Lee Min Ho Shares 12th Anniversary of Debut Celebration Pictures at Home with Dog

I can’t believe it’s been twelve years since K-actor Lee Min Ho debuted. It feels both too short and too long, short because he’s done so many dramas and the time flew by, and long because he rocketed to stardom so soon after debuting thanks to the serendipitous timing of landing his most iconic role of Gu Jun Pyo in Boys Before Flowers. That drama is hard to rewatch thanks to Gu Hye Sun‘s mugging standing up even worse with time and Kim Hyun Joong‘s real life fall from grace, but I’ll always remember Lee Min Ho’s Gu Jun Pyo fondly as a strong enough yet different take on the role that Matsumoto Jun created so indelibly in the J-dorama version. Of course a dozen years later Lee Min Ho has moved on and I hope the next dozen years he finds another iconic performance in a role that will be appropriate for him post-military service.


Comments

Lee Min Ho Shares 12th Anniversary of Debut Celebration Pictures at Home with Dog — 27 Comments

  1. I noticed Korean celebrities prefer dogs than cats. The only cat lovers that I have of read of so far are Gong Yoo, Park Shi Hoo and Kim Nam Gil.

  2. Overall HYD jdorama holds up much better over time than BOF thanks to far superior all-round performances from its main cast (Inoue Mao and Oguri Shun especially – no contest! And Jun’s portrayal of Doumyoji remains THE definitive version of that character for me, he plays more on Doumyoji’s boyishness and his chemistry with Mao really makes it)

    But Gu Jun Pyo was still a good performance that brought out a more manly-looking take on the character, and I liked the Yi Jung/Ga Eul storyline soooo much better than Soujiro and Yuki in the otiginal.

  3. (Contd.) Also I think the kdrama portrays the lavishness and extravagance of that world a little better. But still, HYD >>> (I look forward to the Chinese remake too).

    Speaking of HYD and its versions though, how is Hana Nochi Hare being received in Japan? I think it really does have the HanaDan charm even if Hirano Sho is no Matsujun. And they’re really going all-out to make it feel like HYD again, not just the story but also the music and the updated ‘rich people’s world’ feel. (I see lots of product placement but it’s not as intrusive as in kdramas – like Oto working at Family Mart, getting dresses from Dior etc – it’s integrated quite convincingly into that world). But I wonder what the ratings are like!

    • Hana Nochi Hare is to HYD what today American pop stars are to their 80’s counterparts. The latter is too iconic thus the former one somehow pales in comparision

      • That is true, it can never have the same iconic status as HanaDan but it works as a HanaDan tribute which is what it’s supposed to be.

        I mean, I like the characters but the couples never give me the same level of heart-fluttering as I got from Doumyoji/Makino or Makino/Rui.

    • i think is not fair to comparing hanadan with hyd, hanadan more like spin-off from hyd, and i don’t why haruto character in hanadan more like ji heon character in protect the boss,than doumyoji character. btw i like hirano sho in hanadan.

  4. HYD was a classic, nothing is perfect but it shot the stars to stardom.
    So there must have been something that everyone liked. I just take it for what it is,it was an update and showed the opulence of the rich versus poor.

    The Japanese version was very good also, I just take it as similar story with different cultural interpretations. Their names are all different from the Japanese version, Korean Version and the Chinese version, so to me they are all different stories that can happen in any country.

  5. Honestly, I find him quite childish. Judging by the answers he gives in his interviews and the kinds of pictures he posts up on his instagram. He’s already 32 and he’s still posting those cringey selfies that should have stayed in 2005 Myspace. And the ones with Chocopop or whatever his dog’s name is, those are just so off-putting.
    Gu Joon Pyo is the character that Lee Min Hoo will forever be remembered for and I don’t think he can realistically pull a character that will define him anymore. He has been the same Gu Joon Pyo for a long time already. He is too looks and image conscious and he doesn’t seem to have that drive and passion for acting. Hallyu popularity is the only thing he’s interested in and quite frankly, his only fans are outside Korea. He’s not an it-boy anymore, hasn’t been in years. Nor will he be an it-boy again, when younger and definitely more talented and good looking it-boys keep replacing one another. To put it simply, he is mediocre and has-been. Unless he steps up, furiously studies his profession and immerses himself into his roles, does something unexpected, I can’t see him being anything else except a worn out ex- top star. Also, he doesn’t have critical acclaim and no significant movie roles under his belt, the only thing he’s ever been was a popular hallyu boy with mediocre acting.

    • “Too image conscious” Thank you ! You perfectly described his takes on roles like Domyoji and Ryo Saeba (city hunter) imo. “Too image conscious” is the perfect way to assess his performances

      • Hana Yori Dango beats them all. LMH made a different version and Gu Joon Pyo became his, but it’s so shallow..

    • God help you if his fanbase finds this comment, they’re as mad as a nest of hornets and just like idol fans in that way.

      He’s not a bad actor but you’re right that looks and image seem to play a substantial role in his choice of dramas. He’s more like an adequate actor who needs to step it up instead of coasting on his looks and fanbase.

      The power of BOF – as with HYD – is such that he’ll never be forgotten for that role, but comparing the subsequent acting careers of the BOF leads to the HanaDan ones (particularly the F4+heroine) really does reveal the ability gap.

      • @Royal We His fans are kinda deluded about his acting abilities to be quite honest. They’re obviously after looks and Kim Tan/Gu Joon Pyo. I’ve been attacked by his fans online before too. The Korean remake actors’ acting ability doesn’t come close to HYD cast. I have no idea how the Korean F4 is doing and Gu Hye Sun married her co-star and that’s about it.
        @Jushi Hahaha I facepalmed out of embarrassment when I saw his insta feed

    • Just visited his instagram acct for the first time to see what you were saying. Hilarious! I’m laughing my butt off!

  6. Congratulations Lee Min Ho on your 12 year anniversary. I hope you are enjoying your time off. Looking forward to your return to our screens next year.

    2019 will be a great year which will see my 3 favourite leading men return from the military, Lee Min Ho, Kim Soo Hyun and Ji Chang Wook. Can’t wait!!!!

    • LMH is the weakest actor among these 3. Haven’t noticed any improvement over these 12 years of acting… I wonder what kind of comeback drama will he get… I am more looking forward to KSH and JCW’s dramas than his to be honest.

  7. I am so excited for him to come back from the Army. I think people expect too much from LMH. He is the kind of actor Bradley Cooper once was. I can’t think someone at the moment. But basically the pretty boy actor that prefer not to dig too deep into a character. Gangnam Blues was already surprising for him. He still has time. In his 40’s I hope he takes on more dramatic and serious toned work that can improve his acting range.
    Like

    • He was a ’’wannabe bad ass Gu Joon Pyo’’ in Gangnam Blues. Much of the actual acting was done by Kim Rae Won while Lee Min Hoo was playing a wannabe baddie. LMH simply cannot immerse himself into his characters. I don’t think he will ever be a serious actor with a great resume in films.

      • “Never say never”. Some actors are born with talent, while others may improve, evolve or develop into great actors.

        Furthermore, factors such as a good script or a good director and a good partner on screen will also influence an actor’s performance.

        Lee Min Ho is only 30 years old, who has achieved amazing stardom and is recognised all over Asia. Not many Korean stars have achieved his level of fame.

        I look forward to his return.
        Let’s not write him off just yet. He may surprise you.

  8. I think Lee Minho is an actor who aims for commercial appeal rather than critical acclaim. It’s not an easy feat though; not every actor can have all his dramas surpass 10% and have his movies avoid becoming a box office bomb. His acting is also decent, somewhere in the middle. He’ll be more than fine it he starts picking more serious projects when he comes back because of his audience affinity. I don’t think he is as hopeless as what most people are saying here.

    About his looks… uh to be honest, he has stopped being handsome since 2014? He is definitely not someone who ages well. No comments on his personality – like how do you even determine how someone is like from his posts? Many of us here post some questionable comments that would probably paint us in an unfavorable light.

    • I know its preferences.But I am amazed at how people could like his performance in Heirs.For me, that was a watered down version of Gun Jun Pyo.I actually think his performance to date is still City Hunter.If he chooses works and production team like City Hunter…get away from SBS and work with OCN and do a thriller it would do wonders for him.Also if he is doing romance dramas, he should work with co stars closer to his age.It seems like he feels uncomfortable working with noonas.I could see he didnt fully immerse into the romance scenes when he was working with Kim Hee Sun, Son Ye Jin and Jun Ji Hyun.
      Though I can totally see the near future, him working with Song Hye Kyo and Han Ji Min.I feel it would be interesting to see how it would work, if he was paired with actress like Han Hyo Joo or Kim Ji Won.

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