Song Joong Ki Gets First Drama Leading Man in Nice Guy Written by Lee Kyung Hee

Okay, this is like Christmas came early…..but then you didn’t quite get the present you were hoping for. It’s not a disappointment per se, I simply need some time to process this and wrap my head around it. Song Joong Ki FINALLY gets his leading man role in a prime time drama, and it’s so meaty I could weep in happiness for him. He’s just signed on to screenwriter Lee Kyung Hee‘s latest melodrama (don’t tell me you were expecting anything else) Nice Guy. Barring the shudder-inducing flashback to Bad Guy simply by the similarity in titles, I was already a million percent on board the second I knew this was a Lee Kyung Hee-penned drama. She has written some of my all time favorite K-dramas ever, and I consider her a writer that always attempts to dissect and delve into the emotion of love (not romance, not passion, but love). Toss in Song Joong Ki, I’m now a billion percent committed. The only hitch is that the rumored leading lady isn’t one of my fave young actresses. 

In talks to be the leading lady is Moon Chae Won, who is really have a phenomenal last 2 years in terms of career explosion. I confess I was hoping it would be Moon Geun Young, as she’s long overdue for another project, and her pairing up with Song Joong Ki has long been a dream of mine. I like Moon Chae Won, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve yet to completely love her performance or character in any of her previous works. I do prefer her playing young and sassy types, because she tends to be all teary and overwrought at times when she delves into the melodrama. With that said, if she does sign on (which looks highly likely), then I’m game for this pairing. Nice Guy will be about a man who gets his heart broken by a woman, and he decides to get revenge by using other women, including a blind woman who ends up changing his outlook on love. The drama is slated to air on KBS in August.


Comments

Song Joong Ki Gets First Drama Leading Man in Nice Guy Written by Lee Kyung Hee — 48 Comments

  1. You didn’t love MCW’s Se Ryun from princess man? I loved her!

    She was one of my fav female character of 2011…

    Well, but I confess I would also love seeing MGY back. But it seems she is in talks with a sageuk movie….

  2. I like the writer as well, and the leads, but I’m iffy on the whole package because Bad Guy did end up like it did (is it still to recent to give spoilers on the ending?) — which makes me worry that in the everything-goes-for-ratings era of K-ent, we’ll wind up being thrilled at the beginning and sucking bitter lemons in the end.

  3. One of the best casting news this year, love it! Totally game for this pairing + LKH script.

    It does remind me of Bad Guy, but I have faith in the writer. Lee Kyung Hee has done a fair share of revenge stories in the past (MISA/IJUKSA) and those dramas fared quite well, albeit not stellar. If anything her dramas have yet to FAIL (disappoint yes) for me so far. Hoping for the best, and of course, if MCW is in, weeeeeee!~~

    She may not be as raw as Moon Geun Young, but she has charisma and a fine capability of control/restraint in her acting. I believe she will do well in this role. ^^

  4. O my God, o my God, O my God, O my God, O my God….
    I’m so excited…Song Joong Ki finally the leading man.
    He’s gonna do good job…but how’s gonna be written and directed that’s something else 😉
    SJK & MCW good pairing…

    As Moon Geun Young, she would be nice, but she has already played similar role in the movie LOVE ME NOT…blind girl, fake brother, love, death. Maybe that’s why she wasn’t interested.

  5. Could the writers please come up with a better name than Nice Guy???
    But for SJK the cutie pie… goody cannot wait to watch him in a lead FINALLY!!! He will nail this role 🙂
    Here’s to hoping a mad chemistry with MCW…yay

  6. Crap.
    I mean in a good way.
    Ms Koala… Arang is in July with Lee Jun Ki in it no?
    One of your favourite actors vs one of your favourite writers.

    Ehm… I already signed on for Arang and Bride Mask ( is still on) so good luck to you choosing which to recap 🙂
    Me, don’t know how to split myself now.

  7. Eeee so exciting! I feel like I’ve been waiting forever to see SJK in a lead role! And I love Moon Chae-won, just a tad more than MGY actually. Though both are wonderful in their own ways.

    Can I ask, what dramas has Lee Kyung-hee written? I’m not familiar with her.

    • Sang Doo Let’s Go To School, MISA/ I’m Sorry I Love You, IJUKSA/ That Damned Love, Thank You, When It Snows For Christmas – all melodramas to the CORE.

      • Thanks! The only one I’ve watched is WISFC, as I’m not a melo watcher in general. But I really loved that one, so maybe I’ll brave the tears and heartbreak. Only for you, Song Joong-ki!

  8. I am definitely going to watch this drama, but at this point, solely because of SJK, nothing more, nothing less. It’s not only because of how Bad Guy ended up being, but also because… well.. for me, the plot has to have *something* more than pure romance.. take anything, from gender-bending to time-travelling or even just pure slapstick. Especially since Love Rain is already there for the only-romance genre. Plus I’m not a big fan of melodrama.

    But aside from my incessant whining: HOGOD THE BAOBEI IS BACK OH WE ALL MISSED YOU SO MUCH COME HERE TO OUR AMPLE BOSOMS US.

    • “ample bosoms” ROFL.

      Yeah, I’m not a fan of melo either, which seems like this writer’s forte. Eee, will have to wait and see. I definitely want to see SJK in a lead role…but why can’t his costar be Yoo Ah In?

    • Saw his performance in Tree with Deep Root.. i definitely looking forward to SJK do more melo.. i know he will definitely nail it… his performance in TWDR just superb.

  9. I’m excited about this pairing. I like both separately. I nearly hated her (character, I mean) in BL, but then I liked Princess’ Man. She is one of the ‘new’ actresses I like.

      • Yes, I am a big fan of her. No matter how many buckets of tears she has given to me, I am still willing to shed more for her upcoming dramas. Man, I am just a sucker for such beautiful and very romantic melodrama of hers.

  10. Oh finally! Song Joong Ki getting his first male lead role is way overdue~ I’m so thrilled for him AND for the fact that I’ll see him on the small screen in August XD I agree that they could have chosen a better drama title, considering what a train wreck Bad Guy was but as long as it’s not penned by the same writer I’m all behind this drama. Well almost, we have yet to see who the female lead will be and to be honest I’m not a fan of Moon Chae Won, she’s yet to impress me much.

  11. Lee Kyung Hee’s Will it Snow for Christmas made me sit up and notice Kim Soo Hyun, and for writing such a complex character and having it brilliantly acted by awesome talent, makes me excited for what this casting news will bring.

  12. * Lee Kyung-Hee did not write Bad Guy so some of the concerns upthread seem misplaced.

    * The actual title in Korean is a word play on ‘nice/good’, ie. sounds like 착한 (chak-han) but is being spelled 차칸 (cha-kan), and given that most of LKH’s male protagonists have the family name ‘Cha’, some are speculating it may be SJK’s character name in the drama. Either way, the wordplay or what little originality there’s in the title is lost when translated as ‘nice/good guy’ though not sure what would be appropriate at this point, when we have very little info. on the drama.

    * It’s favored to take the Wed-Thurs spot on KBS following Bridal Mask, but it’s just one of the candidates and August’s still months away so the final decision may take some time.

    • I think she did not confuse the writer, but is simply stating that the name reminds her of Bad Guy, and thus only the similarity of the name makes Ms. Koala shiver… cause lets face it anyone that saw that mess was left with kind of a knee-jerk reaction to anything that even sounds similar to it…

  13. OMG yes!!!! That writer, that plot, that pairing (don’t kill me, Koala, but I prefer MCW to MGY). eeeep!!! When is this set to air?

  14. From the moment Song Joong Ki was mentioned, I was IN. I’m glad the main actress is not an idol. I don’t mind idols in minor roles, but main leads (for the most part) make me cringe. I like Moon Chae Won, but maybe I’ll love her after I finally get around to watching The Princess’s Man. Anyways, I hope this leading role finally opens up more doorways for SJK. As for the writer, I have watched a few of her dramas. I haven’t watched MISA still (I know… travesty…), but everyone raves about it so she must know how to write melodramas. Thank you for the wonderful information! This news had made my day 😀

  15. I prefer the title is A Good Man (sound better than Nice Guy, right???)

    Im a fan of Chae Won, but I definitely want Moon Geun Young to take the female lead role – a girl used by a man, for revenge, then the man gradually falls in love with her. I know MGY used to play the same kind of role in Love Me Not, but it was just a movie ^^ And I think SJK looks better with MGY, both of them have baby-face *so cute*, while MCW looks a little mature :”> Whatever, both pairs are great ^^

  16. I think that this might be the best news in terms of castin this year, after Arang that is……I really like Moon Chae Won and was uber happy with this pairing till you mentioned Moon Geun Young…now I’m praying that she might be offered this role instead.
    that said I’m not a huge fan of Lee Kyung Hee….I liked WISFC for like ten episodes and then it just sort of died on me…same goes for Thank You….I am also kind of scared to watch her other dramas though I;ve heard some good things bout MISA and Sangdoo because I heard they can wring you dry of all tears…yeah, I’m a bit of a chicken when it comes to melodramas.
    Also the synopsis sounds very unappealing at this point…I might even dare to say a bit makjangish for my taste…which may still not be an issue because WISFC sounded like that in the beginning but the execution made a huge difference

  17. Also is it just me or does everybody seem to have a drama in 2012??….Kim Soo Hyun, Jung Il Woo, Lee Dong Wook, Jang Geun Suk, Yoo Ah In, Lee Seung Ki, Lee Jun Ki, Ji Chang Wook, Lee Min Ho, Kim Bum (Padam ended this year), Jang Dong Gun, Joo Won, Song Seung Hoon, Lee Bum Soo, Jaejoong, Yoochun and now Song Joong Ki…..also that makes everyone in the Jalgeum quartet!!!

    • Don’t forget, maybe the ones from January-February will have something on the end of year…
      Most important, this is year of comebacks 😉

  18. Now, the long wait is over!!! I have been anticipating him to have a lead role since Yoo Ah In has already his debut drama. And what added to my excitement is the news of his leading lady Moon Chae Won, she’s my most fave Korean actress as of now. Oops, I like Moon Geun Young and Kim Tae Hee is my all time most favorite. But, their pairing just added to my enthusiast in Korean drama ever!!!

    More Power to you Ms. K for your untiring sharing of your thoughts and updates especially to those who are not in Korea. You keep us updated to what is happening in Hallyu world.

    Kamsahamnida!!!

  19. Finally! I’ve been waiting for SJK to be in a leading role. And MCW really impressed me in The Princess Man so I’m looking forward to this one. So many dramas….

  20. I’m looking into this one for sure….Finally watched “Arrow”. Loved it!
    First show with the actress and thought she fit her role.

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