Who Are You Releases First Official Preview with the Three Leads in Character
The picture above speaks volumes, doesn’t it? It captures in an instant that very ephemeral thing called acting. Critics and audiences can discern good versus bad acting (unless fangirling gets involved and then that becomes like a veil of denial in itself), but its hard to really describe. I fall back on Justice Stewart’s enduring line from Jacobellis v. Ohio “I’ll know it when I see it”. The upcoming tvN cable ghost melodrama Who Are You released its first preview on the heels of a concept teaser that showed the two leads So Yi Hyun and Taecyeon frolicking in the yard with a hose. This one actually contains scenes either from the drama or at least touches upon what the drama is about. So Yi Hyun wakes up from her six-year coma and narrates that when she woke up she could see dead people. There is then a flash of Kim Jae Wook standing behind Taecyeon. I know he plays a dead dude and all and his glower and pallor is scary conceptually but I just can’t be scared because all I want to do is paw him. Then Taecyeon narrates that as a man who doesn’t even trust the living, suddenly she appears before him, a woman who can see ghosts. The ask each other “Who are you?” I like this preview a lot because it captures the mood of the drama. A bit scary, a bit melancholy, a bit mystical, we’re asked to buy the two leads engaging in a life journey that requires a suspension of disbelief.
I’m not going to harp on Taecyeon’s limited acting skills, he’s like Song Seung Heon‘s hoobae in looks and talent, but when asked to play earnest and endearing characters he actually can deliver the goods. He was adorable in Cinderella Unni and tried his darndest to keep up with that cast littered with acting wunderkinds. Here he has to contend with Kim Jae Wook, an actor of immense charisma and talent onscreen, and try to win the audiences’ goodwill and affection. I hope he can do it because I do not want to spend my six weeks shipping leading So Yi Hyun with a dead ex-boyfriend, I still want my dramas to deliver catharsis and satisfaction. I was fine with the doubly depressing ending for 49 Days because that drama built it up as the journey of appreciation of life rather than an end goal to live happily ever after. Here I feel like the story will be about returning to the land of the living with respect to So Yi Hyun’s character, and then about her finding the next happiness in her life so that her ex can move on. Taecyeon’s look in the drama highlights his boyish charm and he does appear to have chemistry with So Yi Hyun, but visually he definitely looks like her younger brother. Nothing wrong with that, I just hope this drama keeps the tension believable and gives us the payoff on all the high concept stakes about seeing spirits.
First preview for Who Are You:
Am I the only one who had to laugh out loud watching Taecyeon “act”!? I’m sorry but the couple seconds are speaking volumes. I will check it out for Kim Jae Wook only. <3
It’s like you can actually see the thought process in his head …. ‘look down, and then look up again’, like he’s being fed instructions through an invisible headset or something.
So true! 😀 You can basically read that he is trying to figure out what to do and how to “act”…. It’s a shame for a cable drama! I thought they would stop casting idols.
exactly what i mean about seeing the wheels turning in his head.
I love the concept and the tone of this drama but yes, acting… Also, 6 years of coma & she’s fresh like a rose (with make up). I want to drink what has been in her IV, stat.
Why can`t Taecyeon just act? Like show some emotion or something for heaven sake! His face is always so blank , i feel like all JYP idols have problems with expressing emotions on screen!
I don’t know about chemistry, I’m struggling to get past those vacant eyes of Taecyeon’s and if I’m supposed to ship him and our heroine, Kim Jae-wook is NOT helping by looking so natural and adorable with her in those pics from last week.
This drama looks kind of depressing…..
Yeesh. If that boy were any more wooden, he’d be freaking Pinocchio. Kim Jae-wook is already acting circles around him and it’s just the teaser.
Taec was okay not that wooden guys. And no I am not a fangirl.
However will say, dark circles and pale lips or not, smexy KJW- am so sorry and shipping for his poor already.
Is it just me, or does So Yi-hyun look exactly like a female version of Kim Jae-wook?
If this was from any other station I would drop it like a hot potato, even with Kim Jae Wook on board (although he definitely would make it hard to drop). But TvN has a way of making a well made drama that makes the best of the abilities of its actors so although Taecyeon is not the best of actors, I have faith that TvN will somehow make his limitations not so glaringly obvious. Also I like So Yi Hyun and Kim Jae Wook plus the mood of the drama is right up my alley so it should be interesting.
My guess is that Taecyeon will be given the Suzy treatment: his part will be made so appealing, so blemish free, that people will be delighted and say he’s doing well, regardless of how poor the actual acting. This is what happened with Gu Family Book, where Suzy was given the mother of all Mary Sue roles and people adored her regardless of her deficiencies as an actress.
whoa lots of debbie downers in the comments…