When A Man Loves Showcases Brooding Gangster Song Seung Heon

With a name like When a Man Loves, Song Seung Heon‘s new melodrama is already living up to its title. I don’t see the “love” parts yet in the preview stills, but the “man” bits are being emphasized to the max. Having an inexplicable fondness for my Heon oppa requires a tough skin and the ability to accept his failures and limitations as part of the package. I knew in my heart of hearts that Time Slip Dr. Jin was going to be a hot mess, what with the last minute scrambling to lock down a cast, delayed filming, and some truly acting challenged lead actors in the line up, but I still harbored hope it might be entertaining. It wasn’t, it turned out to be far far worse than even my imagination could have conjured up. With WAML, I almost can see the trainwreck coming and that makes it impossible to look away. Also impossible to not look at are pictures of super gangstery Song Seung Heon, all brooding scruffy facial hair, aviator sunglasses, and donning the gangster industry-obligatory leather jacket and dark suits. They might as well have titled it When a Gangster Loves, which is not only a more unique title, but better captures the tormented love at the center of the story since clearly Song Seung Heon’s professional and personal failings are going to drive why he falls for a seemingly ordinary girl like Shin Se Kyung‘s character. I might not even mind the adultery inherent in this story since Chae Jung Ahn plays Song Seung Heon’s onscreen wife and she’s pretty much the epitome of bland. It’s been a long time since a drama had leading actresses I am so disinclined towards, but with the lure of seeing Song Seung Heon mope and rage as well as Yeo Woo Jin doing some heavy acting all on his own, how can I not want to check this out in a few weeks time?

These pictures that Song Seung Heon tweeted from the beach in Guam is simply eye-popping. Someone be needing a draw string on his swim trunks is all I have to say. I appreciate if more was left to my imagination instead of cringing that he’s one millimeter away from a peen slip. I also want to tell him not to slouch, and to ask what the heck is he pointing to in the water in that second picture?