Jae Hee Makes his Entrance in Episode 5 of Jang Ok Jung, Live in Love

As much as I’m enthralled with the current universe of Jang Ok Jung, Live in Love, I am seriously on pins and needles waiting for second male lead Jae Hee to show up. And based on the just released stills from SBS, Chi Soo orabeoni is showing up next week! I bet he’s going to up the pathos significantly and become a truly viable alternative choice for Ok Jung. Much as I adore the OTP, its hard knowing Ok Jung is going to pay such a steep price to pick Lee Soon over her Chi Soo orabeoni.  Initially I was a bit wary that so many guys are going to love/want Ok Jung – Lee Soon, Chi Soo, Prince Dongpyung, Prince Boksun – it’s like a veritable menagerie of the rich and powerful. That felt a bit like overkill to show us how desirable and attractive Ok Jung is, playing up her historical reputation as a vixen manslayer. Except the story has unfurled in a way where all the feelings and wants are not only acceptable narratively, but also very satisfying to contemplate. There is a certain sick irony that Prince Boksun wants Ok Jung after politics took away his beloved Hong Joo, who is Ok Jung’s sweet and innocent cousin. There is a certain heartwarming sweetness in Prince Dongpyung’s open but restrained affection for Ok Jung. There is a certain destined satisfaction to see Ok Jung and Lee Soon slowly and surely falling for each other. And there will surely be a certain heartbreak to watch the sole non-politically motivated guy in this story try to win the right to take Ok Jung away from the dangerous black hole that is Joseon politics and the men who play in it. I think if the drama can manage to make me love all the male leads equally, then it’s already five steps ahead of what most dramas can accomplish these days.


Comments

Jae Hee Makes his Entrance in Episode 5 of Jang Ok Jung, Live in Love — 37 Comments

  1. excited for his entrance 🙂 though i must his hairstyle in this is a bit weird :/
    i wish in-hyun also had a secret lover(was hoping it to be prince dongpyung)i’m a little sad she won’t be loved at all considering she’s actually nice :/

  2. Ok Jung known as the most beautiful lady in Joseon history. Its the best part that script writers make her as the only woman that every man want

  3. Looking forward to Jae Hee’s appearance, but…can someone get him a better hairstyle?? His hairstyle actually looks better in that water scene than all the other stills…

  4. I don’t know how JOJ has got so much men falling for Ok Jang but this may be the first time that I too am loving them all equally. with the exception of prince boksun.(His gaze makes me feel uneasy)
    I’d like to thank you Koala for recapping this show (seriously underrated, i think you’re the only one recapping as far as I know), because i finally have a place to spill all the feels after each episode. Seriously, i rewatched episode 3&4 and just fell more in love with the show just paying attention to detail. Every single song on the OST is gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous and just adds to all my feels. I am having the same feels from the time i was obsessed with The Princess’s man (Saeguks with particular focus on romance without sacrificing good story-telling seems quite rare..)
    But man, The chemistry! Yoo Ah In’s gaze! And their constant skinship. I have a feeling this director, with every chance he gets, has them bumping into each other left to right! Yoo Ah In is doing a marvelous job as crown prince/future king. There’s a definite vibe I get from Ah In’s portrayal of his character that just draws me right in. Either the camera really loves him or he just has natural screen presence. And he’s just a natural at being swoon-worthy. Some actors can act the part — but seldom do they ever make my heart beat faster just seeing their gaze at another woman. Either way, I came into this drama without any expectation of Yoo Ah In’s acting, and am glad to have discovered this lovely man.
    Sorry this is so long, but I’ve fallen IN love with this show and i’ve got nowhere else to spill

    • This is because of his standout feature. He has pulpous lips which can’t wait to… And he has a little droopy one-lid eyes which make you sink into them when he looks at you. He has a pretty smile and he still has youthful face. At the same time I think he gives off natural authority vibe. In my view he is good looking

  5. omg you’re spot on about loving all the male leads,this drama is exquisite.

    I would love for the otp’s romance to step up its game nxt week,maybe Jae Hee’s appearance will stir up emotions in both OJ and LS.

    thanks for all the posts we’re all addicts!

  6. I too was curious when Jae Hee would show up. At first I was like wait, I thought Jae Hee was in this show but where is he? Then I saw Prince Dongpyun and thought he was the 2nd male lead but guess he loves her too. That means Ok Jung has many protectors at least?

  7. With the exception of Prince Boksun ( I dislike the way he checks out JOJ), I love rest of male leads, not equally coz YAI will always be my no. 1, can’t wait for ep 5.

  8. Wat I wud like to know is if lee is aware of prince D knowing ok jung?am not sure dia was a part in eps 4 wen the prince was recapping wat happened with the girl(ok jung)he was traveling wit to lee and he said, so that was wat happened

    • Neither is aware of which woman the other has been rendezvous-ing with. When they talk about their travels, their is no mention of a name but rather the vibrant personality of ok jang.

  9. I m on ok joj ship currently bug I’ve heard so much abt the ost that I’m looking them up ! I didn’t watch it intently cuz I’m not really interested in history and don’t know anything about it ( I’m not korean ) but I’ve heard that the show isn’t really great on ratings since it’s predictable but having such a fan Base makes it great ! Plus I want to go watch the princess man ! Is it about historical ppl or fiction ?!??! So I know !

    • I don’t think predictability is this show’s main issue. It’s a a retelling of history so while the parts(set up) may seem familiar it seems like Its characters are portrayed differently than what people has come to know from history. I think the ratings are due to be fact that the Koreans may not be up for a revisionist story in which someone who is supposed to be evil is actually a strong, passionate woman.
      Im not korean so I don’t know much about accuracy in history portrayal in the princesses man but its definitely something you should check out– trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

  10. Atm, I love all those characters, or rather they all exist in my eyes. Often there’s secondary character that tend to fade into BG, or one second male lead that’s really obvious. It let fans to choose and focus on their bias, but here, though I’m already on the OTP ship, I still look at the other characters with much attention. I like that the men here all have different kinds of love/want towards OJ and not solely romantic or lust. It stirs more strings of emotion in me that way and not the usual second lead guy syndrome. I have faith since this writer has managed to build and every character has their own moment (even the minor one). I’m looking forwards to the entrance of Chi Soo, mentally prepared and all (lol).

  11. Its so weird to be on a blog that is writing good things about JOJ for a change with the media really bashing kim tae hee’s acting who I think is good enough here and really praising suzy’s acting which I find laughable. From the get go i have really loved JOJ and can wait for Jae hee who i adore and next weeks episode!!!

  12. Sorry I may be wrong but I think there is an anti-KTH/JOJ campain in the media and I really don’t know why. All I read so far on the show from Korean media is bad thing about JOJ. =/

    • Maybe its related to Rain and the historybooks change. I donno. poor KTH and all the casts. I for the first time really change my view on KTH. Love her acting here and never thought i will ever praise her acting.

  13. Thanks so much, Miss K! I always have soft spot on Jae Hee and I was really excited when I first found out he joined JOJ casts. He’s a good actor and I believe he’ll make a par with YAI in acting department. Alpha males showdown! PS: Yoo Ah In & Jae Hee are old friends & once business partners, and they’re in one management. That’s why I’m so eager to see them united on screen!

  14. I can’t wait. While I am totally sold on LS and OJ, part of me is holding back just a little. LS is a bad choice, Ok Jung!! 🙂 Not even together yet and he has hurt her twice already (unintentionally). Whether it’s intentional or not, the fact remains is that someone was hurt. So, I’m looking forward to CS and I hope he can give some sort of balance here. Ultimately, the King is going to win on the foreground against all 3 of these guys. But, everyone is on the losing end. I am pulling for CS and Prince DP. Both have another side to them but I think they will keep their love for OJ “pure”. LS – please charm our socks off. As Koala has mentioned, I bet OJ is as much of a victim of all this than anyone else (in history I mean).

    In the mean time, CS – fighting!!

  15. You know I was seeing Prince Boksun more interested in using Ok Jung to catch the Prince’s interest and have her become a concubine so they could use her politically…not as a love interest himself.

  16. Thanks for recapping. I’m liking the drama more and more every episode. These lovely photos of Jae Hee made my day. Although, I must admit that I don’t remember anything before or after wet Jae Hee. 😀

  17. Episode 5 has come and gone but no Jae Hee in sight! As much as I love this show, his absence is making me sad. Really hope we get to see him soon! Until then, the cast is doing an AMAZING job. I don’t get why people have to hate on it so much. Just take it as a drama separate from the actual history ._. Yeesh.

  18. Also: rooting for Chi Soo and Prince Dongpyong! Though I can see Ok Jung’s already been taken by Lee Soon. Still! FIGHTING ^_^

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