The casting of Song Joong Ki straight out of military service in the role of an armed forces commander in Descendants of the Sun seemed so meta perfect when I heard the news. I assumed he would be emerging like a six-pack decked chrysalis post army hence my initial opinion, except he came out of the army basically identical to when he went in, all cherubic smiles and lanky physique. Oh, I’m sure he’s fit and all, but his visual image was never of the military man type so now I’m back to thinking it’s going to be a hard sell for him in DoTS on physical presence alone. He’s going to have to dig into his bag of acting skills and charisma, much like he did in Nice Guy, to make the image come alive that he’s a gun toting rootin’ tootin’ soldier. He recently made a public appearance for a Kolon Sports event, a brand he’s now repping, looking healthy and happy but definitely no organic sign of Commander Song Joong Ki, lol.
I’m glad that he has gained some weight. He and Hyun Bin are the two lost a ton of weights after their military service who I dont think they look that good when they lost too much weight. ^^
Chubby cheeks are back!! He’s way too thin in dots, i like him more with cheeks <3
“..but his visual image was never of the military man type so now I’m back to thinking it’s going to be a hard sell for him in DoTS on physical presence alone. He’s going to have to dig into his bag of acting skills and charisma, much like he did in Nice Guy, to make the image come alive that he’s a gut toting rootin’ tootin’ soldier….”
I definitely agree with you, Koala. What SJK convinces me is not his physical strength. As a matter of fact, his looks and physique are not my favorite cup of tea. But he’s currently my fave among his peers thanks to his impressive acting skills in Deep Rooted Tree, Nice Guy, and A Werewolf Boy. Specifically, his subtle interpretation of a young king in a turmoil political setting in Deep Rooted Tree really gives me a lot of confidence in his caliber as a very disciplined actor who can rein any character and make it alive. I’m gonna watch DotS mainly for his sake. I hope the sotryline isn’t too much of K drama chliche that becomes so predictable.