K-actor Park Bo Gum seems like an old soul in a young man’s body, or a goofy big boy with a lot of intensity. He’s so creative and self-challenging when he picks his acting roles, Hello Monster anyone?, and now he’s a major drama male lead I’m glad he’s not pigeon holing himself into genres. From last year’s slow quiet romance Encounter (Boyfriend) he’s going next into next month’s more mainstream The Moment (Record of Youth) where he plays a model aspiring to be an actor opposing Park So Dam as a rising makeup artist. Clearly there will be a lot of vogue-ing and he’s getting a chance to do it in print as the cover model and in the pages of Vogue Korea August 2020 edition. The outfits are trendy European style too tight too sharp looks that only models and IG influencers would wear on a day to day basis but I do love the change of vibe from his more warm boy-next-door pictorials to this.
He’s perfect, one of my favorite boyfriends in my harem. I look forward to his next drama!
I still have goosebumps watching PBG in Hello Monster. That drama will remain in my memory for a long time because of the male chemistry between him, SIG and Choi Won Young. I actually like PBG’s performance in Hello Monster more than Reply 88. Throw in the cameo of DO completed the quadruple dream team. Looking forward to his next drama before a long drought of 2 years.
@Kimchi Ajumma
Agreed. I feel that Hello Monster was one of his best work(chemistry between the brothers was so real and intense), and also one of my favorite kdramas. I read that he’s enlisted for Military Service, wonder when he starts?
@Adal, yeah. It’s so sad that great dramas like that are not being produced anymore. These days, there are very few dramas that can match up to those a few years back. I guess I am very fussy in my taste of K-dramas and feel that these few years, K-dramas are made for ratings, ads and hype, leaning too much towards Hollywood type themes of parallel universes, artificial intelligence and science fiction. Somehow, these themes have diluted the uniqueness of K-dramas. I feel that writers should refocus back on Korean values (clash between traditional and rapidly modern society, social challenges, economic struggles. I suppose that’s why the Reply series, Prison Playbook and Hospital Playlist are such hits and resonate more with Asian audiences. For PBG’s enlistment date, I think it is sometime in August next month. I am going to miss him and still missing DO and Park Hyun Sik. Thank goodness Kang Ha Neul has completed his.
Agree with you again. Those are the very best kind of kdramas, which ironically, resonate with international audiences as well. I’ve heard and read too many comments and discussion forums of how Kdramas have changed in recent years, and sadly, not for the better. I feel there’s too much western influence on kdramas these days, and I credit the change to when Netflix started investing heavily in Kdrama production, this was at the same time when China pulled their support and closed the market for kdramas in their country. So in order to survive, they started to tailor their dramas to what they felt would appeal more to international audiences with varying results. I dearly miss the old days. What really drew me to kdramas is the uniqueness of their culture, the family values they espouse, and the respect for elders that you rarely see on Western TV these days. I’d love to see more dramas like these.
@Adal, you have encapsulated my thoughts and feelings very well. Thank you for highlighting the fact that Netflix has played a role in Hollywoodising K-dramas after China shut its door. The effects are profound culturally. I turned too to K-dramas for its family values, unique culture and respect for the elders too. For that reason, I have been perusing the net and buying DVDs of older K-dramas made in the golden period before they completely disappear. Weekend dramas are more appealing to me now. If anyone knows where one can buy hard-to-find K-drama titles in the US or elsewhere do let me know. I am looking for the DVD of The Rascal Sons (MBC 2012) starring Seo In Guk in one of the 3 main roles with good English subtitles so that my non Korean hubby can watch too. No pirated or bootleg versions please. Thank you so much in advance.
I fell for Park Bo Gum in Hello Monster. He was great in his role, magnetic, sexy, even scary. I like him more when he chooses this kind or roles, complicated, tormented, difficult characters…he is so good that it feels his talent is wasted when he picks more simple roles like the boyfriend from Encounter.
In any case, he looks great in this photoshoot. The haircut makes him look very boyish. I can’t wait to see him in his new drama, hopefully apart from good acting we will get to see some catwalking 😀
@Kimchi Anjumma
You articulated so well what I have been feeling about current Kdramas . The success of TWOTM made me sad. I turned to Asian dramas because of nihilism of Western shows where nothing is sacred and making fun of parents is normal but now Kdramas are becoming like Western shows.
Love the styling but PBG’s expression is kind of meh except for the first one.
This is how a photoshoot should be made. Inspiring, transformative and caring. I’m happy for you Mr. Bogum Park.
I do love his personality, humble, pleasant, charming and gorgeous looking. I really like his role in Love in the Moonlight great acting and he is very talented in music.
We will miss him when he joins the military service. I look forward to see Record of Youth. Stay humble Park Bo Gum and stay safe. ❤️
@Jana, thank you for your kind words. K-dramas used to warm the cockles of my heart, bring real joy and sense of optimism. I hope for more dramas from writers like Oh Ji Young who wrote Shopping King Louis & My Secret Terrius and Yoon Nan Joong who wrote Because This Is My First Life apart from Lee Woo Jung. Hopefully with the success of movie Parasite, there will be a Korean centric shift back to its core values and issues. There are actually many worthy new topics to explore by new writers like the challenges faced by overseas Korean community in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. If they shoot a few episodes overseas with stunning locations, that will lure more viewers back. Some countries like NZ are almost COVID free and offer generous tax rebates for overseas film shoots.