Jo Hyun Jae Reunites with Only You Co-star Han Chae Young as the Second Leads in Advertising Genius Lee Tae Baek

The upcoming KBS drama Advertising Genius Lee Tae Baek barely garnered any interest from me when the leads were confirmed last week as Jin Goo (who I last saw when he was a child actor in All In as the child counterpart of Lee Byung Hun) and Park Ha Sun (adore her but not enough to watch a drama just for her). I was slightly intrigued when I heard Han Chae Young joined the cast as the second female lead since I have a soft spot for her and she’s not been in dramas since 2010’s hilarious and abominable A Man Called God (it is seriously so bad its good for the first half at least). Today comes the news that Jo Hyun Jae has joined the drama as well as the second male lead, with him and Han Chae Young both playing accomplished ad executives. Jo Hyun Jae is in this drama? I AM IN. Jo Hyun Jae is my first K-crush and K-bias, and the laundry list of all my K-drama guilty pleasures includes many of his dramas ranging from Seodongyeo to Only You to Nine-Tailed Fox. This casting will actually mark Jo Hyun Jae’s reunion with his Only You leading lady Han Chae Young and I swear I let out a whoop so loud I scared my sleeping dog. I LOVE Only You. I hope to god the powers that be behind this drama arrange for a secondary love story for them so that we’re spared the schmoopy love triangle and the two leads Jin Goo and Park Ha Sun will have their underdog professional success story and plucky love story. Advertising Genius Lee Tae Baek premieres after School 2013 on KBS Mon-Tues. Gah, so so excited now!

Jo Hyun Jae and Han Chae Young were so so cute together in Only You. The hairstyles and costumes were atrocious, the storyline was flimsy and silly, but this drama just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. I actually never liked Delightful Girl Choon Hyang because the OTP there fought all the time and kept getting split up by the machinations of the second leads, but in OY the OTP manage to quickly work through all issues and keep staying together (after the first big misunderstanding, of course). It’s is one hella stupid drama but good lord do I love it. As a rom-com its just alright, as a love story its derivative beyond reason, but for whatever magic powder Jo Hyun Jae and Han Chae Young sprinkled over me, they made me rabidly crazy over their love story and this drama. I’ve watched it so many times to count and I know I love it so much I can keep on watching anytime the urge arises.

First script reading by the cast released last week. Jin Goo and Park Ha Sun will be a great unexpected pairing and I can see the potential for great chemistry. I don’t see Jo Hyun Jae at the first script reading so sounds like he joined at the last minute. I guess the production wanted to save the best for last.