I’m not going assume that the domestic ratings failure of flower boy packed sageuk Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart: Ryeo means that the genre or casting isn’t going to win over the particular tastes of South Korean viewers. It does mean that more eyes will be on the next pre-produced flower boy cast sageuk to see if it sinks or sails, namely upcoming KBS drama Hwarang: The Beginning. Most of the first time sageuk pretty boys in Moon Lovers are admittedly pretty weak in their performances, which lends a smidge more concern for Hwarang because the male leads are also all sageuk newbies, from Park Seo Joon to Park Hyung Sik and definitely Minho of SHINee and even Do Ji Han. At least Moon Lovers has Lee Jun Ki holding down 99% of the fort and keeping it afloat, I hope Hwarang surprises viewers with acting suitability even if on the first try. The flower boys are for sure on par with Moon Lovers pretty, and leads Park Seo Joon and Park Hyung Sik are stepping up their promotional game by dropping new fall pictorials looking smart and sleek.
It’s probably because I’m not Korean and can’t understand the language, but I have no idea why people are giving such a hard time to IU. She’s doing a decent job with the crappy script she was given. I hate her character in scarlet heart, but I wouldn’t say that she was a bad actress.
Agree. I think she did quite well. If you compare her with Han Ga In in TMETS whom is actually an actress and not a singer turned actress, IU gave away much better performance yet HGI was not bashed like hell. I think IU received a hard time because of her being considered a singer first and not an actress.
HGI was criticised heavily in TMETS. It was so bad that even the child actresses out shone her.
I will not agree, the critisim is not due to her being a singer than actress. She has been acting in many dramas. She has passed the line of a idol rookie.
But there are really evidence in the drama she is not able to make the character shine. She will be a good supporting cast but for a high budget drama, it need a great actress. The script is not prefect but the character she acts can shine with the right actress. This is the Korean version of a popular Chinese drama. And Liu Shishi made her character shine. Both the lead stars need to compliment each other in chemistry and acting. IU clearly makes the casts comfortable as a friend but as lovers, she cannot create the same chemistry.
She is just wrongly cast for a very good role but she cannot fit the shoes she is given. I blame the producers and director rather than IU personally. Everyone knows she is not ready for this role from the start. It is just the sponsors that wanted her to attract the China market.
They are both not good. I wouldn’t say IU is the only reason people are not happy with the drama. The directing/ editing/ music are just so jarring and uneven. And the DF subs are not exactly shining examples of good subbing as well. This whole drama is a mess which is so sad. Because it had the potential to be so much better. I can see how much money has been spent on just the lush sets/ costumes and the massive number of extras.
IU’s criticisms are not confined to her sageuek speech. It’s the emoting part. HGI was so meh in her drama I’ve only rewatched the childhood portion.
Not a bad actress but just not a suitable person for the role… Wrongly cast, fault in the producers, sponsors etc. Not IU personally. She is IU, she always acts as herself.
I personally dont think IU is acting in the drama. She is just being IU.
She is relaxed in being IU. I think she has molded her character Hae
Soo to be IU. When I watch Moon Lovers, I am not watch the character Hae
Soo. I am see IU.
IU is not acting as Hae Soo, she has fitted the character round herself.
Is that bad? I think she did well not pretending. She is not able to make
Hae Soo shine as she cannot do so but she can create Hae Soo to be
herself. Thus she is so relaxed in her role.
I prefer someone whocan make Hae Soo charcter shine but IU has doing her best to make this drama work round her capability. That is her strength.
I am not Korean and i notice how bad she is. It baffles me when people say they don’t notice
Cinderella and Four Knights is another pre produced drama with four hot guys but I feel Park So Dam is so good in it so she makes Jung Il Woo look good too however it’s writing is pretty…crappy lol so I kind of agree with Koala that Lee Jun Ki is holding most of the fort for Scarlet Heart. I want to give this drama a try but I going in with less expectations.
I am so disappointed in Cinderella, great cast. The story was great in the beginning but now it is just a drag. Poor script but great cast…
oh wow…From the cosmo pix, I knew the shoot location was in downtown nyc…but that picture with the number 1 is where I always park when I come into city. I would have been smiling ear to ear to recognize PHS if I was there when the picture was taken.
Aww…the mentioning of LJK sets my heart a flutter. I love Scarlet Heart but loving it even more because of LJK. Oh wait, this article is about Hwarang. KBS been the most successful network this year, I am not surprised that this one will do well though I like none of the casts.
I love any dramas about goryeo time period – it is just my thing. So I am anxiously awaiting this one.
Hwarang is not about Goryeo time period it’s about Shilla.
I like PSJ in KMHM but visually (n i mean visually), he does not look like he is fit for saeguk. Quite skeptical about Min Ho since I never like any of his acting project, though.
And with the mentioning of LJK…yes, i totally agree that he is holding 99% of the fort of Scarlet Heart. KHN is great but nowhere yet near LJK when come to carrying a drama.
I like PSJ so I will at least watch it to give it a chance. I am thinking there is no way it could be worse than moon lovers SH. It’s not the acting that bothers me more, it’s the editing that drives me more crazy.
Anyhow I am looking forward to it but keeping expectations low.
i’s not the acting that mattters but the plot of the drama that matters! i think south koreans like drama that is a combination of funny and romantic that can make your heart flutter like gurumi..
I just hope that Hwarang will have a decent/good script, the directing and editing is being done right, and the cast does well in the acting department. I personally think that one of many things that Moon Lovers:SHR did wrong was that they over hyped the drama way too much and that they went for flashiness over substance imo. The younger Princes are not being fleshed out or being given any depth and the only reason that any depth is shown to the 8th and 4th Prince is due to KHN and LJK’s acting, not due to the script. Hae Soo is suppose to be the viewers eyes and ears into this time period but she’s not, she is just ornamental. What’s sad is that Moon Lovers had all the potential is be a success. I do hope that Hwarang does well for cast, director, and scriptwriter.
I pity Scarlet Heart. It becomes the benchmark for any form of lows when come to pre-produced drama. I love the drama very much and don’t see much problem with it. I find its strong qualities outweighed the not so good aspects. Oh Well, different people has different taste and preference.