K-netizens Discuss on Popular Pann Post on the Acting Limitations of Popular 20 Something Actors and Who Should be Getting Cast Instead

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• U and i might dislike some 80s gen actors, but they had the xfactor and were able to bring ratings, overseas sales when they were in 20s. New gen is meh.

• Why is Jang Kiyong still not enlisting to the military yet? He is a 92-liner same as Woo Dowan and Yang Sejong, or he is already done?

  • MMM:
    He hasn't done yet his MS. Maybe because of the successive projects on his way. I think after the NWABU he will enlist.

• Just my two cents:

  Song Kang in Sweet Home, at least for me, suited his acting (most say the wooden acting). He was praised there and perhaps the general plotlune is well written so it got praised everywhere but then SH is on Netflix so no viewership ratings shown. Although, Netflix has ranking, the hard cold # of viewership ratings in Nielsen and TNMS in Korea make the drama more interesting. Song Kang drama's ratings average in just 2-4%.

  For Jang Ki Yong, he has potential in acting. He knows how to act. He just doesn't have good record in viewership ratings. Most of his dramas had an average 2-4% ratings also.

  These two just need to have a one drama with high viewership ratings and most buzzworthy, then that will put them in the map of those acclaimed actors.

  To do that, is the million dollar question for the both of them.

  • He can have the best/buzzworthy scriptwriter, script, director and so-on..but if he does not know how to act, he might as well forget it. He needs to start from scratch by acting in more second-lead or cameo roles. It is not enough to act in one or two popular dramas without solid acting skills

    • Anyway, I actually think its because there's such a strong wave of new and/or rising young actors around these last few years that discussions around the new gen is quite interesting. For a time, it was all about the grown child actors and idol actors. Audiences are fickle but kind of shows that in fact these new gen of actors with talent, good looks, and charm (whole package or not) are getting noticed somewhat.

    • @Lai Pei Yee

      LC. Sorry was not supposed to be a reply to you but separate. Somehow posted here.

• I thought Song Kang was on the 'actor' list. Didn't he do back-to-back projects with Netflix? I have seen people praise him for his acting in Sweet Home, Love Alarm and Navillere.

  • @pstas

    I also love him in SH. He nailed his acting there. Navillera is okay for me because of the general plotline not because of him alone but i didn't watch LA;not a fan of those genres. Im currently watching Nevertheless but find his acting a little less. But I know he is really working hard.

    As what I said, Netflix doesn't have numbers / viewership ratings, although it has ranking, the numbers of Nielsen makes the drama more interesting.

    • About Netflix, I know, right? Which is why it amuses me when stans make noise with the whole "the drama trended on Netflix" blah blah blah drivel. TV ratings are the real battlefield. You conquer there and you get the glory, garlands and respect.

  • I don't get ahy people dislike Song Kang. He was great in Sweet Home and Navillera. Love Alarm was good too, albeit he probably only did the second season due to contract reasons.

• So I Married The Anti-Fan is so much better than this drama or any on-going dramas.

  • Jang Ki Yong was really quite good in My Mister. I was impressed. Not sure what happened to his acting skills since.

    Kwak Dong Yeon is a superstar in the making. Dude has crazy range.

    • Jang Ki Yong should be sticking to more cameos and second-lead roles to brush up his craft. Actors (in their early thirty-fourties) have to start from scratch to get where they are today.

    • I also liked Jang Ki-yong in Go Back Couple. Maybe he suits standoffish or antagonistic characters better.

    • @Dakchigo, I think you are right about JKY. He was great in My Mister but he was a villian-type there. Some actors just aren't convincing romantic leads.

  • I didn’t continue the Gumiho drama but I watched JKY in WWW, he’s all right but pretty much a newbie. But I think he’d be ok with that drama with SHK.

    I just discovered Choi Tae Joon in So I Married The Anti-Fan and he is only 29. I went to watch Missing 9, I think CTJ has more depth and definitely his performance feels and looks like he is more experienced than many actors of his age.

• I think its rather unfair to claim the current 20's liner actors are weak for yet to hit it big.

  Why questioning the actors when they are not the one responsible for the scripts or the reduced in quality of K-dramas lately? Most producers out there only want to cast big/solidified names, thus why those already established actors managed to get their second chance at hitting it big like GY with Goblin, HB with CLOY and KNG with Fiery Priest.

  I won't want to call them weak when they are not given chances in the first place. They are not big names yet so they take on projects and who knows whether that drama will hit big time or not. Drama viewing isn't the same as it used to be too. How many dramas that really managed to get high ratings lately? So those are actors' fault?

  On a side note, I have soft spot for JKY because he was really good in My Ajusshi. I just think that maybe he isn't ready yet for the leading man status and he happened to pick really lousy projects. Of all the current rising actors, I like Lee Do Hyun the most. He is great, talented and very promising.

  • @Alexa - I don't think kdramas have seen a reduction in quality at all. If anything, there's a more diverse slate of genres being produced instead of the traditional romcom and melodramas, which is exciting.

    The drama hits of the last 2 years have a thing in common besides engaging storyline: strong cast with solid acting skills across the board (CLOY, IONTBO, Hospital Playlist, Vincenzo, Mr Queen).

    • Agreed. It took me a long time before I got into kdramas because I always hear how cheesy they were, ie: amnesia, cancer, birth secrets, rich boy poor girl stories, etc. Fortunately, they have progressed to offer more variety and different plot lines in recent years.

    • Instead of blaming of the quality of the drama, i would say that korean drama industry have seen a change of genres, style of writing and preferences of audiences. And don't forget that there are more choices when it comes to tv channels these. Instead of KBS, MBC and SBS that dominates the airtimes only, we have more private/cable channels like TvN, JTBC, OCN and MBN have now that carters to a wide audience's taste and so on . So, to be successful, a junior/a 20-something actor has to embrace diverse roles and at the same time continue to improve their acting. They can't rest merely on the stars

  • I think JKY is very convincing in Search: www, capable of showing all the nuances of his role. I couldn't imagine this drama with another actor. As this was the first drama where I saw him I never doubted his potential as an actor.

  • I do think JKY is a good actor, unfortunately he hasn't really done it for me as a lead actor and that's okay. Not everyone is meant to be a lead or takes longer to get that "x" factor to lead an entire drama.

• Im Shihwan is just a really great actor, I need him more on my screen. Also Jang DongYoon, I'm patiently waiting for his next project.
  30s actors I think need more leading roles are Kim Sunho and Yoon Park. I was used to seeing Yoon Park in annoying roles but recently his been changing it up and I think he seriously needs to lead

  • Agree Im Siwan is a very good actor perhaps not as tall as most K-drama leads.
    But I will watch him anytime.

  • Yh Im siwan is a good actor, his performance in strangers from hell is the best imo then Misaeng. I found him awkward in run on, and the chemistry was severely lacking. But that show got great reviews so whilst it might not be my cup of tea, I'm happy that many people like it.

    • I don't know I really liked ISH in Run on, it may have come off as awkward to you but to me he was playing the character perfectly

    • im si wan was good in run on, only his character was written strangely

    • @miskych @diavolyata I too thought he did well too, his character was probably supposed to be awkward. I liked him and the FL individually not together. Their skinship/kisses just didn't give me any type of spark. I did think they had a connection just no sexual chemistry. There was also alot of dialogue too so I found myself getting bored.

• Traditionally, breakout stars almost always have a big hit to their name. The current gen is a bit weird, as mentioned by others before, they don't have viewership draw. I don't believe in the difference in demographics, because if you have true appeal then you should attract people from different age ranges, not just the youth.

  To be honest, looking at the filmography of Kim Sun-ho and Seo Kang-joon mentioned as counter examples, they too do not have any hit work. In that sense even Jang Ki-yong is better because at least he had supporting roles in Go Back Couple and My Mister which are widely acknowledged to be brilliant dramas, unlike Start Up and whatever nonsense SKJ did.

  The problem is the disproportionate resources being given to them relative to their talent and their results. If they do one project a year or if their projects are hits they won't be persecuted like this. I don't blame them though. I think for the sake of job security it's best to take whatever comes along. It's just bad luck that things don't pan out.

  Personally, I don't have any urge to or to not watch a drama when I see their names in the cast. I think production companies get this though, because they are all pairing up with established actresses next, and that should really help because none of them can headline a drama right now without it flopping.

  • Couldn't agree more at what you said @kitai. Yeah, projects are coming their way so take it. Maybe in one or two, things might work out, right? It is just they really need to be ready to some or more critics out there.

    • If you're wearing the crown you should bear the weight. I think the criticisms on their acting and the fact that they are given multiple opportunities are valid, but they can just take in it their stride. They've got age going for them and they can just keep trying.

  • while my mister and go back couple are huge hits and critically acclaimed, we can't say jky was a break out star or made huge impact in those dramas. unlike yoo ah in and song joongki in skks where they were 3rd and 4th billed but clearly the break out stars basically stole the show. in that sense it's a bit weird to compare jky with ksh who arguably was a main draw and the break out star of start up. ksh even won the popularity award at baeksang. he isn't a proven leading man yet but we will see how he will fare as proper leading man with shin mina in their upcoming drama tho.

  • Well, I think good dramas and good actors are different things. Robert de Niro has appeared in awfully bad movies but it doesn't mean he's a bad actor. And being in the Godfather didn't turn Sofia Coppola into a decent actress.
    The fact that you didn't like any of Seo Kang Joon dramas doesn't mean that his prestige is not deserved. He has been acknowledged as a good actor with great performances, with people praising his acting in Cheese in the trap, Are you human too? or Watcher. Kim Sun Ho also received a lot of praise and love from newly turned fans this year with Start Up. All this requires skill and charisma.
    Regarding Jang Ki Jong, I haven't seen people praising his acting so passionately...I found him bland on WWW and couldn't finish it. And his drama with Song Hye Kyo sounds boring, because she is also very pretty but a bit bland or introspective in the delivery...the sole idea of these two combined makes me jawn. But ok, with this high profile drama, he has the opportunity to prove me wrong and get some praise for his acting.

    • What I'm saying is that there isn't a common criteria for the selection of these counter-examples. Jang Ki-yong also did no wrong in Come and Hug Me, he was actually widely praised for that as well.

      For the record, I don't like any of them. As I've mentioned, none of them are pluses to me, like the average viewer out there, my decision on whether to switch on the TV will depend on the other members in the cast list.

• (Plus, wasn't Soo-Hyun 24 or so when he starred in huge hit national drama METS and even won Best Actor for it, making him one of the youngest winners?)

  Anyways, I agree with some viewer assessments. The crappy scripts are also a factor but Song Kang is just not a good actor. And the way he's being shoved down our throats doesn't help.

  And I agree there IS a big reduction in quality of K-dramas. Just recycling the same old stories with nothing new to offer.

  With regards to rising stars, Jo Byeong Gyu was one of the uber-talented ones and he was on a roll with Sky Castle, Hot Stove League and Uncanny Counter (highest-rated OCN drama). He might have even won Best New Actor if not for his scandal. KDY is awesome. I'm not cray-cray for LDH like most are. I liked SKJ in Are You Human Too. Shiwan is a decent actor but he wasn't great in Run On. All in all, it's just the mob being fickle as usual. Once these guys they're criticizing score a major hit, they'll be hailing them as superstars.

  • @ITR - I strongly disagree that there is a reduction of quality in Kdramas. Maybe romcoms are the ones whose storylines are being recycled. All the major hits of the last 2 years have had fresh new storylines spanning a wide range of genres, strong acting, and top production values.

    • Ma'am, I don't quite care whether you agree or not. I stated my opinion on the post and I stand by it. Go type your own opinion on Koala's above post in your own standalone comment. Cheers.

    • @ITR

      That's always your response to replies that disagree with your opinions. And why the need to be that hostile?

      You posted your opinions on a public blog. That's your freedom. Others also has that freedom to reply to you and disagree. If you can't even handle that simple logic then don't write anything on public sites.

      And don't start with 'maybe you are the same account' b.s cause I'm not ?

    • Aww, did I hurt your poor little feelings? I still don't care. Deal with it.

    • @ITR

      I concur on the quality drop. I'm not certain if some of the blame goes to Netflix or just times changing with the global reach but dramas are also getting too Westernized and losing that uniqueness that drew people in. I've seen people also complain about the multiple season trend. Aside from the constant recycling of the same old stories, I've seen people also complain about constant ripping off or remaking of international works. It's not just great new actors that are lacking but great new writers as well.

    • Y'know, I-fans are always blaming Netflix but is it all on them though?

      I don't like the multiple season thing either but I get it from a business standpoint. With how hard it is to get high ratings these days, the producers will want to milk a hit for all it's worth.

      The industry could benefit from fresh blood (writers). Maybe it's hard for new writers to punch through the ceiling? Because some of the hits we've seen recently were written by respected/known writers with hits in their resume a la Vincenzo, HP, Mine, etc.

      I wonder though if there are actress equivalents of these actors they're praising. As in actresses in these actors' age range they find promising.

    • I'm curious about that as well. But sadly, it's an oppa's game so we barely hear of the actresses. ?
      Funny. Just saw news on Twitter that JBG is in talks for a webtoon-adapted drama. I didn't know his scandal had been cleared? Interesting.

    • Oh really? I don't know if he's been exonerated, either. But that is indeed interesting. Will it air on TV or OTT? Either way, I'm curious to see the reception to his comeback.

      Okay, my work here is done. Thanks for the insights!

  • But why didn't they mention Jang Dong-yoon? Leftover anger from Joseon Exorcist? Cos he's also really good. Weren't K-netz praising him left and right for TTON?

    Also, again on the mob being fickle, today they've declared these actors the anointed ones and are praising them. But after a while, they'll turn on them too and move on to the next gen of rising stars. That's just how it is. LOL.

    • Oh, and how could I forget dear Yeo Jin-goo? Just yesterday he was a child actor and now he's all grown up. Feels like I raised him. Hehe.

  • Yes, I wonder the equivalent too. Consolidated names, there's IU and Suzy, but they are idol actresses, and not everyone likes their acting. Kim So Hyun and Han So Hee seem destined to great lengths. I really appreciated Go Min Si's acting in Youth of May, she was brilliant, and has a very memorable and distinct beautiful face. There's many turning 30 actresses that have already consolidated themselves as FL, at the very least: Kim Go eun, Kim Tae Ri, Kim Ji Won, Seo Ye Ji (We'll have to see if the scandals will affect her career) etc. For now, I'm waiting for the breakthrough of Park Gyu-young. As stated, however, dramas are the oppas' game, unfortunately. Am I the only one that appreciates more the actress than the actors, or just appreciate them equally?

  • @ITR
    Yim Si-wan has nailed the unusual male character and three-dimensional character as Ki Seon-gyeom in the drama Run on.
    Actually, Song-kang and Jang Ki-yong's main problem is not acting, but they always choose visuals and characters that look the same so the audience will feel bored. When it comes to acting, it's a bit strange to see Jang Ki-yong being criticized badly even though he's already won the BaekSang Arts Awards in the jury's choice category. Unlike the case with Yim Si-wan who is smart in choosing characters.

• I think the '80s liner from early to late are special. They created Hallyu and made kdramas popular worldwide.
  I would say some where just as bad when they started but they got better. However, I would have to agree with koala. I have watched both JKY and SK since their debut and I think they rose too fast. They are hard working but wooden actors.
  If there is little to no difference in their acting since their debut at the late stages of their 20s, it might be hard finding their sure foot in their 30s. And would only get cast to look pretty for the camera.
  When they go on hiatus, they can easily be replaced. I don't want that for them and really wish them the best, but that is the reality of actors like these.