MBC Scrambling as Both Lee Seung Gi and Lim Ji Yeon Decline Kill Me Heal Me

Way for MBC to keep up the epic fail when it comes to casting Kill Me Heal Me. First there was the whole Hyun Bin brouhaha, then the drama lines up Lee Seung Gi but gives him a newbie leading lady Lim Ji Yeon who was somnolent-inducing in her first acting role wrapped in limited onscreen charisma, and finally the whole thing turned into a bona fida disaster with the news today that both Lee Seung Gi and Lim Ji Yeon were declining the drama. Now I’m just really really embarrassed for MBC.

Both Lee Seung Gi and Lim Ji Yeon gave the same reason for turning down the drama, the forever innocuous sounding “scheduling conflict.” He has promotions for his upcoming movie Today’s Love while she’s currently filming a movie – to which I say bullshit since those very circumstances didn’t just appear this week and have been on their respective schedules since the roles were offered to them. I don’t blame anyone involved for selling that excuse but it doesn’t obfuscate all the glaring signs that this drama may be too ambitious for any male lead to accept.

I don’t mind that Lee Seung Gi ended up declining the drama, I like him and I don’t like Lim Ji Yeon and the chance that he doesn’t get her as a leading lady is fine by me. I’m surprised Lim Ji Yeon also dropped it since it’s not everyday that an actress with one movie on her entire film resume gets a leading lady role for a prime time drama, bypassing the usual daily drama, weekend drama, second lead route. Obsessed didn’t even do well at the box office whether in Korea or overseas so it’s not like she’s suddenly got crazy exposure, like what happened to Lee Jun Ki after The King and the Clown became the biggest movie of the year in awards and pan Asia box office nearly a decade ago.

Now I’m genuinely concerned for the rest of the cast of KMHM, namely Park Seo Joon and Kim Yoo Ri. Add to that the future male and female leads, I’m not sure this drama can overcome such a deep hole it’s fallen into with the speculations that there is something wrong that sends all the prospective male leads fleeing. Over at KBS, the production of Blood must be having a good laugh since it’s no longer the only drama that’s entertained two potential male leads in Yoo Yeon Seok and Jung Il Woo, only to have them decline, before settling on newbie Ahn Jae Hyun. I wonder if KMHM will go the Blood route and just elevate a totally untried supporting male lead to headlining role? I sure hope MBC does not beg and wheedle the leaving the army in two days Yoo Seung Ho to purty please help. They already asked that of him for Missing You and that was one torture enough for me.


Comments

MBC Scrambling as Both Lee Seung Gi and Lim Ji Yeon Decline Kill Me Heal Me — 30 Comments

  1. Wait… didn’t they initially accept it? Or was it just a “favourably considering” thing? in any case, I am glad Seunggi is not doing this drama that sounds like a hot mess right from the start. Seunggi hasn’t picked a great drama script since K2H, so I am really hoping he is going to come by a much better project after giving up this one.

  2. i did not see this coming! you
    know how you wish oppa will not take the role due to some miracal but that never happens. this time it realy has happened.

    i was looking forward to it because they glossed over the whole hyun bin mess and it’s not a big deal. but now both leads jump ship?? even the nugu actress who got a big break in a big budgeted project?

    then thank god seung gi didn’t sign up for it. looking so forward to today’s love which lookd so precious .

  3. I’m more concerned that they couldn’t lock down even a newbie female lead, a la Blood’s Ahn Jae Hyun. While I expected some trouble with a 7 personalitied male lead, if they can’t even cast the girl… Not expecting anything pretty out of this production.

  4. My first thought to the title of this post was ‘Oh, Thank God!’. So happy that Seung Gi is not accepting this role. I would’ve been fine with him in this show if they had casted a better female lead. As soon as they casted Lim Ji Yeon, KMHM became a big no, no for me b/c I have an issue with newbies getting lead roles, especially when they haven’t done much in their career and also for the fact that she is not that pretty and it would be hard to see her pairing up with Seung Gi, whom I adore. I’m glad that both dropped out.

    • I hope that English is not that bad to understand your comment. But saying that an actress could not act with LSG because of she’s not pretty is just too mean. Be kind please for those who doesn’t have look for your standard but have their own talents that make them pretty.

  5. He actually does have a lot to do though. He possibly pushed back an album and concert for his 10 year anniversary for this trainwreck dramas, that’s why fans were so upset.

    Anyway, I’m so freaking glad he passed. I wasn’t sure how I’d keep telling myself it would be okay lol

    • I almost forgot he used to be a singer! It would honestly be a little strange now if he went back mainly to singing. I’m too used to actor Lee Seung Gi.

    • I honestly think he would have surprised you. But good luck to anyone
      who does it in what looks to be a total live shoot production at this point.

      • Go read their DB comments and find out who they want. A case of my oppa with less experience will totally do a better job than this guy lol

  6. I was so into this drama and really liked it. Sigh! The price to pay for having a precious album and great concert, is 16 or 20 hours of 7 puppies!!
    So I think he won’t do a drama, YAAs is his last. What’eve as long as K-net don’t hate you for it.

  7. I think I might be the only one who thinks it’s not easy to portray a 7 different personalities.. But in order to achieve that, the works especially on the details needs to be done really really well by both writers and actors. This drama will either a huge success or flop. A drama changing the leads never gave me good impression and usually, it really won’t do well.

    • Definitely difficult and intimidating to take on such a role. They need someone with both strong acting skills and comedic skills to pull that off. An actor like Jang Hyuk or the second lead guy in secret garden perhaps. Anyway, this multi-personality thing doesn’t seem all that novel and intriguing. He’s basically a male possessed Taeyang/Tae Gong Shil.

      • agree with Jang Hyuk..
        he will be nailed it (with his acting) for this 7 personalities character!

  8. I can see Kim Jin-Man (director most known for the East of Eden debacle) wanting a hot-young-thing paired with a tried-and-true actor to pull off an ambitious script, but unless the first half of the scripts are written with a clear story arc about where it is all going, I’d run away from KMHM, too.

    I can think of two actors who have the K-chops to do this, and they are both far older than KJM’s previous selections, and already on other projects. Perhaps it won’t turn out this way, but this one seems to have HOT MESS wrapped up, ready to go to the too-ambitious.

  9. The very least MBC should do is seize this chance to rewrite the DRama a bit, and cut that ludicrous seven down to size. If they feel they simply *must* out do The Jekyll/Hyde rama, then go for 3 or 4, rather than seven.

  10. People who didn’t follow seunggi’s updates didn’t know how busy he is. He has many event,fanmeeting overseas,concert etc etc in jan and feb this early year and he start shooting You are all surrounded in march until july/August.and he didn’t even get enough rest that he need to start shooting his movie until it recently wrapped up last month. He even need to push back his annual concert that was supposed to be held at the end of the year. And Airen’s expectation to see Singer Seunggi was shattered when his new album album also being push back bcz of his crazy schedule. He turned down this role makes me feel a bit happier . At least he can concentrate more on his singer career and also..he need to do his movie promotion. Lee Seung Gi fighting <3

  11. I don’t really feel one way or another. However, this shows to me signs that things are going south fast on this.

    I don’t envy those who do behind the scenes on these kinds of things.

  12. I would ve been thrill and excited to see lee sung gi in this drama if not for his busy schedule because he look so gorgeous,cute and someone that is extremely use to this kind of action movie

  13. I truly admire and love Lee Seung Gi acting. This young man is very talented! He’s extremely popular in South Korea and has many fans in the US. Please let him take a mini break. Can’t wait to see his first movie! Fighting for Lee Seung Gi.

  14. problem is dude u do not want the new guys to have a chance? i mean, well u might have written this before the air but dude, take a look- Ahn Jae Hyun has been wonderful in Blood. telling him a newbie is a logical to the letter statement but there is nothing wrong in the nice cast right now. as long we get awesome stuff to watch and the k-drama gives expanding options. Blood really is awesome- loving it

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.