I’m going to assume the character connections for now otherwise this casting comes across as wholly awkward. CNBLUE member and actor Kang Min Hyuk has signed on to climb aboard the upcoming MBC summer drama Hospital Ship, which sets sail in late August and currently only has the female lead confirmed. This will be Ha Ji Won‘s first drama since the very ill-fated K-version of hit Taiwan drama In Time With You called The Time We Were Not in Love. It’s probably for the best she’s picking not a rom-com drama for her next role, and a step in the right direction to play a doctor and try something new. Not surprising but Kang Min Hyuk’s character is also a doctor, described as a warm and caring type. I don’t know if he’s taking the role earlier offer to Choi Jin Hyuk who passed, I see Kang Min Hyuk as playing the junior doctor with a puppy dog crush on Ha Ji Won, but if he is then this will be interesting in a potentially mismatched way.
honestly I adore both of them and I’m looking forward to this drama, the age gap tho and the fact that ha ji won is so higher up the acting scale than minhyuk is a big factor, this could either be very good for them or a huge disaster, I hope the writer and director do a good job
CN BLUE’s members are pretty busy with drama this year :
Lee Jonghyun in My Only Love Song that was so funny :p
Lee Jungshin in Sassy Girl, I don’t watch it.
Kang Minhyuk in August, I liked him in Entertainer.
Jung Yonghwa in The Package in October, I’m really curious because it happens in France !
I like Minhyuk but as co star of Ha Ji Won. I know that she looks Young for her age but that’s the problem “for her age”! She’s one of thèses actresses who need older leads ( i would say the same for Gong Hyo Jin , Yoon Eun Hye,….) because they have a strong presence . Just my opinion !
There is no available older actors around? XD.
This is where Hyun Bin can step in and redeem himself especially after his last drama.He has been criticised for playing safe in dramas(not movies).He had good chemistry with her and they are ‘supposedly’ friends.At least the public would tune into the first few episodes just to see if their spark is still present.If they can not put them together because of fees then both HJW and HB need to humble themselves and lower their fees, it won’t hurt to star in one drama with lower fees because if it did well, they will be compensated highly.
Ha Ji Won too, she is my unnie crush and I love her so much but she needs to redeem herself too and regain the drama fan’s confidence . I’m cheering for her.If they have started putting her in polls like worst kisser and these days in the forums you hear things like ‘she is a hit or miss’ especially after her last drama when not too long ago she was untouchable.Thats not a good sign.
Other actors older than her I can think of; So Ji Sub, Joo Ji Moo.Younger than her but within her acting abilities;Kim Rae Won(but maybe fear of being typecast), Lee Dong Wook(is he ready to go back to leading man territory?) Jo In Sung(a reunion?) Jong Jun Seok if he rejects that Hong sister drama.
I hope the Kang Min Hyuk guy is her junior or something like that because if he is her love interest, they will most likely make her do the aegyo thing and that’s not her strong point.
Hyun Bin doesn’t need any redeemption. He is doing fine. He is awesome in Confidential Assignment. I hope he stays in movie world for awhile before returning to dramaland.
As for Ha Ji Won she deserves better. Was hoping for Choi Jin Hyuk but he declined. Looks like she is doing charity work for MBC. Hope her next project is a good movie.
oh… i like jo in sung! how about won bin? will he ever come back to dramaland? even a movie? some other possible leading men that i can think of (not necessarily older but can work as her love interest) – kwon sang woo, ji sung, joo ji hoon, jo hyun jae or lee bum soo.
Why does MBC do this to Ha Ji Won ? This male lead reminds me of the pianist character of her latest drama. God bless her .
i love kang min hyuk! he’s been decent in the dramas that i’ve seen him in. i’m just not sure if pairing him and ha ji would (also love her) would work.
Pls tell me he’s not her love interest…..
as for the talks that HB needs to redeem himself, no need for that he is doing so fine these days…
It is HJW who needs to redeem herself, really.
yeah hyun bin is doing fine. as for ha ji won she just need to choose better dramas or pick movies instead.
Seems like Ha Ji Won is truly losing her touch. Secret Garden glory won’t carry her forever. She really needs to make this drama work with the writer, director and her co-actors. And in future, she really needs to start considering her projects better. Or maybe she saw something in this drama and believes in this.
She must wake up and better be careful in choosing her projects. Well, atleast she got to experience of having a phenomenal drama and popularity, coz nothing last forever, if her current situation continues. Goodluck to her.
All these criticisms, just because of one flop?
I was about to say the same thing @Jcee. I may be wrong but her historical drama did good even in Taiwan ?
@Cahill As I said earlier Ha Ji Won is one of my ultimate unnie crush and that will not change for a long time.But constructive criticism has to be given when it is due so that she improves.
The historical drama you are referring to is Empress Ki right?That was four years ago. To me that was when she last delivered her most compelling performance and when her acting matched the characters she chose.Her movies and dramas after 2013 have been underwhelming like ‘huntresses'(2014), ‘chronicles of the blood merchant’life risking romance(2016)’ maybe Manhunt will be the turn around and she can go back to being the box office queen that she is.
The most shocking of all was the drama time I never loved you.Of course the writing and her male lead is partly to blame but still the Ha Ji Won I know, who can carry a drama on her own with or without a strong male lead, the one who can have chemistry with two male leads simultaneously.Underperformed in terms of acting too.
Like where is did our hwang ji ni, damo, empress ki, queen Kim Hang Ah go? it was like I was watching a different actress not HJW, a rookie one .Even though her character in ‘secret garden’ wasn’t all that well written but again writer Kim Eun Sook has yet to write a convincing female lead character.But still HJW held her own very well and her acting was perfect there.
But in her last drama,the kiss scenes were so awkward, the chemistry with both of her leads was bland, her ‘aegyo acting’ way over the top when she was directed to be bubbly and cute(though I liked her fashion and shoes)..I think for those who watched her first in ‘Empress Ki’ and then watched the ‘time I never loved you’ can see the difference or those who watched her first in ‘time I never loved you’ are the ones who are so turned off by her and have so much criticisms, you can’t blame them.
I think since I’ve been following HJW for a long time, I know she is still a talented actress but she needs to be more selective now with the projects and genre she works in.Her strength lies in action, historicals(she has two daesang out of the three she has done)that’s how good she is at them.She is ok in melodrama and serious romance dramas.
Rom Coms are not quite her forte if the male lead she is working with doesn’t have chemistry with her.cutesy and aegyo suits her in real life coz that her real personality but in drama it comes off should I say a bit cringe?.In drama she shines the most when she is playing complex, dramatic, eccentric characters.
She only had one flop that with Lee Jin Wook. This guy was bad in Jung Yumi with I need romance 2 where i rooted for second lead. Hoping success for the new drama.
i adore min hyuk, but being a male lead to ha ji won?…NO.
why oh why?she need a mature leading man.
it’s been a long time i keep on wishing that ha ji won and jo in sung will be paired again. dramagod where are u?