K-actor Kim Soo Hyun‘s success has both hard work but also a measure of luck in choosing the right projects at the right time. If luck comes and goes then announcing his impending military enlistment right now is probably a very smart choice. His luck appeared to run out this year with the biggest K-movie box office bomb in quite some time in his summer thriller movie Real, which was by all accounts really really really bad. If we consider it a vanity project on his part and a chance to do something different then he’s scratched that itch, and by announcing that he will enlist for active service next month on October 23rd he’s leaving at a good time to place a nice 2 year distance between that turd of a movie. He’s an ’88er so is now 30 years old in K-age so it is his time to enlist, and he’s smartly chosen to do active service which always gets kudo points with the netizens. He’ll forever be Song Sam Dong from Dream High for me but with enlisting it really means the young days are over and he’s coming back a matured man, with hopefully yet another successful stage of his acting career ahead of him.
To note how many successful projects Kim Soo Hyun has under his belt at this age – Dream High, The Moon Embraces the Sun, Secretly, Greatly, Thieves, and You From Another Star. And IMO his Producers was quite a successful attempt at something different for K-dramas.
China’s Alibaba invested huge amounts in this movie, 80% of the total budget, on condition that it got the sole distribution rights in China and a share of the global profit. None of the two would materialise now, as China has banned all Korean movies and as the movie turned out to be a bomb, overseas and domestic.
Producers indeed was successful. Experimental time slot with 17.7% ratings in a year where only 2-3 dramas overall broke 15% even – and a lot of buzz locally as well as internationally. I can’t seem to think why anyone would call it anything but successful. Yes in his standards, not the biggest. But his standards is also a bit too huge.
Yet he got a daesang for his role. He didn’t deserve a daesang at all though
Ms EVA, check the facts before you talk espcially on public forum. REAL first stop in Taiwan is a great success. It is the longest running K movie in Taiwan and it is still showing since August 4. You have your right to hate a person but do remember that there is such thing as Retribution so write with some conscience.
YOU need to be checking your facts, the movie only sold $1 million TWD worth of admission tickets lmao, one of your oppa’s movie flopped, accept it.
Ms Koala, I have great respect for you after you reported the monopoly of CJ in Battleship Island when no other media sites dared to do so. Forgive me if I am wrong and there were other sites that reported the news but I missed it. It shows your uprightness in your reports and never influenced by any other factors. Unfortunately I do felt hurt when you emphasised “really really really bad” when there are other experts praising the unique charm of the movie. Different strokes for different folks. Though hurt but my respect for you still remain the same.
It seems as if the article is written by an immature person. What with talking about failure of Real like some worst thing that could happen and going to military service as a result of it. Sounds like k netizen comment.
I don’t know about the movie but Kim Soo Hyun’s acting was highly praised in Real. Korean journalists compared his performance to Heath Ledger in The Dark Night.
Maybe Real is not to Korean movie goers’ taste. Modern Korean Cinema, reviewed by a foreign film critic, gave the movie 4 out of 5 stars.
Anyways, have a safe service Kim Soo Hyun ssi.
Is he really that good in Real? His best acting for me is still in giant. It’s been while since he hasn’t show any real effort in his acting performances. And based on trailer I saw, all he does is pose. But I might check it out if he really good in there.
I’m not sure how effort is measured, but I applaud him for always trying out different roles and genres rather sticking to the same tried and true formulas.
kim soo hyun my boy wish you a safe military service life and come back strong and healthy,though i am sad not to see you for 2 years,its all for the best eventually and see you in 2 years time.
Haha Pupkit, Everyday I am checking on the progress of REAL in Taiwan. Just In Taipei (Taiwan is made up of Tainan, TaiChung, KaoHsuing etc etc) and for the initial 3 days, REAL collected 1 million TWD which is very rare for a K movie. REAL is now into its 50 plus days (from August 4) and is still strong. “Genuine Gold is not afraid of fire”. REAL will do well but your health will deteriorate because of your hatred in your poor heart.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha this is really funny
In two years anything can happen, new Hallyu stars are born and these Oppas will become Ajussi’s. Time sure flies. Wishing KSH all the best during his service and return safely.
I do admit that one of the movie of my oppa flopped in SK. It flopped because:
REAL is not made for entertainment purposes but for some brain stretching and exercising of the various state of the mind.Not many movie goers are interested in doing that.
REAL failed in SK because of the poisonous negative comments prepared in advance and released even before the release of the movie.
REAL failed in Sk because of THADD.
REAL failed in SK because of the well prepared illegal videos available immediately after the movie was released. etc etc.
So delusional. I watched Real and it doesn’t need brain stretching at all. It was bad and really shitty film. It meadia played with KSH and Sulli sex scenes for ages. It was a terribly bizarre film. Don’t blame the audience and thaad for movie failure.
I don’t know if any of this is true or not, but I do know the director of Mother (which bombed in US theaters) is using the “it’s not supposed to be for the masses” excuse as well as others.
It’s okay for something to bomb. Good for KSH for taking a risk. Sounds like he was passionate about it. I actually like to see actors try something new. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t and, truthfully, normally it’s the writing and directing that fail good actors. In KSH case, he might have been a bit too close to the production side of things but I imagine he’s learned a lot.
I love Kim soo hyun’a acting. I dunno about his movie cos I prefer dramas which have more depth
Regardless, I tend to agree that this page’s comment sounds like a personal emotional opinion.
Koala has always been a professional in their reporting except for this page.
I am tired to see fans accusing koala for bias writing. Kim soo hyn movie flop. Why can’t his fans accept it? And the movie flopped because it was terrible in the first place don’t blame audience or political influence. His movie was tagged as one of the worst Korean movies. Kim soo Hyun is a huge stars he will surely bounce back with good project post military.
This site does have bias writing, but it’s Koala’s blog, so it is expected. You can tell which celebrities and dramas Koala prefers… I mean look how many postings were about Suzy and LJS’s drama in comaparasion to other dramas coming out. Anyhow, I am not really a fan of KHS but I do wish him a safe military term. It’s such an unstable time to go into the military, so I hope he and all the others enlisting stay safe and healthy.
i wish him all the best and my prayers are with you dear.