Categories: K-dramas

SBS Completes Casting for Yongpalyi with Kim Tae Hee, Joo Won, Jo Hyun Jae, and Choi Jung Ahn

Upcoming SBS Wed-Thurs drama Yongpalyi just firmed up the casting and production details, and then promptly went from intriguing to likely miss for me. I’m not rendering an early judgment on the drama’s potential quality or lack thereof, just that it ends up with certain elements that turn me off. The first is the PD switch from the Lee Dong Hoon who directed God’s Gift: 14 Days to the one who directed SBS weekend dramas Modern Farmer and Goddess of Marriage. Such a downgrade switch. This drama originally got on my radar when it was in the early stages of production solely because of the GG:14D director.

The second issue to rub me the wrong way is the casting of Jo Hyun Jae as the second male lead, rounding out the leads consisting of Joo Won and Kim Tae Hee as the OTP well as perennial second female lead Choi Jung Ahn. I love Jo Hyun Jae and am sad to see him relegated to second lead status, made even worse by the male lead being Joo Won who I basically have zero interest in. Doubling the ignominy is that Jo Hyun Jae and Kim Tae Hee played the headlining OTP over ten years ago in K-drama Nine-tailed Fox, and now he’s playing her older brother! *headdesk*

In addition to the PD switch and casting order being less than ideal, another worrying issue is the screenwriter has only the OCN cable drama Reset under the belt before tackling this noir sounding Yongpalyi about a doctor who does house calls to the rich and powerful to earn extra money for his little sister’s expensive dialysis treatment. SBS is currently leading the Wed-Thurs ratings with makjang melodrama Mask so the network will likely throw in everything its got to keep the streak going with Yongpalyi. Question is whether the end result will be a tasty treat or lukewarm offering with more effort than talent.

ockoala

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  • Joo Won is an established male lead, and a fantastic actor, I think its a pretty solid casting on that front

    • i watch jo hyun jae in 49 days where i'm more attracted to the antagonist cast bae soo bin, see him a bit in 3dad 1 mom,n king daughter su baek hyang i like him there, n some drama that i forget, i still think joo won is better actor, i see him in many drama. if it base on the look i prefer manly look but i like him because his acting n his drama

  • You may not be interested in Joo-won, but he is one talented actor. I know your history with him, so meh... I take news you write of him lightly. Your bias overshadows everything.

    But just so you know... Joo-won is leaps and and bounds better than Jo Hyun-jae. :D

  • Shocking realization that I would have laughed at just five years ago --> Kim Tae-Hee might actually have to carry the acting load of the leading quartet.

      • You missed the point.

        If the actor is someone you like, it doesn't matter if this is the umpteenth time he plays a schoolboy or saeguk scholar or a chaebol heir.

      • I think you're missing the point as well.

        If it's someone you actually like and care about, you'd probably be wishing for him not to get typecast and eventually lose all and any range he or she had, right?

        Do the same role over and over and your range slowly but surely regresses. Liking someone doesn't mean blindly accepting everything they do as the best thing since sliced bread, and being apologetic about it.

  • Joo Won is a good actor though, so your personal bias aside, he's very fittingly the lead over JHJ. I'm more worried about the writing-PD combination than the acting. It looks solid aside from KTH who may have impressed some in JOJ but she is so not suited for serious roles. Look at LYH who was praised like she's almost Oscar worthy in this blog and ended up being so grating I had to drop Hwajung despite the other winsome cast.

    • I wouldn't say for sure that joo won is a better actor, but between the two he's definitely the one with a greater range and who's stretched himself more as an actor. I find Jo Hyun Jae tends to stick to rather similar good (if broody and reserved) guy roles and hasn't really challenged himself as an actor, so I want to see his take as a full-onvillain
      full-onvillain

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