First Teaser for Sageuk Drama A King Loves and Male Lead Im Shi Wan Confirms Military Enlistment on July 11th

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• So this means there's no Misaeng sequel in near future. :( I'm only remotely interested in this drama thanks to Im Si Wan.

  • Yeah will watch it for Im Siwan and see how it goes...

    And sad we have to wait for at least 2 more years for Misaeng 2 to happen.

• I don't know why but I find that Im Si Wan is more engaging is stills than in motion. And I find him good in Misaeng but he was quite bad in The Moon That Embraces the Sun, so I don't know what to expect from him doing a sageuk. To be honest, I don't like the teaser. But then, the good thing is that this would keep my expectation low and hoping it will churn out some good story, especially coming from Song Ji Na though she does not have excellent track record when comes to sageuk either. And yes, to more Hong Jong Hyun.

• I'm not a fan of the casting, so I will try maybe...I was disapointed by K2 because of the character of Yoona (the drama would have been perfect without her, instead we had a useless love story with a little girl...), in Moon lovers except the main 3 actors, the casting was very disapointed and I can't imagine Im Si Wan being very charismatic...

  • Mind asking who are the 3 main actors in Moon Lovers you are referring to? I think it's a no brainer to guess the first two being Lee Jun Ki and Kang Ha Neul, so am wondering who's the third one. On my part, I was only impressed by Hong Jong Hyun in the later half once he turned into the mad king but among the girls, I totally love Kang Han Na. She is such an underrated talent.

    • @Mishaps well in SHR if we are looking at character description not acting ability then IU is a main too.There is no way, you can consider her a side character when she has a love line with both leads and has an equal amount of scenes and lines with LJK and KHN.

      Also agree with Kang Han Na, she is underrated just like Kim Ji Won was.She needs to graduate to leading roles soon.

      I think Hong Jong Hyun only needs more acting experience to develop emotional depth to his acting other wise he is alright.At least they are not pushing him into lead roles prematurely.

      If you put him along side the other model actors like Sung Joon, Nam Joo Kyuk, Kim Young Kwang, Ahn Jae Hyun.He is the most charismatic,the one with a broader range in acting, and the one with the most potential to improve and be a decent actor.

    • @RubyRed I don't know about Hong Jong Hyun and how much he has improved without watching the show first but you've got to checkout Lookout before putting Kim Young Kwang behind him. The guy is killing it as our resident anti-hero Do-Han. I didn't know he had it in him before Lookout. If we go by his last project, then Hong Jong Hyun is sort of okay and passable in Scarlet Heart. Kim Young Kwang is right now at the point in his career where he has proved he can carry a complex grey character and post Lookout, I can see him confidently carrying meatier roles. Ahn Jae Hyun, Nam Joo Hyuk are far, far, far behind. Sung Joon is still either hit or miss depending on his role. He was extremely good in Ms. Perfect. So, we need to see what HJH can do first.

    • IU... Her character was a little bit boring but I never thought that her acting was bad.

      Kang Ha Na was so good ? I didn't see it. Maybe because she was the typical second female character...

    • I second that Kang Han Na is the best among the young female casts. Sorry but IU frustrated me.
      Setting aside LJK and KHN whom are clearly in a different league than the other princes, I say HJH is the best among the remaining princes. I was surprised that he gave better performance than Ji Soo. He was rocky in the beginning but improved a lot in the second half.
      I am actually more excited to watch this drama for him and see what he could offer, transitioning from playing a baddie to a good guy.

• Ok. The one thing that I am most unimpressed about for this teaser is Im Si Wan's voice. His voice sound too gentle.

  • About Im Si Wan, did you watch his crying scene in the teaser, that was bad.. He seem to have a gentle charisma not the kind where you can be in a lead role in a saeguk.He sure is pretty to look at, I was swooning over him in Moon embracing the sun but he was a side role.

    Also what's up with the mask, Wang So set the trend for masks in historicals for the year 2017?????

    • Lol. Exactly. The crying scene was bothersome. I was trying to figure out what is wrong with Im Shi Wan because he surely is a potential actor but now you pointed out, he lacks the charisma and the x-factor to headline a drama, especially a sageuk. I was skeptical over Park Hyung Sik in sageuk before I watched Hwarang but he definitely owned the genre, even overshadowed Park Seo Joon (not because his role is more interesting but his performance is more powerful). So I am going to give his fellow bandmate, ISW the benefit of a doubt.

      After Wang So, it seems to be a trend to wear masks in so many sageuks. But no one rawks a mask like Lee Jun Ki. Maybe because he is my ultimate bias.

• I wasn't interested before, but I'm having hope. The teaser looks straightforward. Three friends, love triangle, and heartbreak. I think it will be at least consistent.

• I'm more interested in reading comment sections for each articles about this drama in many sites.
  usually they're differentiated with:
  - some people pointing how bad the lead actress (Yoona) is, in all many variations: bad acting, useless character in previous drama, too ugly, too skinny, face isn't fit for sageuk etc
  - Dubious about the ability of the 2nd male actor (Hong Jong Hyun). Usually point out he was bad and expressionless in his movie, and only give mediocre/okay performance in SHR
  - Like SW in Misaeng but ________ (insert whatever reasons). And would end their opinion with they think they will skip the drama.

• I like Im Si-wan but don't like very young actors as leads in sageuk. I don't think the Korean audience likes it much either. It's a whole other genre when you cast it & costume it like this -- it's just pretty fantasy.

  • ISW is 28, not very young. When KSH did Moon Embracing the Sun, he was 24 and the drama was a hugh success in Korea. I don't think age should matter in Sageuk.

    • I think rather than age, think of it this way.KSH hard carried Moon Embracing the Sun from ep 6 to 20 when the writing failed and his Co stars acting was weak.I forgive Jung Il Woo because he was betrayed by the way his character was written.That is why the majority of people stayed to the end.KSH was one man show in that drama I think.

      ISW is a very good actor with loads and loads of potential to be great but surround him with let's say bad or bland actress and mediocre supporting cast, poor script, poor directing..would he hold the audience for 20 episodes and produce high ratings with his acting and visual alone?

      Thats the difference.Of course it's too early to judge for this drama.I like being proven wrong and I might swallow my words later.So let's hope this drama does well and push their careers to greater heights.After all we need fresh faces in dramaland.It shouldn't be like the k movie where the same 10 people act in like 30 movies a year.ok I'm exaggerating but yeah.

  • Me too.I prefer the 30+ actors to lead saeguk especially the Goryeo era.If they really have to cast the younger actor, then they must possess the aura, charisma, X-factor,and star power like for example Yeo Jin Goo or Yoo Seung Ho for saeguk.I can't think of any others but maybe you can think of more.They are just some actors who are better off staying in the modern drama.Not because they are bad actors but their aura does not match the dramatic and intense acting needed for saeguk or their visuals don't have the regal aura that is needed to suit the costumes worn in saeguk drama.

    Even among the older or more experienced actors and actresses for example;Moon Chae Won and Ha Ji Won possess this regal charisma in saeguk that for example Jun Ji Hyun and Gong Hyo Jin wouldn't match.Does that mean JJH and GHJ are bad actress or less prettier than the other two.No they are all pretty and all good actresses and some indeed acted in part Joseon like JJH.Its just that the auras are different and also acting style suits the modern dramas.

    As for the actors compare for example Lee Dong Wook and Lee Jun Ki in saeguk and then put Ji Sung or Nam Goong Min/Jo Jung Seuk.Does that mean the latter two are bad actors. Of course not...only their charismas and acting styles are different.

    Or let's see the 90s actress let's take Suzy and Yoona then compare with Kim So Hyun and Kim Yoo Jung...totally different auras..But all are pretty..

    Meaning some can cross over the time periods flawlessly but some do but you can't help feeling their look feels very modern for joseon or Goryeo..

  • Even if you take away the age factor and just focus on their charisma, aura, X factor,visual and acting style for saeguk drama.Yeo Jin Goo and Yoo Seung Ho vs Im Si Wan and Park Seo Joon for example or Kim So Hyun and Kim Yoo Jung vs Suzy and Yoona.

    Does that mean ISW, PSJ, Yoona and Suzy are not pretty and handsome.Of course not, they all are..but their charismas are different.Well for the actresses Yoona and Suzy's acting is questionable but that's not my focus here.

    Even for the older actors...compare
    Lee Dong Wook and Lee Jun Ki vs Ji Sung, Nam Goong Min and Jo Jung Seuk for example..Put all of them in hanbok and Goryeo hairstyle or Joseon fashion and ask them to act. spot the difference.For all of these actors can all do dramatic and intense acting just the auras and visuals are different.

    Compare Ha Ji Won, Moon Chae Won, and Han Hyo Joo vs Jun Ji Hyun, Gong Hyo Jin and Park Shin Hye and do the same.Are any of them lacking in visuals or acting.No all are very beautiful .Just that their auras are different..others can cross over the time periods flawlessly and other's are limited by their visuals and acting because they look and feel modern.But maybe it's just me.

    • Or for the older actors I meant all of them can do dramatic and intense acting required for saeguk.saeguk drama or movie is not the place for subtle and soft, no facial expression kind of acting..otherwise you come across as stiff.also that overly bubbly acting they do in modern dramas for the ladies doesn't work very well in saeguk.

      Similarly in modern drama the overly "save me cheona" theatrical acting would look awkward and out of place but is perfectly fine in historicals.

• Being honest, I dob't find In Siwan has the strong screen presence. He can be scene stealer as side roles but if he's the main role, my focus just gone to other actors easily. He's similar wirh Lee Joon. Both are good actors but I feel they lack of charisma or star aura that can make me stuck only for them till the end.

  • Second!

• It feels wrong saying this but ISW is so much prettier than Yoona. She doesn't have the sageuk look :(

• ISW is a good actor. But somehow I don't see regal aura in him. He's a bit too short.