The end of 2017 feels bittersweet to me, with nary a K-drama or performance that truly touched me like previous years past. In particular some of my faves rather let me down and I’m primarily talking about Lee Jong Seok in SBS drama While You Were Sleeping. He didn’t put in a bad performance but conversely it was like all prior performances with screenwriter Park Hye Ryun‘s work and that makes me even sadder. I also was meh with his antagonist serial killer turn in K-movie VIP, he basically played himself but evil with the smirking and posing. One can’t coast on familiarity alone even if it bred success and I want his 2018 to start with a reboot of his project choices or else go into military enlistment and come back two years later with a brand new maturity. It’s also disappointing to see his visuals in WYWS being the same look as before, he has great fashion sense and lots of playfulness, I love this December 2017 Elle Men pictorial studded with a chic Parisian vibe.
He has reached the bottleneck. All along, he was circling around his comfort zone especially with writer Park Hye Ryun who considered him her muse. WYWS is meh and in fact, much like IHYV 3.0.
I really liked him and looked forward to his projects. “I Hear Your Voice” is still one of my favorite Kdramas.
Unfortunately he’s been looking and acting the same in his new projects. It’s too overdone. He seems like a one-trick pony right now.
Now I just hope he’ll mature and change his acting.
Lee Jong Seok is his own worst enemy. Instead of stretching himself like other actors his age who take up diverse roles in different types of projects, he stuck to the repetitive romantic lead in a romcom role. I know he said in the past that he suffered from a lack of confidence in his own acting, which has led to his acting glut – if I may call it that. Getting out of the spotlight for a few years with Military Service might be the best thing for his career. Might give him a chance to reflect and reevaluate.
Unfortunately, it looks like he is intent on playing safe and sticking to the romance roles.You aint gonna see him in sageuk, crime or action drama anytime soon which would have stretched his versatility and maybe spared him from one more ship?.Here is an interview that was released just yesterday:
“As for 2018,Lee Jong Suk shared that he wants to go for more lighthearted roles, saying “While chossing works up to now,I think I’ve mainly focused on those that have a strong framework and are meaningful, or productions that have cause.In 2018, I want to try something lighter to watch like a romantic comedy or a melodrama.”
This commentary can be found on soompi if anyone thinks am just speaking from the air.
Then, what has he been doing ever since? His description sounds like roles he’s already played. He should take a leaf out of the book of actors like Lee Joon, or Choi Jin Hyuk or Kang Ha Neil – they aren’t the best in the industry by any means, but they are talented, switch up their roles a lot and gain credibility by trying different roles and genres.
maybe he thinks W and WYYS were thrillers, and Pinocchio was a legal drama lol.
@yoyo on lol W and WYWS thrillers?Hell nah, I would classify those under romance-fantasy genre.Thrillers to me would be something like “voice”,”tunnel”,”signal”, “secret forest”, “ghost” etc.If we are going to call any LJS drama, a legal drama..then “I hear your voice” is a better fit than Pinnochio no?
@Adal, you’re funny. Those male actors you’ve listed aren’t half as popular as LJS. LJS has tonnes of female fans and he’s earning way more money then them.
@Abc
If all LJS wants from his career are fangirls and money, then good luck to him. He’ll be going down the same path as Lee Min Ho, and I wonder at the longetivity of such a career. But if he wants to be considered as a serious actor within the industry, then he needs to diversify his portfolio. All flower boys have a shelf life, until a brighter and more beautiful star comes along. The actors that remain relevant are those who have built their brands over the years with credibility. LJS is talented and handsome, so the potential to be an even better actor is there.
@Adal, I agree but look at Song seung heon who has less acting chops then LJS. He has been doing fine so he will be okay too. Looks tend to be more advantageous in SE and NE Asia then real acting talent.
But can LJS’s nose hold up by the time he gets to Song Seung Heon’s age? Many people who get such nose jobs only look scarier as they age.
He thrives when he meets the right partner. last 2 dramas sucked bad becoz he didnt have chemistry with Suzy and Han Hyo Joo. Please re watch Pinnocchio and I hear your voice. Then his eyes will sing a love song.
real actors shouldn’t rely on the performance of the “right” partner. The fact of him not improving and getting stale is obvious. There is no excuse.
Personally, I found his chemistry to be unlike anything I’d ever seen with Han Hyo Joo. I didn’t know either one of them before going into it. Have watched them with all other drama partners since, and they are both great with chemistry. But that combo blew me away.
Is he dating Park Shin Hye or Suzy? Lol
His acting is not bad but he’s lack of versatility.
I saw on my instagram explore an account that said that LJS accidentally followed a Suzy fan account but as soon as he realized his mistake, he quickly unfollowed that fan account and followed Maison89 (his cafe). And in his interview he admitted that he fell in love with Suzy ( I read this from Koreaboo, just search Koreaboo and you’ll see that article). Although Koreaboo is a questionable website, much like allkpop.. So some fans are saying he really is dating Suzy (?) but they’re holding it back because of Suzy’s recent break up with Lee Min Hoo. They did announce their break up right before the finale of WYWS… Idk what that ’phase’ with Park Shin Hye was, probably just friends like they said…?? Because she said in her interview that she is not dating and that her ideal type is manly man, a family man like her own father and LJS is far from that. Suzy on the other hand said in her recent interview that she doesn’t like hot manly men anymore, but she looks for a caring and considerate man.. So shippers can conclude whatever they want from this. I know, I read a lot of gossip stuff even about celebs I don’t particularly care for. But as Francis Bacon said, Knowledge is Power 🙂
pssh thats just nonsensical gossip.Koreaboo is rubbish.They write clickbait headlines and when you read the contents of their articles are based in speculation and gossip from elsewhere.Allkpop isnt also exactly reliable but they are a tiny bit better and sometimes their info turns out to be true.Soompi is the much better kpop news site out of the three even though they have their own biases and can be too fangirly.
As for Lee Jong Suk dating Suzy.Nah…they had like zero chemistry.Even his latest his sbs drama award photo had his three male co-stars and she wasnt in there.I think they were just cordial as work partners.As for PSH, I dont think so either.Park Shin Hye has many male friends and tends to remain friends and socialise with her co stars(male and female) outside the drama.I think LJS is one of her many friends.I would be more inclined to believe he had a thing for Han Hyo Joo though even though it wasnt mutual/reciprocated.But you never know with celebs.2018 is already bursting with new couples everyday.Who knows?
Yeah, Koreaboo is tabloid rubbish. They took his words out of context and tried to make a story of it. They got a best couple award at SBS awards, and the announcer tried to pressure them into saying they fell in love on set. (He also pressured Lee Bo Young and Ji Sung into some kissing on stage, which clearly made them both uncomfortable. Yes, they’re married, but I got the feeling they really didn’t want to use their real life for audience entertainment.) Anyway, if you watched the rest of the awards ceremony, you can see LJS clearly avoiding Suzy. He’s perfectly polite, I’m not saying he was rude, but he clearly sidestepped any close interaction with her. It was very striking when you consider that he is a person who likes a bit of skinship. It was like he was trying to send a clear message of, Do Not Ship Me With This Person. I’m sure shippers will try to argue that he was “protecting their luuuurve” or something–but the shut out came clearly from his side. (Anyway, whether he is nice or whether he is distant, shippers will believe what they want to, so there’s no way to win. It must be frustrating to be a celebrity and have people think it’s fair game to twist your words and make up whatever stories about you they wish.)
As to IG, he has accidentally followed fan accounts and unfollowed them long before that incident, and I’m sure he will again. The only account he intends to follow is his cafe’s.
Yeah, Koreaboo isn’t reliable at all, just a gossip site and all the words of celebs are taken out of context. I remember LJS was really comfortable around Lee Bo Young, Park Shin Hye and Han Hyo Joo but this time at SBS he looked a bit distant and he didn’t even post a picture on his IG about Suzy, he rather posted with HHJ. Looks like he is tired of shipping too. Anyway, I wish people would just leave his private life alone. I’d imagine how much his future (?) girlfriend would get hate if it wouldn’t be one of those shippers unnis.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, this is so cool, so much info, then, wisdom at the end.love it 🙂
Versality? He has very little talent. So he will definitely goes down once youth overtake him.
I’ve been telling this couple years ago already. LJS blew up so suddenly after School 2013 and he got his hallyu flower boy status so fast that I think he’s had difficulties with his acting. The last good acting he has had was in IHYV and after that, he has just been repetitive and relied much on his looks. I don’t know if I’ll ever like his acting if he keeps staying in this road but he could try not to act in PHR dramas anymore and he could really, really try to bring passion to his performances.
he’s a good model but mediocre actor. his pics are better than motion.
Haha we won’t know who’s dating who until Dispatch publishes all the videos and photos they take of “supposed dating” actors. But even if they did, like PSH/ LJS can always deny it, just don’t get photographed again! Some are just really fan’s fantasies otherwise. As the movie line says!! Show me the money(pictures). Not bad to have wishful thinking just don’t get disappointed when it’s all acting on their part.
I do wonder, is PSH/LJS the only couple who have denied dating after being photographed by Dispatch. You would have thought their K-fans would know more.
I believe they dated but perhaps not anymore.
He should really enlist and come back after 2 years to refresh his acting…
Pictorials are meant to rise profiles but you still need to have the popularity on the screen to get the work…That will be based on tv ratings; film admissions and instagram followers and thats how celebrities are truly judged in 2018 being relevant.
I saw some mushrooms growing next to some trees, they look exactly like the ordinary mushrooms that we eat except that they are poisonous. Ya, makes me think of people who in guise make haterful insulting remarks.