KBS in Lurch with Iron Man: Lead-in Joseon Gunman Extended 2-episodes and Follow-up Healer Complete Main Cast
There’s a storm brewing in the KBS Wed-Thurs time slot and hopefully this week will iron (har har) things out fully. Joseon Gunman has been leading the ratings but it’s a nominal victory since all three dramas including It’s Okay, It’s Love and Fated to Love You are are so close together and have plenty of buzz. I like it since all three are getting equal shares attention and the 1-2-3 rankings doesn’t really matter in this case. IOIL has lined up its follow up drama in My Lovely Girl (She’s So Loveable) with Rain, Krystal, Im Joo Eun, and L, and FTLY has started filming awhile ago on My Spring Days with Kam Woo Sung, Sooyoung of SNSD, Lee Joon Hyuk, and Yang Jin Sung. That leaves KBS so far behind that it has actually gotten poor Joseon Gunman to agree to a 2-episode extension to buy the network more time for the scheduled drama Iron Man to get its shit in order and find a leading man.
I love JG so much the extension news pains me because I know it’ll disrupt the narrative momentum as all extensions are wont to do, especially in this case when its not due to the production have more story to tell but because the network needs some help bailing out the follow up drama. Even more absurd is the casting confirmation this week that the main leads of Healer, the drama following Iron Man, has cast all its main leads in Yoo Ji Tae, Park Min Young, and Ji Chang Wook. There is a literal ticking clock on KBS to find an actor willing to take on Iron Man’s male lead as someone with so much pain he sprouts knives from his body. Ji Sung turned down the role and reportedly Park Shin Yang has been unearthed to dangle the role in front of him. Clearly it requires shouty overacting. Everything about Iron Man the K-drama sounds sooooo wack. *muffles incredulous laughter*
There’s been a bit of a shuffle around Ji Chang Wook’s post-Empress Ki drama, initially he was in talks for the reverse-aging Mr. Baek but then that drama got the post-IOIL time slot take by My Lovely Girl and then got picked up by MBC. Naturally red flags are raised when a drama loses an airing slot and then changes networks so for Ji Chang Wook’s sake I’m glad he passed on Mr. Baek and joined veterans Yoo Ji Tae and screenwriter Song Ji Na in Healer. She remains most famous for starting her career off by writing the critically acclaimed blockbusters Eyes of Dawn and Sandglass but her last two dramas in Faith and What’s Up? have been ratings disappointments. Park Min Young took a long acting hiatus after Dr. Jin and changing management companies but she’s back in a big way, first getting to act opposite Kim Myung Min in A New Leaf and now joining Yoo Ji Tae and Ji Chang Wook in Healer. I find myself always able to watch her act as she doesn’t annoy me but she also hasn’t managed to draw out any emotions from me in her roles. The only time I really liked her was in the ridiculous Man of Honor (Glory Jane).
I’m wondering of KBS will swap Iron Man and Healer and rush the later into production so it can air at the end of September. Either way Joseon Gunman will definitely end at 22-episodes so something has to be ready to air then. Even though I hate extensions, I can’t complain that we get an extra week of Lee Jun Ki being the derpiest gunman EVER.
Iron man sounds like a joke but Healer seems really interesting.. Maybe they can switch it up?
Someone needs to rescue KBS for Ironman. An actor with nothing to lose could take it. Why not Park Si Ho? That could be his penitence for his questionable behavior with the ladies: One sprouting knife for each lie or sin…
LOL…even for just this ridiculous drama, KBS still not considering him for the lead…
I hope KBS will finally open its eyes and see how Iron Man sounds like an upcoming epic flop and forget about airing it. I won’t be surprised if KBS finally swap Iron Man with Healer. Healer seems already much more interesting. Also there’s nothing worse than a Wed/Thursday line-up with Krystal, Sooyoung and Shin Se Kyung.
Sooyoung is good though.
She’s an OK actres but her pairing with Kam Woo Sung has to be one of the worst pairing ever (or one of the less attractive, swoon-worthy ever). I’m not even talking about the plot who sound like your generic kdrama. Out of all the upcoming Wed/Thursday drama, I don’t know which one is the worst, plot-wise and pairing-wise.
Everyone thought that about her pairing with Lee Jong Hyuk but they nailed it. They had such an amazing and hot chemistry together that it was hard to believe that they have an age difference of 16 years. Sooyoung works well with older men. She had a good chemistry with Oh Ji Ho in Third Hospital too. Even as a MC, she has a really great chemistry with her co-host Yoon Do Hyun in One Night of TV Entertainment. When you see the two of them together, you can’t believe they are 18 years apart. So yeap’, we never know 🙂
Hi Koala! As per the media reports, Healer will be a drama following Nodame Cantabile on the Monday-Tuesday block. And there are also news that the The Face Reader TV Remake (tentatively titled King’s Face) will occupy the post Iron Man slot on Wed-Thurs. 🙂
They should just drop Iron Man, nothing about that drama sounds appealing.
Just wanted to add that Jang Shin Young has been replacing Yang Jin Sung for the role of Ji Won in My Spring Days. I don’t know the details but there were articles about it so I thought you knew but you wrote her name on the title so I guess you didn’t hear yet. It was really confusing because in the drama’s thread on Soompi, we were sure she was confirmed for the role so we don’t understand why she got replaced. There are already pictures of Jang Shin Young filming at the hospital so YJS is really out.
Awe no, I was really looking forward to Yang Jin Sung in this drama.
Too bad cause she and Lee Joon Hyuk would have made a great second lead OTP. Still I like Jang Shin Young just the same. so not too much of a bad news.
Iron Man ? Sound very interesting ( especially for my son, he said : Whoaa Mom, Iron Man ? Jinja? ) I believes that KBS need to changes the airtime to 09.00 to 10.00 AM….Maybe KBS could go for a newbie ? like a 12 or 15 years old ?
@mystisith : ha ha ha on Park Si Ho…well, it could be done right ? plus we got to see his shirtless and sprouting steel, then doing good deeds.
Why cant KBS show a 2 eps drama special as filler? No point in killing a drama to hold on to the rating when the quality is compromised.
I actually just heard Im Joo-eun is out of My Lovely Girl, something about scheduling conflicts :/ And I’m really disappointed to hear about Yang Jin-sung being out of My Spring Days, I love her and I want more roles for her ; n;;
And damn, everyone sounds pretty pessimistic about Iron Man. I wasn’t took sure about the premise but love the director so I was hoping this project would go well (especially after the disaster that was Blade and Petal – I’m still mourning in all honesty). Guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens
I’m sorry to be out of topic.but the bts pictures of LJK and NSM above are so adorable.now i’m afraid i’m going to ship them in real life.
I’ve thought of this since Lee Soohyun and Ari era.. haa..
I just realised two sm girls are in the same time slot! Krystal and sooyoung haha but sadly krystal’s drama would probably get more attention as there’s rain in it )-:
I’m happy with a 2-episode extension as I get to stare at sexy Lee Jun Ki some more.
Healer is in mon-tues time slot.will air after Nodame Cantabile finish…