedly the drama aims for a light and cheery vibe.

I doubt anyone cares what I think – but I have zero expectations about this drama because of one thing, and it’s not the leads. The PD for Festival will be Pyo Min Su, who I loathe. I loathe him because he singlehandedly butchered The World They Live In for me – I loved the writing, the acting, everything about the drama except for the heavy-handed directing without any understanding of the delicate touches No Hee Kyung’s script required. He also directed Full House and What Star Are You From?, both of which I also hated, though it was the risible script for the former and the monstrously bad acting in the latter.

Between Dream High, the still searching for airtime What’s Up and The Musical, and now Festival, 2011 has become the year of the musical dramas. Dream High was such a welcome surprise for me, I pray to the drama gods that Festival can rise above it’s PD’s penchant for whack-you-over-the-head directorial touches, and turn out to be another happy and enjoyable music drama for me.

[Credit: Yonhap news]


Comments

Jung Yong Hwa and Park Shin Hye Reunite for the MBC Drama Festival — 47 Comments

  1. You know what I did when I watched The world they lived in? I was like, “lalalala he did not do that. He did not!” Yup, denial was my middle name. That was the only way I could enjoy the drama though, as you said, it had a great script and the “look-behind-the-scenes-of-k-ent” premise was so refreshing to me.

    • You know how bad it was? It was as if Michael Bay was tapped to direct The King’s Speech.

      That was how fraked out unsuitable the PD was for the scriptwriter’s work.

      I kept screaming at every scene, and then flashing back to the restrained majesty of Goodbye Solo, and wondering why the hell this hack was chosen for this project.

      • It was as if Michael Bay was tapped to direct The King’s Speech.

        Don’t even say that! *cries tears of blood at the very thought*

      • It was as if Michael Bay was tapped to direct The King’s Speech.

        LOL Such a spot on parallel!

  2. i didn’t really notice anything about the directing of Worlds Within. well, i usually don’t notice unless it’s there’s a bad discontinuity or something.

    but i’m welcoming the news of this pairing though. and the learning of the gayageum sounds fun! i thought honey lee was pro in that perf with epik high a few years back. however, i have to add: why does someone always have to be a chaebol? is interaction btw two normal ppl not interesting enough?

  3. Loving that Jung Yong Hwa and Park Shin Hye are together in a new show.
    Being an ardent Kim Rae Won fan, I have to definitely DISAGREE with your statement of “the monstrously bad acting” regarding “What Star are you from?” (What Planet are you from?). Out of my Kdramas, that is rated in my Top 10.
    But to each his own, what would this world be like, if we all had the same opinion………pretty boring.
    Have a great week 🙂

    • Ditto. KRW was ok in What star are you from?
      “”what would this world be like, if we all had the same opinion………pretty boring.”” that too..

      Off topic, I was hoping that when he comes back from MS, he may have a rematch with MGY. Luv them to pieces in Little Bride. Now that MGY is a pretty young lady, things will definitely be different. Fingers crossed..

      • ditto!!! ditto… my friend tangee!!! i so so so love krw and mgy in little bride too and that’s one of my favorite korean movies as well. 😀

    • Oh, KRW was fine in What Star. It wasn’t his best performance, but he performed as he always does – perfectly wonderfully. Can KRW be bad? Er, no!

      Jung Ryeo Won’s performance made me nearly go blind and deaf, and combined with the moronic script and the hold the camera for beats directing, What Star was a drama I hope to forget ever existed.

      • JRW is always viewed as pretty actress who speaks immaculate english but bit raw in acting chops, that I got to agree.

  4. I don’t think I’ll ever get on this bandwagon, for a couple of reasons, but mostly because Jung Yong Hwa kind of scares me. He looks like the sort of man whose eyes you would meet from across the room, and then wake up from an unexplained blackout hours later chained to the pipes in his basement.

    What do I mean by this? DUDE HAS FREAKISHLY DEAD, SERIAL KILLERY EYES, which just made me want to make Go Mi Nam run far, far away from him because I was so sure he was going to pull a Norman Bates on her and strangle her with a shower curtain or something.

    • Hahahaha, oh, I feel the same way. Jung Yong Hwa’s eyes in YB were deader than Yamapi and Kim Hyun Joong combined.

      BUT….I’ve heard he’s pretty animated and alive in WGM, so perhaps the guy can learn?

      I’ll watch one episode and decide.

      • I saw the guy in a starking episode with Charice he was startruck awful lot of fun seeing him with his mouth wide open while she hit the highest note in One Moment in Time….LOL!!!!But the guy can definitely sing mellow music…..

      • Spot on. Individually, he wasn’t impressive in YAB but the four of them together were kind of cute. Me opinion of him changed after I joined me junior watch WGM. he was kind of cute. so, giving him the benefit of the doubt that he may be able to carry the weight of this with PSH. Hoping that these two will do well. He’s got to start somewhere… right?

        Oh, Ockoala, yeap, do try watch WGM. he had me change my mind after me junior tells me that he is not SO wooden after all.. chuckle..

      • I don’t think being a charming, animated goofball on a reality TV show necessarily translates well into scripted acting. (Case-in-point: Micky Yoochun, who has about two expressions. Two-and-a-half if you’re generous. Yet another would be Kim Hyun Joong, and as much as I love that man and how spacey and ridiculous he is and also, damn, boy’s got moves, I can’t ever say that he’s a great actor–a pretty receptacle for the hormone-driven affections of the female [and male, too, if I’m being fair] kind, maybe, but any more than that and you’d be stretching it.)

        Who knows, maybe Jung Yong Hwa’ll impress me enough with his acting to make me forget his scary, dead eyes for a while.

        …no, I just scrolled up real quick, and it’s not happening. Besides which, I have a very limited tolerance for singin’ dancin’ youngsters reaching for their dreams, and I’m saving that for What’s Up?, damn it.

    • Well if he’s a real goofie then he’ll fit perfectly well if the part he plays is goofie don’t cha think….all natural….rather than all stiff and 100% WOOD. At least he can display a few emotions, yah…. well I was hoping for a better Kpop cast not a remake of YAB, one of the Girl’s Generation Gals could have bagged that lead part right, what dya say (hoping for old chemistry?) was the cast base on an old marketing trend? High School could have never been better….I could never have enough of the Korean culture….oh a mesh of strong but meek women how did they ever manage that????I hope it’s not reaching for their dreams high school musical dillema kinda thing or else it would be totally plagiarism….hate that….Korean are good in reinventing Playful Kiss lived up to up to my expectations….ciao!!!!

  5. ahh i am sooo looking forward to this. was never a shinwoo minam shipper cos shinwoo was like some dead fish in YAB (but i forgive u jung yong hwa cos u were a fresh actor then) but if anyone as seen this guy in WGM, he just oozes charisma. assuming that WGM is as close to reality tv as it gets in kpop land, then it’s quite safe to say this boy has a personality, and a very very winning one at that (hey he’s like the most wanted bf material right now according to some poll) so i hope that somehow translates on screen. as to the PD, i loved the dramas he was involved in. no comment on the scripts, set direction and the technicalities etc. but i LOVED his cast chemistry. it supposedly is cos this guy knows how to create atmosphere on set. name his dramas, and a good chance that the OTP ALWAYS oozes chemistry….. and ah. since these two are alr friends in real life, i am expecting fireworks…..

  6. Wow..looking forward this..younghwa and park shinhye are good friends also It should be intersting..and abt younghwa eyes I think they are SEXY like his voice!

  7. another musical drama?…i think i’m i’m boycotting anything that comes in the name of music for the rest of they year till somebody picks up What’s up…even if i do love Jung Yong Hwa…..

  8. See, I never pay attention to PDs or such, so it’s a surprise to me that all three dramas that I loathed were directed by the same schnook. Srsly? I’ll give it a try but, I’m gonna go watch Hong Ki in his dorama no matter how trainwrecky it is. 😎

    • AND OMG! My avater from another service is following me around! Is that cool or scary, I do not know! I guess wordpress subscribes to the same service! By my poodle you will know me. 😎

      • Ohh love dogs have a golden retriever but badly want a siberian husky and chow chow or shitzu so Fluffy!!!!

  9. strangly looking forward to this and “WHAT’S UP”-which really needs an air date. I hope they’re not planing to pit it against each other. I’d be so confused on which one to watch.
    Staying away from WGM. Is that even a drama or scripted reality show? Since i can’t tell i’ll just stick to dramas.

  10. Well if it’s musical it’s gonna be composed of different elements then, Glee was criticized for inconsistent script, yeah whatever happen to Sunshine???? It’s really hard to keep the hype in every episode unlike Broadway shows like Les Miserables and Miss Saigon where they stick to the flow a combination of art in musical composition and story plot. I guess I like full house because of the Chemistry between Song Hye Kyo and Raine, the story was really low brainier but they both made it extra interesting….she was cute and stupid and he was stubborn and stupid and so was the parents so yeah no stress that’s why it’s called entertainment unlike other heavy drama emotional roller coaster I’ve seen so far….not healthy for corporate people believe me….. I just wanna laugh my heart out….anyway nothing is ever new as what they say people just keep reinventing things….ciao!!!!

    • Hope this one can keep me munching on my popcorn since it’s far better than the movies nowadays all though I’m looking forward to the upcoming sequel of I am number four…awesome movie!!!!

  11. Finally, have been hearing the rumors regarding this 2 reuniting in the said drama.. during hat time Yong Hwa has not finalized his decision yet though he likes the concept.Been waiting for its confirmation since then if he’ll decide to go for it.. But now, reading this post from ockoala i’m so happy.. btw, ockoala can you tell me where you’re able to learn this news?? kinda curious.. thanks

  12. I happen to adore all the three dramas you hated – Full House is what got me into kdramas, Star is what cheered me up in the hospital when I was all achey after baby delivery and WW is my favorite drama of all time, so yay! I don’t think the leads can act but I don’t think that’s a kdrama requirement lately.

    • Ohh I’m a Full House Fan tooo!!!! And Coffee Prince and Princess Hours….anyway I was wondering maybe one of Kpop people had better leads for this Kdrama….I like CNBLUE guy….maybe one from Girl’s Generation would have been great this girl has a high piping voice….I mean can she dance????

      • Yeah PSH can dance. Watch her dancing to gee on youtube.

        Bleargh. I absolutely love Shinhye, but with Jung Yong Hwa… 🙁

  13. i’m so happy for yonghwa!

    But what about Seo-hyun.

    I hope YongSeo couple will have a drama after this.

  14. hmm am scraching my head here . Younghwa didn’t really wow me in YAB even though i rooted for him until the bitter end . I think he has the same problem as taec , he can say the lines perfectly his so so on an emotional level but there’s just no heart . Which i think is manditory is his going to play leading man and wants us to believe in his character . not too excited about park shin hye either – though she was super cute in Yab .

  15. i’m excited about it! its like you’re beautiful is back.. i miss it.. i’m sure i’ll find my newest addiction, though i think it could have been better if it was jang geun suk.. anyways, i’m looking forward to it! goodluck guys! FIGHTING!!

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