K-netizens Come Up with Dream Sageuk Pairings that Will Break 10% Ratings and Milk the Tears

The Ji Soo debacle in River Where the Moon Rises has rekindled the gripe K-netz has with younger actor/actress casting in sageuk, which is held to a much higher standard thanks to the record breaking ratings in the early Hallyu days for 50-episode epics that required fortitude and intense acting prowess to create. I thought Ji Soo’s acting in River was better than I expected (lol I had bottom of the barrel expectations going in) but he’s still not on par with what an actor with strong foundation can deliver. Even someone as young as Yeo Jin Gu playing a teen prince in The Moon Embracing the Sun shows that it’s not age but ability, screen presence, and sageuk diction. A new post circulating among drama K-nets is a collection of 5 dream pairings complete with one sentence synopsis of dream actor/actress cast in a romance sageuk scenario. These pairings K-netz guarantees would break 10% ratings AND milk everyone’s blood, sweat, and tears. When I read it I just went OMG totally! Check it out below and chime in.

Kim Nam Gil and Ha Ji Won – One winter’s day, they crossed the boundary of their identities and their love started…..

Song Joong Ki and Hong Soo Hyun – That man fell in love with his enemy’s daughter, a love that cannot be…..

Lee Ji Hoon and Seo Hyun Jin – The General of Gorguyeo falls for the Daughter of Shilla…..

Jang Dong Yoon and Park Eun Bin – Until death, the man as her royal guard will always love his princess….

Park Bo Gum and IU – After he came of age, this young man became the adopted son of that family and falls for his adopted sister…..


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K-netizens Come Up with Dream Sageuk Pairings that Will Break 10% Ratings and Milk the Tears — 120 Comments

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  2. Oh geez I already felt the pain starting in my heart just reading Park Eubin’s synopsis.

    Yes those pairings can and will be a cryfest. The synopsis are a killer,

  3. Bravo Koala. Love love love this post. I miss the old sageuks terribly (still the best in terms of quality, scale and epic level). My own dream sageuk pairings below:
    Jang Hyuk & Ha Ji Won
    Oh Ji Ho & Ha Ji Won
    Ji Chang Wook & Park Min Young – these two need a detour back to sag, no more rom-com please, a waste of their talent.
    Kang Ha Neul & Nam Ji Hyun
    Kim Soo Hyun & Nam Ji Hyun
    Kim Soo Hyun & IU
    Kim Soo Hyun & Kim So Hyun

    • Yes to all of these, especially Kim Soo Hyun & Kim So Hyun, now that pairing would be a visual and intense acting overload!

      • She’s 21 and he’s 33, that would not be comfortable watch especially since she played the younger version of his queen in Moon/sun, they met when she was a minor and then they play lovers? *shivers*

      • Its acting. Suspend your disbelief. Enough with the minor bs on every damn thing. She’s a grown ass woman now and deserves to act against experienced actors too.

    • Like Jang Hyuk & Ha Ji Won pairing. But, JH in saeguk was like a curse. hahaha. Either he died or he doesn’t got a girl or both.

      • @yoeda, yeah, I was so tortured emotionally watching JH in Chuno. That’s the reason why he’s so great in sag, full of Shakespearean level of tragedy, full blown betrayal, pain, yes lots of physical and emotional pain, lol.

      • @Paula, they were great in Angel Eyes but it’s just my wishful thinking. They are both transitioning to different career paths. Don’t think they will head back to sag hence KHN turning down Ondal role. NJH doesn’t pick romance-centric/OTP focused dramas anymore and she’s still only 25. She’s pivoting towards female centric dramas like Off Route (mother-daughter r/ship, the runaway groom is just a side plot) and Welcome To Witch Restaurant (healing focused with no love plot). KHN most likely go Yoo Ah In route to cinema-land, already established and proved himself in k-dramaland.

      • @kimchi ajumma, I also notice changes in NJH’s career movement. After her uni. graduation, I would have expected her to go full on CFs, v-live, new dramas, magazine photoshoots, brand ambassador promo, etc but opposite happened. All quiet after 365 Days ended in April last year. Only resurfaced for 2 ep Off Route filming in Nov and now 8 ep Witch drama. It’s like NJH is doing less and less work as a full time actress compared to when she was a uni. student. Wonder what’s holding her back or her agency not promoting her enough.

      • 365 days repeat year also no love line . NJH choose 3 dramas now she need not kiss a guy. Married actresses even not so picky choosing roles after married. Maybe she got bf already irl? lol.

  4. Park Bo Gum and IU sageuk pairing will be my most feast day. If that happens my prayer will be granted. Just by reading the narrative makes my heart palpitates because of the complexity of it. Ohhh, drama gods hear my request.When PBG returns from MS may the GumIU collab drama or movie will come true.

    • Ohhhh, yes to this sageuk team. I both love IU and PBG. I always watch the fusion videos in youtube and they really look so GOOD with eaxh other. If I were not mistaken they had their cf alao when they were still young and they were so into it. I hope this will comw true. I love this pair.

  5. I wonder any younger gen. actress can pull off 50 episodes sageuk anymore. The younger set seem to lack the acting gravitas of the older gen actresses. I’ll probably get assassinated here by the usual crowd baying for blood for daring to demean their oscar winning queens. Seems like K-netz prefer older actresses with the younger two being IU and PEB, not KYJ or KSH.

    • Anymore? I haven’t seen a young actress in the lead role of a 50 eps sageuk.
      At least not alone but it can be done SFD style with 4 or 6 leads including sageuk veteran actors.

      Moon Geun-young was 21 yrs old when she was the lead actress in “Painter of the Wind” (2008). She won a well deserved daesang award and she is still the youngest actress in Korea to win one.

      I think the young Kims are more than capable of leading a successful fusion sageuks at their age. It’s just a matter of picking the right project, pd and writer imo.

      • @Kiara Agreed. Again, I don’t follow younger actresses much, but the two Kims are great in my opinion. I’ve just started watching RWTMR, and IMO you can’t watch KSH there and think she doesn’t have enough gravitas, especially with her portrayal of Queen Yeon. As for KYJ, ironically, her biggest hit LITM isn’t her best role, but she was great in her earlier sageuks. The way I see it, they really just need a great script and they will dominate kdramas easily. Not a fan of them, but I’m just grateful that we have talented young actresses like them amidst the prevalence of wooden idol-actresses lol

      • @Areumdaun

        I love these talented young actresses. Most of them started acting around the so-called golden era of sageuks, especially the 25+ child actors like Shim Eun-kyung, Moon Geun-young, Park Eun-bin, Park Bo-young, Nam Ji-hyun, Le Se-young….
        The 3 Kims, Jin Ji-hee, Kim Hyang-gi and more followed shortly after. Kim Yoo-jung did the most sageuks and that’s how she is well known as the sageuk fairy. Saeron did mostly movies and So-hyun did more modern dramas back then. I didn’t noticed her in a sageuk until THE DUO. It wasn’t her first but her small role made an impression.
        I follow all of them and hope they’ll continue to do well in their career.
        I think a lot of times they are being unfairly compared to the older actresses who had already gone through their awkward transition to adult roles. I’m much more forgiving and I have a soft spot for all of them.

        Anyway, I’m grateful too that we have these many young talents to entertain us now and in the future.

    • 50 eps saguk drama isn’t a trend now… the drama now has been cut even a sageuk one to the extent at least 20 episodes but the daily drama / weeklong telecast still takes at least 50-100 eps. I think the trend changes. As of thesw days it is harder to make a story in that long episodes. I like this time drama lengths in term of episodes compare before.

  6. I just want another sageuk for Kim So Hyun and Yoo Seung Ho, with a competent writer this time who won’t do them dirty! I know Yoo Seung Ho said he wants to work with So Hyun again in a modern drama, but I prefer another sageuk for them as it’s their forte.
    Others I want to see in sageuks:
    Kim Soo Hyun & Kim So Hyun
    Yoo Ah In & Kim So Hyun
    Kim Soo Hyun & IU
    Kim Seon Ho & Park Min Young
    Kang Ha Neul & Moon Chae Won
    Park Seo Joon & Kim Tae Ri
    Lee Joon Gi & Kim Ji Won
    Jang Dong Yoon & Nam Ji Hyun
    Ha Ji Won & Jo In Sung
    And Kim Jae Wook with any good actress, I just want to see him in a leading role in a sageuk lol

    Yes these are very random pairings, I know lol

    • I like your Jang Dong Yoon & Nam Ji Hyun, Ha Ji Won & Jo In Sung, Kim Seon Ho and Park Min Young and Kim Jae Wook with any good actress pairings the best. When I first saw KJW in EY in sag costume, I thought kaboom, this guy suits sag compared to Ro Woon who was too stiff and his posture was too hunched over for a regal bearing. I love Lee Joon Gi too but not with KJW. Just finished FOE so deliciously satisfying far better than CLOY but I digressed. Back to LJG FL sag pairing, I love to see him with Yoon Eun Hye in sag. I can just imagine an older version of her Goong character in sag costume. YEH’s emotional depth & warmth balanced nicely with JG’s sexy coldness. I just can’t see KJW has that emotional range to deal with 20-50 sags.

    • HJW and JIS burned up the screen in Memories of Bali and their subsequent sizzling hot hair shampoo CF. I can imagine them tearing their sag robes off each other in passionate moments, lol. Ah, the joy of discussing older pairings.

      • @Aquarius Exactly! Would love to see a sageuk version of that hot as hell chemistry lol

      • Damn right @WinterBear, hot as hell is the apt description. What does it take to lure these veterans back to sag/k-drama again? Sigh. Nobody does hot like they do except Seo Ye Ji and Kim Soo Hyun came very close. Lol.

    • @Kimchi Ajumma Oh LJG and YEH would be great! Come to think of it, I wonder why they didn’t get paired up during their peak popularity days, especially since they were popular in the same time period (around mid 2000s-early 2010s). Actually, I would really just want YEH to have a successful comeback in dramaland lol

      • @winterBear, great to hear you agree. They are like two ships that pass each other in the night. YEH coming back to drama-land would give the younger set a run of their money. The current k-actress landscape is just so dry at the moment (that’s just my personal opinion, no offence to anyone). I want to see YEH in anything but a sag would be something new and fresh.

    • I miss Hong So-hyun, Kim Min-seo, Kim Ha-eun etc. They were awesome in sageuks but stuck mostly in supporting roles.

      Song Joong-ki and Han Yeri would be fantastic too. Did you know that they almost act together in “Haemoo” but he turned it down to enlist in the army?

      • wow… do you mean Song Joong Ki almost starring with Han Ye Ri? talk about unlucky Song Joong Ki for went to army. jeezzz. or unlucky to us, hahaha. After TWDR. Innocent Man, it seems he is on demand on multiple meaty roles.

      • Gosh my memories. Homg Soo Hyun and Kim Min Seo were great as supportong actresses. Especially Kim Min Seo, who is so much better than the lead actress in Moon Embracing the Sun. (This is just my opinion don’t bash me)Back then, they were not the most popular, but I knew their names much more than whoever was starring in a modern drama that time.
        Yes, a Hong Soo Hyun and Song Joong Ki pairing would be great.

      • @missjb

        Yes unlucky us but here is hoping. Han Yeri was supposed to make a brief appearance in SFD but she was so good they kept her till the end. She also majored in traditional dance so they didn’t cut any of her dance scene because she rocked it.
        That also transitioned well into interpreting her fight moves. You know when she is taking her time to figure out her opponent and when she goes for the kill. I was so impressed I want to see more of her playing that kind of diverse role in a sageuk.

        I just think they’d be awesome together in a heavy but not so old and outdated stuffy sageuk lol. They can both do the heavy lifting and more.

        Drama gods don’t seems to like my prayers. You do it this time haha. I’ll kowtow if I need to.

      • @Joy

        I think they’d be great together. I’d love to see her in a sageuk with Bhun Yo-han too. They were both excellent in “MR SUNSHINE.”

        @123 girl

        I totally agree with you! The transition from child to adult between Kim Min-seo and Kim So-hyun went smoothly and naturally and she was consistent though out the whole show. I felt for her character the most.
        I missed Kim Yoo-jung terribly when the lead actress took over so you are not alone.

        I have a soft spot for those talented and under-rated 2nd leads. I too still remember them by name and the role that they played.

      • Hong Soo Hyun as princess Kyunghye in the Princess’ Man and Kim Min Seo in Sungkyunkwan Scandal/Moon Embracing the Sun are some of my all-time favourite second lead performances (she had me obsessed in SS when her character was properly revealed). It’s sad they didn’t get to move on to lead roles, they had the talent and charisma for it.

  7. Can we have another Lee Yo Won and Kim Nam Gil pairing again? I was still gutted by QSD’s tragic ending lol
    I also want to see my queens Song Hye Kyo, Jun Ji Hyun and Kim Tae Hee in any sageuk provided that they have a same-age bracket great actor as their male leads
    Not an avid fan of any of the younger actresses (early 20s), but I think Kim So Hyun really pulls off sageuk well and I’d love to see her paired up with an equally strong actor, so someone like Yoo Ah In or probably Yang Se Jong, probably the only two younger actors who I think are genuinely great aside from Yoo Seung Ho and Yeo Jin Goo
    People on this site love shitting on younger actresses, but I think it’s mostly the writing of recent sageuks that went downhill. For example, even the great Lee Young Ae can’t save Saimdang Diary. I think people need to give them a break, and I say this as someone who is an older drama fan

      • Yes to LJK & MCW as star-crossed lovers like The Princess Man!! How I used to love that drama. Too bad I cannot stomach watching it now thanks to the trash actor who played the male lead.

      • @Pineapple

        Same here. I just can’t watch it again no matter how much I loved it back then.

        @Daymare

        Sweet. I’ll have to check it out.

        I’m not a K-fan but I’m waiting for it too @Yustin.

  8. The new generation of Kdrama actors really needs to train harder ?. They all just look like flower boys/girls.

    The last glory lied with 87~89ers who have decent acting and charisma.

    (I wanna exclude Jin Goo but.. his dramas are either hit or miss misss!)

  9. Nope. Nope. Nope. All wrong sageuk pairings. Save my girl crush IU, all of the above ladies are not very exciting female leads. Now. Imagine. The Untamed or Heavenly Official type historical fantasy with Park Bo Gum and Jang Dong Yoon as main leads and love interest. Or passionate Lee Ji Hoon and flamboyant Song Jong Ki as main love interest. Now we are talking some serious ratings. Though, I will never forget Song Jong Ki’s pinning after brooding Yoo Ah In, that was the best unrequited BL feelings and pairing ever ( Sungkyunkwan Scandal)

    • K-netz disagree with your assessment of “all of the above ladies are not very exciting female leads.” Apart from IU, may I know other actresses you can quote to back up your list of very exciting female leads please? we are very interested to know your all very correct sageuk pairings please.

    • BL brigade to spice up the sageuk party. Yeah. All the korean ajummas will gasp in horror at BL fans ruining their beloved dream pairings. Lol. Hats off to you for preaching gender diversity though. Talking about sageuk bromance, how about older brooding actor & younger actor flower boy type love pairing?

      • Older actor and the flower boy? That was The King and The Clown 2005 movie. Nah. Great movie, but the age/power imbalance is not romantic at all. It’s too realistically disgusting – the dirty old geezers always crave the youngsters, be they boys or girls

      • Didn’t HJW help Damo, Hwang Jini and Empress Ki rake in above 20% ratings? Me think some silly pots and pans banging on pretending to know sageuk again.

      • I only liked Ha Ji Won in Damo and Duelist (2005 movie). In both, she played the same tough girl character (police damo) that suits her the most. It was 15 years ago. Nothing else memorable with her comes to mind. Empress Ki was a team effort with top actors. Ha Ji Won was overshadowed there by the little evil Empress actress.

    • Korean drama industry does not have the guts to pull off a BL sageuk like The Untamed or Word of Honor lol.

      Also, IU more exciting than all the other actresses in the list? What a JOKE. She’s the weakest female lead in sageuk among all the actresses listed.

      • IU looks better than many other actresses in gorgeous female period costumes. She is believable as someone’s love interest in sageuk. As long as she doesn’t play a bandit or doesn’t have fighting scenes. She is too petite, pretty and dainty for that. I agree with you that she looks like a joke when portraying a female warrior. But if such scenes can be avoided, IU can carry a sageuk just fine.

      • @Marina So I guess I’m in the minority that liked IU’s warrior portrayal in the sageuk portion of HDL lol. IU also played a rougher character in My Mister and she nailed it. It’s not about being too pretty/dainty. Look at Kim Tae Ri, pretty and petite as she is, I wouldn’t have thought she would be believable in action scenes, but she was so badass in Mr. Sunshine.

        Also, I think what OP meant by “exciting” is more about charisma/screen presence and the ability to draw viewers in when the actress is on screen. In that respect, I think both Ha Ji Won and IU make for exciting female leads (as long as IU is playing badass fierce characters like Jang Man Wol and Lee Ji An lol)

      • A remake on Word of Honor would be nice but I think lots of people would have complaints on the “bromance”. But seriously the chemistry of the 2 leads on WoH is through the roof! It’s definitely much spicier than The Untamed.

    • Lol ahjummas are in charge of the ratings in SK and they don’t care about BL at all. They will be up in arms if they do that with historical figures too. I can see it being popular among younger girls (who form the bulk of the bl fandom), but a-list actors won’t risk it unless it’s for a film like The Handmaiden.

      And these actresses are not exciting? Didn’t Ha Ji Won receive daesang for some of her sageuk roles? Her sageuks are ratings hits too. I love IU as a singer and an actresses (especially in her more recent roles), but she received a lot of criticisms for her only sageuk role. She was great in Hotel del Luna, but she wasn’t convincing at all as a fighter in the historical parts. She can play a cold or tough role as long as there are no action scenes.

  10. I still want Ha Ji Won to be paired with these talented actors, I know she can pull off Historical dramas, action, or melodrama.

    Jung Woo Sung
    Gong Yoo
    Go Soo

  11. It’s easy to judge the actors but production don’t do 50 episodes sageuk neither… The half of sageuks are fusion ones too. For 2021, we got Royal Secret Agent (I don’t think that Nara suited this genre)and River that are really sageuk and both were not written very well. In fusion, we got Mr Queen and soon Joseon exorcist. Actors can’t do anything if they don’t have a good story and a good production.

    • Same! I think they could be great, both have a young/fresh vibe and can emote well.

      I also want a Kang Haneul-IU pairing after Moon Lovers, their chemistry was incredible.

  12. I am not so sure of IU being a female lead in a lengthy sageuk. I didn’t liker her portrayal in Moon Lovers, and Hotel Del Luna is okay but the historical portion is very limited and not the focus of the story so I am not convinced at all. She doesn’t have that period look and impact but I must say that I am in favor of her playing modern as I think she suits that kind of era well more than historical.

    I see that k-netz are losing their interest and hope in the younger actresses and I also feel the same. I think it is because of the trash projects that they kept accepting without even properly reviewing it. An example is KSH, I am starting to like her in River Where The Moon Rises but the writing is just so bad and predictable and her character now is inconsistent. I am surprised that she quickly accepted the role when Son Ye Jin has not yet turned it down (there was not article about she declining it) and it’s just been weeks since SYJ offer for the FL articles went out. I wonder if she really reviewed it or hastily took the role since she thought it would be good since an A-list actress got an offer for it? Then the Love Alarm 2 came out, another flower girl role for her which is super disappointing. Jojo’s character is just so toxic. She left Sun Oh without a proper explanation for four years and then started to date his friend. I mean if that happened in real life, that would be super toxic. After being in a relationship with a guy, you suddenly be in a relationship with his friend. That’s so selfish. I would have been happy if she chose to be single. But what can we do? This is the fault of the writer. I hope she can choose her projects right next time.

    Meanwhile, I am starting to root for KYJ. Among all the new generation actresses, she has the best taste for picking her roles. Now she’ll be working with a well-known director and writer. She might win a baeksang award for hong chun gi next year just like how this previous director’s FL became the youngest actress to receive a major award. Hong Chun Gi have a very good future ahead especially it’s in the hands of SBS, 10 months in the making. Quality is sure going to be delivered on screen. Thumbs up to her choices!

    • Well how would KSH know that the project she’s taking would have bad writing? Especially that the character sounds so good on paper, a badass warrior princess in a Goguryeo sageuk. What young actress would pass on that kind of role?
      Also, KYJ only started making good choices now. Remember the mess that were 1% ratings CWPFN and Backstreet Rookie?
      I just don’t get why commenters here love comparing the two Kims even when it’s literally not the main topic of the article. And I swear KSH get the most undeserved shady comments here.
      She’s young, she has plenty of time to build her filmography. One or two bad projects isn’t the end of the world for her lol

    • @janice Well I think people in general should give the two Kims a break. People bash them too much if they as so much as made a mistake in their project choices. People bashed KYJ for her last two projects too, and now she seems to be starting to bounce back with HCG. I believe KSH will have her time to truly shine too. She’s very young, people need to take it easy on her. Let’s just wait until she finds the right project for her and not be too harsh on her.

      • @Winterbear

        Okay sorry for that. I just think that Kim So Hyun is getting a lot of offers, I know she’s one of the in demand actresses even beating her seniors with the number of her awards at such a young age. It’s just that there are probably so many good dramas lining up for her and I want her to take her time in reviewing the scripts before making her decisions.

      • @janice Oh yes, I totally get that. I just think it’s not easy to predict which drama among the ones being offered to her would turn out to be a good one. Even with RMOTM, the character description of her role was a “noblelady who comes from a family of warriors and is headstrong and fiercely independent”, and well, we all know how the character turned out to be a damsel in distress in the end. Lots of projects sound so good on paper, but the writer can still f*ck it up. Even star writers and PDs aren’t guaranteed to write/produce good dramas anymore, not after TKEM and BR disasters lol
        But I get where you’re coming from. I really wish KSH would come back with a bang in her next project, maybe next year after she got her proper rest lol
        A Park Ji Eun drama would be great!

    • KYJ has the best taste for picking her roles???? Do you live in a parallel world where the sh?tstorms called CWPFN and Backstreet Rookie (BR) didn’t happen? Then good for you.

      Also, Hong Chun Gi hasn’t even aired yet and you’re already jumping the gun with Baeksang award and quality and blah blah blah. Relax. Don’t jinx it. Even Sisyphus (which was originally an SBS drama) was FIVE YEARS in the making and look what a clusterf?ck it has turned out to be. BR’s PD did the hit Fiery Priest and afterwards did the megaflop BR. Most people thought RWTMR would be the drama of all dramas yet look what happened. Point is, no one knows for sure how an upcoming drama will perform until it starts airing, even if it’s got a star writer, PD, cast or network. Personally, I find both girls overrated and overhyped but they’re still young so maybe they’ll find their footing in the future.

    • HCG with AHS who can’t emote one thing and the whole drama has to be carried by him according to the PD! KSH can at least carry an entire drama all by herself despite bad writing! You’re really trying to hate on LA when it’s trending top 4 in the world! Try as you might KSH is the star of her generation and nothing not even bad scripts or co stars can harm her future! The general public hasn’t lost any interest in her so keep trying to make yourself feel better! By the ways the general opinion is that KSH picks the more superior dramas out of everyone in her generation! Deal with it!

      • Uhm but everyone is so annoyed by her character in Love Alarm? Though it is popular, the praise and attention are all on Song Kang’s character and that is the sad fact. It should be a story about Jojo but because the character has so many flaws thus only very few people appreciate it. Most are just her fans.

        As for Ahn Hyo Seop, I think this character is made for him. Haram conceals a dark truth about his identity. His acting style which is cold will suit his character in this drama. Hong Chun Gi on the other hand is an equally important character. She might not know how to fight with swords or combat. She has a strong heart. Just like Moon Geun Yeong character in Painter of the Wind. Take note, she is also significant to the story as she is the first and last female painter in Joseon, she is Haram’s eyes.

      • @janice Most viewers of Love Alarm are teenagers to early 20s people, and also mostly girls. Of course most of them are gonna focus on the “sad, lonely hot guy” lmao even tho Kim So Hyun has the best acting in the drama and it’s her character that had the most growth. Just look at all the discussions about LA, it’s all shipping wars, no one really cares to discuss the actual story, that’s because the audience are mostly immature young girls. They’re the loudest too, but that doesn’t mean that no one is invested in the character of Jojo, they’re just not as loud as Sun Oh fans. Again, not KSH’s fault. She portrayed the character perfectly well and the drama still gave her popularity a big boost at the end of the day

      • People hate Jojo and not KSH. A lot of people appreciate KSH’s acting for portraying Jojo’s psychological aspect really well. Attention are on Song Kang but not praise because majority are Sun Oh stans (They want Sun Oh to be the endgame) but the drama chose to stick on the webtoon’s story more than fan service.

    • @janice
      Plz give us a break from ur unwanted comparison and u bringing the kim girls when the post is not even related to them

      If u find jojo character toxic it means she is doing a good job as an actor

      Dont target actors for portraying a character and use it as a mean to create fanwar

  13. Old generation acting level is top-notched. I noticed these younger actresses acting is going backwards. kimSohyun was satisfying and good as a child actress but now her acting starts to disappoint me. Both in her current dramas the historical and modern. When there are serious moments and crying, she does some mouth movements pouting etc.which distracts me. love alarm was a disappointment. even season 1 was pre produced, writing is complete and she had the choice to turn it down but still she accepted it even though jojo is very confusing and toxic. Look at Ahn Hyoseop who wisely made a decision even though he is a rookie at the time. She has better options to choose especially she is not a rookie but what is really happenig with her dramas?
    Radio romance- low rated and boring, Master of the mask-weak charac, tale of nokdu- loveline, love alarm- confused girl, love alarm 2-selfish, dating a guy and then his friend after
    If sohyun does not fix with her drama choices, I will never be able to 100 percent fangirl over her ? her peers are really doing the opposite hye hyoon taking her time working as a support role with good writers and doing likeable characters. Even won a baeksang award. Kyj all have decent characters, has hit under her belt and never or if there is, only minimal hate for her roles. meanwhile here is sohyun who takes a lot of project but never read scripts well. she needs to work with her drama choices next time sorry

    • LOL “Minimal hate for her roles”? KYJ’s last two dramas got plenty of hate tho. CWPFN was dislike by KNetz and got 1% ratings. Meanwhile Backstreet Rookie literally got petitioned to be cancelled and even got voted for being worst drama of 2020 along with TKEM.
      Compared that to KSH’s Tale Of Nokdu and Love Alam which may not have the highest ratings, but still crazy popular. Say what you want about Love Alarm, but it got KSH plenty of recognition, especially internationally. RMOTM and RWTMR didn’t have the best writing, but that’s not really her fault, is it? How is she supposed to know that the project she’s taking would have bad writing? Still, it says a lot about her talent and popularity that she still keeps getting cast despite not having a big domestic hit under her belt, because casting directors know that it’s not her fault if the drama didn’t do well, it’s 100% because of the bad writing lmao
      Also, she’s still the most popular among her peers, her big fanbase is no joke.
      Sorry, but your comment really sounds super shady.

      • SHADY it is. It’s not even a Kim Sister’s article yet people there’s still someone comparing them. It’s getting tiring now. I hope that Kim Sisters will continue to shine and prove them wrong. No matter what others say, They are the best in what they do ❤️

    • @New b

      I respect your opinion however I disagree. Artists choose projects that don’t use their ability well. For me KSH is good in RR. Her character is warm and cheerful. I like the story though it was not the best for me.
      She cries beautifully and I don’t think her pouting which distracts you is new. She’s just like that even in Ruler. Her character there always cries. Truly a damsel in distress and very weak. It’s the writing which did her dirty.
      TTON IMO is her best drama for me. Her chemistry with the male lead is amazing.
      Her character in LA is complicated but she portrays every microemotion very detailed. She gave life to a mere webtoon character and I don’t see any actress who fits Jojo other than her.
      She also portrays her character in RWTMR well but I agree that the writing is very simplistic.

      This is not an argument but a different perspective ?

      • @Oly Agreed with everything you said. Korean media literally gave her the label “Teardrop Goddess” during RMOTM because her crying scenes are so good and she looks beautiful even when crying. They also gave her the label “Come-out-of-Mahnwa Girl” because her portrayal of webtoon characters are always on point

    • @new b
      Ur comments r meant to create fanwar i guess
      Stop comparing the girls
      No actor is perfect and no one can predict the dramas future
      They r giving their best to create a perfect character and doing a successful job

      They r d best of this generation so even if their drama is 1% or worst drama or bad writing they r still remembered for their portrayal of their characters which is a sign of being a good actor and the rest is not in their hands as they r actors and not magicians

      Plz stop comparing them as both r different with different charms

  14. I can think of a few under-30/under 40 sageuk pairings I would like:

    Lee Jun Ki – Moon Chae Won (Flower of Evil was modern setting…actually I want a sageuk MCW pairing with Song Joong Ki too)

    Jang Dong Yoon – IU

    Kang Haneul – Kim Ji Won

    Park Bogum – Kim Hye Yoon (girl is good at line delivery and I liked her sageuk part in Extraordinary You, I think she could pull this off)

    Yeo Jin Gu – Kim Hye Yoon

    Yoo Ah In – Seo Hyun Jin

    Kim Nam Gil – Lee Ha Ni

    Song Joong Ki – Moon Geun Young (can’t believe they were originally offered the lead roles in Moon Embracing the Sun but turned it down, look what we lost out on T_T…MGY would have made a much better lead than Han Ga In)

    Kang Haneul – Kim Tae Ri

    Yeo Jin Gu and either of the Kim girls (Sohyun and Yoojung both were great)

    • Hi @RoyalWe! I totally agreed with Bogum and HyeYoon. I think they will be the cutest pair and want it not a very serious sageuk, like a fusioned one, like a romantic -comedy sageuk. ???

    • SJK turned down the lead role in Moon Embracing the Sun because he already just played young King Sejong in Tree with Deep Roots (aired late 2011) back then. That was a really great performance from him.

  15. I’m a fan of princess and knight/guard pairings, so I would give anything for that Jang Dong Yoon and Park Eun Bin drama. Kim Nam Gil and Ha Ji Won are such great sageuk actors too that I would love for them to be paired together. I feel like it would be a ratings hit too. When was the last time that we had a hit serious sageuk?

    My dream sageuk pairing is Lee Jun Ki and Moon Chae Won. Their last drama was good, but I kept thinking how much better they would be in a sageuk instead. I also want Kang Ha Neul to headline a sageuk. Such a talented and versatile actor. He brought gravitas to his role in Moon Lovers despite the awful writing.

    • I seriously can’t get over Lee Jun Ki Moon Chae Won pairing. She is so beautiful in hanboks. Why I never thought of Lee Jun Ki before, I just knew his name but never watched his dramas before. Upon discovering him, I realized how great of an actor he in especially in historical dramas.

  16. I screamed at reading Jang Dong Yoon & Park Euh Bin pairing. Hell yeah!!! I’ve never imagined their pairing. But now I want it like NOW!!! TT

  17. My dream Sageuk Pairings:
    -> Lee Joon Gi & Moon Chae Won – they have great chemistry in modern dramas, they are individually great in sageuks, a sageuk together would be so memorable. I want it Pre-Joseon since almost all of their sageuks are Joseon Period.
    -> Lee Tae Ri & Kim Yoo Jung – everyone likes her with Yeo Jin Goo, but not me. Before she ever reunites with him, she needs an OTP sageuk drama with Lee Tae Ri. I can’t get over their sad love in both Gumiho Fox Child and Moon Embracing rhe Sun.
    -> Yeo Jin Goo & Kim So Hyun – Kim So Hyun is my preferred OTP for Yeo Jin Goo since I like Kim Yoo Jung for someone else. They should lead a sageuk together. (Funny how Kim So Hyun and Lee Tae Ri were the young versions of Moon Embracing the Sun leads).
    -> Bae Soo Bin & Han Hyo Joo – I really didn’t like the fact that Bae Soo Bin was only second lead in Brilliant Legacy compared to a guy who was back then so much less experienced than him (I mean I watched BSB in great historicals before that drama such as Emperor of the Sea, Jumong, and Painter of the Wind). Him being second lead again in Dong Yi only strengthened my point that a historical drama with him & Han Hyo Joo is needed by me (I like Ji Jin Hee, but I sometimes imagine Bae Soo Bin would also be a great King Sukjong since he was good as King in Painter of the Wind and he and Han Hyo Joo were great together im Brilliant Legacy. Not to mention the girl who played Lady Jang also played with Bae Soo Bin before , so him and her would also have great chemistry).
    -> Lee Joon Gi & Ha Ji Won – both great in martial arts, a martial art sageuk for both of them please.
    -> Lee Joon Gi & Moon Geun Young – Idk, I think I just want to see a Gonggil (guy that looks prettier than a girl in King and the Clown) and Yun Bok (MGY is still by far the best crossdresser ever).
    -> Kim Nam Gil & Ha Ji Won – should be epic together.
    -> I also want a Lee Joon Gi and Han Ji Min, he rarely works with actresses his age, and I think Han Ji Min is a good one for him.
    -> Moon Chae Won in another sageuk with any of these actors: Ji Chang Wook, Byun Yo Han, Yoo Ah In, Kim Nam Gil, Jang Hyuk.
    -> Moon Chae Won & Moon Geun Young reunion, ala Painter of the Wind lesbian romance.
    -> Jang Hyuk & Ha Ji Won – I want them together too, they were supposed to do Secret Garden together. I think Jang Hyuk is an older actor who could work with Ha Ji Won in sageuk
    -> Song Il Gook & Ha Ji Won – my first two great loves in sageuk as individuals. A collobaration would be a bomb. Epic Jumong and Hwang Chae Ok from Damo. (I also read somewhere Jumong was supposed to focus on Soseono first and Ha Ji Won was considered to play her).
    -> Park Eun Bin sageuk with any of her former costars as a young actress: Yoo Seung Ho, Lee Hyun Woo, Noh Young Hak, Lee Tae Ri.
    -> Song Joong Ki is a fave actor of mine, but he’s one of those who I don’t particularly have any dream pairings. I just wnat him to finish Arthdal Season 2 with Kim Ji Won. Maybe a sageuk with Kim Tae Ri might be good.

  18. Lee Seung Gi and Park Min Young in a low-key slice of life. It would be a challenge for him but I’d love to see them together in just about anything.

  19. Sorry but IU?? honestly I dont get why people want her, she is so so in both acting and visual. She is so greedy, I wish she should just focus in singing

    I agree with moon chae won tho, she IS so underrated

    • “she is so greedy”
      as she should

      now wait with us her appearence in the european festivals soon soon, meanwhile these better actress with “super” visuals still in their mediocrity

      • Lol your comment is soooooo typical of idol fans, popularity > everything. Yeah whataver she might be popular, but still she cant act and her visual is so so

    • @Haeki I agree with you about IU’s visual being not that great. I’m probably gonna get bashed here, but I just can’t get past how flat her face is. Nothing wrong with a flat face, just that it’s not my personal beauty preference. And her face is too much on the cute side to be considered “beautiful” IMO.
      That being said, I don’t think her acting is so so. Never liked her in her earlier roles (Pretty Man was especially terrible), but I’m starting to like her as an actress now after watching her in Producers and My Mister. HUGE improvement from her Dream High and Pretty Man days IMO. She has plenty of “universal” appeal and charm too, so it’s understandable why the GP love her so much.

      • She is tho, she has flat face, and she looks like a kid, I dont think she match a lot of her character like Hotel del Luna, its shame that a lot of actress have better match of her role, but it landed on her because of her popularity as a singer

        Her acting has no depth tho, her acting screms ‘IM ACTING!!’

    • lmao
      european festivals arent about popularity my dear
      they arent about blockbusters or something

      IU will act on a Koreeda movie
      one of the most acclaimed directors alive

      this is about talent, not popularity
      she won

      directors and actors want her so bad
      you are the typical hallyufan who just talking about visuals
      thats why you cant understand her appeal right now

      • I think her visuals are all right and more importantly IU is not just all visuals. Her visual came with talents and potentials, not like others

      • Exactly. While Haeki stays bitter about IU being well-liked, girl is about to reach even greater heights in her career with upcoming Koreeda and Lee Byunghun movies. Her win, Haeki’s major loss lmao.

    • Typical elitist snowflake k-drama who thinks her preference matters lmao. A lot of people like her, so what? Her “flat visual” and acting bothers you? Then don’t watch. Pretty sure acting is what’s most import for an actress lol. And she is twice nominated for Baekesang Best Actress in a row, so she’ll continue to be cast in huge projects like the upcoming Koreeda movie, so you can keep questioning why people like her while she stays winning.

  20. park Bo gum diction in saeguk is just sound so good, like he is born to play there.

    I think voice means a lot in saeguk,

    • Exactly! His is so clear and easily to listen to. As he said in one of his interviews that sageuk diction is harder and has different tone compare to a regular drama so he had really hard time to perfect it. Sageuk drama isn’t that easy to perform so Kudos to all who experienced it and tried their hard for their dramas.

      • @Papan

        @Gly

        DITTO for Bogummy’s diction.
        LITM is one of classic saguk teen dramas that I always love to watch. It never fails to make me laugh but at the same time the lovestory of Lee Yeong and Raon tortures my heart. Its a good luck they ended up together. What a beautiful drama. Even the OSTs are well suited.

        But anyway, yes I am also loving the future partnership of Bogum and IU. I would love to partner Bogummy to SNSD maknae Seohyun. They both have good visuals and I find Seohyun acting above mediocre. I just hope. He is also can be partnered with the law school actress Go Yoonjung whom he partnered with already in one of music video of Lee Seungchul.They have a sweet chemistry. GHJ is also good in acting.

  21. All the couples named in the comments are good . The mystery is why didn’t we have any of theses couples ??? Come to think of it, i never have seen Gong Hyo JIn in a SAG , neither Yoon Eun Hye ( propably because of the difficult
    diction) and Song Hye Kyo . Jang Geun suk was good in Sags .

    • Song Hye Kyo already acted in a sageuk, the movie version of Hwang Jini. I watched it because I’m a huge fan of hers, but it bored me to tears. Would love to see her in a good sageuk drama. And yes, Gong Hyo Jin too, hopefully with So Ji Sub lol

      • People really have different taste. I love SHK’s poise and elegance in Hwang Jini (movie). Even the clothes and the way she speaks in the movie made the movie more interesting.

      • @Mary Oh definitely, SHK was so elegant in the movie! Absolutely no problem with her performance. Just that the movie itself bored me lol

      • @arumdaeun
        That’s the difference. You didn’t enjoy the plot itself but I did so appreciated the whole film (cast and plot) I love the slow way of dealing things in the film.

    • Many actors struggle with the sageuk diction (you need really clear pronunciation and many actors don’t have it or can’t nail it right away, even otherwise skilled actors like Bae Doona). YEH is one actress who emotes well and has chemistry with male leads but her diction isn’t the best.

      The Kim girls, Park Min Young, Seo Hyun Jin, Kim Ji Won are among the actresses who have that clear speech, I heard Park Eun Bin did well at it too. But GHJ…I love her in modern roles but her vibe is so modern, I can’t really see her in a sageuk.

      (Side note: knetizens came up with some good pairings, now I want a Park Eun Bin/Jang Dong Yoon drama too!)

  22. I’m watching RWTMR and KSH’s sageuk diction is so dreamy. And I love how she changes tone depending on the character re Pyeonggang/queen. If she’ll do another sageuk, I hope it would be with Kim Min Jae. I need a continuation of that episode 12 scene from goblin lol.

    It’s funny LJH’s current character is actually the General and the herb lady is from Silla?

  23. Yes sageuk tone is harder than we can imagine especially if it isn’t fusion like Jewel in the Palace or Dong Yi. Actors and actresses really need to study this specific tone to let the audience be immersed.

  24. I want these pairings:
    PBG – IU
    PBG – Kim So Hyun
    PBG – Suzy
    PBG – Kim Tae Ri
    PBG – Lee Sungkyung

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