It’s no question Lee Min Ho had a really really good 2013 with Heirs boosting his popularity all over Asia once again. It didn’t even matter that the drama was mostly terrible and his character was primarily unpalatable, viewers slurped it up and asked for more. Lee Min Ho gave an interview a few weeks ago that I’ve finally gotten around to translating but have been meaning to since it discusses two cutie pies I adore in Kim Bum and Moon Geun Young, plus it fairly screams out some sort of meta-analysis of exactly what he meant. When an interview asked Lee Min Ho whether he knew about good friend Kim Bum’s very public romance with Moon Geun Young before it went public, Lee Min Ho confessed to knowing nothing until the whole world knew. That’s not an indicator of the strength of their friendship but more that both guys were supremely busy at that time filming respective dramas. Lee Min Ho had been filming Heirs since August what with the overseas shoot while Kim Bum was doing the sageuk Goddess of Fire Jeongi. The next bit is what got me totally going “da hell you talking about, boy!” – Lee Min Ho said that after news broke he congratulated Kim Bum who accepted the well wishes stoically and further led to Lee Min Ho complimenting Kim Bum’s romance style as very manly and similar to Kim Tan in Heirs. Lee Min Ho added that he heard the entire production team of GoF knew that the two of them were dating during the filming. Lee Min Ho then joked that he was sure the cute couple probably planned a Christmas eve date, indicating that he’s lost a hanging out single buddy to the warmth of a girlfriend’s company. I watched all of Heirs and recapped that sucker and in no way am I pleased that Lee Min Ho just described Kim Bum’s romance style as like Kim Tan. Did he understand what Kim Tan represented? At least he didn’t say Kim Bum was like Choi Young Do, because then I would have to stage an intervention to save Moon Geun Young. Haven’t heard a peep from the happy couple since they returned to Korea in late November from their European vacation which is good news to me since it means they aren’t being bothered.
Heirs was mildly amusing in some respects but the OTP relationship of Kim Tan and Cha Eun Sang was rarely that if ever. I’m still scratching my head on what a romance style similar to Kim Tan’s means? I’ll assume he means very direct and forward, bravely pursuing the girl he likes. Other aspects of Kim Tan need to never ever be emulated by any man and below are things that I’ve noted:
1. Kim Tan has terrible taste in clothing. Do not emulate.
2. Kim Tan stares a lot at the girl he likes. Do not emulate.
3. Kim Tan easily gets into verbal or fist fights with guys over the girl he likes. Do not emulate.
4. Kim Tan orders his girl around. A lot. Ostensibly for her benefit. Do not emulate.
5. Kim Tan thinks his entire world happiness revolves around getting the girl he likes. Do not emulate.
6. Kim Tan has a mini-meltdown when his girl moves away. Do not emulate.
7. Kim Tan is an ass to anyone he feels like is not nice to the girl he likes. Do not emulate.
8. Kim Tan appears to have no greater purpose in life other than liking the girl he likes. Do not emulate.
9. Kim Tan wears pink lipstick. Do not emulate.
Bwahahaha! Kim Bum the creep.
Don’t read too much into it. I’m sure what he wanted to say is, ‘very
direct and forward, bravely
pursuing the girl he likes.’
P.S- Why KES leads are so much adored in Korea? They are all creeps. Not romantic at all.
Because it’s every girl’s dream to be adored by one incredibly attractive guy to the point he never takes his eyes off of her. I want a Kim Tan; he sooo handsome, and sweet, and charming. He even buys couple clothes for his girlfriend, and protects her from other guys. I just don’t understand why
….people don’t understand him!!! He’s like the bestest guy out there.
If you look past all the sweet things he did for eun sang and focus on the subtext — you’ll start to see it.
You wouldn’t want to be kissed against your will (no matter how attractive he is), told where to go, where to be at all times, told who to meet. So while Kim Tan might have been a nicer KES male lead than usual, the things he said to her turned me off. Basically he treated her as something he claimed. like a prize.
You ask a very good question.
AGD had more than one type of male lead, but it was creepy Jang Dong Gun that got all the love.
Ugh, I hated JDG’s character in AGD. He’s the reason I couldn’t get past ep 6. His “I like you but meanwhile I’m going to continue sleeping with other women but you shouldn’t be offended and should still date me” schtick was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
I feel like KES’s heroes are getting creepier and more stalkerish with every outing. Oh how I miss the days of Jo Gook and Shin Mirae.
@ messi
“Kim Bum the creep”
I’m certain you meant Kim Tan.
I think ‘stares a lot at the girl
he likes’ part might be true. Hahaha 🙂
Haha. compared to his boys before flowers role im sure he meant well when he said that. Or atleast I hope. Park shin hye(in an interview) managed to describe kim tan as “gentle” so im not surprised if the whole cast/south korean audience were under that impression.
I fault that on KES 100% and remain cautious in all her male characters. Even if she makes the nicest male lead ever in the history of k-dramas in her next drama there will always be an aggressive, controlling overlord underneath all the pretty and “romantic” things he did.
Maybe Kim Bum wears pink lipstick and stares at Moon Geun Young all day. Lol!
I wanna add my personal pet peeve:
10. Kim Tan wrist-grabs a lot. Do not emulate.
I agree. No girl likes getting dragged around everywhere. I love Lee Minho but that wrist grabbing turned me off the character big time!
lol Koala you crack me up.
Kim Tan’s one of the worst ‘hero’ figures in a drama in recent years. Yeah, Young Do is terrible but at least the drama is clear that he’s considered awful and cannot have the girl. Tan otoh…..
really lol at ”kim tan wears pink lipstick”… I almost think he’s a gay when i see him for the first time in heirs, but man..this is lee min ho we’re talking about…so my mind wins against my eyes..
But tan’s english really disturb me.. I had to replay it to hear it clearly everytime tan start talking english…even bona better than him..
Koala unni, maybe u can add one more in that list..like kim tan can’t really speaking english? Hehe
Krystal Jung was born in San Francisco, USA. She got in touch with K-entertainment when she and her family had a trip to South Korea in early 2000, but she was still 5 yrs old and her parents didn’t allow her to. Jessica (SNSD) is her sister. Her family residing in USA since 1980s. So she is fluently in English speaking.
I still trying to understand how come KES became such an honored and beloved writer due her full of cliches and declared chauvinism screenwriting. I managed to complete only two of her dramas: City Hall, which I love to bits because its her only drama that the heroine isn’t damsel in distress waiting for a knight come to rescue her and Lovers In Paris with two of my favorite actors and despite the confusing end. But Hair was SO bad and poorly written that even I had a chance to see all nine sections Captain reminded although I retired after episode 6.
My crush on Kim Bum is over, now that he has a girlfriend. But like my brother always say ” it’s not like your gonna get the a chance with the boy anyways”!! what ever brother!!!!
Lee Min Ho and Park Shin Hye is a perfect couple. Wish they date for real!
Wish LMH go straight to the girl he likes and hope that girl is Park Shin Hye.
May be lee min ho referring Kim tan’s brave choice of life is the love for his dream girl , KB bravely choose to date MGY what ever the consequences I think LMH envy him bcz LMH unable to make that choice His Fame or the person he love .
=))) You are funny Mrs Koala. I would not fall for any guy who wears pink lipstick. That is so lame!
No way is Kim Bum’s romance style even remotely close to LMH “Heirs” character. Kim Bum is protective, sweet and caring, always considerate of Moonie’s perspective. Kim Tan’s is obsessive with his girl, he might as well lock her up so he doesn’t have to share her with the world and worried about anyone hurting her.
I’m missing GeunBum so much hope to see them soon, hopefully together.
I can’t understand why anyone would fault a person for not speaking English in the accent people associalte with the west. I think that is totally wrong and very prejudicial. Stop.
Oh those pics of Bummie with Moonie on the set of GoF are too cute! Just reminds me to teenage love.
Kim Bum dating style.
1. Stares a Lot the girl he likes. Don not emulate.
2. Hold hands with the girl he likes. Do not emulate.
3. Wears couple outfits. Do not emulate.
4. Dates the girls he likes even if she’s Nations Little sister. Do not emulate.
I’m actually not against the staring, I love the pictures of Kim Bum staring adorinling at Moong Geun Young. They were the indicator that he had a HUGE crush on Moonie. Lets hope LMH was reffering only to the good aspects and some minor defects, in the end there’s no perfwct guy.
I’m glad there are no news about them, but I miss them a lot. I hope we can see a glimpse of them together in some project. It would be so nice to see them on a Variety Show like a Valentines Special. ❤GeunBum❤ fighting!
Well, in Kim Tan’s defense – he’s eighteen in Korean age, which makes him seventeen in Western age. Teenagers, they do all sort of crazy things that adult wouldn’t understand 😉
Yes, perhaps, but Lee Min Ho isn’t 18/17 and should know better. Kim Tan’s ‘romance style’ is not something you want to emulate. If that comparison was meant as a compliment, than that’s scary, and if it wasn’t, it’s pretty offensive, especially to come from a friend.
Did you even read the interview he gave in Korean over the comparison? He said Kim Bum is straightforward and direct, meaning not afraid to hide anything despite their celebrity status, much like Kim Tan’s view on love. That’s all he said. Koala, as usual, like to add her brand of snark. Before throwing out terms like “scary” or “offensive,” maybe you should check what he actually said first. People like to stir something out of nothing.
I didn’t watch Heirs but based from his character description i read, there is no way they are similar. I hope he only meant they are both direct and manly in pursuing a girl but other than that there is no more.
Haha I love your list! Spot on and had me laughing out loud.
I also hated how he dragged her around by the wrist for like half the drama. I bet she had bruises by the end. Do not emulate.
I wonder whether LMH was hinting on the obstacles Kim Bum would have faced to be with MGY. Hence, his singleminded pursuit against all odds would have been what is striking in the KB-MGY love story. Nice try LMH. Capt K is to be heeded. With LmH’s popularity, he comes with a cigarette packet warning.
LMH is just promoting his drama. That’s my take.
Kim Bum is better boyfriend than Kim Tan 😉
It’s so funny Kim Bum dating style got compare with the dramaland! Kim Bum date Moon Geun Young is in reality life and not written and produce by other people. Only two people like each other and in the other hand Kim Tan and Cha Eun Sang are not even exist. Too many dramas being produce so people can’t tell the different anymore which one is reality and which one is not 🙁
promoting you’r drama by saying that kim tan and the fictional eung sang looked SO good and that their kiss was so real that everyone thought they were dating on award acceptance speech and on interviews. and then chines media report your actually dating. DO NOT EMULATE.
and i do hope that lee min ho isn’t delusional in to thinking kim tan is great bf and kim tan eung sang had an epic model style relationship. if he is promoting that’s totally fine. but imagine if they really believed that as well.
i really miss moon geun young . is there any news about her? it doesn’t mean i want to bothering her , maybe they have their romantic experience and i don’t want to disturb you. but at least come out for a minute say hi to your fans couse i really missing you a lot
LOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEE
Kin Sang Bum <<<<<<<<<<33333333333333333
Creepy or not, Kim bum and min ho are two amazing looking guys and are really talented actors. Tbh I’d still love them even if they starred in Barney and friends^_^
Kim Sang Bum <33333333333333333333333333333333333333333
Kim and meong lol 2 u guys mwaaaaaa
<3<3<3<3<3<3 🙂
kim tan wears pink lipstick??
gosh …that was so laughable..
i have finished watching heirs recently and i didnot notice it at all
LOL
I love kim bum and i dont think he should be compared with kim tan…watched the heirs and i honestly didnt enjoy it. Although i have nothing against lee min ho, i didnt like his character as kim tan
I love you Kim Bum soooooooo… much <3
you're the best actor, guy, friend… eveeeer <3