SBS is easily the network with the biggest haul in 2013, two of the most highly rated K-dramas of the year Yawang and I Hear Your Voice airs on that network. It’s also the network that tends to start prepping for dramas well in advance, or at least releasing information about it so the public can start noodling over the idea. Kim Soo Hyun’s television return in the alien-come-to-Earth drama Man From Another Star won’t air until December (after Heirs with Lee Min Ho and Park Shin Hye), but he’s already inked the contract and now the network is off to find him a leading lady. I thought he had incredible chemistry with younger Suzy in Dream High, and dreadful one-sided chemistry with older Han Ga In in The Moon Embraces the Sun. But he’s actually quite a noona-killer himself, having unleashed his potential playing a younger Go Soo in Will it Snow for Christmas, and really improving on it in the caper movie The Thieves where he tried to woo an older Jeon Ji Hyun. She’s one of Korea’s top movie actresses and is credited with being many an international viewer’s entry point to classic K-movies with My Sassy Girl a decade ago. I’ve liked her since, she’s one of those rare Korean beauties that is both a sex-pot and a girl-next-girl, as opposed to one or the other. Jeon Ji Hyun hasn’t done a K-drama in 13 years since Happy Together but her agent has confirmed to the press that SBS has indeed been courting Jeon Ji Hyun for the role of a top actress in this drama. She has only received a synopsis for the drama and will be waiting until she gets actual scripts before making a decision. Such a wise move I have no words, I often wonder how many drama atrocities could be avoided had an actor or actress turned down an offer based on just an outline. Jeon Ji Hyun attended a Christian Dior boutique opening in Seoul last week and donned a CD dress that is very structurally unique and looks great on her. But the thin wool material and grey color seems rather seasonally ill-suited for the Summer. As for the drama casting, while I would like to see her re-team with Kim Soo Hyun, I worry that she’s just too big of a movie star to go back to TV, especially with the recent critical success of her hit film The Berlin Files with Ha Jung Woo.
Man from Another Star is going to rocket up the must-see list if Jeon Ji Hyun does sign on. I hope it doesn’t have a reincarnation spin, like the leading lady in modern times is the reincarnated lover of Kim Soo Hyun’s alien character from the Joseon era when they first met. I do rather like the wink-wink of Jeon Ji Hyun playing an older woman and looking older than Kim Soo Hyun when his character has lived on Earth for hundred of years but appears to the world like a young man.
My Daughter Seo Young was a KBS drama. I watched it on KBS World.
If they go with reincarnated lover theme, it will be like a sequel to Gu Family Book.
This is one noona-young guy tandem that could work, visually and acting talent. But if I were JJH’s agent, TV drama appearance would be down on the priority list. She came off from a mega box-office hit (The Thieves) and another hit + critical acclaim esp. her performance (Berlin File). And she’s one of the most sought after endorsers even without the help of the far-reaching TVs. Unless of course, the script, production and casts of the TV drama would bring out something new from her. Let’s just wait and see. 🙂
I haven’t seen her in any movie or drama….My Sassy Girl is a movie which has been watched by even my non-kdrama-addict friends…..but I never have the urge to watch it….
sageuk + time travel looks a meh right now…..I’m just bored of it….but Kim Soo Hyun might make me watch it….
By the way, have you completed Cyrano Dating Agency koala?? waiting to read your reviews on it 🙂
The most highest rated show this year also include Horse Doctor and Gu Family Book- both of which are in MBC. Also, MDSY was in KBS. So although SBS has a big line up in the fall, they only have IHYV as a high rated show… As far as I remember.
Anyway, I am not big on such a huge movie star to go back to dramas. But maybe if she does decide on it, it’ll be good? I’m not interested in this project at all, but then again – also not into heirs. So I’m an oddball I suppose…
Queen of Ambition too!
Hmm. Ha Ji Won, who’s a bigger movie star than Jeon Ji Hyun, seems to do just fine going back and forth between tv and movies. In any case, I think JJH would be wise to try a tv drama so she can get to do some action with a little more depth. With Berlin File as a possible exception, her last three or four films have been mediocre to say the least.
I actually think JJH is a bigger star than HJW.
Well, we’ll have to agree to disagree! 🙂 HJW has a movie career of 18 films since 2000, on average more than one a year. JJH has made 11 since 1999. HJW is routinely voted as no. 1 on lists of actresses with most box office pull (such as this recent one: http://blog.dramafever.com/2013/07/guess-whos-the-top-actress-to-see-in-theaters-this-year-top-10-list-included). Both facts suggests that HJW has a bigger draw with the Korean public than JJH. Of course such a comparison is not quantitative in any way, so lets just leave it at that!
@sassygirl that list has Suzy on it . I would take it with the grain of salt.
I’d think Jeon Ji Hyun may have the edge over HJW on the A-list totem pole. 1) JJH has done fewer movies doesn’t mean she’s less. Think Angelina Jolie who’s only done like 2 films in the past 5 years and still she’s the biggest megastar. Sometimes quantity doesn’t equal superiority… 2) JJH is routinely hailed as THE most beautiful K-actress, adding to that elusive quality of hers 3) She’s the original CF queen and still the top at it.
Jeon Ji Hyun aka Gianna Jun is a bigger movie star than Ha Ji Won, and it has nothing to do with what the public votes in websites or how many movies/dramas they’ve made. Ji Hyun is literally one of the two female faces of Korean entertainment from a Western awareness perspective. The other being Jeon Do Yeon, Korea’s own Cannes Best Actress winner. Some top actresses like Ha Ji Won traverse TV and movies with equal aplomb, but very few in K-ent have the stature that JJH and JDY have racked up.
This is a completely bizarre and unpersuasive argument: (1) First of all, an actress’ movie stardom is naturally determined by her resumé and box office draw. That’s what it means to be a star: producers put you in movies because the public wants to watch the movie if you are in it. If you compare HJW and JJH virtually all JJH’s movies since Windstruck have been ensemble pieces where JJH have been one, but certainly not the only star. Whereas HJW’s movies since BA:BO almost all have been star vehicles for her, and her alone. The Thieves and The Berlin File are not “JJH movies”. Tidal Wave, Sector 7, The Huntresses, etc. are “HJW movies”. Carrying a movie is the definition of being an A-list star.
(2) That JJH is bigger movie star just because she is more famous in the West is self-evidently an arbitrary argument. Why the west? Why not the rest of Asia, or South America – where HJW is arguably more well-known? Still, at the end of the day, it is pointless argument because in reality neither JJH nor HJW are known in the West outside of small enclaves of k-movie aficionados. Sadly, only two Korean movie makers are at all known to Western movies fans, and both are directors: Kim Ki-duk and Park Chan-wook.
In any case, my original argument was that it makes little sense to say that JJH can’t do a tv drama when HJW obviously can. Since I assume we can agree that, any small differences in stature aside, they are more or less equally big stars, that point still stands.
HJW is a star yes but JJH is a Movie star. It doesn’t matter if box office wise HJW makes more money but simply their status is completely different.
I don’t think JJH is the best actress but she is on a completely different star level then HJW.
Sorry: “acting”, not “action”. 🙂
I don’t think she’ll do it. She’s such a big name in the movies right now so I doubt she’l want to make the comeback to television after all. She’s managed to become a movie star so I don’t think she’s that eager to return to the small screen. I thought thieves was really terrible but I admit JJH and KSH were cute together.
“Man from another Star”? Alien-come-to-earth drama? The plot definitely sounds like a currently airing Japanese drama, “Starman – This Star’s Love”
http://www.mydramalist.com/japanese-drama/6934/starman-this-stars-love
Are they remaking this one into Korean version? Interesting…
my daughter seo young is from kbs. check your facts right
Love her outfit… pretty girl
i’m a total kim soo hyun fan and basing on their Thieves team up, i might try this one!
thanks for the post koala sis!
I think she is one of the most beautiful actresses in Korea, even more so than Kim Tae hee, who’s overrated me thinks. Also, she is a really good actress. I would check it out if she’s in it.
I think the tv screen would explode with KSH and JJH together. That would be something the writers couldn’t mess up.
I guess we are discussing two things here, and I am totally guessing based on my hunch.
Do I think JJH is too big a star to return to TV after 13 years?
Why isn’t HJW too big a star to do TV?
I think the 13 years is the main indicator here. JJH prolly doesn’t LIKE the long grueling hours, slave-like conditions required for a drama. HJW, who continues to do dramas, must not mind that time, and may even enjoy the experience, despite how exhausting it is.
Both are CF queens with a huge fan base – although JJH’s sexy may make her slightly more interesting outside of Korea. HJW has played more safe sexy, I think. I love both ladies and enjoy their choice of strong female characters.
I dig her fingernails but her pairing with KSH in this supernatural drama not so much.
@Mrs Koala: lil’ typo up there – it’s Christian (Dior) with an “a” not an “o”. 😉
Since when o.o
I was under the impression it was always dior.
Err… my comment applied to his first name, not his last name. See the “a” in bold while his last name is into brackets? So yes it is Dior with an ‘o’ and Christian with an ‘a’.
Oh! I didn’t see that you were trying to correct Christian! My bad! 🙂
I rather love her dress. It’s quirky and sophisticated at the same time.
The Berlin File was successful? Well, I guess it made money, but I’ve seen a lot of negative critical reviews – lots of style, but no story, no characters that one can care for.
Well, for sure she and kim soo hyun are going to have explosive chemistry in man from another star just from those stills above.
I think he had really cute chemistry with suzy, but i think it’s about time he had a co-star with a sexy, mature vibe. I think that’s when he becomes official noona-killer.
Han Ga In unfortunately could not muster up any chemistry with kim soo hyun.
I really dont want another married actress doing drama with Kim Soo Hyun. It sucks remember The Moon and Sun.
KSH x JJH = explosive cute chemistry in Thieves. Looking fwd to more of this sexy noona-dongsaeng pairing. I guess JJH may consider this tv role as a way of giving back love to her korean fans.
I don’t think she will do it either. I can’t see her going back to TV, especially with the stress of it all. But then again, I didn’t think that JDG would ever go back to TV either. So I guess anything can happen. I feel like it would have to be some really great draw to get her back on TV.