Categories: Miscellaneous

Kim Nam Gil Forms Own Agency Gilstory Entertainment and Confirmed for OCN Thriller Drama Island with Seo Ye Ji

Every time I hear a drama or movie with a story about weird stuff happening on an island I just think of Lost lol. It’s been over a decade but that island fantasy drama was so riveting live watching and there is still tons of cool concepts to be mined about weird shit on islands. K-actor Kim Nam Gil is starting of 2021 with the year planned out – he is now confirmed for the OCN drama Island adapted from a manwha where he plays an immortal demon hunter. The female lead is also confirmed to be Seo Ye Ji as rumored and Im Shi Wan has been offered the other male role and is still considering. Kim Nam Gil is also making the change in agency this year, forming his own management group called Gilstory Entertainment and with it taking full control of his career.

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  • Another drama I'm reaaaaally looking forward to. Saw some scenes from the manhwa on Twitter and it looked badass. Anyone know where I can read the manhwa? Can't find it on Webtoon.

  • Love this guy!! Respect his hustle and mindset!! Looking forward to what his new venture brings out.

    Island sounds like it'll be dope, OCN+Studio Dragon+Netflix(Rumored due to Studio Dragon) but it does elicit that this'll be given a lot of $$/attention. Him and Seo Ye Ji are perfect casting, kudos to the casting agents for this!!

  • KNG have been doing dramas every two years since Live Up to Your Name. I really like him. He has similar vibe with Jung Kyung Ho. They are both great actors but so childish [in a good and cute way] and fun in real life. I really hope they could work together. The BTS of their drama/movie would be so hilarious.

  • I was a fan until I saw him in Sabah, during that reward trip of Fiery Priest. He was so snobbish and uptight. Before anyone can start bashing with the reason that celeb also needs privacy, you can check the video of how respectful the fans were when they greeted him at the airport.

    He is a good actor but i lose interest when i saw how he treated the fans.

    • Yes its always a turn off isn't it? But when some celebs who are seen as stuck up or undeserving of their fame turn out to be the nicest people that's also a surprise but in a good way. Cest la vie. I like KNG's acting and he is really good at picking scripts. I am sure this drama will do well. But nonetheless I won't be watching it for another reasons. Hell no. Lol.

      • @Lydia1

        Not sure if you'll return to this post but in case you do... Can you tell me if there's anticipation for RWTMR in Korea? I've read fans on here bashing KBS for not promoting the drama. And I'm curious to know if Koreans are aware of the drama and anticipating it, despite the alleged lack of promotions by KBS. Thanks.

    • Ooh. PLS explain more! Maybe not snobby but probably a bit stand off-ish, and introverted? He did say that he's someone who likes his private space, and not into the spotlight. Dude goes back into his cave when he finishes his work.

      He looked so shocked when he saw cameras during his airport run. Other then that, I never hear anything bad about him (Well who knows?) in rl. Tbh, fans should understand and try not to evade actors sometimes esp. in an airport setting (Which isn't press). Just b/c he came across snobby/uptight, could mean he had an off day then. Care to link the video?

      • I tried looking for the video on youtube but couldn't find any. But I saw the videos/clips on IG circa 2019.

        I happened to be in Sabah around the time that the casts made that reward trip and heck, I thought why not just check them out at the airport.

        Tbh, it was just a small crowd since they arrived very early in the morning. The fans that waited were very polite. They maintained respectable distance and even quite shy to approach him. KNG was the first to exit the departure hall and wearing a mask. When the fans greeted him, he wasn't welcoming. The first girl managed to snap a photo with him and then he just walked passed very quickly, ignoring everyone (not even waving or bowing) and went straight to the bus that waited for them. I was there, I saw him walked passed me without any care to even try greeting his fans.

        Very much unlike the rest of the casts (except Honey Lee who exuded similar vibe to KNG) who happily waved at the fans especially Go Jun. He even offered autographs.

        I do understand that some celebs are shy but KNG was rather cold. If you happened to be able to find the videos when they left Sabah on IG, you can see how the fans didn't even try to get near the casts. They just took videos from far. KNG and the TFP casts can even roamed ard the airport freely. It was only Go Joon and some minor casts who cared to wave and smiled at the fans. KNG basically just ignored the fans.

        Truthfully, he is very handsome in person. And no doubt he is talented and I have liked him since QSD and even more after watching LUTYN. So can imagine how dissapointed I felt when I finally get to see him personaly and he turned out not as nice as I expected him to be.

      • @omg

        is there a possibility that u saw a wrong person? coz i just checked the video that he's at the airport, sabah 2019 (i saw it in fb), and even tho he didn't greet cheerfully the fans, but he still stopped and accepted gifts from fans and gave one of them a sign.

      • @OMG Hey! Thanks for answering with such detail! I was very curious b/c I usually don't hear bad only good things about KNG. Of course w/ fan stuff, that's hard to say b/c it doesn't get talked about much. But interesting. This video showed him accepting a gift from a fan and waving at them, so perhaps it was his off day?https://twitter.com/restless1188/status/1358684883695017985
        https://twitter.com/keioboysakurai/status/1255082047552421894

        But you were at Sabah, so you prob. know more than we do lol. Aww, that he wasn't welcoming :( ? Did he have an angry or annoyed look on his face? Did he walk by super quickly to avoid fans?

        On Lee Honey: Oh she also ignored the fans? Was she cold too? Did she stop to take a pic or she was like "Nope, bye!" Damn, didn't expect that vibe ngl. Disappointing.

        Aww on Go Jun tho, he seems humble about his late success! KNG, while a friendly guy in BTS clips/such, is actually someone who doesn't like to have his private space invaded, and is more introverted than we might expect. Like I can imagine that in person if we really knew him, he's prob. more serious than we think.

        On KNG: I also heard he's more handsome in real life too. Is he as tall as he looks too? Did he look striking in person? Or like "Holy moly, that's one attractive man?!" in person? Lol, he was great in LUTYN/TFP/really anything. Just interesting hearing a diff. side, hope it was his off day, b/c it would suck if someone who appears kind/friendly is actually cold/aloof in rl. I mean, celebs images are PR controlled so prob :/ Bummed that your encounter with him wasn't as expected!

      • Sometimes its also because they get told off by coordinators not to stop and sign cos if you do one you have to do all. Also many airports do not allow park and wait so artists are told to hurry, no fan service and just get into the vehicles asap so that airport security don't get on the case of the rental vehicles. All depending on situation I guess. The vid he seems ok though. Trust me I have seen worse. But the shitty artists I have met 90% always happen to be women. The men can be cold and curt but that's tolerable as long as when the camera roll, they do their jobs. Its the angel image actresses that give the rude shocks. Think Irene/red velvet fiasco to a lesser degree - you get the drift.

      • Oh, on Kwak Si Yang. How was your experience if you don't mind sharing?

        @Lydia1 Are there any actresses that you could name that were diff. than the image you saw them as? Thanks!

        I wish we knew more about who the bad seeds of the Korean industry were regarding actors!!

      • If I can name and shame many of them, I would in a heartbeat but in korea defamation laws are strong and even if its the truth, their backers will always have means, connections to beat down the little guys. Black to white. No win. Anyway I'm sure their shitty ways will be exposed someday with the power of social media but its not my battle to take on.^^

      • @Pam

        I'm totally speculating here but I get the vibe from her first comment about skipping this drama for other reasons that the FL might be the reason. If true and there's some tea there we don't know about, what a blow that would be to the cocky ones in her fandom who only discovered her through iotnbo and yet are always putting down others including her co-star in that drama to elevate her. Again, totally speculating.

      • @Lydia1 Oh wow, your right on that! UGH!! I wish we would know!! But like Hollywood, its all smoke and mirrors. There are celebs who are nice in front of the scenes, but behind are nasty pieces of works. Did you hear anything regarding KNG (You don't have to say if its bad or good), just generally in the business?

        Oh wow, thanks for answering! I heard that working in high facilities/high rankings to meet with/interact with celebrities. UGH!!! If you're still working there, all my positive vibes to you. Must be a rude awakening seeing celebs your fans of be so diff. bts :// I hope the bad seeds come out soon...

      • Omona! FL=SYJ?! Woah. I thought it was b/c the source material was haunting and creepy as the reason. @Lydia1 PLS tell me its b/c of the horror genre and not the FL PLS!! Who would've thought a KNG post would conjure up an interesting discussion.

        As for SYJ, she's known to get method acting with her roles. But I seen her act warmly to her fans during IOTNBO shooting time. And she's very private when she's done. Other than that, she comes across as shy, quiet, and serious in rl. So can't say her image is a complete 180, which is in contrast to some actors have who play sweet roles but are total opposite in rl.

      • @Pam

        Like I said, I'm merely speculating. Not claiming anything about the FL. I like her but her new fans can be off-putting.

        @Lydia1
        Your position is very understandable. And yes, it's not your battle to take on. Take care and hang in there.

      • @Zen Forgot to tag you in the other comment! Oh yeah, I feel like that's the case in the social media age with Stans being too much w/ the praising of their favorites. Esp. those that hit it off big in a romance drama/later in their careers. And then they slow down, and move on to the next big thing. I seen some comments calling KNG old (I know he's 10 yrs older) and disappointed he's the ML lol. I mean, I just yeah pretty much lol.

      • @Pam

        Ikr? You can hype your idol but it should be within reason. But those i-fans I'm referring to, most of them new i-fans who only discovered her through iotnbo...they bash her agency for allegedly not promoting her enough, they bash her Korean fandom/fancafe who've known and supported her long before her breakout through iotnbo, they even bash her labelmate co-star in that drama, downplay his starpower and attribute the drama's success as solely because of her. All of a sudden, nothing and no one's good enough to even breathe the same air as her anymore? Seriously?

        If/when this upcoming project with KNG becomes a hit, which I'm sure it will, they'll be even more unbearable.

      • @Zen IA! I think sometimes I-fans can get ahead of themselves. I think they should also consider the artist too, what if SYJ doesn't want to promote herself that much? She seems more shy/private in rl. Too much overexposure isn't great for an artist either. Plus GM got her a Chloe sponsorship, and other CFs too.

        Island sounds like it could be the next OCN hit. I can only imagine if Im Si-wan joins, the fandom oof. As in 'love triangle' vibes, but Im-wan's role is a priest so no romance lol. Koala did post saying romance is included in Island, cue the fan wars. But seriously, not anticipating the fan wars that might ensue!!

      • Yeah, they instinctively go into warrior mode without even taking into account the feelings of the idol they're supposedly fighting for. I've seen her doing a lot of CFs/endorsements. I heard a movie on hers is now on Netflix. Plus, she's got an upcoming drama with KNG whom I've read is one of the actors she'd love to work with. I don't know what more promotion those fans want.

        If there's anyone in that agency to worry about, it's Sae-ron. Wasn't she a bigger star than Yeji before the latter hit it big with iotnbo? Sae-ron's been doing CFs too but her acting career has stalled. Maybe that's her choice.

        Lol... priests have feelings too so there might be a love triangle. Yikes!

      • @Zen SYJ's fans remind me of someone else's fans lol. All I will say is, social media age everything gets overblown and magnetized. I think she has the right balance. Sometimes, some stars don't want to be in the spotlight like that. Too much hype can create backlash.

        Sae-ron, yeah dunno? She's still young, so she's got time to develop into a mature/adult actress. But she also hasn't chosen the right role/isn't in anything buzzy like a Netflix rom-com show to expand her fandom.

        UGH!!? I stg, WHY?! On the priest stuff lol. Not looking forward to I-fans propping up someone else just for the sake of 'visual match,' when the ML is a highly accomplished and talented actor. Very curious how that'll be taken/received, but also a bit cringed at the fawners that'll follow.

      • @Zen SYJ ifans are seriously so full of themselves. If she was not in her current agency, would she have been casted in IOTNBO and get the kind of fame and CFs she is getting now? Just compare her the clothing sponsorship in her last drama to IOTNBO, the former with local brand sponsorships in the $100s range compared to the latter in high end brands in the $1000s range. She only got to wear those high end brands because the drama was high profile and attracted the brand name sponsorships, not because of her star power. Not just internationally, she wasn’t even that well known in Korea before IOTNBO. Her ifans should learn to be more humble.

      • @aE

        Exactly what you wrote.

        She's got the beauty and talent alright. But if beauty and talent were enough in this cutthroat industry, she'd have broken out long ago. And so would a dozen other beautiful and talented but still unknown actresses who might never break out like she did because they didn't land an iconic role in the highly anticipated comeback drama of one of the biggest Hallyu stars. His name brought clout to the drama, whether they like it or not. And they should stay humble.

        And let's not even dive into the voting shenanigans of those fans for that award show.

    • Hello OMG, sorry to hear you had a bad experience with KNG in Sabah. I lived and worked in Malaysia for some years. I totally understand your disappointment. Celebs can be different people in work settings and in private settings. I personally shook hands and said hello to Prince William of the UK when he came to NZ with his wife the Duchess Of Cambridge nee Kate Middleton. Got the cold aloof vibe from her unlike Wills who just joked around with us lucky on-lookers and very chatty with all of us. Kate would carefully pick and chose who she wanted to chat, shake hands with & accept flowers/gifts. I was totally disappointed she totally ignored a few of us including old ladies who waited for hours for a chance to see them during a public walkabout. When BTS came to NZ for their secret holiday, I heard good reports about them from the local NZ press. Maybe Kiwis are just chilled people who don't really care about celebs. We cut down any celeb / non celebs who try to act like prima donnas. It's called the tall poppy syndrome.

  • On a nice positive note, I worked a little while ago on a variety show where my client did product placement on one of the episodes. The actor was panned very much by ifans and kfans for his terrible acting. I was one of his biggest critics as well but realised why after that despite his poor acting and not very vivacious personality, he keeps getting work. Most attributed it to his visuals, but truth is, he has a really good personality. When people fall hard for his personality, they are willing to overlook his shortcomings as they know he will be a good team player for the long term. I tried watching his dramas after that. Though I still failed to finish them, I now have a renewed respect for him. He's still so young so lets hope he keeps getting better ^^

    • Why do I get the feeling this is a certain idol actor? Lol.

      Anyways, I posted this question above but I don't know if you'll see it so I'm posting it again down here in case you return to this page.

      Is there anticipation for RWTMR in Korea? Fans on here have been bashing KBS for supposedly not promoting the drama. It has me curious if Koreans are aware of the drama and are anticipating it. Thanks.

      • I wanted to avoid commenting on it cos the posts on it and anything with KSH is usually a mess in the comments section. Some of her fans get extremely worked up if anything is not in favor to their opinions. Truth is the general sentiment in Korea is that the ratings will not be spectacular. As a folklore, the story is already boring to many, hence making it into a drama does not pique further interest. But...as long as expectations are kept in check, if it does do better than expected, its a bonus for everyone. Imo its not a great project for KSH. I feel that she just does not have enough clout to headline a drama and bring in the ratings. That was why I was hoping for a strong male co-star to step into the project. But it is what it is. Can only pray for the best for its ratings.

      • Oh ok. Wow, that's very interesting. As for problematic fans, well, there are some articles on KP that are best avoided completely. Lmao. Thanks a lot for the insight.

    • @Lydia1 Thanks for the insight! I wonder how do you even get into an industry like that? Anyways, IA that unless your a top star who makes $$ for the studios. Its really up and down, someone newer/hotter gets replaced.

      @Zen Lol, I also thought it was about an Idol too. But nothing more b/c of the strong defamation system there, sighs.

      Anyways, really interesting insight that I've read on here! There's definitely more that we don't know about it. That's why people should ought not to Stan actors, because we truly don't know them. After all, they're products for us to consume and they're heavily PR marketed/controlled. Best to keep it at a safe distance.

  • @Lydia you talked abt actresses being rude 90pc of time..I m not a kpop fan but the example that you gave ,I did some research abt it and now I m a bit confused..From what I know Irene never had that angel like image.People already had this preconceived notion abt her being cold, expressionless because of her rbf..And because of that many rumours started to float.. Anyways, i m surprised that so many industry workers came to defend her which rarely happens in K-ent..I thought it would create a chain like reaction and expose her past deeds but nothing happened.

    We never know what goes behind the scenes..Kim Nam Gil or other celebs may have had a bad day.. Unless we don't know the story from both the sides, better not judge them. i really had a good impression of him, but now I don't know.

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