Kim Soo Hyun’s Post Military Return an Early Success as He Gets Rave Acting Reviews and Dominates K-ent Internet Search
I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve loved Kim Soo Hyun for over a decade since his debut even as a teen actor but I never think of him as a heartthrob. He’s very good looking but it’s always his acting and sincerity that makes him so attractive to be onscreen, but I guess he’s heard the tradition loud and clear as his first post military project the tvN drama It’s Okay to Not be Okay doesn’t forget to show him off in a new light. The tradition of an actor going to the military and when he comes back he will have to do a shirtless scene to show off his newly acquired or further buffed up more abs continues here as Kim Soo Hyun does a changing scene right at the beginning of episode 1 and it went on to dominate internet search terms ahahahaha. Smart viewers, even I was jaw dropped at his solid 8-pack and yes I counted heh. Beyond the superficial he’s the heart of this drama, while Seo Ye Ji and Oh Jung Se are mentally afflicted in their own way, Kim Soo Hyun is the sane and serious one that stands in for all of us wondering how to live surrounding by challenging people. I love his character already and can’t take my eyes off him when he’s onscreen, his acting has actually gotten better if that can be believed.
Actually, as much as I loved him in My Love From Another Star, he stole my heart in Producers. He and IU as leads in a drama would be my dream paring, they had some chemistry. In Its OK drama he reminds me of a scared Dalmatian puppy running away from (sexy and beautiful in this show) villainous Cruella. Good luck making chemistry with THAT.
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Except he has incredible chemistry with SYJ in Its OK…
Under THAT I didn’t mean SYJ, the actress. She is good. I meant it’s hard for him to show chemistry with the caricature they, so far, turned her heroine into. She doesn’t feel like a real a real human compared to other characters in this show, be they with mental problems or not. Everyone feels real but her.
i second your caricature argument. the character feels sort of out of place in what’s been promoted as a healing and human drama. i think it’d be fine if this was fantasy though.
I feel the same way about his performance in Producers. And was disappointed because the focus was on GHJ when I felt that he and IU’s character had chemistry in the umbrella scene.
So far not feeling his character yet probably because I feel he is the male Candy version here.
I am waiting for his character to show some emotional strain to be real. Caring for an older sibling with autism needs so much patience and perseverance. No one could possibly endure it without breaking down at some point.
He is just so cool and handsome.ahhh beautiful man.
The one thing KSH does possibly even better than acting, is picking acting projects. He has chemistry with every single female lead he’s worked with (excluding HGI, but she’s the issue LOL). What’s most admirable is that he picks a variety of different genres and characters so it’s impossible to type cast him.
I’ve always admired him and liked him, but recently I’m becoming a huge fan. Really excited to see his career from here on.
I so agree with this… i became an instant fan of KSH after marathoning all his kdramas during quarantine and began to love him crazily haha… can’t wait to see IT’S OKAY till the end and been promoting it to friends… and SYJ just matched KSH perfectly, such a great pair, so beautiful together…
I share the same feeling. I started liking him. And I even rewatch episode 10 of CLOY because he was there…hahaha
I love Kim Soo Hyun here and everywhere but please I need a separate Seo Ye Ji appreciation post, the woman deserves it.
I am sorry.But the drama’s rating dropped significantly in ep2. And reviews are getting worse in spite of heavy promo.
I project this drama’s rating will eventually be at around 2-3%, big flop for Kim Soohyun.
Not surprised ratings dropped, the imagery can be dark and intense and some viewers probably weren’t expecting it for a romance drama and I think initial interest was to see KSH back. Either way the drama is still very good to me at this point so I can only feel a little bad for the team working on the drama but I’m happy with it. Ratings are not and have never been an indication for a TV show/movie anywhere.
Also, I don’t see the more negative reviews you are talking about…not doubting you though. Like I said I’m enjoying it so far and think it’s very well made so I hope there aren’t revisions made to appease the general audience because this is not going to be that type of drama as it is now and that is ok.
Except this is a blog which made such a big deal about the disappointing ratings for TKEM, I wonder if the blogger will do the same for this drama? Or will she say ratings don’t matter also? LOL
@melanie Exactly. This blog and international drama twitter dragged The King so much during it’s airing for its ratings. It’s fine if they stuck to the writing, directing, or acting being not what they expected, but they were doing it just to hate LMH for “flopping.” The hypocrisy.
@melanie @goddessSHK
I don’t understand why you guys are still here reading on Koalas’s blog and reading her writings if you’re unhappy with what she writes? She wrote a lot about TKEM and its low ratings because it was a HUGE deal, for so many reasons. And let’s face it, LMH didn’t “flop” he flopped.
I don’t think you can really compare the expectations of TKEM and IOTNBO. If ratings are low, it’ll be really disappointing, but not on the level of TKEM.
kdramafan is just here to bash KSH. There is no difference with saying big flop for KSH, big flop for LMH, or big flop for XYZ. All shallow commenters like to use the word “flop”. All are hypocrites.
Rating dropped significantly in ep2. Reviews are getting worse despite heave hired internet promo.
I project this drama will end in the rating around 2-3%, one of the worst tvn weekend drama
Hopefully not. Remember how everyone dragged Arthdal for its ratings, but it still maintained ratings above 5 for its early episodes and its 2nd episode had 7.3/8.2.
Arthdal Chronicles’ ratings increased from the first episode to the second episode (6.7% to 7.3%) while IOTNBO’s ratings decreased from the first episode to the second episode (6.1% to 4.7%).
These other shows which aired on the same timeslot on TVN all had ratings increases from the first to the second episode:
Hotel Del Luna – 7.3% to 7.6%
Mr. Sunshine – 8.8% to 9.7%
Crash Landing on You – 6.1% to 7.8%
So are you going to report about the drop in ratings or you won’t because you like this actor?
Ratings do not matter t me… though am praying it will improve…
OMG Ockoala, You crack me up “8-pack, yes I counted” You go girl, I am with you, but of coarse I had to count them myself just to be sure and for the quality control. KSH looks so earnest and sweet, I hope this is a great come back for him.
For those commenting about SYJ character being not real, try to research about the characteristics of a pyschopath. I meant that in a good way, so you’ll have more appreciation of the drama.
For me – the jury’s still out on this drama. KSH’s acting is understated and quiet so far – I’m wondering what everyone’s raving about? SYJ’s neurotic performance is captivating – but there’s still something missing from the
drama to make me truly like it. I can’t put my finger on it, maybe as some have said, she’s a caricature and doesn’t yet feel real? I can’t help seeing the similarities between Go Moon Young in this drama and Jang Man Wol in Hotel del Luna and thinking that this character is heavily, stylistically similar to Jang Man Wol in Hotel del Luna. Similarities include a rich, extremely well dressed female in a power dynamic with and chasing after a poorer, socioeconomically disadvantaged good looking male. The scene where she walks into the hospital on high heels reminded me of the scene where IU walks into a hall on heels no less! and shoots a man with a rifle. No offense to fans of both dramas – I just can’t unsee it. Maybe my issues with the drama is that it is creatively trying to tell a story but hasn’t yet found its unique voice. Either way I plan to continue watching the next few episodes before making up my mind if I like it or not. I am sincerely in dire need of a drama I can get excited about. My interest in C-dramas is beginning to wane (I’ve watched so many recently) and I’d really like to watch a great Kdrama – but unfortunately haven’t found one yet ☹️.
Honestly, episode 2 is letdown. It’s like another typical romcom, Kdrama likes to make high stake but can’t stick to the landing or actually explore the topic. Either commits when it comes to hey subject or make it obvious what role you want to be.
I am afraid this is gonna be the “love cure it all” story again because surprised surprised, what you need is love, it’s technically true but it not just that.
The drama feels like it lack something, don’t like to compare but Dinner Mate also telling about psychiatry but they made the focus that it’s about how the couple finding eating together as healing and some food things (they should have more food in this drama) so it has the charms, its own charm even in episodes 1 and 2, this drama just feel like broad and romcom at the same feeling.
It just doesn’t clicked well, especially after episode 2.
But yeah, KSH acted well.
Success? even Park Shi hoo who is hated by everyone, his drama has better ratings than IOTBNO and is airing on nugu channel TV Chosun. I like KSH and the drama but it’s early to say it’s a success. maybe if ratings reach 10% later. 4.7% is too low for a comeback drama after army.
4.7% 2nd episode for a comeback drama is a success? Even CLOY’s 2nd episode, which was being criticized at the time for the NK setting and being cliche, had better ratings. Hopefully it gets better, but this is why cast shouldn’t make ratings promises or fans expect too much.
CLOY jumped from a 6% rating to an impressive 7.8% rating from the first to the second episode.
But of course, I expect the ratings to be downplayed here because the show features an actor the blogger likes. Expect more comparisons to TKEM’s ratings in the coming weeks. LOL
Ms. Koala only referred to the pilot episode’s rating which was a really promising start at 6%. She probably didn’t foresee that the second episode would drop significantly.
Man comeback dramas are really a bummer of late.
Still TVN’s Melting Me Softly holds the record for lowest at 2% if I’m not mistaken.
Why do I have the feeling that TVN viewers have switched to JTBC?
I am really enjoying this show and it’s nice to KSH in such a long time.. I didn’t know what to expect but the story is different and both leads’s chemistry and acting is so good and the cinematography and directing is also good. I just hope it doesn’t get too dark or too crazy.
This drama is so good! I can’t wait to see more of it. Seo Ye Ji was always a great actress paried with Kim So Hyun, this series will be good. I like how it is sort of fantasy like ,but it is not fantasy like with the good use of animation. The meet cute is so different from all the other K-Dramas. I am actually surprised that no one from PETA is coming out to decry the killing of butterflyies in the drama to show how psychotic Seo Ye Ji’s character is as a child. I I lreally like this show.
The advertisement on this webpage is too much. It is covering half the page that I can hardly read it on my PC.
I have watched the first episode and while I dont find it boring like some commented, Im also still not hooked. It doesnt have that IT factor so far. Nothing about the plot hit home yet but I will give it a chance and continue watching. KSH for me always delivers but this role doesn’t look to be a career highlight for him, acting wise. The female lead on the other hand is killing it.
I liked the first episode and didn’t watch the second yet. But KSH is still doing great! He has so much charisma. For the scene post army, he already had this body before…
The story is interesting and I really like the relationship between the brothers.
The plot is a bit limited, not enough depth. FL character is difficult to believe. But it is still at ep 2, hope the plot will improve with time. Maybe each patient can have their own backstories like the ghosts in HDL. Both dramas seem to be out of the ordinary and more of a fantasy or even cartoonie style in a dark way. I don’t want the story to just focus on the FL psychotic behavior because it will be too bland… and I wonder how this can last for 16 episodes… I don’t want the story to fall apart like Born Again.
I enjoyed the first two episodes immensely. I love both the main leads so much. The ML relationship with his brother is so cute and heartwarming. The FL is powerful and sassy. And my boyfriend showing his 8 pack abs almost made me faint. I low key replayed that scene like 5 times… ?
I share the same feeling. I started liking him. And I even rewatch episode 10 of CLOY because he was there…hahaha
Thanks for the awesome photos, now you’ve convinced meto watch the series. It’s Okay Not to Be Okay seems to be doing better than Lee Min Ho’s The King Eternal Monarch, but I’m a fan of both LMH and KSH and the genre of the two are way different.
I’ve been waiting to see this movie. I really enjoy it so far. Both main actor and actress acting are fabulous.
I enjoyed both episodes…I actually wasn’t going to even watch, because I don’t think I can stomach heavy in 2020…but I found it refreshing and enjoyable! The two episodes flew by for me, and I literally can’t find anything I did not like so far. Rooting for this drama and hope it continues to be a refreshing surprise to me
KSH and SYJ have so much chemistry that whenever they are in a scene together, I’m just like “just freaking kiss already!”.
Their chemistry is off the chart!
I expect them to just jump each other into a passionate make out.
Director…you cannot build up such sexual tension and then give us those boring statue closed lip to lip kisses…
I’m watching you!
KSH is an amazing actor ,he always challenges different roles …He’s the Daesang king so if you don’t like his acting just don’t watch him why you dropp your hate comments here!!!.He’s brave to choose a different and unique kdrama as his comeback that had a rookie writer.He had the script 2 years before …..He chose an ordinary character but he nailed it.His facial expressions and his posture were the sign of good acting.IT was obvious that Koreans are not accostumed with this kind of creepy and romantic but healing story.You can’t compare its rating with CLOY and TKEM because this kdrama wasn’t the typical korean kdrama with a common romantic story !!!!!!(Clarify that i like cloy even though is a common romantic story )My favorite kdrama is IOTNBO because is a healing kdrama.