The Master’s Sun with So Ji Sub and Gong Hyo Jin Start Filming for August Premiere

Now that I Hear Your Voice is well underway in its airing, its followup drama The Master’s Sun has quietly started filming without much fanfare. Either the Hong Sisters are keeping it low key this time after all the hullaballoo surrounding Big that never panned out, or they want to keep the entire drama concept under wraps for as long as possible. Since I liked their last drama Big, I’m willing to give their new “I see dead people” gimmick an open mind, especially since they have gotten back their Best Love leading lady Gong Hyo Jin and paired her with So Ji Sub, who has not done a rom-com or light K-drama probably in forever. This is an intriguing pairing actually and one that can either fall flat because their acting styles don’t mesh, or shoot sparks to Mars because they are unexpectedly perfect together. Above is the official drama logo and I love it, the imagery is strong and memorable with the dark sun/watermark motif. The Hong Sisters always do very distinctive and unique drama-related concepts and this one will probably skew dark and melancholy due to the subject matter at hand. So Ji Sub plays a rich materialistic president of a shopping mall and hotel and Gong Hyo Jin is his quick-to-tears emotional assistant. An incident causes her to start seeing ghosts and that in turn leads to him starting to grow a heart.

Rounding out the main cast is fast rising young actor-singer Seo In Guk, still riding the high from last year’s surprise hit Answer Me 1997. Sleek and stylish Kim Yoo Ri, last seen and totally wasted in Cheongdamdong Alice, plays the model face of So Ji Sub’s shopping mall and she starts to loath Gong Hyo Jin for being the inadvertent cause for her wedding to be ruined. Relative newbie Jeong Ga Eun, who looks like a cross between Song Hye Kyo and Kim So Eun, plays a young manager working for So Ji Sub who resents how much Gong Hyo Jin starts to change him. The drama is purportedly going to deftly balance romance and horror, and that I’ll have to see it to believe it. Aside from the (in)famous Hong Sisters writing this drama, I’m quite pleased with their choice of PD to work with this time. Behind the camera is PD Jin Hyuk, who directed City Hunter, Prosecutor Princess, Shining Inheritance/Brilliant Legacy, and the gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous Painter of the Wind. He’s equally capable in both the modern and sageuk setting and of all his previous dramas I’ve enjoyed the directing in each while having issues only with either the writing or acting. With the Hong Sisters inconsistent track record, I’m keeping my eye on this one while keeping my expectations low.

Above is the first look at So Ji Sub on the set of the Master’s Sun in character. Looking snappy, dude. Below are the three added cast members, and overall I like the entire cast. I don’t love it, but no one actively sucks or annoys me. In this day and age, I’ll take what little victories I can get. Plus its nice to see some different combinations rather than have dramas keep casting the same few folks over and over.