The Curious Case of the Amazing Class of 87ers

I’ve had this post percolating since forever, but there was one hold out on it that made me iffy. Finally, at long last and really I shouldn’t be surprised, I have fallen madly for the charm of a certain Prince-turned-reluctant-King. With that, I can officially say that I adore the majority of the class of actors and actresses born in 1987. This list may not be all inclusive, but its clear that all the famous ’87ers are all rocking talented and super duper awesome in my book. Who knew a year of the cute fluffy rabbit would produce this star-studded crop (with a surfeit of talent, charisma, and personality): Moon Geun Young, Jang Geun Seok, Choi Si Won, Lee Min Ho, Lee Seung Gi, Han Hyo Joo, Jung Il Woo, Joo Won, and Ji Chang Wook. Throw in the coincidence that my C-drama boy crush Li Yi Feng is also a ’87er, I hereby decree that this is one daebak birth year for entertainment purposes! People try to MINE actors and actresses, but has anyone ever tried to MINE an entire year? Yeah, I like to be a trailblazer, and since I grouped them handily together into one cute package, that makes this year all MINE. If you love K-pop, I suggest grabbing the ’86ers. Next time I may try to MINE a decade, who knows? Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. 

It’s my Geun-Geuns! How could I not love the entire year of ’87 even if it produced just the two of them. So talented, so cute together, so utterly winning in my eyes. He’s got way more latent talent than he chooses to tap into, she’s extremely stingy with her talent in picking so few projects but she always delivers the goods. To say I lub them together is an understatement, but I also lub them apart. I wish he pick better projects, and I wish she picked more projects. But ultimately I’m just happy they got to work together once already.

See, even though I am immune to the Joo Won allure, I know so many drama friends who veritably drool at the mere mention of his name. Clearly the boy has got “it”. He’s also riding a huge wave towards certifiable leading man status, with his turn in Ojakkyo Brothers garnering great response. Bridal Mask will be his first test in leading a drama, and my gut tells me he’ll do well even if the drama doesn’t.

Lee Seung Gi and Han Hyo Joo. I recently rewatched Brilliant Legacy/Shining Inheritance, and can’t deny they had really sparkling chemistry. Like very pretty young people bickering and falling in love. Not very passionate, but gives off the whiff of Summer loving. They both have the same boy/girl-next-door appeal, wholesome and non-threatening. For the longest time I placed their acting abilities at the same level of meh, but with TK2H Lee Seung Gi has turned the corner on me and is proving his mature acting mettle. I’m still waiting for a knock one out of the park performance from Han Hyo Joo, and I have faith she can do it.

Choi Si Won needs no explanation or description. As probably the most famous member of Super Junior plus having a string of dramas under his belt, his star couldn’t be higher. He’s a devout Christian who makes friends wherever he goes and every time I watch Si Won on a variety show or doing an interview, he just cracks me up. Great sense of humor, humble, and has abs that could cut steel. His acting is iffy for me, but I like him for the whole package and look forward to seeing him continue to challenge himself as an entertainer.

Lee Min Ho and Jung Il Woo – so much pretty it hurts my eyes. Too bad their other buddy Kim Bum was born in ’90 and can’t join them in making it a triple play. These two guys actually have similar acting styles and give off the same leading man vibe. I would imagine they are constantly being offered each other’s projects. Jung Il Woo got to play a major leading man first with Return of Iljimae, but it was Lee Min Ho who hit popular success first with Boys Before Flowers. Currently Lee Min Ho is enjoying bigger name recognition, but Jung Il Woo can easily catch up with one breakout drama performance. How funny was it that the younger actor chosen to play Jung Il Woo’s childhood counterpart in The Moon Embraces the Sun is also named Lee Min Ho.

Ji Chang Wook is already a leading man in multiple dramas but he hasn’t yet caught fire like the other guys in this illustrious group. I think he’s the real deal but I haven’t found a drama of his that I’ve loved (yet). But he’s quite the scene stellar when he was playing second leads and I’ve always kept my eye out for him.

While there are famous actors and actresses born in any given year, I was just wowed by how many of my faves were clustered in the ’87 birth year. I think drama fans need to start gearing up for when this batch of boys enlist for their MS in four years time. But before then, there is a humongous group of idol boys in the birth year of ’86 that will get conscripted first. At least I get to keep my acting harem for a year longer.