You win some, you lose some, and that saying applies much too aptly to dramas. A drama starring a favorite actor is no guarantee it’ll be good, and I’m way too busy in life to waste time with stuff that just doesn’t resonate with me. With that said, having to drop Arang and the Magistrate is truly one of my biggest pouty moments in drama-watching this year. Waiting two whole years for Lee Jun Ki to return, and in a sageuk no less, I was 99.9% certain this drama would rock my socks off. And it did, for the first few episodes anyways. I suppose that ought to be comfort enough, but it isn’t because I just love Jun Ki so much and not being able to love either his character or performance as Eun Oh in Arang leaves me wanting to simultaneously berate myself for being so picky, and to berate him for picking this project. Just because Song Joong Ki is utterly mesmerizing in Nice Guy doesn’t mean I wouldn’t switch him out for Jun Ki if I could (what? he’s my bias!) and let him do a drama that really has a gripping story. Towards the end of Arang, I would nod off during the episode, and then awaken to realize nothing significant had happened. Sometimes I would sit around wondering when Yoo Seung Ho‘s pet goat would make another appearance and be disappointed when the episode ended with no goat. I still think the drama was beautiful and moody, creative and different, yet all of that didn’t quite add up to being a drama that clicked with me. But I remained totally supportive of it and the cast, all of whom appeared to have enjoyed the experience as evidenced by the just released stills from the cast and crew wrap party. I wonder where Yoo Seung Ho was? Or where his pet goat went? Seeing these pictures gave me a giant grin and I’m happy now that both Jun Ki and Shin Mina gave it their all and really brought the drama to a sweet conclusion for fans of the OTP.
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Love love love LJK, and am doing a rewatch of TBDaW this weekend, but it's Yun Woo Jin who I watched intently during Arang. So pretty...I hope he keeps doing heavy before accepting a romcom, but then takes a really really good character as a leading man.
He was in Ojakgyo brothers, it was a ''funny'' character and I think he did good. He also played the KBS special ''ordinary love'' and it was heavy...
I suggest checking out Ordinary Love Story...its a 4 episode moody melo but I really liked it....Yun Woojin was wonderful there and he definitely upped it in Arang
Ahh, happy to know that am not alone who love him in Ordinary Love Story...
YWJ is simply wonderful, simply talented and simply adorable...^^
Can't wait to see him in his next project.
He was great in Ordinary love and OL was also directed by the same PD as Nice Guy. So it's really worth watching.
aah Arang and the Magistrate. its ending had me smiling like an idiot. i'm sorry that you did not find it interesting enough koala, but i can see why it would not be some people's cup of tea though it kept me captivated till the end. i love how everything tied up neatly and our OTP had a second chance at a long lasting love. Cannot wait for Junki's next role, though i hope they continue keeping his hair out of his beautifully expressive eyes. i could write odes upon odes dedicated to his eyes alone <3
Me too! I loved the ending which is a first for me as I have been disappointed so many times by other k-drama WTF endings. the ending made sense and tied up everything and those kids (mini Eunoh and Arang) are so kyuuuuuutttteee!!!!!!! I was smiling like a loon.
I like the show overall, I like how creative they got I liked all the couples even the lady who played Eunoh's mum. She was really able to act 2 different people within minutes and you would be able to tell which soul is in control of her body in seconds.
Koala - if you watch nothing else of Arang, please catch the last few minutes of ep. 20 where the reincarnated younger Eun Oh and Arang are presented. They are too adorable for words and the young actress performs such a right on imitation of Arang's feistiness. It's to die for and definitely one of the highlights of the finale. :-)
yeah yeah yeah. I was in awe when I saw young Arang be so dead on. She had such a blank stare at first and then BAM! she's pissed off and tells him off. I had to rewatch it a few time it was so dead on you could really see Arang in her.
You know the actors were good and the characters believable when it feels weird to see them wearing modern clothes..
Being neither a fan of sageuk nor Lee Jun Ki (I had only seen him in "My Girl one of my least favourite dramas), I was taken by surprise by how much I loved "Arang"!
Aaw, I loved seeing these photos. I'm glad to see Yun Woo-jin smiling. I got so used to him as carefree maknae in Ojakgyo Brothers, and then this drama was nothing but murdery angst for him - I think I forgot he could smile.
It is weird to see them all in regular clothes. I was loving Lee Jun-ki in his magistrate uniform. And seeing the Bangs here was awesome! The man who also played Ramses in Scent of a Woman is in like half the Kdramas I watch. He sure gets around.
I was interested in this drama, but not addicted, so I watched the whole way though and enjoyed myself. Thanks for this post - I'm happy to see all of the cast smiling. :-)
So SMA is a goddess, right?! My mind cannot compute that LJK is looking more luminous (his skin, his hair = :O) than HER. Esp after completing a rigorous drama schedule! Totally beyond me.
Dramas are such a personal thing. After being bowled over by SMA in Gumiho I was really excited for this but dunno 'just' stopped watching after 2 episodes. Of late, I'm just content with reading drama recaps...i guess my honeymoon period with K-dramas is over. Still waiting for that one show to take me out of my K-drama drought.
LOL I was thinking the same thing, how is he that luminous?! He's a beautiful man indeed.
I absolutely loved the series...I thought it was a great kick-off for his comeback :) I liked how they wrapped up everyone's life and was so glad they showed us the adult versions of their souls in the end...kinda like Rooftop Prince....I wasn't disappointed at all :)
I personally adored the drama, it was so different and creative and I rather enjoyed it. The OTP had great chemistry.
Gahh how pretty is shin min ah *.*
The last cake is so cute!!! The other one too..
Arang and Magistrate did'nt wasted my time...I have loved it till the end. I always believe that if u have started something ... one has to finish it.