I have a mostly love relationship with Jang Geun Seok. Even his last few years of strange musical choices and a rather party heavy lifestyle has only rendered me disappointed that he’s not honing his acting craft and instead indulging his youthful predilections. Nothing wrong with that but without a great drama or character under his belt it’s hard to keep riding the wave of his previous popular projects. One can say he hasn’t had a hit since 2009’s You’re Beautiful, but those who watched it live like I did will remember that drama had terribly low ratings against the juggernaut that was IRIS and only gained a critical and cult hit online and overseas. I actually enjoyed his most recent drama Pretty Boy (Bel Ami) but it really wasn’t anything memorable when all’s said and done. Jang Geun Seok might even think his rom-com days are over because this one was a severe ratings disappointment. In a recent interview, he emphatically said that PB would be his last rom-com ever.
I loathe it when the words “ever” are appended to a declaration because it’s always too early to say ever, especially for a young actor like him. If he wants to focus on serious acting gigs then I’m all for it, but it’s once again his immaturity talking to brush aside an entire genre for the entirety of the rest of his acting career. I do wonder what would have happened had he not already agreed to do PB when the MBC folks came a-calling to ask him to play the role of the Yuan Emperor Ta Hwan in Empress Ki. He was offered the role and he turned it down because he was already signed on to PB. It would have reunited him with Ha Ji Won and man those two had serious chemistry despite the major age difference when they did Hwang Jin Yi. I would probably like Ta Hwan a lot better if Jang Geun Seok played him since I love him so much in sageuk form most memorably as Prince Chang Hwi in Hong Gil Dong. Coming up next for Jang Geun Seok will be a blast from the past as he’s heading to China this week to film a Chinese CF with his frequent collaborator Park Shin Hye. It would mark their third CF pairing together and I’m actually super curious what their chemistry is like now almost five years after their You’re Beautiful collaboration.
They really very super adorable together, and Jang Geun Seok mentioned in this most recent interview that she’s still a very close friend and he’s been super happy for all her recent career successes. I actually liked their CFs together and think they would have worked better had their drama characters been less cartoonish in You’re Beautiful.
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Imo, he will always be the one park shin hye had the most chemistry with until another comes along to prove that wrong.
The fact that he says that PB is the last rom-com he'll do "ever" kind of shows how burned he was with PB which ended up being a dud commercially. I doubt it will be his last, but I can see how he'd strive for more serious roles in the future and try to shed the pretty boy image(like Kim Hyun Joong). Maybe the dismal ratings of PB was a wake up call for him -- it's easy to feel like your star power has declined when no one watches your drama. One can only hope that he'll take on a role that i can love in the future since the guy can act.
Before PB was aired, he already said it will be his last rom-com. It has nothing to do with rating.
Yeah, like min pointed out, he already said it would be his last rom-com before PB even started airing.
An immature little boy. (This is a mom speaking as a mom, so fangirls just take a deep breath and bear with me.)
There are plenty of actors who take a nothing part in a nothing drama and make it interesting, make it worth watching. Sung Joon had to stand around in a bad wig and make Suzy look good. Yoo Yean Sook had to doggedly go after the girl, episode after long episode. Yet they both took what they had and made it more than worthwhile.
JGS has had his pick of projects, and hasn't taken any of them anywhere - yet it is somehow everyone else's fault, or the fault of the genre. I think he needs to take responsibility for his life, and for the direction of his career, and start paying some serious dues in terms of perfecting his craft. Barring that, I am more than ready to see him go off to the army, to get his hairstyles and his personality in for an attitude adjustment.
he'll always be the one park shin hye had the most chemistry with
I'd say Yoon Shi-yoon gives him a good run for his money....plus unlike YAB, we got a good kiss scene out of their drama.
OMG.. Why always brought up the kiss scene?? Let it go!
I agree. I started noticing PSH because of her chemistry with
JGS. I do like his hair now. PB was a bust for me. I stopped watching after episode 3. This is sad because I usually sit through dramas
for a fave actor but then, my drama list was full an a lot more interesting dramas need to be viewed. Good luck to one of my
favorite actors, hope he does another film.
Am really sorry that JGS wasted his time on Bel Ami. It did start off fairly well with enough to entice you to watch the next episode but after he left his first lover and moved on to the con-shama, it went downhill from there. There wasnt really a focus to the story at all and it was like watching ants walking aimlessly round a perti dish.
I hope he gets a good drama soon.
Awwwww... They are adOrable. They are better off as friends.
I also wonder how they will be as well. Can't wait.
Koala, u have got to give us more info when they do work 2gether on the commercial.
Lovely photos. I would love to see them together in the future in melodrama. But I guess since they are still very young, a right melodrama script for their age would be hard to find. I wish Hong sisters would think of writing special scripts with both of them in their minds. You're Beautiful was written by them specially for Jang Geun Suk. Did Jang Geun Suk really say "last rom-com ever"? I have to listen to it again. Looking forward to their new CF.
Ms koala this is what JKS said according to the translation, "it might be early for me to say, but this could be my last rom-com" but i never read the word ever. He did not swear on it or something like that as some fans have misunderstood it again as usual.
awwww! my ever favorite love team!!! thanks to both of them I started watching KDRAMA.. my very first KDRAMA you're beautiful... :)
Yup, he must do for a long time, after You're beautiful.
I had been his fan, but i 'm tire of his current image. Plz GS, come back a menly style
I became a huge fan of him after watching you're beautiful and have watched all his dramas and movies ever since. Then I slowly realized that he became weirder and weirder…he also makes really bad choices on projects…i always loved him for his acting and singing abilities so i really want to see him in a good (hopefully hit) drama, preferably a sageuk, or just a great drama where his acting skills aren't wasted!
Also love to see him with park shin hye!
Thanks for this post!
I don't get why he needs to swear of rom-com when there the genre itself has a very lovable niche... I think he needs to pick better character and synopsis than the usually Handsome/pretty guy being idolized/loved by the heroine cause frankly speaking that has been his pick for the past years now, which is just getting boring... the boy can act.. really really well but I think everyone knows he can act that character even with his eyes closed. He needs to diversify his character and synopsis drama picks.. I think saguek would be the best pick for him but also a melo would be a good pick with his caliber.
Still hoping he can bounce back from his funk in the kdrama scene...
It's obvious he's upset because PM didn't do well, but I didn't expect him to expect it to do well in the first place. I think about 80% of us felt it wouldn't attract ratings and the only reason he did it was to hopefully imitate what YB did. Anyway, I think he's great with rom-coms, just that he needs to select a script that isn't silly fluff.
I really think he's a great actor. He just has this knack of picking some really bad drama projects - along the lines of Yoo Ah-in. Hopefully he does a good one soon before he enlists. Or maybe when he goes to military, he can finally shed some attitude and the flowery image. I'd like to see him do something manly.