The rise of Kim Nam Gil is one of those odd stories that doesn’t quite have the same impact unless you lived through it, like I did. Here was this career character actor, that at most played a second lead in Goodbye Solo and was remembered as the dead ex-husband of the heroine in the daily drama Be Strong Geum Soon that launched Kang Ji Hwan and Han Hye Jin into stardom. He gets this secondary part of Bidam in the mega-sageuk Queen Seon Doek, where Uhm Tae Woong is the male lead with Lee Yo Won, and then proceeds to steal the drama so utterly and thoroughly that MBC rewrites freakin’ Shilla history for him to make the titular Queen love him instead of the lead. Talk about “woah”. I think it’s a shame Kim Nam Gil was schelpped off to military service just when he made it, and he left at the tail end of Bad Guy rendering the already wobbly drama into a mess of epic proportions. The ending made no sense to the point I wondered if I hallucinated it all. But time passes without a glance, and in two weeks Kim Nam Gil finishes his MS and returns to K-ent. What’s in store for him? Looks like he’ll pick a project to jump into right when he comes out.
Turns out he’s apparently as hot as he was when he left. He’s already been approached with multiple drama offers, and his agency has revealed that he is seriously considering the KBS drama Woochi. Based on the legend of Jeon Woochi (which was made into a time-traveling movie with Kang Dong Won), the drama will tell of the descendants of Hong Gil Dong. Jeon Woochi is reportedly accused of killing his master Hong Gil Dong and goes on the lamb in Joseon Korea. I hope Kim Nam Gil takes this drama because it sounds right up his alley. His Bidam performance in QSD was quite legendary. So much so I would get daily phone calls from family members during the airing of QSD (i.e. the female persuasion) screaming “Bidam!!!” and wanting to talk about him. Yes yes, he was awesomely quirky and hot eating a chicken, wielding a sword, and having a mopey love for Deok Man. I find Kim Nam Gil a performer capable of rising above even risible dramas, and he suits intense characters like no other. Looking forward to his return to the screen whether big or small. If he does take on the title role of Woochi, the drama is slated to follow Nice Guy on Wed-Thurs on MBC premiering around November.
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OMG!! Kim Nam Gil! I am squealing so much I can't comment further than this.
First, Yay!! Happy Fourth of July Koala unni. Please kdrama gods make him accept the role of woochi and have him dress in black and swield a sword and looking smoking HOT and show his choc abs. I love him in QSD but feel that he was wasted in Bad Guy due to the military thing. Now, I am very happy that he is back and hope he be in a lot of dramas. =) I do hope he will be with the other duo LYW and UTW in another drama again. I love love triangle.. =)
Alt D + Ctrl C + Ctrl V on my FB account => there, all my friends are gonna be so happy to read the news. Thanks, Mrs Koala. :)
Chingu, unfortunately you didn't hallucinate the ending of Bad Guy. Oh how I wish it was a mass hallucination!
Anyway, I caaaan't wait to see him back on my screen again. Let's prepare for unbelievable hotness! *g*
Kim Nam Gil Oppa, just come back already, we miss you like crazy!
Two more weeks....*le sigh*
I can't believe he's almost out. I was in Korea while Bad Guy was airing and the whole you-must-come-to-the-army-now thing was going down. Poor Bad Guy. It wasn't just the abrupt departure of its leading man that screwed it over; the FIFA World Cup didn't help, either. Which doesn't really excuse the awful writing (what WERE they thinking?!?), but I'm sure it didn't help. But it was still one of the most gorgeous dramas I've ever seen, and it's too bad that it went nuts, because it was just the right kind of moody for me. Not to mention Kim Jae-wook (~sniffle~ I miss him!) was totally amazing in a screwed-up, broken kinda way.
Good day Ms Koala. I woke up to see these two beautiful men as your new posts (Kim Rae Won and Kim Nam Gil) and thought, she likes me. LOL. I am a fan of KRW but have not seen his latest drama because I can get depressed on my own. As for KNG, well I think this man is headed for greatness. Bad guy may have ended badly but what a great drama. I would like to see him act again so that I can prove to myself he is a great actor.
On a side note, I would like to say that the first lines of our declaration of independence states that we are all born free and equal but it takes government to protect those freedoms. Sorry to use this forum to get that out but I read the news before I read your posts and got a little upset.
Thank you always for your blog. I told you before that reality sucks and getting away for a few moments through drama is wonderfully therapeutic.
I know you are watching IDID so you know my angst is strong these days with these two dramas. They are great dramas nonetheless.
Have a great day.
*fist pump*
he better take this one
he's going to own it! and not to mention he looks so hot in saeguk's!!!
Korea has a long history but watching dramas you would think that all of it was Joseon era. I want other time periods. **of of rant**
Ok Bad guy was my first drama ever. I was browsing Hulu 2 summers ago on on the front page they had Bad guy featured. I clicked on it and 2 years on dozens of dramas later I am here on Koalas commenting on dramas. full circle.
It's amazing that we went through the same circle starting with Bad Guy on Hulu.
There have been a bunch of dramas showing other time periods like God of War which depicts Koryo, King Geunchogo depicts Baekje, King Gwanggaeto depicts Gorguryo, etc.
@coolrepublica
I think Joseon era sagueks take up at most half of the saguek dramas, but that leaves a cool 50% remaining for all the other eras. That does feel like Joseon dominates, and as a particular era it does. But there are TONS (I mean tons and tons) of non-Joseon sagueks.
My first three sageuks in a row were non-Joseon era. When I got to a Joseon sageuk, I was like "what the hell is this mincing around, gimme swords and armor, ROAR!"
Here are some suggestions:
Seodongyeo - conflict between Baekje and Shilla
Jumong - the formation of the Gorguryeo dynasty
Jamyunggo - conflict between Nakrang and early Gorguryeo
Queen Seon Deok - Shilla
Kim Soo Ro - the unification of 12 tribes to form Geumgwan Gaya dynasty
Gye Baek - Baekje
......and many more. I personally LOVE the non-Joseon era sageuks.
but nice guy will air on kbs, so woochi is in the end a kbs or an mbc drama?
after arang and the magistrate maybe?