I thought IRIS 2 was one of the biggest busts of the 2013 year considering its massive cast and astronomical budget. KBS pretty much took a wash on it and in the process wasted some of my favorite leading men in Jang Hyuk and Lee Bum Soo in yet another stinker. KBS has more than made up for it with Lee Bum Soo, giving him such a plum role as the Korean Prime Minister in a sweet and sparkling gem of a rom-com that is Prime Minister and I. The network appears to be doing the same for Jang Hyuk, who has just confirmed that he’ll be headlining a rom-com on KBS Mon-Tues to air after the melodrama Full Sun with Yoon Kye Sang and Han Ji Hye. Since MBC has the ratings leader Empress Ki going until April, it makes sense KBS isn’t even bothering with the sageuk genre but will instead toggle melodrama with rom-com to offer up an alternative to the viewers. I love Jang Hyuk so so much and if his upcoming rom-com called Mozart Romance is anywhere as wonderful as PM has been, this will more than sooth my ruffled feathers over his ridiculous character and plot line in IRIS 2. Jang Hyuk hasn’t done a rom-com in almost 12 years since Successful Story of the Bright Girl which launched his and Jang Nara‘s careers. His tendency is towards serious fare and since his discharge from the military in 2006 he’s had an equal share of drama hits I’ve loved (Thank You, Chuno, Tree with Deep Roots) as well as misses (Tazza, Robbers, Midas, IRIS 2). If Sidus HQ hadn’t gotten into a pissing match with SBS and pulled Jang Hyuk from Secret Garden at the last minute and Hyun Bin stepped in, he would have already done his rom-com with Ha Ji Won and SG as we know it would have been a different beast. Not much is available about Mozart Romance other than a brief character synopsis: Jang Hyuk plays a genius composer who idolizes Mozart and ends up in a coma for 14 years, once he wakes up he finds his first love is now with his rival who is a Salieri-esque envious composer, and in his re-normalization process he meets a young aspiring singer who has the voice but suffers from stage fright. This sounds all so melodramatic so I’m going to have to trust in KBS who says this is going to be a rom-com.
None of the other cast members have been finalized yet since the drama is still far from airing. Judging from the character synopsis, the female lead is going to be much younger than the other three leads. If SM wants to keep striking while its iron is hot, what with three stellar outings in a row with its actresses with Go Ara in Answer Me 1994, Yoona in Prime Minister and I, and Lee Yeon Hee in Miss Korea, then I’m all for using one of SM’s singer-actress talent since the female lead has to know how to sing. Speaking of singing, who’s the best female singer in SM anyways?
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I'm not a fan of JH... He's good to action scenes but he has no chemistry with his co-stars...
This sounds interesting, though I wonder where the comedy will come from. I vote for Ara for the female lead, as imo she's the best actress out of the 3 (I guess 4, if we count Sooyoung too). Lee Yeon Hee actually has a really lovely voice though, perhaps better than Ara's. Her performance in Miss Korea is quite impressive, especially considering how wooden I used to find her. She's doing well (and drama itself is sooooo good) but I just can't picture her opposite Jang Hyuk for some reason. Yoona's not a strong singer, so I guess she's not really suitable for the role.
Out of the whole of SM I'd say either SNSD's Taeyeon or CSJH The Grace's Dana (unfortunately her group's not active anymore, but all the members were good singers).
SNSD's Taeyeon would get my vote for best vocals. I think SM should get her some acting gigs because I think she could act unlike Jessica or Yuri. But personally, I'd want Sunny in a drama as I know she could act and she sings very well too.
Also Luna from f(x) is really good but I don't know about her acting, since I haven't seen her in anything. Krystal is a good singer too but she's too young haha
Taeyeon is definitely the best singer in SM. But I don't know if they'll actually launch her as a leading lady since she doesn't have any acting experience. She is Yoona's level in popularity though, so I can't imagine it being a bad thing. I'd definitely tune in if she's casted. It would also create a lot of buzz...
I'm not a fan of JH though. He's a good actor but I don't find his chemistry compelling - both with his leading ladies and just other actors in general. But I haven't seen all his dramas so it can just depend. This one does sound like a melo though...
Re: Jang Hyuk and chemistry, I would tend to agree except in the cases of Lee Da Hae and Shin Se Kyung. I think that in general he is so charismatic on screen (kind of like Choi Min Soo) that your eye gets drawn to his intensity and you miss the small actions and moments that let you feel chemistry. But hopefully he can tone down this intensity in a rom com.
Sooyoung should be cast here.....I don't know about singing but she is a good actress :)
By the way, it is always nice to see serious actors doing a rom-com (Cha Seung Won, So Ji Sub)....so I'm excited!!
FYI, she can't sing.
Hmm, i think BOA is also good choice.
I like JH... so will be good to see him in drama... but a rom-com.. that'll be funny.. i can't see him being funny... but seeing SJS transform in the master's sun.. JH may proof me wrong.
I actually would like to see Nam Gyuri ... don't like her much in 49 days.. but after seeing her in Heartless City.. i think she has potential with the right role and she can definitely sing.
Jang Hyuk IRL is really a funny guy. if you want to see him being funny you should try to watch The Successful Story OF Bright Girl. and there's no glimps of Dae Gil or Chae Yoon there. :D
i think lee yeon hee can be good too...she has good voice...i have seen her singing clip...kim ji won(the heirs) also can sing and act but i think she is too young. Park shin hye don't have that powerful vocal. How about idol turn actress? Nam Gyu Ri? She can sing! Kim ah joong? She got a powerful vocal... Jung Eun Ji?? She is really good in rom-com...and got a sizzling chemistry with her co-star(kim bum, seo in guk) and got a powerful vocal!(come on...she is main vocal for A-pink!) The plotline seem interesting and hope it can be hit...don't know why...but it seem can be hit like beethoven virus?(maybe both about music? haha)...
Jung Eun Ji is lovely - she has the talent and the voice, but i think she's too young for what this role sounds like. ('93er is a bit too young)
What about Lee Yoo Bi from the same agency? I guess the vocals could be pre-recorded.
But I'm a little suspicious that only 2 articles have been released in the past week... I wonder if this is just one of those dramas that is discussed but not organized.
She can sing, though - not as well as an idol group main vocalist like Taeyeon or Eun-ji, but she can definitely sing.