The second half of 2012 saw two onscreen pairings that really piqued my interest and upped my anticipation of great chemistry to come. First came Moon Chae Won and Song Joong Ki in Nice Guy (The Innocent Man), then came Moon Geun Young and Park Shi Hoo in Cheongdamdong Alice. All four are actors I love to varying degrees, and all four have a reputation and string of projects under their belt where they had great chemistry with past co-stars. I thought both pairings would be a can’t-miss proposition. Now that CA wrapped up, it’s clear that ChaeKi turned out to be a home run while GeunHoo sprinted to first base but then broke a leg when rounding second. Whether it was acting style clashing or shoddy characterization bringing them down, Moon Geun Young and Park Shi Hoo’s potent chemistry in the first 8 episodes went down the toilet in the second half and she became his nursemaid while he turned into a little boy out on his first date. The disappointment led me to re-watching bits of Nice Guy where the sparks of attraction and the slow burn of love between the OTP in that drama was sustained for all 20-episodes without once faltering. I also realized there was a Kwave Magazine spread of ChaeKI released in September of 2012 that I never posted so this is a perfect opportunity to share it with fans of NG who miss Maru and Eun Gi. NG also had its share of narrative blips but Lee Kyung Hee remained firmly in control of the trajectory of her story with a clear ending in mind. I still can’t get over how the opening sequence of the final episode had Maru smiling at the very end and the clock hand moving forward instead of backward. Brilliant. NG was a case of two charismatic well-matched leads paired together in a drama that showcased their talents which meshed well onscreen. You can call it a case of all the ducks lined up in a row, and knowing how hard it is to line even two of those suckers up, I continue to appreciate the feat of dramatic success NG pulled off. Savor these pictures and then watch an amazing MV of of NG where all the spine-tingling moments between Maru and Eun Gi are captured in bite-size delicious pieces.
Nice Guy MV “Maru and Eun Gi”:
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I liked Nice Guy as a drama, but honestly speaking, Moon Chae Won and Song Joong Ki were brilliant in their roles; but I never felt connected with them emotionally...
Moon Chae won is looking so thin!!
Song Joong Ki is so cute and boyish when he smiles. I'm the same as snow_white above, I never really felt that connected to the pairing for some reason even though I enjoyed the show. Wanted them together and happy, yes but never felt anything more than that. They do look wonderful together though.
Nice Guy continues to hold the place of highest honour in my heart, when it comes to Korean dramas. It remains the only drama that has captivated me from start to end. I still have not watched another drama that rivals the chemistry, the writing, the pace of Nice Guy. And, like you said, the chemistry between Moon Chae Won and Song Joong Ki is through the roof.
Their acting is unique in a way, because it's a lot of watching the subtleties in their expressions and body language, which I suspect some drama fans might not be used to looking out for. Perhaps it's a question of taste, but I've watched several actors since then whose acting I couldn't stomach, because I just found it too over-the-top, too "acted". Moon Chae Won and Song Joong Ki have the kind of subtle restraint and naturalness in their acting that makes it a joy to watch. And they complement each other so well, it's gorgeous to see the slow burn. And yes, they never let the ball drop. They pulled it off for the entire 20 episodes.
I know how rare it is for drama couples to act together again, but this is one couple I seriously want to see burning up my screen again. Drama gods, please make it happen!
Brilliantly said! :D I miss you in uri NG thread. :3 *hugs*
Wow, you perfectly summed up my feelings for Nice Guy. *claps*
Brilliantly said :)
Me too...really really hope can see two of them to be paired again in new drma
You said it right!!! ChaeKi is the only couple I keep praying for more projects together..
Moon Geun Young and Park Shi Hoo for me all the way
I totally miss the show. It is hands down my favorite of all time. I just started recently watching kdramas and after watching this one I realized I never want to go back to bad ones. This drama is truthfully the best written so far.
Koala, have you read what Song Hye Gyo said about Moon Chae Won? Here's the part: "Among the junior actresses, I personally like Moon Chae Won. She has her own natural and elegant color. There's a delicate style [about her]. I also started watching 'Nice Guy' because of Moon Chae Won."
Wow...Song Hyo Gyo said it perfectly about Moon Chae Won having "her own natural and elegant color." Her subtle, yet poignant acting she displayed in Nice Guy eisplayed this "natural color" of hers perfectly. I would even go to say that I was not a fan of Joongki's "flower boy" image, but his portrayal in Nice Guy revealed his "true colors," as well. I can't wait for these two in their next projects.
really? Song Hye Kyo said that? wow. coming from a brilliant veteran actress to an equally brilliant young actress, that is a total "boom"! in all honesty, i used to think that if there is someone who i really thought that would follow Song Hye Kyo's footsteps, it would be Moon Chae Won.. i think, if Autumn In My Heart would have a remake, Moon Chae Won would be the perfect actress to do it.. i watched Nice Guy after i finished watching The Winter That Wind Blows and i had so much fun.. it really made my week! highly recommended.. must-watch! though i cried a ton.. the swollen eyes are worth it..
Wow, these two long sooo good together that it hurts. No offense to GeunHoo fans, but they couldn't compare. Chaeki's hot, flaming chemistry can burn all of Seoul. Even when these two were awkward around each other, you could still feel the chemistry burning up the room. I just can't get over these two.
I really miss them, thank you so much Koala for the shared video :D you made me want to watch the whole thing again hehe
Haha-- Instead of "k-wave", I read the mag. title as "kwave"-- as in "I'm kwaving more ChaeKi womance". Thanks, Koala-- it did my heart good to watch the NG MV. I still haven't finished CA yet because it was pissing me off too much-- but I will soon.
You can call it a case of all the ducks lined up in a row, and knowing how hard it is to line even two of those suckers up, I continue to appreciate the feat of dramatic success NG pulled off.
ICAM. It's something that's getting harder to pull off each year, esp. on broadcast tv, and I almost feel privileged I got to watch & follow what they've accomplished in the six months they've worked together. (Which in itself is unusual for a mini-series these days--sufficient prep time before broadcast.) And while it's unusual for lead actors to be paired again, in the case of SJK and MCW, I think it helps they were successful with a production that wasn't a sageuk (which is the genre pretty much everyone imagined them together before NG) and they did this in their 20s. Who knows what their careers will be like in ten years, but in addition to their talents, they're both very determined, very focused, and so long as they continue to live up to their potential, there are a lot of people in the industry who'll want to pair them up again for another production. Let's just hope it's a worthy project and preferably a sageuk, a period production at least. Not everyday you get to see two young actors who excel in sageuks, but also happen to love the genre.