Breaking news in the K-drama casting world and it’s a big one to make waves even without a confirmation yet from the agency. Reports are circulating that singer-actress IU has been cast as the female lead for the high profile 2018 tvN K-drama My Ahjusshi. The drama got coverage earlier this year due to the combination of the Signal PD Kim Won Seok and the screenwriter of Another Oh Hae Young working together on this drama which is mashing together two of the cable network’s biggest hitmakers for yet another potential mega hit.
Unfortunately My Ahjusshi has a horrible sounding concept about a forty-something man who lived through life’s struggles connecting with a twenty-something young lady dealing with the same. Whether romantic or simply a meeting of the souls, the set-up reeks of the older man-much younger woman trope that superficially gets my defenses up. With that said, the production team and now the potentially casting of IU with also in discussion male lead Lee Seon Kyun now gets me intrigued in the best possible way – like a dissertation that may be uncomfortable to read but rewarding to experience.
I know IU got a lot of flack and for good reason in her last drama outing as the super high profile female lead in the K-version of Bu Bu Jing Xin called Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo. She wasn’t great even by any measure but gosh darn it I really have a soft spot for her, and Lee Seon Kyun made even Lee Yeon Hee amazing in Miss Korea so I think he has that magical touch for limited in acting female leads.
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Please...there are better actresses out there. She looks like his daughter!!!
Honestly I don't mind romances between younger woman- older man or vice versa. As long as the actors and characters are in consenting age it doesn't matter or do I consider it iffy. Honestly I am 22 and have so many crushes on older Korean actors that I wouldn't blame a younger woman falling in love with a man like that in real life lol. You would be surprised on how many of those relationships exist in real life.
it does exist in real life but most of the time guy is rich and famous, or just rich or just famous,although in real life guys are way more older not the 40 something in the drama
I have no problems with age gaps either, as long as both parties are consenting adults. Although many people might find it disturbing that a girl is dating a man who could be as old as her father/grandfather or a boy is dating a woman as old as his mother/grandmother but so what if they want to be in a relationship? The problem is, how does media portray these relationships. Is the media showing these relationships realistically with all their ugly sides too, or is it just romanticizing every aspect of it?
Mature woman - younger man relationships are all about how the woman wants some good sex and gets attracted to younger men because they listen to them and they take care of their sexual needs. Mature man - younger women relationships are all about a boss, teacher or another profession where the man is above the woman in working or social hierarchy and the woman is an inexperienced and even virginal. How are the sexual and romantic aspects portrayed in big age gap romances? Is this drama going to repeat those stereotypes and be a continuum to this endless chain? This is a kdrama so I doubt they’re going to explicitly tackle the sexual aspects but it’s given that in romantic relationship, they’re at least going to hint the leading couple’s physical needs.
My problem with the portrayal of these big age gap relationships is that they have a power imbalance of some sort i.e usually the man is much older, in position of power (boss, politician etc.) and financially stable, and the woman is young, usually a student and financially unstable. The man usually comes into this young woman’s life and ’saves’ her from this financial and economic instability, and magically cures her worries with his old man lips and dick while the girl’s job is to bring ’’beauty and a breath of fresh youth’’ to an old man’s life.
There will always be a power imbalance in relationships irrespective of age. Look at Because Its The first Life. We have two completely different relationships with Ho Rang and Won Seok and then Soo Ji and Director Ma. In one the woman is older and in one younger but in both cases they dominate the relationship. Older women don't always look to younger men for physical intimacy but its more the romanticization of having the interest of a younger male that is 'exciting' same for older men, a young beautiful woman is interested in them of course it'll be 'exciting'. The power imbalance comes from personality differences where one is always an alpha and the other a beta it could be of either gender.
@dreamcatcher Yeah. I’m not saying that relationships should be ultra equal all the time. That’s not even realistic and it would be quite boring too. I never said that only a man can be the more powerful counterpart. You really have to admit that in over 90% of the cases where there is a couple with a huge age gap, their relationship has a huge power imbalance (consider films with teacher-student relationships) and that is often glamorized.
So basically the problem is if the man or woman has much more life experience and are in positions of power and the younger counterpart is barely legal. And when that precise thing is getting romanticized. That’s when it will be a problem.
The only problem I have with this big age difference is
- the older man will definitely have a past. There is no way a 40 year old hasn’t had a previous girlfriend or wife or even kids, especially if the male is quite handsome.
- the younger female will definitely be more naive due to experiences, be it love or work. So, in this type of relationship there is never equality. You can try and sugarcoat this relationship in a drama but in reality the older one will always have had a past which, may not be likeable to me as a viewer.
If a woman (especially in her 20s) has past in the sense we are talking here, she’ll unfortunately be labelled as, well, a slut. So that’s not going to happen anytime soon in dramas. Female sexuality is still, somewhat, a taboo thing and that’s why romance scenes are what they are in k-dramas. It’s really odd to see how writers and directors make even female leads who play 30-year-old characters become wide eyed and stiff when the male lead comes closer to them...
I don’t have a problem if a man is older and has a past (it would be weird if he didn’t have) but if his drama girlfriend is a young woman, obviously inexperienced in love and relationships, awkward and clumsy and generally has ’child-like’ naiveness, it immediately turns me off.
I really didn't think she was THAT bad in ML but then again I love her to bits! I just didn't like how any of the characters and their development was done in ML. Enough about that...
I'm ready for this! No romance please I just want a heart-warming soul searching relationship, give the two their own separate romances if there needs to be romance.
What were the producers thinking casting IU with Lee Sn Kyun? Her acting is not on par but that’s not the worst thing about this drama and casting. First of all, the ’'a little jaded but bright girl working in a million different part-time jobs, in debt’’ trope is incredibly annoying and repetitive. When are Korean script writers going to get rid of this cliché?
Second, Is Lee Sun Kyun’s character going to be a daddy long legs (read: sugar daddy) or just a non-romantic, strictly platonic, father figure? If they’re going to pair a couple with a huge age difference, at least they should make sure that it will work out. The worst thing that could happen is that this drama will romanticize power imbalance. It doesn’t help that IU looks like a girl in her late teens. It hasn’t been long that IU had her previous Lolita scandal.
Great! So when my 20 year old mom back then married the 40 year old love of her life... this was wrong? Bravo, Koala!
On another note I find it terrible to have IU cast in another drama. I mean I liked her in Dream High but there it was a idol drama where I didn't expect big acting chops. But it becomes clear she doesn't have any great acting talent, only her big eyes getting bigger.
I like him alot! He's a great actor.
They may do a Nelly and Mr Arnaud although he's not that old.
I dont like the premise of the story. Even the tittle is tacky "My Ahjushi"?? seriously ??
I like lee seon kyun a lot but this drama doesn't seems a good move for him. IU? Please stay as a great singer composer please.
These sort of storylines are to fulfill fantasies of older men working behind the scenes and especially those in the Korean public.
The Korean public is so disenchanted with kdramas and this is the best plot they can come up with? Enough with middle aged adults being paired with romantic interests half their age my god. I can already see a mediocre to bad actress (or part time idol actress) being cast for this. Too bad they missed another opportunity to cast an experienced, older actress. With the writer and PD, I'm sure it could turn out to be good but it's yet another wasted opportunity.
I have similar sentiments. I wrote a comment above, expressing the same idea but it didn’t come out. Lets see if it gets published..
The plot says 20 year old and 40 year old so I don't think they can cast an older actress even ones in their early 30s. Age wise the casting actually makes sense, I think this is meant to be a healing drama more than a pure romance drama. Regarding IU, I don't have a problem with her cast entirely because if the female lead has to be in her 20s the options are pretty limited. PBY and KJW are currently shooting a movie, KSR & SSK have dramas, PSH is on break, LSY is doing Hwayugi, PEB is doing NTL and NJH is 22 so that would feel weirder though I guess she can be styled to look older like in SP. PSD and KGE are options but I think both are filming a movie at the time and KTR is already cast opposite another ahjusshi.
I mean with minor adjustments to the storyline. The production team is excellent. There are many older actresses in his age group that he could be working with.Kim Hee Sun, Kim Su Ah, a reunion with Gong Hyo Jin, Ha Ji Won badly needs an actor of her calibre, Lee Bo Young..many many more..If we are talking 80s liners, Jun Ji Hyun could do with a good storyline from cable station and working with a different writer. Yoo Eun Hye could make a comeback and they have worked together before.Shin Min Ah is ok. And since they are looking for 90s liner it seems, Park So Dam, Baek Ji Hee and Lee Sun Bin come to mind.These three are young but have a mature vibe to them, compatible to Lee Sun Kyun. All have enough acting chops to complement him than IU.