Nice Guy Nostalgia Returns as Moon Chae Won Picks Song Joong Ki as Her Most Compatible Leading Man
With my Yoo Seung Ho safely out of the army and back in my virtual drama land embrace, that leaves only Song Joong Ki left that I’m waiting to return triumphant from his military service stint. He’s still got four more months left so I haven’t been dialing up my anticipation too much yet but he was back in the news in a big way this week courtesy of his last drama Nice Guy leading lady Moon Chae Won. She’s been out promoting the rom-com movie Today’s Love costarring Lee Seung Gi and naturally got a reporter asking the typical question about which of her previous leading men she thought had the best acting chemistry with her.
The typical answer is the pick the current one but Moon Chae Won first apologized for not picking Seung Gi before revealing that Song Joong Ki was the leading man she had the best chemistry and synergy. Awwwww, Eun Gi and Maru ah! Chae Won explained that Song Joong Ki has an amazing voice to do scenes with and is such a good actor that he doesn’t need to make any expression yet can still convey oceans of emotions. She found Joong Ki very warm to work with and he takes good care of others around him while acting. I don’t think any fan of NG thinks these two had anything going on in real life but their acting synergy really was intensely off-the-charts so hearing Moon Chae Won felt the same herself brings me back all my NG feels big time.
Song Joong Ki basically couldn’t have asked for a better one-two acting punch to head off to the army on – both The Werewolf Boy and Nice Guy were bona fide hits and his acting in both garnered across-the-board raves. He also lucked out with two great leading ladies, Park Bo Young in Werewolf Boy and of course Moon Chae Won in Nice Guy. I especially found NG one of those super sticky dramas, it was impossible not to seep into the bones when watching and I had a hard time letting go afterwards.
Speaking of NG, famed screenwriter Lee Kyung Hee really ought to stick with her bread and butter which is the shorter prime time melodrama as her foray into the long weekend family fare in Wonderful Days had her trademark feel but was just too long and the intensity really seeped out like a water container with a tiny crack. NG remains of one faves of all the dramas she’s written and I think it’s the perfect time to share some of my fave Nice Guy MVs and maybe go rewatch some of the best scenes from the drama. I still immediately think of NG anytime I hear Scott Mckenzie’s “San Francisco”.
Nice Guy “Without You” Eun Gi and Maru:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad-7EGPbwB0
Nice Guy MV – Instrumental “River Flows in You”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYyPnKnD1q8
Oh hello feels, you’re back again.
Cant wait for Joong Ki to be back!! he literally only had ONE headlining drama to his name before he went to army.
Although I didn’t enjoy NG that much (excessive use of flashbacks plus plot points that made zero sense), but it turned me into an eternal Joong Ki fan. His acting was almost phenomenal there.
BITCH NG IS ONE OF THE BEST DRAMA.. IDIOT
My Love for these two never disappeared even once and it’s more than two years already.Idk how to get over with these two gorgeous and talented people.It made me happy that she mentioned him.Moon Chae Won is really honest and straight forward..
AWWWWWWW….i love and miss Nice Guy!!!! thx for this post!!!! now, i also want to re-watch my favourite scenes
I’m reading this post over and over again. It feels nice to see Song Joong Ki’s name first thing in the morning for a change. The two MVs leave a sweet taste in my heart with a little twinge as I realize it’s been one and a half years since he disappeared from the limelight.
Oh Ms. Koala, you know what?? I just rerun watching Nice Guy like four hours ago. and this post just complete my day!!
And.. Song Joong Ki, I’ll be waiting for you!
Awwwwwwwww my feels! I think there’s no way she would have gone with seung gi what with him being in a relationship but I’m so happy she chose joong ki!
Crazy people will bash her if she mentioned Seunggi in anything though! LOL..
I love her with SJK.. Still think EunGi and Maru are one of the best Kdrama couples.
I wonder if that’s part of the reason she didn’t say him lol. Not that she didn’t have great chemistry with SJK, but she’s kind of toned down her public affection for LSG after people were basically suggesting LSG’s relationship was over because of their chemistry. Freaking ridiculous.
Ha Jiwon just mentioned LSG has her best costar though, so it’s not strange for people not to pick their current partners.
I knew I’m not the only one who think she toned down her puplic affication!
Yeah It’s not wired but unexpected maybe! Anyways she looks fab with both men.
@dramafan
lol no, not just you! they sit like 5 feet away from each other now in public and she hardly ever touches him if she can avoid it when before she was very touchy feely.
She does look great with both. She looks good with everyone. 😀
@ Mel can you tell me where you saw HJW interview. I would love to see it. Thanks I have just been looking at TK2H stuff, cannot believe it has been 3 yrs.
@scbound
It was from her recent fanmeet she said it. I think Ann (lsgfan) translated what she said.
This two were compelling to watch. I hope Song Joong Ki would come back with an awesome comeback project.
if only my fantasy of Song Joong Ki to be casted in the korean remake of In Time With You would come true…now come to think of it, Moon Chae Won would make an awesome You Quing.
she completely toned down her pda with seunggi after evrybody freaked out that his gf is a thing of the past. both of them did and it’s hard to miss coz now they sit little bit more far and less skinship.
that said maybe seung gi is her bestfriend while joonki is the best costar . they realy were great together.
I don’t see him acting much different. But then again she was the one who couldn’t keep her hands off him, not the other way around lol
You should watch them on Running Man There was segment where they are partnered up & had to use long chopsticks to pick up objects & you could see LSG trying his best to not touch her at all while all the other members end up back hugging by accident LOL! Evidently they both are more careful with skinship compared to before!
Oh whoa, Moon Chae-won just strikes me as the type of person who uses a lot of skinship with people she’s close to. I just assumed that she felt very comfortable around him, not that she “couldn’t keep her hands off him” for other reasons lol.
@girlatsea
Thanks for the wise words.
I’m dying for song joong ki to to come back
IN SBS one night tv entertainment section he picked joo won that she had the best acting chemistry with……but reading her interviews and wanting to work with lee seung gi again in another serious melo genre and her expressing this thought again and again in interviews and press conferences i know very sure she would pick saeunggi anytime over joo won and son joongki…also she and hyan hyo joo are very close friends of seunggi..although she had also good chemistry with other actor she is most comfortable and playful with seunggi rather than her shy reserved nature……
I’ll probably be alone in thinking this but in my opinion the best on screen chemistry I’ve seen from her was with Joo Sang Wook.
Whenever I hear San Francisco I think of them, yes…
Me too..lol
How could she not? They were awesome together when he totally lied to her – what a scum! and when he was nice.
SJK’s only lead role was this? How is that possible? He makes such a mark, it feels like he has done a ton of dramas as lead.
I know, right? I read that headline and all I could think was, Well duh! Of course she did, who wouldn’t? If it was up to him to pick though, I think he would say Yoo Ah In. lol j/k
My favourite drama from Lee Kyung Hee’s definitely Thank You. I just have the urge to rewatch it every once in a while.
Then comes, in second place, both Nice Guy and Will it snow for christmas?. Both of them end up with some makjang lol
So Joo Won and her has the same choice..haha..Joo Won said in his interview that Song Joong Ki is the most compatible on-screen parther of Moon Chae Won.
When she was talking about his qualities as an acting partner (and not just an actor on his own)–that they weren’t acting as two separate people/actors, MCW on one side and SJK on the other, but came together to forge a partnership–it reminded of an interview SJK gave at the beginning of NG while promoting his film/AWB. He said that not having any lines in AWB (for the most part anyway) made him feel like a naked soldier without any ammunition and he was so frustrated that initially he took to memorizing Park Bo-Young’s lines instead, but that at some point with his struggles, he had this epiphany that broke him out of his shell and led him to really listen to the scenes, listen to what his partners were doing. (Which surprised me at the time because he always struck me as the consummate team player considerate of his acting colleagues, but I think this was epiphany on a higher plane.) And (not to lose sight of this thread) that he was working toward applying those hard-learned lessons on the set of NG. When MCW spoke of how considerate he was (and this wasn’t the first time, she’s reiterated this on at least three, four separate occasions), I don’t think she just meant that he was a nice guy (eg. shifting the schedules if they had to film early in the morning so that the actresses could have an extra hour of sleep), but also his attention to and understanding of her character, what she brought to the scenes, and how they could work together to make it even better. And I think SJK was also lucky he got to work with actors who got what he was doing.
Very good point. Missed reading your POVs, clairiere. It reminds me of NG days
Exactly! I guess SJK enjoyed working with MCW as an actor – and not with somebody who is a singer-turned-actor. MCW understands what it means to act. It’s her passion and full-time job. So they both were a real good team in front of the camera and had great chemistry behind the camera as well. And I think because she is texting with LKS who is SJK’s best buddy she is still in contact with SJK as well. Especially after he is going to be discharged. And I can’t wait to see him again! He needs a LOT of leading roles!
If PSH in never acted the way he did, I will choose him and MCW as the best chemistry.
THEY ARE ONE OF MY FAVORITE OTP’S!! THAT CHEMISTRY THAT LOVE, THAT REVENGE OMG!THAT, LET’S RUN AWAY SOMEWHERE FAR OMG!! I AM WILLING TO SACRIFIC MY LIFE FOR YOUR DOLL!!
Great, now all my ILU feels are exploding and I’m sobbing quietly while rocking in a corner. Oppa! Come back to me soon! ~sobs~
She can say that she’s enjoyed working with all the actors she worked with and all of them were nice. But in my own assessment, what sets SJK apart is due to the artistic connection they have as actors. I’ve always thought that they share that same ability to deliver seeping and nuance emotions. They are not explosive actors. They are more contemplative and methodical in their approach to emotions which makes them so compelling to watch.
I know others find her style as boring or lacking in emotions but I’ve always enjoyed seeing her emotions linger within her a bit before she let them seep out of her skin. So, I wouldn’t care if she comes back to melodrama after experimenting with rom-coms. Melodrama will always be her home.
And…
I miss Joong Ki. I miss his brand of acting. And I miss his wit.
Fully agree with everything you wrote especially the ‘artistic connections’ remark. I think that’s exactly her point on picking SJK from this interview.
great chemistry and wished they’d be real TOP in real and not just reel!
The sweetest couple i’ve ever see >.< I am desperately wanna see them in the new drama this year
I shipped them so hard! Squeeing to hear this from MCW. They are one sexy OTP for me!
I was also surprise that it’s not only me but a lot found the SJK connection on MCW’s recent Running Man guesting! Especially when she also revealed that Lee Kwang Soo, known as SJK’s bestfriend, still communicates. Heh. I really hope that can work together again or just randomly guest in RM.
Her character in NG has impressed me for being tough and articulate than any other kdrama leads! And Kang Ma Ru’s mysterious and hard-to-read characterization also intrigued me so when they were put together, I end up loving Nice Guy!
I’m not much of angsty type drama like Nice Guy. But because my friend recomended this, I gave it a try and maaaan I just love Song Joong Ki here with Moon Chae Won here! They chemistry was really sizzling back then in this drama. I could literally FEEL their emotions ;_; I’m glad that I watched this drama even though mostly my friend complained with the open ending, I just found it’s beautifully poetic xD And btw, I’m so happy that MCW loves the best chemistry with SJK here because I enjoyed them together! Ah my Nice Guy feels… xD
It’s so nice to see “naughties” popping up again after this article showed up… Nice Guy was such an amazing drama that people find it hard to let go..OH God I miss NG days..yeah..I’m one of those who can’t seem to move on..lol!
I wished Chaeki couple will be reunited in korean remake, “IN TIME WITH YOU”… Miss them so much…
I super miss #ChaeKi couple.. i really hope after SJK’s training, both of them get back to work together… I love Moon Chae Won.. and Song Joong Ki is just perfect for her..!
OMG MY FEELS. CHAEKI COUPLE CRAWLING BACK TO MY MEMORY!!
Now I just hope they will reunite for another drama with another genre
As I see, chaewon really had the best chemistry with joongki than another her co-star. I miss their interaction so muucccchh *giggles*
Its been years and cant get over with ChaeKi loveteam and Innocent Man! Ugh! I’ve always hoped that the NG wasn’t a fictional character. Anyways, I wish chae won eunnie will have a new drama with joong ki oppa soon! although SJK oppa already married. I miss the ChaeKi!