I’m just laughing at the all-over-the-place feeling of Heirs, from the casting to the script concept. But it appears that Kim Eun Sook is going to throw whatever the heck at the board and see what sticks. She’s got established young actors Park Shin Hye and Lee Min Ho returning to high school, if fangirls or fanboys want idols then she’s nabbed Krystal from f(x) and Park Hyung Sik from ZE:A, if it’s the up-and-comers then Kang Ha Neul and Kim Ji Won fits the profile, if it’s the current It Boy then none is hotter than Daddy Gumiho Choi Jin Hyuk. And if she wants to appeal to the crowd that demands talented and quirky, she will give you Kim Woo Bin (who looks like an alien but is too awesome a talent to be bogged down by his non-conforming striking looks) and now Im Joo Eun joins the cast as well. I seriously love her, she makes everything better whether its in an ensemble cast of What’s Up or in a cameo-level supporting role in Arang and the Magistrate or just being a funky part of Wild Romance. Along with this new addition, there are some more drama leaks about Heirs spreading like wildfire all over DC. The first is that the second male lead may not yet be revealed – Kim Woo Bin is reportedly NOT taking over the role of Yoon Chan Young (son of the Empire Group secretary) offered to Jung Yong Hwa and will instead be playing guy3 Choi Young Do (brother-by-marriage to rich hotel heiress Rachel Ryu and himself the heir to a resort conglomerate). But SBS never confirmed what role he would be playing so we’ll have to wait and see. The official script reading is supposedly taking place on July 17th at the studio so I hope SBS announces the casting for guy2 soon otherwise it feels incomplete with a major cast member missing. Another bit of news is that insiders who have read the first two episode completed scripts are all buzzing on social messaging sites over what a great role the male lead is, continuing in the tradition of Kim Eun Sook writing very memorable and attractive male leads. Reportedly the consensus is – Lee Min Ho’s fans will LOVE this role. The unspoken other side of this sentiment is that Kim Eun Sook typically writes terrible female leads, and even the okay ones come off as either shrill and demanding or submissive and weepy with very little in between. I pray for the love of Park Shin Hye that she doesn’t end up being decorative window dressing to what will become The Lee Min Ho Show.
Chinese fans have assembled the current casting and character chart and have discovered that the top four handsome rich boys at Empire High School will be called the Z4. Yes – Kim Eun Sook baldly ripped of Hana Yori Dango (and no, she didn’t rip of Boys Before Flowers, which is a drama adaptation of the manga Hana Yori Dango which coined the phrase F4). The Z4 consists of Lee Min Ho, Kim Woo Bin, Kang Ha Neul, and Park Hyung Sik. Right now all the high school girl characters seem to be in the air, I’ve heard Krystal will either be playing Rachel Ryu or Lee Bo Na, depending on how busy her f(x) schedule is, with Kim Ji Won taking the other role.
Im Joo Eun’s character is the high school teacher Jeon Hyun Joo, 25 years old and has a loveline with Choi Jin Hyuk’s 31 year old character. Kang Ha Neul’s character is Lee Hyo Shin the son of the Chief Prosecutor and is also the school president of Empire High. He’s described as the perfect smart handsome student, and he’s also a year older than the other three Z4 members and he has a crush on teacher Jeon Hyun Joo. Park Hyung Sik’s character is Jo Myung Joo, the son of the President of a famous car import company, he’s a layabout that doesn’t want to inherit the family business and someone quick to think on his feet.
When I say the casting is ALL OVER THE PLACE, I really mean it. Witness: Lee Min Ho is a ’87er which makes him 26 and he’s playing an 18 year old high school student, but Im Joo Eun is an ’88er which makes her a year younger than Lee Min Ho but she plays his teacher! A 25 year old teacher like her real life age. Choi Jin Hyuk is an ’85er which makes him just 2 years older than Lee Min Ho in real life, but in the drama they are 13 years apart. He’s 31 years old and the President of Empire Group, and Lee Min Ho is 18 and his super young kid brother. Finally Park Shin Hye is a ’90er and is a mere 23 years old playing 18, which might be the least random casting of the leads.
I happen to love all the writer’s dramas and all her female leads (don’t kick me off the playground, pls :P) but much as I like Park Shin Hye, now I am wishing Im Joo Eun would be the female lead as I like her much better (I think PSH is charming and pretty but a very limited actress). Alas…
Im Joo Eun is like milk – does a drama good. Any drama. I’d never kick you off, even if we always disagree more than we agree. Yes? 😀
Looks like we are in the same boat… And I too would have preferred IJE as the lead. Oh well, we’ll see how it goes.
Well, Im Joo Eun has fantastic chemistry with her male co-stars so I expect her scenes with Choi Jin Hyuk will sizzle. Trying to imagine PSH in IJE roles (Arang and Wild Romance), just can’t picture her making those small bits a success.
I love Im Joo Eun especially her character in Wild Romance. But I am not going to watch Heir. The casting is all over the place and High School students for Lee Ming Ho will not work. He looks too old for High School student. Furthermore, there are too many fanatic fans to enjoy a good conversation about the drama – look at Soompi page on Heir and you will know how to avoid it like hell.
Too many females in my opinion. -___-.
I liked this first because it had Park Shinhye. And park Shinhye alone. I’m super allergic to rich snobs. Went to High School with a bunch of them, and lets just say I nearly knocked some teeth out. Rich school story setting = the most annoying female characters ever. Guys are jerks too, but hey, I’m a fangirl. I’m sorry.
I don’t know about the other chicks but Kystal and Kim Ji Won do bitch faces real good. And chances are they’re gonna be one dimensional rich snobs. I got a strong feeling about it.
I almost forgot that Kim Eun Sook does not know how to write female characters… I may pull my hair out if she revives the women in Gentemen’s Dignity.
Yes, her female characters in GD were beyond aggravating!
ITA, I hated nearly all of the female characters – especially the crier and the lead who acted twelve years old – in AGD, a show I detested. But I really liked the female characters in City Hall – after a bumpy start, the lead was downright inspiring, and she had a fabulous relationship with her best friend. Even her bitchy enemy was multi-dimensional.
She can write really good relationship scenes, and I still watch City Hall too see Kim Sun Ah and Cha Seung Won burn the place up. If she writes that sort of relationship story for Im Joo Eun and Choi Jin Hyuk, and then use the bumbling self-conscious AGD heroine role for PSH (that behavior will work much better for an 18-year-old than a 30-year-old) then it could work.
Omg, Miss Koala – Jung Yong Hwa was cast as the lead in another KBS drama… is this your Yoon Eun Hye – Jung Yong Hwa pairing coming true?
For the love of God, I seriously don’t have the strength to watch Kdramas anymore with all these utterly horrid pairings :-/
The gods have smiled upon us – it appears YEH said no, and is considering a different drama. I want to see her with someone that can match her strength and intensity, like Gong Yoo.
Or Joo Ji-hoon, or Kang Ji-hwan…..basically, no idol-actors who can’t emote, please.
God I really like Kim Woo Bin but this is becoming very ridiculous I don’t know if I want to watch this anymore.
Oh my god, how could I forget Kim Woo Bin is in this too?
Kim Woo Bin and Im Joo Eun are definitely more than enough to sign onto this drama for. Lee Min Ho and Park Shin Hye have been a hit and miss for me before. With so many other casted, I’m surprised I like them all too, with the exception of Krystal (more indifferent towards).
Does Kim Eun Sook secretly hate women or something? Has she EVER written a decent female character?
This comment proves that you didn’t watch half of her filmography. Geez, people, please check what you are saying before repeating blindly what your favorite blogger says. I’m really getting tired of all that KES bashing, furthermore when we are talking about a drama not entirely written yet.
Doormat girls are a problem but that problem is a global issue of SK Dramaland. KES is better than your average writer in that area: Stuntwoman with a dominant side in the bedroom, female politician, writer with an ego, rich woman with a trophy husband, successful music manager, actress with a moral code… Those are a few examples of characters she’s written.
Way too much cast that I know won’t get enough screen time or character development since I’m sure most of the focus will be on lmh and psh. I feel like its a waste of so many actors I’d like to see lead other dramas (or even second leads since this has way way too many people)
A “role that Lee Min Ho’s fans will love”?
I didn’t know he was the son of a resort tycoon who spends his days topless; testing tubs, pools, and showers for the company.
LMAO
I’m watching just for LMH…don’t know or care much about the others, except for maybe Choi Jin Hyuk, who I loved in Panda & Hedgehog (crappy show, but awesome bromance). So I’ll definitely keep my up with updates about this show and can’t wait for it to air! Thanks Ms. Koala for the posts! 🙂
nd that’s the first time I’ve been excited about this cast…I love this girl, she was a scene stealer in all three dramas she was in last year despite her characters being minor….I’m glad she’s paired with Choi Jin Hyuk…probably means she won’t be a shrilly second lead to PSH….as for the rest of the cast, I’m only half heartedly in and since this is a KES drama I can’t say I’ll stick around the whole way, but we’ll see for now
This is absolutely hilarious Z4. Gee I wonder what that Z stands for, not much words begin with a Z. I spat out my water when I saw that. And the casting just makes me LOL. CJH honestly looks 3 years MAXIMUM older than LMH. And IJE who’s an 88er playing teacher to an LMH, an 87er. ROFL. Looks like KES just like yall know what, screw it, throw in a bunch of pretty boys and girls and call it a day. This is getting more hilarious by the day but I’ll probably turn in to oogle at the hotness and the possible train wreck that is about to happen
Why does it seem like CJH is only there for a cameo and he will die so lol bro takes over the company? And then it would free up IJE to have the taboo student/teacher romance with KHN. Maybe I’m wrong but I really like CJH and IJE and want them to have significant parts and be together.
Wait soo what it’s Kim WooBin doing if he is not the 2nd lead? He be a waste of talent if relegated to 3 or 4 male lead.
doesn’t Kim Woo Bin 2nd lead? since in official news said he will form love triangle with Lee Min Ho and Park Shin Hye..
i think Choi Young Do maybe 2nd lead…the expect Yoon Chan Young may not the 2nd lead but 3rd lead..i think the role that leaved by yonghwa is woobin’s role
I’m confused about who’s who 😛
its like japanese show special A where all are from rich families except park shin hye
Im Joo Eun is freaking a acting goddess, she’s fantastic. I remember seeing soul and her for the first time and she was just amazing.
I’ll watch her in anything so argh now I really have to watch this especially since she’ll be romancing hot gumiho daddy.
Shame that she isn’t a bigger name because she is such a versatile actress that deserves more recognition.
I am laughing way more over the casting here then the story.
By now, I don’t even care about the plot. Or the fact that the writer is famous. I just want to drool over Kim Haneul and Choi Jin Hyuk. He was adorable in Panda.
OhGOODNESS can I feel how this drama’s gonna be a semi frustration! -_- GOSH NOOOOOOO! Lee Min Ho and ParkShin Hye are talented actors, I’m really going to be extremely disappointed if the story line of the whole drama’s gonna be wonky like BOF. -_- PLEASE! I don’t really mind if their character age does not fit their real age, I just hope that it’s not going to be ruined by a really bad character build up and silly-cheesy nonsense story because obviously this is an amazing once in lifetime pairing.
I love her to the extent i’m going to ignore LMH/PSY but going to ship her and CJY alone..
I love Im Joo Eun! She’s one of the most underrated stars ever! I’m glad she joined this to boost her popularity by a bit. I really wanted to see her on a drama soon since it’s been a year since her cameo in Arang. I didn’t expect her love line to be with Choi Jin Hyuk though. I think Joo Eun would look better with Kang Ha Neul 😛 Strangely, I wasn’t excited for this drama at all even if I like most of the cast. But with Joo Eun’s addition, I might check it out.
She sort of looks like Park Shin Hye. It would be hilarious if they make a running joke out of it in the series.
I feel like I’m already shipping Im Joo Eun and Choi Jin Hyuk, both are people whom I adore. I’ve been keeping track of Im Joo Eun since the horror drama Hon, which was great in my opinion.
I didn’t manage to catch whats up cause dream high or glee or those kind of musical teen drama isn’t my cup of tea. But I caught her in wild romance and end up shipping the second lead couple rather than the LSY and LDW couple who were the reason I watched Wild romance.
Then her cameo in Arang made an impression on me. She’s always been given so little but always manage to convey a lot more and catch my attention, she got the charm and screen presence. I like her even more than PSH which I also adore. LMH is good but somehow I don’t think he should take this role which is so similar to his previous character in BOF.
This is casting palooza that will never stop. Atleast they’re really getting a head start — script reading this month when there’s still IHYV and Master’s sun that needs to finish airing.
I literally spit out my water when I read Z4.
What does that even stand for?
I will be tuning in because this will be one heck of a show.
There’s no way that Kang Ha Neul will look convincingly older than Lee Minho, like that’s not gonna happen. LMH looks older than his age so him playing an 18 yr old is already a stretch, plus Kim Woo Bin also looks older than his age aiiiiish. All in all I’m waiting with a batted breath for this drama (I could do without the high school set up) but looking forward to it!
I can buy Park Shin-hye, Kim Woo-bin and Kang Haneul as high school students, it’s not hard with the 89/90-ers and younger. But the casting of everyone born before those years is seriously all over the map.
Gossip Yori Dango has negative appeal to me, nothing about those character ages makes any sense, and I have a bucketful of reservations about this writer. But every freaking casting announcement is another actor or actress I love. It’s like the universe is *taunting* me.