There are a handful of famous name screenwriters, and two are coming out with high profile K-dramas in winter of 2016 in Kim Eun Sook‘s Goblin on tvN and Park Ji Eun‘s Legend of the Blue Sea airing on SBS. I quite enjoy both but its Park Hye Ryun who I have a deeper connection with thanks to Pinocchio and Dream High, even if I skipped her more buzzy I Hear My Voice. She did a short drama this year with Page Turner but news has leaked that she’s prepping a prime time K-drama that will hit the screens in early 2017, which immediately gets my attention.
The drama is tentatively titled While You Were Sleeping, name borrowed from the 90s rom-com movie with Sandra Bullock, but this one will cast late twenties actor and actress as the leads in a fantasy romance. All I know is that the male lead is a character who is an aerospace engineering major and the drama will air on KBS. If this means a space theme drama then OMG I have been waiting ages for this big step forward.
A Park Hye Ryun drama of course merits consideration in Lee Jong Seok potentially making it a three-peat appearing in her work. It’s not out of the question since he usually does one drama a year and in 2016 did W: Two Worlds and reportedly enjoyed the fantasy element of the manhwa male lead who travels between realities. He’s also due for military enlistment next year so going on with a bang on a Park Hye Ryun drama makes sense. All I know is that she writes beautiful characterizations and romance progressions so I’m in so long as the leads are well cast.
I like Park Hye Ryun. She, along with Song Jae Jung are my favourite screenwriters. Page Turner is definitely my favourite among her works. “5m 50cm” is definitely epic. I have no qualm over the casting of Lee Jong Seok but would very much like to see other actor portraying characters written by her. So looking forward to her penned drama along with a saeguk by Kim Eun Hee, also out next year.
Late twenties actor.. Theres quite a few out there.i hope Park Shin Hye gets casted. I enjoyed her character in Doctors. The earlier episodes when she had a lot of spunk and kickass. Before the scriptwriters thk she needed a brain transplant and subsequently lost her character
Haha i hope psh too.but she is filming silent witness
No PSH. i like PHR but can’t stand your fave actress blah.
I liked that movie!
So basically, when the girl saved the guy from being ran off the train, the doctor then said that he’s in a coma. When the guy’s family came to visit, they all thought that she’s his fiancee. Since then, she acted as one coz she never had the love of a family and felt the warmth of the coma guy’s family to her. Time passed and with all the interaction, the one she actually had feelings on was the coma guy’s brother. When the coma guy woke up, secrets are exposed…
I get the feeling lee jong suk will get to be the lead. He is filming VIP right now once it wrap filming, he will be able to join. finger crossed.
Ameeen
Currently she is my favorite drama writer. She can do NO wrong in my eyes! Excellent! Cannot wait! Now get me some good leads (LJS for the win!).
Im hoping for Kang Sora to be the lead. She is a great actress but unfortunately her dramas are either hit or miss with the audience maybe this could be a good one for her.
Ooh, yeah, I second that! But I’d love for who to play a badass character like she did in Sunny. I’d love to see her in a new drama.
It’s because the leading man is late twenty, otherwise I would love for the casting of Lee Jun Ki. My pick is Kang Ha Neul – he is so long overdue for a leading role when he is so incredibly talented. I like PSH and wouldn’t mind if they settle for Moon Chae Won or Oh Yeon Seo (she is great in Please come back Mister).
OYS – last I heard – has accepted the role of the movie version of Cheese In The Trap but don’t know when filming begins or ends.
Me too! Me too! When can Kang Ha Nuel be the lead???
Can she cast PSH again and this time will be her story.
If anything Doctors proved she had what it take to carry a drama herself sucessfully
Would like to see PSH again! Pinocchio is easily one of her best dramas.
Pinocchio was the drama that changed my opinion about PSH.now,Doctors has ruined it,and she’s the only writer that can redeem her from that mess. nobody writes a better and stronger female character than writer Park Hye Ryun. as for the male lead,can it be KSH or SJK.
KIM SOHYUN AND PARK SHINHYE IS THE BEST WAY TO ACT IN THIS DRAMA.
HOPE THEY WILL ACT IN.
kim so hyun? the teen actress?
JS mentioned recently in his taiwan FM press con that he will be filming VIP until next January and after finishing VIP, he will start work in a drama right away. I have a feeling this might be it. At least he is considering it.
I like the theme, space and everything but Jong Suk has done many fantasy dramas. I really like to see him in a fluff old fanshioned typical k drama for once.
I want a Moon Chae Won/Lee Jong Suk pairing for this drama. Make it happen Drama Gods!
please no too another noona!! beside MCW look a lot older than him
No! Not with him, his fake nose is just too much even if he is a good actor
you tell me any actor/actress in korea without fake nose lmoa
90% of them had some kind of PS
couldn’t agree more! not him (LJS) please! there’s a lot of good actors out there… I don’t want to waste another kdrama by not watching it just because I can’t stand the actor’s effin face..His face alone makes me cringe, sns
*Speechless* Aigooo, please calm your tits.
There’s nothing wrong with Lee Jong Suk’s face to begin with, it’s your comments that are disgusting…and don’t worry I have no power whatsoever over the casting so there’s no need to drag the poor guy through the mud. I only gave my opinion on a potential pairing I’d like to see.
Wkwk why drag his face
Lee Jong Suk and Park Bo Young please! They had awesome chemistry in that movie they did together.
Just pick good leads with good chemistry, the male lead role sounds suitable for a late 20s or even 30s actor.
But LJS is only an 89er, there are even 86ers and 87ers who haven’t gone yet. He has a couple of years left still.
86 and 87 actors still in military service lol
Aerospace engineer? Given my background in STEM with mostly male classmates at school and male coworkers, I haven’t seen any Asian dramas able to portray a nerdy engineer quite well. Even the drama is no doubt romance focused, the lead actor has to be convincing in terms of aura. I love LJS and all his acting in each of his projects. But I don’t think he exudes an engineer kinda mannerism. Somehow it has to do with understanding of the engineering disciplines at certain intellectual level.
One candidate up in my mind is Lee Sang Yoon, an obvious smart guy who’s a physics major from Seoul National Univ or Song Joong Ki who’s known for being very intellectual in the industry albeit not in engineering background. But both of them are over 30.
There’s also Yeon Woo Jin (Marriage not dating)who is a Civil and Environmental Engineering major. But he’s over 30 too.
I don’t know where you guys get this stuff about engineer mannerisms and all from.
I mean, there’s an idol who has a degree in engineering (Sojin from Girl’s Day) and you would literally not know it if you looked at her.
She’s just a college major who’s never worked in a professional field anyway. Also what the heck you would expect to watch an engineer flaunting sultry dance on stage! LOL…Probably she can act like an engineering major given her the role. The point isn’t actually about actors’ academic background. But we have to admit, Scientists/engineers are among the hardest roles to portray if the roles have to be taken seriously. So far I haven’t seen much successful portrayal like American film Beautiful Mind.
@lili, I do think YWJ has that engineering aura.
OMG! Just the other day I was thinking that it was high time for Pinocchio and I Hear Your Voice screenwriter to come back with a drama! Page turner was way too short to satisfy (especially since I wanted a whole 16 episodes drama out of it). I really hope Lee Jong Seuk will join as male lead! I enjoyed his last drama, but I didn’t connect to his character as fully as I did in Pinocchio and I Hear Your Voice. With this writer at the helm, I won’t have to worry about that part at least 🙂
I really do hope they find someone better than LJS. He’s a little more than an average actor. They need to consider a real actor like Kang Ha Neul. Kang Sora also need to find better part for herself. Maybe a Kang reunion?
I will second that a Kang reunion – Kang Ha Neul and Kang Sora.
I too, am not a fan of LJS. I second Kang Ha-Neul too, if it is a good script. I actually did not love this writer’s drama. Pinocchio was just good enough. I did not like I Hear Your Voice and love story of an adult woman with a school boy. In my country, that woman would be in jail. In Korea they celebrated her in a Kdrama. I do not understand this attraction. I hope it is not a noona romance again. If it is – I withdraw my desire to see KHN in it, and will not watch it anyway. Anyway, this writer is far from being a favorite of mine by any stretch of the imagination.
Can’t wait. I loved Dream High, I Hear Your Voice and The Page Turner, she is definitely one of the most solid Korean scriptwriters. I wasn’t a huge fan Pinocchio, but it wasn’t bad by any means.
I like Lee Jong Suk in a Park Hye Ryun project but isn’t it time to see another male lead in a PHR project? If they broaden the age range for the male lead, there are a bunch of early 30 something actors who can play the lead role. As for the heroine, personally I hope Moon Chae Won gets offered the role. Goodbye Mr Black was mediocre and KBS really likes her so crossing my fingers she gets a chance.
I love love love Page Turner. I would love to see Kang Ha Neul taking the leading role. He is such an amazing talent yet so underrated. My second pick would be Yoo Ah In. As for the leading lady, Park Shin Hye would be ideal or may be Kang So Ra.
Isn’t Yoo Ah In due for the army? How come press is still going out on his upcoming projects like he isn’t going to serve? Or has an exception been made for him?
Idk. Only when you mentioned it that I realized that he was born in 1986 which makes him 30 years old this year. Nope, I have not heard any news of his enlistment yet. Yoo Ah In name popped into my head cause he could appear to be nerdy and still good looking at the same time. But I still prefer Kang Ha Neul. He has wide range as an actor, evidently can be seen from his vast character difference between Monstar and Misaeng. If not because of the late twenties age being mentioned, I would want the casting of Lee Jun Ki.
No YAI! Absolutely NOPE! He’s too theatrical to look like a stoic rocket science engineer who has to master classical mechanics, fluid dynamics, differential equations, and control theories, etc…LOL…He just does’t exude that aura. Sorry to say that. No offense. Kang Ha Neul can be a candidate. NO LJK either for the similar reasons.
Well. I am an engineer too, a civil engineer to be precise. Could I not have a say? My top pick is Kang Ha Neul. There’s no charismatic young actors that can actually portray an aerospace engineer. The most perfect actor without consideration of the age limit is definitely Kim Myung Min.
I can’t comment on Kim Myung Min since I’ve never watched his films or dramas although he’s said to be an excellent actor. But I’ve watched almost all the major dramas of these younger actors suggested by ppl in this forum. I myself studied advanced math and physics for years and got my Ph.D. in disciplines/subjects/research across the fields EE and mechanical engineering. As someone surrounded by and working with male engineers all my life including my close relatives since college thru graduate school until professional life, I definitely don’t think YAI or LJK fits a role of aerospace engineer. There’s no fantasy about any average to top engineers. Their acting has always been more on emotional side, just to the opposite of cool and nerdy image of typical engineers.
@Del – “stoic” rocket science engineer? Is stoicism necessary to master classical mechanics, fluid dynamics etc.?
It’s funny because I lived next to an actual rocket scientist (employed at my country’s space agency) when I was younger and he was a funny, charming, thoroughly goofy man when not on the job – clearly he was doing his rocket science all wrong!
Sorry, that last comment should have been addressed to @Drama2016.
I’ve also spent a good chunk of my life around engineers, both in my family and my friend/neighbour circle, and while a lot are nerds, there are a surprising number who were actually cool and very clued-in to new music/films/events etc. The whole ‘stoic/nerd/geek’ stereotype is a bit outdated tbqh.
We’re not talking about the same thing. @Del and @Gina. Engineers are no different from other professionals off work. We have tons of fun off work, listening to classical or pop music, going to theaters, eating out, specifically making jokes around. But as long as professional life has to be displayed on screen, DANG, you’ve got to convince me you do look like a pro. LOL BTW, you do need a pretty cool head and mind, 100% focus to excel in rocket science like fluid dynamics etc, it’s not like goofing around with buddies in restaurants, just saying. LOL
@Drama2016 Despite being an engineer myself, civil engineering is not as complex as the rest of the engineering which basically need to be stringent to the basic fundamentals and principles. Civil engineering is 70% common sense especially working on the construction line. Those engineers I am surrounded with are pretty cool, not so nerdy professor like. But as we all know, Asian actors are no Hollywood actors. Even those CSI actors with no impressive education background could looked believable playing forensics. If we are expecting the kind of Eddie Redmayne or Benedict Cumberbatch’s portrayal from K-actors, I don’t see any of them having that acting chops. Lee Sang Yoon may be a physic major but he is a dramatic and more towards melo performance. May be we need to be open about professional portrayal only for the setting and for the actors to still looking pretty and appealing to the mass audiences.
@Del. I agree. Perhaps majority of K drama audience just don’t care how actors can imitate professionals on screen. For most of Asian actors I’ve watched so far, it’s just hard to see someone can really nail a rocket science engineer. It actually has nothing much to do with actors’ academic background. Lee Sang Yoon’s manner just looks like many of dudes I knew at school even he always took more melo roles. At the same time, I found a C actor, Yang Yang, very convincing playing a game designer in his hit drama Love O2O although he’s a dancer by training.
Why not an unexpected cast ? It becomes boring to see allways the same names for the best scripts…I love thèses actors but they have just finished completing dramas. Let others have a chance to shine in decent works ! Please ! They ‘re so much actors who owns to have a chance too.
I want to see Kim Soo Hyun back to Kdramaland. And this is Park Hye Ryun’s drama we are talking about. So, a girl can dream, right?^^
omo!! I really miss Kim Soo Hyun in kdramaland so much (I hope you’re referring to the actor too ^^ ),I heard he’s still considering offers before he enlists and I hope he’ll get this one…He can act and can carry different characters so I think this drama is perfect for him <3
KSh will too bz with bowling competition. its not going to happen
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO to LJS, LJK, or KSH. Absolutely not YAI. LOL……In all my honesty, none of these actors have shown any acting traits anything close to a rocket science engineer albeit they are good actors in general. If age factor is a must concern, then Kang Ha Neul could be a shot. I have no qualms about other professions in drama since I’m not in those fields. But speaking of my own discipline in engineering, I don’t think I can cut slack on actors who just don’t exude that aura at all. A lot of them on screen pretending genius in hard science just made me cringe. Sorry to say that.
@Drama2016 – ‘engineer aura’? That’s a new one…..
and not everyone in a science field is that certain way. Engineers especially, people from wildly different backgrounds get into engineering here and there’s no body language or behaviour that sets them apart from other people – it isn’t as if they are ballet dancers or athletes who would show obvious physical signs of being changed by what they do.
Hahaha…I’ve been working with and close to tons of engineers all my adult life. I don’t speak for other science disciplines such as biology or medicine. But engineering is definitely a very different discipline from other fields. Although there’re no certain ways for engineers to behave in non professional life as we’re also human beings who have fun like other professionals, e.g., drama and Kpop for myself. Nonetheless, when it comes to professional, there’s certain basic quality that an average engineer must exhibit and you can tell by just looking at their mannerism and the way they talk, unless you’re talking about some lousy crappy exceptions in the fields. I don’t think K drama will make a low-end engineer a hero.
you make sense
ew!!? kang ha neul ??!!? AS IF!!!! *flips table**roll eyes**bye felicia!!*
Then who else in his age group do you think better than KHN? Give me a list that I won’t roll my eyes. LOL.
@drama2016.. how about joo won?? I think he is the better one among many. imo.
I’m ok with Joo Won. He’s on the calm side of acting pool. Just don’t give me some over the top emos. LOL
is there an aura / vibe / face requirement to be an engineer tho? they’re actors for pete’s sake!! if there’s something to be concerned about is that how would that actor portray the character… KHN is the NO for me
I don’t want these actors because i want new faces. But i don’t get the “engineer aura”. What’s that ?
Never mind. It’s just me particularly picky on this role given my background. I’ve never had any problems with other professions in drama since I have no idea how they should look like in their professions. But aerospace engineer???!!! C’mon! Just don’t show me a random theatrical emo and try to convince me he’s a top notch engineer. LOL
Like Howard in “BIG BANG THEORY” ! isn’t he an engineer too ?
Great! I Hear Your Voice and Page Turner were perfect!
For this particular drama, I’d choose Kang Ha Neul and Kim Ji Won; or Song Joong Ki and Park Bo Young.
Park Bo Young has already a drama lined up for January (‘Strong Woman Do Bong Soon’ with Park Hyung Sik)Looking at her filmography, it seems she’s not the type to take on multiple projects…
Oh, okay, no problem. I found another potential pair instead: Choi Daniel and Moon Chae Won.
I love writer Par Hye Ryun’s dramas, not only because of Lee Jong Seok who acted in two of her dramas that I loved dearly but also because her writing has always left a great mark in my heart!! I’ll be waiting for her new drama and hope the casting will be well chosen, it would be great if Lee Jong Seok take on the leading role for the 3rd time 😉 but I’ll be happy anyway if they make a good casting for the drama!! let’s hope for the best!! 🙂
I like but don’t necessarily love this writer (did like Page Turner). I liked the leads in I Can Hear Your Voice but not the legal stuff because they had her doing silly things. I know I know, it’s a drama. I could only get 2/3rds of the way through Pinnochio even though I liked the story just thought it was too long. I also think the cast was great.
By saying the age is in late 20ies, it is as if they are hinting who the lead actor is going to be and since many writer/PDs/actors repeat because of trust built up over projects, it would make sense. With regard to the look of an engineer. I’ve ended up knowing or being acquainted with quite a few over the years. Yeah, they look different. Some have the professional look but they could just as easily be an accountant or business person. Some are downright good looking with no nerd vibe at all. And a few that I know, happily, are women. My problem is when they put someone in a professional setting on TV, they fall into whatever stereotype there is about that profession.
Of the names mentioned above, I like Kang Ha Neul the best and he’s due a lead role. However, he just signed on to do a movie so would depend on filming schedule…and let’s face it It’s gonna be LJS.
ya’ll be bragging about all your biases while I am here just praying and hoping it’s not LJS.
actress in late twenties? i would say..Moon Geun Young would be perfect to cast in.
I prefer Kim Woo Bin. He would be a hot aerospace engineer. Not sure whether his acting can pull it off but who knows, he might give me a nice surprise. KHN is good in acting but does he have the ‘it’ factor to lead a drama and pull in the audience?
I think kwb is good,i heard he is the first choice to lead drama pinnochio
No, he wasn’t. It was just a medically by Sidus which was the production team behind Pinocchio, SBS and writer deny this rumor in an official statement.
Mediaplay not medically! Sorry.
Moon Chae Won and Song Joong Ki
well, everyone here seems to be stuck with the same actors !
Can we have Ryu Junyeol please? His acting is really organic, flexible and he is good at acting being a programmer in a drama, I want him to act in a drama with good script. He is exactly 30 years old right now and he can be anyone people want him to be.
For the woman, I want Kang Sora, or any flexible and organic actress such as Han Yeri, Jung Yumi, etc.
Han Yeri , Jung yumi,… Very good actresses. But if they are targeting China , we ‘ll have the same “Hallyu” actors .Again and again … Never ending story !!!
Ryu Junyeol’s face ???
I jus realised alot of the male actors I like r in their 30s.
For female lead I thought of the 3 parks. Park Shin Hye. Park Bo Young. Park Min Young. But the first one is busy with movie. The second one is filming a drama. For the 3rd one consider her come back drama?
Would they offer the drama to actors who can make good ratings?
These days a lot of good rating makers failed .
K-drama land loves a sure thing but as @Math said, you just never really know. Tthe thing about LJS is he usually tends to do well with his dramas and since two of his successful ones have been with this writer, I think if he wants this part it is his.
To be blunt, LJS just doesn’t have that top notch engineer aura. I like almost everything about him in W except that I always forgot he’s supposed to be a CS genius in W b/c he just doesn’t look like. LOL. The lead man in Single Cunning Lady did a much better job than LJS. Man, your heroes can look as charming and swoon worthy as other K drama hot guys in romantic, melo, or rom com scenes. But when they sit down in front of computer pretending to be some kinda techno experts manipulating softwares, there’s no way to fake it. That’s what I meant by engineer aura.
sorry, I totally like ljs when he was repaired the tablet, genius aura that i want.
Yes, agreed LJS in any drama is good
To @ Drama2016 , sorry i was just teasing you. But i think i know what you mean. But i may be wrong. I don’t see flower boys for this kind of role but an actor with a kind of aura . Like british actors.
why did everyone bothered much by his nose,man??!
let it go. If you hate his face that much , dont watch his drama…
and @drama2016, we get it…he doesn’t has the engineer aura that you want, but he’s an actor!! that is his job to found the aura!! in W he is the perfect webtoon character who has the intelligent and face…his problem is, the writer is the one who is not highlighting his intelligence…both the no-face dad and song jaejung…but seeing you hellbent saying he is not good enough, then fine..there is no point arguing with you.
we cannot blame LJS if he want to act in this writer new drama, she always give him the most solid and engaging character (if he is cast here, please let him have a complete set of family this time, alive!!), and she does have a pretty good track of record of solid script. anyone who cast later, good luck and have fun with filming.
yas! complete set of family…I second to that, something that I wish LJS next drama would be regardless of the writer or genre
why the comment section always mention lee jong suk? ?
Moon Chae Won
Definitely one of my favorite writers. Can’t wait for 2017. Any new news on this drama will be on my radar
I want song joong ki and moon chae won,thier chemistry in Innocent Man makes me loved them until now,chaexwon can act many ways..she can act as cokd kady,naughty woman,lovely woman…joong ki also is very suited in the male lead..they acted is really remarkable…PS: i hope this will be grant for chae won come back drama….
Park hye ryun is one of a great writer in korea but her project couldn’t beat kim eunsook or park jieun writernim project yet.almost all of PHR drama is about fantasy.sometime i didn’t understand the way she write the story. The story is complicated sometimes. Especially for international level, PHR drama is still not popular and less interest for ifans comparing kim eun sook drama. Kim eun sook is still leading as scripwriter was popular around the world especially in korea, she is still number one.
Whatever, but i want thankfullnes to PHR was creating a good character in her drama.
Seem like she likes Lee Jong suk a lot. Maybe because he suits genius so well, and all of her main leads are kind of fantasy genius.