Yoon Kyun Sang Offered Male Lead in Clean with Passion for Now Opposite Kim Yoo Jung
I’m not sure how the brain trust casting came up with this name but apparently K-actor Yoon Kyun Sang is considering joining Kim Yoo Jung for the webtoon adapted drama Clean with Passion for Now. I like Yoon Kyun Sang lots and maybe one day he should work with Kim Yoo Jung but right now it feels so weird and mismatched to me. In both size and age, he looms so much bigger and older, magnifying the fact that she’s 18 years old (though 20 in Korean age) while he’s over 30 years old now. Originally the male lead was Ahn Hyo Seob who backed out when the drama filming was delayed for Kim Yoo Jung’s health recovery and now conflicts with another drama he’s accepted. If Yoon Kyun Sang does join Kim Yoo Jung it’s going to need heaping tablespoons of suspension of disbelieve that they’d make a suitable drama coupling.
casting team wants to top gongyoo-kge age gap well done!
Nope. Kim Saeron-Yoon Shiyoon (14 years) age difference and Lee Byung-hun-Kim Tae-ri (20 years) already topped Gong Yoo and Kim Goeun’s age gap.
upsss i forgot the ultimate age gap between kimtaeri and “you, romance, success” lol
Just weird on so many levels. Apart from the height, YKS and AHS has nothing in common. And Idk how true is the casting with the webtoon male lead character.
I remember reading on Twitter that the character is supposed to be in his early-mid 20s in the webtoon while the heroine is 19/20. Not sure though as I haven’t read it.
Well, if KES drama can have a 20 year age gap romance, I don’t see why this pairing can’t be allowed.
The general knetz/inetz consensus is that that pairing looks terrible together though. It’s happening despite the lack of public approval because KES and LBH want it to happen. There’s ick factor on multiple levels, but at least Kim Taeri is in her late 20s.
He’s a good actor but this would look so much less weird if she was at least 20-21 (international age).
What is with kdramas passing off all these late-20s men as being the same age group as literal teenagers? At least My Ajusshi acknowledged the age gap and it was integral to the characters. Kim Go Eun and Gong Yoo have a 12 year age gap irl but she was 25 years old during Goblin. But who is buying that 30 year old Lee Je Hoon is the same age as 14-15 year old Kim Yoo Jung in Secret Door? Or that 28 year old Taecyeon is the same age as 17 year old Kim So Hyun in Let’s Fight Ghost? This is ridiculous.
However I have to admit. They look ok together
this pairing would be so weird. i’ll probably have no issues had she been a bit older, but she’s so young! why do they insist on pairing the three kims with much older actors. can’t they pick someone closer to her age? how about the following:
Yook Sungjae
Yoo Seung Ho
Jang Dong Yoon
Kwak Dong Yeon
Woo Do Hwan
Kim Min Jae
Kim Sungjoo
I’m sure there many more suitable actors. They’re just the ones I can think of over the top of my head.
kim min jae
they do not meet the height requirement of the webtoon character. Can you suggest some taller people?
Hmmm… Right… How about the following:
Ji Soo – 1.86m
Nam Joo Hyuk – 1.88m (but on second thought… maybe not)
Sung Joon – 1.87m
Lee Soo Hyuk – 1.84m (can look younger than his age but still 11 year gap)
Lee Jong Seok – 1.86m (might look a little too old)
Kim Minkyu – 1.84m
this is my ranking: i like Kim Min Kyu but he is in that weekend drama The Rich Son which runs until September… Sung Joon is good, btw what is he doing this year? Ji Soo is not “flower” enough. Lee Soo Hyuk’s nose scares me, best to be a villan… hahaha… LJS should be going to MS soon. And finally, NJH – you said it already – all good actresses should stay away from him for a million years… lol… Hey, btw, is Kim WooBin ready to act yet? he will be excellent. Cheers!
How about male idols like
Park Chanyeol (Exo)
Cha Eun Woo (Astro)
Park Jin Young (Got7)
I know they’re going for someone tall, but since Yoojung is quite short, someone around 180 cm and up would be tall enough for that manhwa-ish aesthetic. Someone like Yook Sungjae would’ve been perfect. Seo Kangjoon would be a good visual match too.
If they REALLY want someone 185 cm and taller, 91-er Hak Jin from Yoojung’s agency (who is also appearing in this drama) is available. Jang Kiyoung’s drama will end July so he’ll also be available when this drama resumes filming in August. Lee Taehwan would’ve been a good option but the filming schedule could overlap with his upcoming drama.
I mean, is it too hard to find someone tall AND born after 1990? Ahn Hyoseop’s casting meant they were willing to take a risk with a rookie, and Jtbc has cast unknowns as leads in their dramas before. It’s one of the things I like about them. I wonder what’s up now.
Agree with you. Jang Ki Young or Lee Taehwan. Can the drama be rescheduled so that she can have a more suitable partner to make it more convincing?
I don’t really mind the age gap if I know the both actors can surpass it and be good in their characters. But for example, Radio Romance failed to do it for me. KSH never convinced me in her character and in the love story. For me, KYJ had a great chemistry with Park Bo Gum and I didn’t mind the age gap.
It’s a risk to choose actors with a big age gap when the story doesn’t have one because it really depends of the actors, how they suit their characters and their chemistry. It’s a “it goes or it breaks” situation for me.
In this case, I like the both actors but I can’t picture them acting together. I think the age gap and the very big difference of height would make it weird.
A 6-year age gap like with Bogum/Yoojung or Seungho/Sohyun normally works for me. 8 years is stretching it a bit, but more than 10 is just whuuuut. This wouldn’t be an issue if the girls were in their mid-20s but they’re still teenagers.
That said, I did enjoy Sohyun’s chemistry with Taecyeon in Let’s Fight Ghost. But that was because Taecyeon projected a youthful vibe and was believable as an early 20s college student to me so the age gap didn’t seem as big.
This likely pairing is weird and I just don’t think that good acting (which both are known for) would be able to overcome the real-age and reel-visual disconnect. Male character is most of the time dress in CEO suits, while female character in trainers and sneakers. So they can’t use what RR did by trying to dress KSH in chic clothes, to make her appear older despite it not being align to the character, so unless they throw away authenticity they can’t use styling to make Yoojung appear older.
I didn’t expect this from JTBC coz them picking AHS before despite being relatively a rookie male lead, made be think that on top of the webtoon visuals + audition, they took into consideration KYJ’s age and youthful looks. This is after all a Romcom, hence romance needs to be believable.
This likely pairing is just weird, and I don’t think good acting (which both are known for) would be able to compensate for the real-age and reel-visual (she looks a bit younger than her age, and he looks his age-12 year difference). The male character is most of the time dress in CEO suits, while female character in trainers and sneakers. So, unless they go RR route where they had to forgo authenticity by dressing the female character in heels, coats and dangling earrings to make her look more mature align to the male character despite it not being align to the actual job.
I thought that with JTBC picking AHS before despite him being a rookie male lead, it means that they took the webtoon visuals and age of KYJ into consideration. I didn’t mind the casting of SJR despite him being 33 years old because it was mentioned that this drama would be full-blown one-way romance, hence SJR’s character is more of the daddy-long leg type. But with this YKS casting, the age disparity is just gonna be highlighted, and their goes the romance in a Romcom drama.
You speak my mind.
KSH-YDJ were brilliant in RR! The chemistry was off the charts & they fulfilled their characters perfectly. Just say you don’t like KSH because its never not possible that she doesn’t play a character flawlessly.
I wont’ say that I don’t like KSH because it’s not true. But I didn’t like her in this role, she never convinced me that she was yound adult with some experience in writting. She looked like a teenager who acts like an adult. For me they didn’t have a great chemistry. His chemistry with Kim Seul Gi was far better. She was a bad choice for this drama.
I would hope people would stop mentioning Goblin age gap because Gong Yoo and Kim Go Eun were both legal and she wasn’t 18 years old. And even then it was weird tbh.
As for the height… well the webtoon character is much taller than the female leade so in that regard it fits. BUT I’m definitely not happy about this possible replacement for AHS since YKS is so much older than KYJ. Everything about this is wrong.
but now look, they having a great chemistry! ? i’ve been watching kdrama for so long but YKS and KYJ tandem is one of the best.. they act normally, having fan in the set and it seems they both like and comfortable to each other despite of their age gap.. anyways, we are have different preferences ?
#cleanwithpassionfornow
#bestcoupleeverYKS&KYJ
More than age gap, it’s the fact that Kim Yoo Jung is just ’legal’. It’s a different thing that a 28 yo. actress acts with a 50+ yo. grandpa than a barely 18 yo. acting with over a decade older actor. An 18 yo kids maturity level is not on the same level, it just isn’t no matter how mature they appear.
Sometimes I wonder if its only i-fans freaking out over this age difference? Because Korea seems to have no problem pairing child actresses with leading men a decade older than them. I mean, I know its just acting… but even so, can’t they find younger male actors? :/
Knetz don’t like this too. The top comments on Naver are pointing out the age gap and questioning the PD’s decision, and most of the articles on this have more angry emoticons than smiley emoticons. I hope the production team takes note.
But yeah generally they’re pretty chill over drama couples with huge age gaps.
There are so many i-fans on Naver.
There really nothing can be done when some viewers have narrow mindset. So much for real age gap talk, these actors won’t be playing themselves. I can only shake my head.
I wonder if you would say the same if the actress was 16 years old and the male co-star in his 30s.
That user always say the weirdest things which nobody ever agrees to.
In Mischievous Kiss : Love in Tokyo, the actress was 16 years old and the actor 26. I liked the drama, it was cute.
Sorry dear I watch a drama as it is. The actors personal life are totally different things.
@gummy Yes for someone who knows nothing, what I say is weird. That is because I am not a delulu fan and I am nobody’s fan. I say things objectively that many fans won’t agree.
@Gummy – Please tell me that you’re not the singer cos I actually like your songs. But hey you’re probably new and I’ll let you in on something; mistyeyed writes comments that a lot of us think like but can’t be arsed to reply. She’s objective and polite so to say she writes the ‘weirdest’ things is a mass contradiction. Also she’s very informed. I know I’ve read all the posts.
Lol you write the same dumb comments as her so you’ll probably relate. I’m not new; I’ve been lurking here for about a year but I don’t really comment. I’ve seen both of you write utter unbelievable nonsense on the same article trying to defend a certain artist.
Sounds like you are not reading just lying that you did.
Hey grow up first before calling anyone’s comments dumb. You probably have not either earned for a living in your life nonsense or have not been exposed to other cultures and don’t have broad understanding about them considering how you are agreeing in all these nonsense.
FYI, I don’t defend actors but rebuke unfair bashing to anyone and esp. those with spouting shallow comments.
@ Gummy -I’ll be happy if I was related to Misty Eyed. Yeah that’s right ‘lurking’ is right up your alley way. Geez name calling too? How old are you? Please.. yes you are right I do habitually ‘defend’ and can go on the defensive too but hey at least I’m honest and unashamed about it. ‘Dumb’ too when I think about it as I actually respond to comments that incense me. Oh no… you’ve got me there! Gummy is an icon but you’re Gummy as in no teeth all gums. Okay now I’ve belittled myself to your level my apologies. Good bye and have a nice day.
Yoon Kyun Sang please reject the role! It’s gonna look too awkward.. HE LOOOKS HIS AGE. While Kim Yoo Jung looks younger than her age. At this point I wouldn’t even mind idol casting if it meant age appropriate pairings…
Probably moving this drama from Mon-Tues to Fri-Sat timeslot has something to do with JTBC’s choice of the male lead. They need a more established actor to guarantee ratings. But imo, since its a romcom, I think popularity of the cast comes second. First, they need to match well. I hope JTBC reconsiders their decision.
That is another possibility for this weird casting/pairing. But then again, getting Yoon Kyun Sang won’t really guarantee a more favorable ratings, as his male lead drama ratings are erratic with his last male lead drama role garnering weak ratings and review. I saw comments on twitter that maybe they can just switch YKS and Cha Eun Woo, though he’s an idol and not yet an establish actor. YKS with Im Soo Hyang and Cha Eun Woo with Kim Yoo Jung.
That would be an awesome idea.
Oooo… Cha Eun Woo will be great, he will match with KYJ 🙂
Oh no, please not an idol actor who doesn’t have a real experience in acting.
YKS is a good actor. He is tall (fits the webtoon character). But… he is not very “pretty”, not sure how the PD can “flower” him up… I guess first off he has to lose 30 lbs… lol…
Please, lots of fan will cry if he accepts this. He did not have the chemistry looks with YooJung. I don’t know how he can make the chemistry when he acts but at the first look, this is not acceptable. I love Jung and I don’t want a man who over 30 have a kiss with her. She too young for him. Please. This can not happen.
I was thinking park sun ho (yj’s costar in love cell) would fit in this role. But all the best to yj and the drama anyway.
I dont know about the acting quality,but how bout le jong hoon cn blue or le jung shin cn blue or anh jae hyun?all of them are tall n have flowerboy faces n they looks young too
Kang Min Huk is cute and his acting seems to be the best of CNBlue members. I just finished watching Evergreen – ummm…. I won’t suggest LJH… he always has this smirk on his face that makes him look weird… and his acting is really ikky…
Yes i agree kang min hyuk is tall n he got the look
if YKS’s frame and body build is a tad bit smaller, he may match KYJ. I still remember how cute he was when he stared in Pinochio.
I agree, it’s a mismatched pairing for me too. My candidate is still PARK HYUNG SIK. Suits is soon to end anyway.
YKS must be a great actor but I just can’t imagine him with Yoojung .Can nothing be done???
god please NO. someone upthread made a great list of more suitable male leads. i love YKS and he’s one of my fave k-actors but hell NO to this pairing. he’s almost 30 if not alrdy 30 international age. and that’s aside from him being huge and her being a petite lady. idc what the manhwa lead’s height is. this is real life and chemistry and acting ability and suitability should trump smth like height which can easily be augmented with camera angles and insoles.
i feel like Sungjae would be the best choice since some others onthe list are either not well known enough or in demand enough or just finished a drama. i wouldnt object to yoo seung ho either who is only 24 tho she’s so young that it is still a 6 yr age gap. but i mean can the cut off please at least be age 25?? *sigh* i just want one drama ONE starring her that i can watch and root for her romances in. it’s doubly painful if he accepts cuz i love YKS but i wont enjoy this at all if he accepts and i’ll have to avoid it. i know it’s fake and the romance will be chaste but i want a romance i can rly get into, sorry but even if i can tolerate a “romance” with an 18 yr old and a 29 yr old, i def cant root for it or enjoy it. oh well.
Now that YKS has been confirmed for the role #Clean with “samchon” for now.