Of all the idol actors or actresses that can’t act worth a lick, I have a personal soft spot for Kim Hyun Joong. Perhaps his turn as Baek Seung Jo in Playful Kiss endeared him to me so much so that his stiffness sorta bounces off me like teflon. I do wish he would take a second lead role and perhaps use that to work on his technique more (okay, a lot), but it looks like K-drama producers have pegged him as the leading man or not at all. He spent the latter part of 2012 filming the dark manhwa adapted City Conquest, with the first part of filming taking place in Japan for its overseas shoot. Back then the drama didn’t have a network and was being independently financed by the production company, which probably got a lot of Japanese investors hence the overseas location shoot there. Sadly for the production team, CC got a time slot on KBS only to then lose it in an about turn. At which point Kim Hyun Joong dropped out and the rest of the drama folded thereafter. It was a shame because I liked the rest of the cast consisting of Namgong Min, Jung Yumi (of Rooftop Prince), and Park Hyo Joon. I wasn’t particularly sad this drama got shelved because it seemed so ambitious but having Kim Hyun Joong playing a very gritty character hell bent on revenge was such a heavy burden for him to shoulder this drama could easily turn into a hot mess. Well now I get to actually sample the wares because Japanese cable network DATV aired a thirty minute special called City Conquest: Episode Zero consisting of completed footage from the overseas filming as well as BTS scenes. I gather DATV owned the rights for the Japanese broadcast and since this drama had footage already shot, might as well try to put it into something that can be aired and sold with some commercials. After watching it, I have to say shelving it was the right idea, but it also wasn’t a hot mess. There was some visual appeal and as usual I remain stunned by how good looking Kim Hyun Joong is onscreen. But from what little I see, he doesn’t have chemistry with Jung Yumi and I’m not feeling any gut check feeling with the story either. Sometimes its better to cut one’s losses and this instance fits the bill. I rather enjoyed what little of CC was shown but it’s not a drama I wish could be resurrected. Wolf, on the other hand, is one incomplete drama I still desperately want to see how it was all intended to unfold.
City Conquest Episode Zero:
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What happened with "Wolf"?
Wolf was a melodrama/romance that was supposed to air for 16 episodes in Jan 2006. It stared Eric, Uhm Tae Woong, and Han Ji Min. Only three full episodes were filmed and aired. It was delayed after a terrible car accident caused Eric and HJM to go into the hospital. It was supposed to start up again. . .but, more delays shelved the project and it was dropped after a few weeks. Later that year (in Sept) Eric and HJM stared in Invincible Parachute Agent together.
Thanks Nichole!
I miss his long hair but man this man is so darn good looking even with his current short hair..... I really wish this show hadn't been dropped I was looking forward to it I don't think I can even watch the special because it will just make me want to watch the entire thing =\
So I'm having an off day what with being sick and all. As I was typing in the web address to come to the playground I said to myself... please miss koala give me something good... and this is what loads. WAY BETTER THEN GOOD!!! Day=made!
I haven't read the thread yet, however I just wanted to say "Thank You so much!" for the update, and for posting this. Now I will go and read...
Your opening line is gold and made me LOL.
I am not a KHJ fangirl, but even I have to admit that photo of him is rather nice.
When I read the idea of the show, which makes me think of Cruel City, I simply cannot imagine KHJ playing Baksa. He could, however, maybe play one of the cops. He needs more time in the actor over before taking on something that heavy.
I wonder at what point you just say to yourself, "Maybe I'm not cut out to be an actor?"... perhaps after torturing audiences for a few more years.
LOL. Yes, this. I wish there was a 'three strikes, you are out' rule in kdramas.
I think KHJ could play Baksa in a musical. Every time he reaches an emotionally intense scene, he could just break out into a song-and-dance routine. All the baddies could join in - imagine Chairman Jo tap dancing and Safari doing some suave Travolta moves.
Literally laughed out loud. Thank you.
I'm a fan of KHJ but I was so glad that this drama was cancelled. I know thinking this way as a fan is terrible cause I think he wanted so much to establish himself as an action actor rather than the pretty boy actor, but in my opinion CC was really not a way to go about that.
Honestly, at first I was happy for a little bit to know he was starting drama (just because I am a baised fan and I wanted to see him on a weekly basis). But I get this tingly-spider-sense feeling every once in a while they post some stills on CC. It kinda made me feel something was off. His stills with JYM though beautiful was still awkward for me, the only pictures I loved, was him with his best buddy in the drama -- They looked like they have been friends for a long time.
Anyway, when finally they officially announced it's cancelled I was totally relieved.
I super agree with you Ms.Koala, He really should take 2nd lead, or maybe just be one of the supporting actors. He still doesn't have that acting prowess as the lead. He can be intense and perfect in bits but when one needs full acting and full delivery of emotions for a very long span of time he kinda falls. he can make me feel giddy just looking at him but he can't capture and move me too much.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan but come on, I need more from him to make me feel. I need to have that jump of emotion to connect to the plight of the hero -- pain, anger, happiness, falling in love, sadness whatever. I just need more cause that is what I look for in dramas.
Fans can't make excuses anymore -- that it's his first acting role, or that he primarily an actor or an idol, or that he improved already since BoF ---- those has already been overused excuses. He needs to step it up or more like leap it up a very high number of steps in the acting department. He wants to be taken seriously as an actor, he needs to invest, he needs to show that he can and he will be! He should not be an actor who improved in acting by this stage, he needs to be an actor already.
I have faith he can do it, he has done it with his music he can do it in this field also...
PS. I also want him to play a villain. he can be the pretty-boy-goody-toe-shoes on the outside but then inside he is pure evil. hahahahaha!!!
anyway thanks for the post ms.koala, I so wanted you to post about him this past few days especially since he just lunched his 3rd mini album. Thanks again!!!
KHJ is not the worst kdrama actor out there (that honor has to go to Yunho), but he is pretty terrible. He's awfully pretty and seems like a cool guy, but I wish he'd never get cast in anything I am remotely interested in because he's just painful on screen.
Why does he keep getting leading roles? PK did horribly in the ratings and while BOF was a huge hit, it probably wasn't because of him as he was the secondary guy.
Japan. It all comes back to Japan.
We got to see Namgong Min's abs!! And yes KHJ is my soft spot too!
The only reason why I would have checked out this drama- Nam Goong Min. Sad for him that it couldn't take off in Korea.
I will always have a soft spot for KHJ because of his We Got Married stint. Dunno if it was "acting", but that last episode of him and Hwang Bo, I was in tears.
I like his nice smile.
Okay, despite his sucky acting i do feel a bit of empathy for him and the whole production team because it seemed like they worked hard only to get shelved. So yeah, time and effort gone.