Recent Years K-star Scandals Make Nostalgic or Popular K-dramas Hard to Rewatch
I understand the gut punch reaction of fans to a star embroiled in a scandal in wanting to make problems go away so as to continue to support said star. But that instinctive reaction should not continue if the facts make it impossible to keep supporting said star, and in the case of general drama fans it’s not the star itself but the dramas that headlined any scandal plagued star that becomes a sad salute to reel versus real. As much as drama watchers know that actors and actresses are just playing roles, once a real life scandal veers into criminal territory of any sort, as opposed to saying the wrong thing or dating the wrong person, then I can’t watch the dramas anymore because the real intrudes too much into the reel. Of three dramas I really enjoyed in the past, all three are now in the can’t re-watch pile and it’s such a shame because it’s harder and harder to find good dramas to watch. For me it’s Kim Hyun Joong‘s Playful Kiss, The Princess’s Man with Park Shi Hoo, and now the recent The Girl Who Sees Smells with Yoochun, though I think his fall will hurt the diehard nostalgia for Sungkyunkwan Scandal more.
So which K-dramas are hard for you to rewatch thanks to scandals or other issues. I find myself able to rewatch dramas where the lead has passed on, most notably classics I adore like Park Yong Ha in On Air and Jung Da Bin in My Sister in Law is 19. But the star likely committing a crime is such a drama ender for me.
Damn, I yet have to watch The Girl Who Sees Smells. I don’t think I could enjoy it now.
It’s not the same with everything that has transpired. Ironically, there was an episode with a bathroom pervert Yoochun was trying to arrest.
I loved the princesses man too ?
That’s one of the most enjoyable K dramas I’ve watched. And now….:((((
I watched all of the said four dramas (including SKSK) and none of them can be rewatched now. It’s like I used to like Hugh Grant in all his classical works of British period dramas and An Lee’s film as well. I grew up watching these British classics at home and he was a huge name in the field back then when those dramas were produced. He’s really a very good actor who exuded unique aura just right for the heroes in classics like Jane Austen. I could never watch any of his romantic movies after his prostitution scandal that was just too hard to comprehend for a young mind like me. He only got caught in illegal prostitution that was consensual. Not to mention all these K scandals all involved serious violation of personal rights as a human being. Being indicted or not is one thing and I’m not in the right position to judge like jury. But for me to watch dramas for simple entertainment purposes, it’s hard to root for a romantic figure that’s suspicious of criminal nature in real life.
Sad for these used-to-be promising entertainers. Once they tumbled like this, it’s a shame that their entire careers are pretty much going down hills. Not necessarily fair to them who might not have committed any said charges at all. But it’s the cruel reality that the image of a celebrity still matters.
And they’re all crimes toward women
Feel bad for the heroines and other actors in the dramas…what the heroine thinking now epecially they have kiss scene..but it must be professional…
Totally agree with you. I feel bad for han ji min ( Rooftop prince helped her to achieve another level of popularity and she is beind said to be a good friend) , the actors of sungkyunkwan scandal, and especially Yoon eun hye ( she made a campaign with kim hyun joong, I miss you was popular in china, She worked with Jung yong hwa in MHIYD… She won’t be back soon even if she still popular overseas . Here in France we are still waiting for his come back.
YEH made a movie with PSH in China after his rape scandal. Has anyone watched this movie? Is it good?? I am just not sure when YEH can ever return to the K-drama world…
@candycane
I doubt that movie will be ever released, its been a long time, almost 2 years since they had wrapped up the shooting !!!
@thomas&lisa – thanks. I didn’t know if it was shown in China at all as I don’t live there… what a waste of money (ie. investment from producers)… unless PSH didn’t get paid because of his bad reputation which might be affecting the movie release… LOL…
@candycane
Its planned to be released simultaneously in Korea, China and Japan but until now none of these countries show the movie yet. Its been postponed several times since last year. Same with you i pity its producer and investor.
Yes, i forgot the movie with psh. This girl ( that i like a lot) just seems to attract bad luck. Hope that Gong yoo and kang ji hwan are clean because she seems to have work with only “trash people” . I m not a religious person but hope that his faith will help her in th future.
I ‘m french and i must say she stills popular here. a few months ago i decided to sell some of dvd dramas and those with Yoon eun hye , park shin hye were sold in few days. Dramas with others actresses like han ji min, lee bo Young, go hyun Jung, hwan Jung eum,… are still in my shelves…even with lower prices.
I fail to understand this particular mentality. Maybe because I’m European, I’ve never thought that “real” would intrude “reel”. I see where Miss ockoala and some viewers are coming from when their favorite celebrities/idols/actors are involved in felonies, especially against women (I’m not talking about those stupid “dating” scandals that, in real world, are not even worthy of a single line in a serious news outlet) but it happens all the time everywhere.
Sure, I still find Michael Jackson’s songs a bit off, however who can deny he was truly talented? And how about all those actors/entertainers who were ratting their peers out during McCarthy’s madness? So many careers were ruined because of the Hollywood blacklist but who hasn’t watched On the Waterfront or East of Eden?
Cheating one’s wife/husband, DOA, alcoholism or illegal drugs seem to be a standard procedure in entertainment business these days. Beating paparazzi or even a complete stranger is no news anymore.
Me too, I still like shun oguri movie no matter lot people in there call him unfaithful man,or rihanna and beyonce song no matter how vulgar they video clip. If you just see a creation or drama just because who the artist,is ok! But yeah They public figure too. poor with the crew maker,and the all people who working hard for this drama.
That’s totally not the same thing when someone do a criminal offense.
There is big line between a cheater and a rapist.
“So called vulgar” videos don’t hurt anyone but these men are raping and beating women.
very different.
I completely agree with you.For me basically, I don’t like an actor’s work because the said actor is a paragon of virtue in real life. I like their work because of the drama or films quality.
On a side note, I find it polarizing that in a country where “loveteams” doesn’t exist, people can get so affected by actors being real humans and committing mistakes and crimes. Where I come from “loveteams” on screen are almost always marketed as “real life” loveteams even having the actors go into contract relationships for their career. And when actors get in a scandal, we give them some time off, and next thing you know they’re back on the screen again. Oh well. I guess these blacklisted actors can always go elsewhere and do their thing.
I felt that this article was “much ado about nothing”. No, I am not downplaying all the crimes that celebrities commit. But I’m able to make the distinction between drama and reality. They may be successful artistes but their personal lives may be in shambles. And many “normal” people are this way too. Your colleague who is enjoying a meteoric rise up the career ladder may be perpetuating domestic violence back at home. We should always condemn crimes and sins. But let’s not forget that all of us are more than the sum of our sins. I think having such a mindset is important especially when we’re dealing with ex-convicts that are re-entering society. They’ve paid for their crimes and now we should all move on and help them get back into society.
I think the difference comes down to this: moral weakness vs. Serious crime. I will NEVER watch a Roman Polanski film because he used his power to drug and rape a 13yr old girl. I can continue to watch Heath Ledger because although he suffered and died from drug abuse, it was a personal struggle from inner demons. When you watch a movie or listen to music from a criminal you are not only saying that the type of human they are doesn’t matter, but putting money into their hands to fund their crimes. It makes me feel like an accomplice to rape, child molestation, or battery. I’m not a person who believes that “the ends justify the means”. There are thousands of Actors, directors, musicians, and producers. There is no need to attach such significance to any one that we absolve any crimes or harm they commit.
Agree.Rapist and abusers are a BIG No No in my book
Beautifully said
Totally agree! I also refuse to watch any Brian Singer films. And Bill Crosby is another terrible human being.
I have always wanted to see Princess’s Man but didn’t manage to before PSH’s scandal and now I don’t know if I can. And I love Sungkyungkwan Scandal but a rewatch now would be hard. 🙁
Same here!
Princess Man was a great drama but yes, I admit, it will be hard to re digest. My first Kdrama was winter sonata and now I don’t even have the guts to rewatch it, I think park yong ha’s suicide made the biggest impact for me.
I was late to know Park Yong Ha was actually also a singer. I like the All In ost..
For those who got in any troubles, emotional or mentally stress…please seek help. Do not ever think to suicide. This word/action should never exist.
I started to watch Attic Cat and felt so bad for the heroine because absolutely everyone was horrible to her. Then I found out that the actress, Jung Da Bin, committed suicide a few years later. I stopped watching, and I will never be able to finish that show. I felt like the plot, all about everyone dumping on this one poor girl, mirrored her life and the whole thing sickened me.
When I watch a show, I look for metaphors and reflect on how the show mirrors real life. When I know something terrible about one of the actors, I can’t help but see echoes of their real-life issues in the characters they play and the stories they tell. For this reason, the film Manhattan, where Woody Allen is dating a 17-year-old…just the thought of it is disgusting now. How much of that screenplay was wish-fulfillment for him? Did its success make him think that going after young girls was socially acceptable? Ugh. I can’t watch any of his films, ever again.
Other than his drama. For someone like Yoochun that is part of legend group, TVXQ, now it’s hard to listen to their song. It’s a pity because their song is good.
Tbh I couldn’t bear to listen to Tv5q after 2009 🙁
Kim Hyun Joong….what an epic fail!!!
Girl Who Sees Smells was one of my favorites…Rooftop Prince too. And I also like Prosecutor Princess and Cheongdamdong Alice…yes, it’s hard to rewatch those…
Actually SKKS is still watchable due to song joong ki and yoo ah in.
agree… I have rewatched SKKS, my focus has just shifted from PYC to SJK… LOL… my bad… hee hee…
Can also shift the OTP focus to SJK/YAI. SJK/YAI actually won the best OTP, not PYC/PMY. LOL
totally… lol…
No problem with separating real from reel, everyone is human after all. No one is a saint. Just as long as they bring their role out well in a drama. All is forgotten.
Only a lame person will have a hard time rewatching a drama cos the actor turned out not to be a saint ….when am watching a drama I never for once think am watching ha ji won ,I see empress ki I don’t see Lee min ho I see gun jun pyo …..what’s this obsession with an actors attitude outside his character .
You think if all these people were as nice as they portray in fan meeting or interviews they will make it to the apex of a dog eat dog Industry ?
Is time for Korea people to stop being lame and shallow ….enjoy the movie for what it is and don’t read too much meaning into the actors real life personality ,..cos in all honesty if you have never lived with someone you will never ever know what they are like .
Just like we can pretend we don’t know multiple camera people crews and some cast are behind a scene let us all pretend we don’t know he is a rapist ,a girl friend abuser etc
agree. This is shallow to think about Yoochun while watching SSKS. That is just low. When i am watching movies or dramas, i focus on the story and roles not the actors’s private life.
I think it is a lot more shallow to turn off your brain and ignore all other input than the story, than it is to be affected by the ties that the story and its players have to real life. “Korea people” are not being “lame and shallow” and they are seeing the entire picture, not just the play but also the stage it is set upon.
Well said!
I don’t know. I think I could rewatch some of this stuff given time, when news details aren’t as fresh, at least the ones that bare rewatch. I don’t think liking someone’s work or talent convalidates everything they do off screen, so I’m not too troubled by that. And dramas are fiction, they always ask you to believe things that aren’t real, I can pretend these guys are someone else entirely for the duration of the drama, which’s basically what you have to do either way. Real life is another matter altogether. Sure, there will be scenes where a situation is cringe worthy in retrospective, but I can always skip to the next scene or something. Or so I hope.
The thing is, with dramas, these actors are only a part of it. Maybe they are one of the most visible parts of it, but they are just a part. I remember really liking ‘The Princess Man’ in general and I don’t wanna cross out that drama just because Park Shi Hoo is a horrible man in real life. It’s unfair to the drama and everyone else that made it.
As for dramas where an actor has passed away, I think rewatching those is keeping them alive, it’s revisiting old friends, I don’t see it as troubling at all.
This article is so true. I am not really enjoy KHJ’s drama. But PSH and Yoochun? Feel bad for them. I even deleted Girls see smell form my HD after his scandal. But its too hard to delete/not to rewatch 3Days because i am a big fan of the writer-Kim eun hee. PSH, i watched Neighboorhood Hero. But, whether the storyline is not interesting and/or im still not forgetting his scandal, i cant enjoy this show.
I rewatched The Princess Man few days ago and still enjoyed it. My love for that drama made it bearable.
The Princess’s Man is a legitimately good drama. A lot of the other dramas these guys have starred in weren’t worth it before their scandals, and certainly are not worth it after.
Personally I have rewatched TPM since PSH’s scandal, and I had no problem enjoying it. The thing is, when I’m watching a drama, I’m engrossed in the fictional world and only see the characters; the actors couldn’t be further from my mind even though I am looking at them. Kim Seung-yu is a noble and honorable man, and the fact that he is played by scumbag PSH has no bearing on that fictional constructed character as far as I’m concerned.
I wanted to add, it’s more difficult to watch a old movie/tv series after you find out the person who starred in it passed away. Like Heath Legder, it’s hard to watch his movies. So, no doubt a scandal isn’t as big of an impact.
Yeah i still can watch SKKS due to joongki n yoo ah in though, so no losses for me…
I can still watching “The Princess’ Man” mainly because I only care about the heroine. I love her so much!
But for example “Queen In Hyun’s Man” is a drama I can’t stand to rewatch. I really dislike the lead actor now.
I agree with you on QIHM, cos the premise they were selling is 2 pple very much in love with each other but after the leads’ very short reel to real romance, I can’t get into the story as well as before. Maybe that’s why they say it’s better not to date ur costars. The other show I loved but couldn’t rewatch again was prosecutor princess.
this. i tried re-watching the princess man and surprisingly i don’t bother park shihoo at all. moon chaewon is all i see.
I would still rewatch SKKS, I never like Yoochun in that drama, I rooted more for YAI and SJK bromance that him with the girl. I wont really mind him at all.
Yes, yes and yes! You’ve really hit the nail on the head – the problem with all these scandals is that u can’t really separate the actor from the characters. PSH’s the princess’ man was one of my all time favourites which I now cannot bear to rewatch. KHJ in boys over flowers (my first kdrama all those years ago) and playful kiss (even though it’s jung so min that really made me watch the show. And now yoochun…SKKS is also a good favourite of mine. But also rooftop prince! I haven’t actually had the chance to watch it yet and was just planning to in the week of the scandal..talk about coincidence!
Dating or having affairs is one thing, it’s not right but at least there is consent between the two people there.
This though? I don’t watch Woody Allen movies or anything by Roman Polanski, so it’s the same for KHJ, PSH and Yoochun. Rape and violence against women is a big no!
Total agreement
+1 i couldn’t watch no matter how beautiful the story can be. i’m not supporting any of these scumbags.
I think I was lucky since I didn’t watch (or didn’t like) any of Yoochun’s dramas. I was never going to watch Playful kiss again either (had already watched enough renditions of that story).
But the one drama that I really loved was The Princess Man.. I haven’t tried to re watch it after the scandal but I might try. I don’t have problems with the OST that comes up on shuffle.
I started on Iljimae because of Lee Jun Ki not knowing Park Shi Hoo was also in it. Dropped it after the time jump and the adult actors came in, my love for LJK couldnt overcome my discomfort from looking at PSH onscreen. =(
PSH&PYC both are rapist. KJH is butt rapist. they all disgusting man.
Note: Liusu_qingcheng is a lawyer from the United Kingdom
*
A letter to the Korean Press
It’s been two weeks since sexual assault claims was brought against Mr. Park Yoochun, and during these two weeks, we saw a big show produced by the Korea Press on the stage.
1. What we see
First of all, is there any evidence that the charge and the subsequent charges against Park Yoochun are substantiated? No, not yet.
The police have so far taken no action against him and offered no evidence. The police are still on investigation.
What we see is that a number of women came forward with allegations against Mr. Park. Among all these accusations, someone withdrew the charge on the second day after her accusation went to public, someone did make allegations to the police but not willing to give evidence, someone made her allegation dated back over a number of years, still no evidence. Most of all, what we see is that the source of the information for the news is the complainant herself or her-selves, and when it comes to the accounts of what really happened of this shameful event, these women went directly to the press rather than to the police.
What we see is that, despite the fact that the complainants keep changing their stories, despite that their own credit is questionable, the press unanimously report all the stories that have been told, without even mentioning this is only one side of the story.
So what is this? This seems to suggest that, if any single individual in Korea wants to mislead or guide the Press/Media and thereafter the public to believe something, true or not, she or he can simply go to the press and tell the story of one side, because the public are willing to take the word of anyone who makes such accusations, especially if these charges are against a famous name. And the Press is willing to give the public a story without verifying of its factuality, simply feeding their curiosity and anxiety for gossip. Then the whole country will start pointing fingers and call him an asshole. Is this what you want?
2. The responsibility of the Press/Media
What is the responsibility of the Press?
Journalists should strive to uphold freedom of the press, and take public interest as the basis of their work. Journalists should uphold the principles of truth, objectivity and fairness.
We do not question your freedom of reporting. But the importance of a free press lies in that the report is not about “taking down Park Yoochun” neither is it a defense of him. It is about trying to set the record straight.
“IV. News and Commentary
We the journalists pledge ourselves that we will report news to its full extent truthfully, objectively, and in a fair manner. We further pledge ourselves that we will adhere to the truthful information and fairness in presenting analysis, commentary, and opinions, and that by taking the diverse opinions in society into account we will contribute to fostering a healthy public opinion.”
This is Article IV in the Preamble of the Standards of Practice under the Code of Press Ethics, provided by the Korean Newspaper and Broadcasting Editors Association and the Journalists Association of Korea (See eg http://www.mediawise.org.uk/south-korea-2/).
In the Section III of the standards, it provides Guidelines for News Reporting, to name just a few:
“News reports, including news analysis, should be presented with all the factual information confirmed and obtained from clearly identified news sources. Journalists are obligated to seek truthful information affirmatively in order to serve the cause of social justice and public interest.
1. (Distinction between News and Opinion) In news reports, journalists should differentiate facts from opinions. Further, they should not select or write news based on their self-serving personal interests or biases.
2. (Specifying Unconfirmed information) Journalists, in rare cases where they have to use unconfirmed information or unidentified news sources, should make it clear in their reports that they are using such information.
5. (Verifying Information from Pecuniary Interests) In principle, the information provided by news sources should be verified of its factuality before being presented as news. Journalists, in particular, should guard against public relations information efforts of vested commercial interest.”
Did the press stick to the standard?
When you reported only one side of the story making one person look like a pervert, without specifying that it is unconfirmed information, you did not.
When you started mixing your biased comments with the news, adding unfounded guesses with sarcasm, without the distinction between news and opinion, you did not.
When you went to the complainant’s friend and so-called relevant person and dug the so-called “inside story” without verifying its factuality before presented it as news, you did not.
This is very unfortunate, because in a single sexual assault, victims are victims, and should be believed as they should be, unless further evidence and investigation reveals that it did not happen. It is the same case with the accused person as well, because there were always rumourmongers who spread sensational news for purpose. While the mass media oversteps their boundaries by consistently taking sides in attracting public attention with reckless disregard for the truth, the public listen to the media all the time.
And you reported the same assumption and conjecture day and night, repeated it endlessly, with no verification, as if this were the most crucial and important thing of the whole country that is worth reporting.
Misleading the public and making him the blame for your suffer is in no way to make your world a better place.
The press should be a messenger, not a drama maker.
No one doubts or denies that the press should report the news freely and independently, we only request that you report the news objectively and truthfully!
3. If yes, if no.
As the investigation goes on, the truth beneath the surface started to show itself. The police began to believe that there was an organised gang crime behind the story. That’s where it gets complicated, and that’s why it may take longer for the truth to be revealed. Although we don’t understand why the accused person cannot get access to the information by whom he was accused, we won’t jump to the conclusion. We will keep waiting for the completion of the investigation.
We accepted that public figures and bodies should tolerate more criticism than ordinary people, not less. We also believe that the accounts of those who were supposed to give evidence against Mr Park should be subjected to careful scrutiny in the course of the extensive police investigation.
If what was charged against Mr. Park is true, that is, if the answer is yes, he will be punished by the law. The press and people should criticize him, we will too, seriously, no doubt.
But what if, the answer is No? It is a material fact that, in every single case, there is always 50% of possibility that, the answer is “No”.
So what if NO?
How will the Korea media and the general public react? Unfounded sex crime allegations have a devastating effect on the image, reputation, and often career, of the accused, who will pay the price of the loss? Has any of you appreciated the gravity of the situation, and how easy a simple rumor can cast a shadow over one person’s life.
It will provide insight into how easy it is to make a claim, and how difficult it can be to disprove it.
It will also provide insight into how easy it is to make a rushed judgement of one’s personality, because this is not your life, not your name, not your dignity, not your career; but at least, show some respect, for his fundamental right. A person, famous or not, deserves a fair judgement based on factual charge.
Article 21 (4) of the Korean Constitution provides:
(See eg https://www.humanrights.go.kr/english/information/legalMaterials01.jsp)
“Neither speech nor the press shall violate the honor or rights of other persons nor undermine public morals or social ethics. Should speech or the press violate the honor or rights of other persons, claims may be made for the damage resulting therefrom.”
The answer is simple and clear:
Do not judge a person before the truth is revealed.
Do not convict a person before the investigation result is disclosed.
Nobody should!
Let this be our last words.
Yours Faithfully,
Liusu_qingcheng
+1
I wonder if I may be the only one who read the long statement you posted. But this declaration from a lawyer all sounds legit to me. In the US, we’ve been taught to give suspects the benefit of the doubt and they are assumed innocent before proven guilty. But I think it’s exactly the opposite of this principle applies to S. Korean. To aggravate the complexity of PYC case, the media has been collectively doing a very unethical job at shaming and indicting him outside the court. PYC may be guilty. But before the official verdict, he’s already executed by the media. Sad!
Still, at this moment, it would be hard for many drama fans including me to rewatch his dramas again.
To miss, regarding the liusu_quingchen letter:
I appreciate this information and would like to add that I believe that bloggers should follow these same guidelines. Just because someone has a “personal blog” does not make them any less responsible for keeping to verifiable facts, not conjecture or opinion. I believe that this particular blogger is guilty of forming negative opinions and perpetuating these same negative opinions, thus encouraging negative public opinions about celebrities. The most current damning evidence of this is that blogger ockoala has not even bothered to report that Kim Hyun Joong was cleared in a court of law while his accuser was fined for fraud and defamation. The blogger has numerous negative so called “news” stories about the KHJ case,but as if now,nothing. I hope that “ockoala” reads your letter and corrects her inclination towards gossip and starts sticking to verifiable truth.
Glad i never love an actor/singer that have embarassing scandal,n usually i watch drama because of the story but i’m sure not gonna watch drama which the main lead is rapist
I am not so gullible to put an actor high on the pedestal just because he portrays heroic characters. However, it does not seem to work the other way round. I can’t dissociate the actor from the character if he’s a nasty piece of work. It is true that when I watch dramas, I watch mostly for the story and characters, not so much the actors. However, if I know the actor’s shady, it would be akin to picking up food from the drain and putting it into my mouth. No matter how delicious or pristine it still looks.
I don’t have run a video with a judgemental mindset. I have tried as much as possible to switch off that aspect but yet when the actor in question comes on screen, I have a involuntary reaction of disgust.
In any case, good for those who can rewatch dramas with these actors in it. I know I can’t. In fact, I was shocked at myself when I discovered I couldn’t even listen to my favorite DBSK songs anymore.
+1. Well said.
+1 I don’t deny that some people are able to separate real from reel, I’m just saying I find that hard and am sad as a lot of my drama favs star these guys.
I agree it is hard to watch these shows knowing what the actors have done in real life. For people who are saying to know the difference between Real and Reel it is not that easy. I tried watching “Neighborhood Hero” even though I knew of PSH’s scandal. I decided to give it a try, mainly for LSH but I couldn’t. In the first episode we see PSH saving a girl from getting raped and all I could think was “Really Writer?” it just seemed disgusting.I started watching “Princess’s Man” before I learned about his scandal, I couldn’t finish it though, he put me off for some reason. I never saw Playful Kiss mainly because I always had the same feeling regarding KHJ that kept me away from his projects, heck he was the reasons why I stayed away from BOF, I guess that feeling was right. Regarding YC I never really got into any of his shows. I think the one I saw the most was Girl Who Sees Smells but even that I couldn’t finish it. I saw a chunk of Rooftop Prince and while it was funny I wasn’t really impressed with his acting, just an opinion don’t kill me YC Fans my friend is the one that is a fan girl of his though I haven’t asked her what she thinks regarding this events.
Anyway Koala if you are looking for a great Kdrama I suggest “Signal” and “Dear My Friends” I don’t think you will be disappointed.
sigh… ss501 and dbsk were everything back then… now we have to give up on a chance of seeing them as five completely… well more like i don’t want to see hyunjoong or yoochun anymore with the other four.
It is not so much Princess Man as Family’s Honor which I loved to pieces as I cried and hoped so much for the main couple – really one of the great 50 episode dramas! I cannot count how often I rewatched certain episodes before the scandal but I just could not muster the same enthusiam after the scandal. I even subbed parts of SKKS, though it did not take the same place in my heart.
But even without current or past scandal – everytime I google actors I especially admire be it asian or western ones I am disappointed by reading that they are either partying too hard, are doing drugs, drinking and driving, marrying for money, etc, etc., etc. Even if it isn’t actually their fault like being beaten by their husbands or having committed suicide – reality does impede on my fantasy getaway when I watch their movies or dramas that is just how it goes.
I agree, it’s like one part of your brain is telling you that a TV show is just a TV show and the how the actors are in real life has no effect on the show and the other side is telling you that the person who played the role of one of your favorite characters is not a very nice person in real life and this sort of ruins the show because you’re confused.
I liked KHJ in playful kiss. I really liked the drama even though it flopped, for some reason it was cute and fun to me and I felt his intepretation of the character was different (he was less snarky and nice which was a change since I think the Taiwanese version was hard to match)
I guess I could rewatch it because reel isn’t real.
Never had problems mixing the two unless he tortured and killed someone that would be ..impossible to swallow… Below that I guess, I could separate that’s not him and still enjoy the drama esp for Jung so min
That being said : out of reel, I totally don’t condoned what he did and he is one pathetic person for suing the mother of his child. In the scope of things here, I’m just saying I can rewatch playful kiss that’s it.
I only liked Playful Kiss because of the heroine, The Princess Man I watched only because of the story of the princess, to me her story outshines the story of the main couple. And I have not watch any of Park Yoo Chun’s dramas.
I haven’t really been bothered by the real-world scandals you mentioned above, with the possible exception of KHJ, mainly because the claims against him are so extreme. Generally though, I can separate the character from the actor; it’s the character I love and believe in, not the person playing them (as associating the two will almost always end in disappointment – this should be a basic law in non-reality TV content consumption). That said, I understand the perspective of those who aren’t able to dissociate the two. It’s just so regrettable that these things happen, and seemingly so often – no one wins, and it’s a true pity for the audience that we must lose out on the ability to enjoy watching these formerly solid actors in dramas. I do wish though that people would stop continuing to pass judgement and spread hate for the actors like this online – don’t watch if you don’t want to, but keep in mind that none of us were there and therefore can never truly understand what happened. They’re human, they’re going to live with these mistakes for the rest of their lives, so let’s just leave the judging to the court.
On one hand, I think that all these 3 men did detestable things but I think j can separate their characters in the dramas from their real life personas. Especially for Yoo chun and Park Shi hoo’s sageuks. Kim hymn joking j guess would be a lot harder because I never really liked him to begin with.