This as as award winning a powerhouse drama lead casting as I have ever seen. We have three Baeksang Best Actress/Best Actor winners joining together for a 2022 slated K-drama literally translated as Tree Dies While Standing. Korea’s first Oscar acting winner veteran Youn Yeo Jung will be making a K-drama return as a North Korean born now old woman living in South Korea who has terminal cancer, and a no name two-bit actor who makes her final wish come true by pretending to be her filial grandson. In talks as said fake filial grandson is Kang Ha Neul, with Son Ye Jin offered the role of her real granddaughter. Youn Yeo Jung’s character established a successful hotel resort chain in South Korea after escaping the North and her story takes her beginning in the 1930s through WWII and then the Korean War. She separated from her husband and son when they were escaping the war and her biggest wish is to reunite with them one day. The story sounds tear inducing on the synopsis alone but with this cast, OMG everyone invest in tissue paper and toilet roll company stock right now because we’re getting a shortage again when this airs. Also, I’m calling Baeksang 2023 nominees right here.
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The plot sounds really interesting and yes to this casting! I love to see YYJ still getting quality work and getting international acclaim this past year.
SYJ and KHN were previously offered lead roles for RWTMR and rejected it. KHN is in the Pirates sequel which SYJ turned down, so I’m curious to see if it will work out or them this time.
Lol the title got me worried for a second! I totally read it wrong ?. I thought YYJ died suddenly while standing beside KHN and SYJ.
????? same !
Lool, same!!
OMG I misread the title & thought the worse.
Same here, my heart stopped for a moment before I realized it was referring to a drama title…
Uhm koala your title confused me for a second and took a while to get , scared me like crazy
OMG, I have so much expectation already. This is bad for my heart.
First off, I was confused by the title ?
Second, there’s not any plans to make the daughter fall in love with the fake son, is there? I am reminded of That Winter, the Wind Blows, and that might just be a bridge too far for me.
I will bet money that there will be a love line between the granddaughter and fake grandson.
The plot sounds intriguing and this group of actors could play the heck out of it. I hope they accept.
Yaaaaaaaas gimme this Baeksang-bait masterpiece already! All three mains are about as A-list, cream-of-the-crop actors as you could possibly get in the South Korean industry, with all of their last projects being hyped on a worldwide scale (Camellia maybe not so much but KHN still rocks). YYJ and SYJ are arguably the most talented actresses of their respective generations so to say that it’ll be an interesting watch to see them on screen together is an understatement. The plot also sounds cool as hell. Chef’s kiss, I hope everyone says yes.
The most perfect casting I have ever seen in K-drama world. YESSSS for all three in terms of genuine talent & acting prowess. If one could stack up all their awards on the shelf, it would break from the sheer weight. Lol. Seriously in seventh heaven. Please drama gods, throw in a love line btwn KHN & SYJ. This one may just trump everything else already in 2022. Me love some dark horses stealing the limelight too.
Aren’t they both Yyj’s characters grandchildren though?
Ugh teaches me to respond before reading properly. Ok so only Syj is a blood relative. Ok then yes please lol
Goosebumps all over me. A triple raise for casting genius who came up with this trio. I was actually rooting for Youn Yuh Jung to be the grandmother in Little Women which is offered to Kim Go Eun and Nam Ji Hyun. Huge bonus if YYJ ends up in that drama too.
Yeah, if plot goes south for potential SYJ-KHN love-line like Japanese drama Hundred Million Stars From the Sky, I will be really pumped to burn down their laptop/computer. No shock ending please. My heart can’t take it after all the lockdown beatings. Lol.
Ok, this one takes the blockbuster cake for 2022. Stocking up on popcorn, soju & tissue papers. Hope cast is allowed to film overseas to add some wow factor. Lake Como or Monte Carlo hotel settings. Very good vibes it can be both a commercial and critical hit. Imagining it like a posh Korean version of Dynasty-Downtown Abbey-Hotelier mash ups. Fake sibling r/ship. Shady business wheeling & dealing. Illicit sex scandals. World War horrors. Rags to riches against all odds. Traumatic separations/reunions. Count me in.
Wow, now I will be disappointed if all of this isn’t part of the plot lol
My earlier reply went walkabout again. If khn & syj reject the offer, I don’t mind seeing psj & iu playing the fake grand-siblings.
Your script sounds like a the plot of Danielle Steele novel…
And Sidney Sheldon, Wilbur Smith, Mills & Boons, Winds of War, Ellis Island mixed with spicy kimchi, gimbap, tteok-bokki, chapjae & gamjatang. Throw in the kitchen sink too. I’m getting hungry talking food. Lol.
if victory contents really managed to cast these 3 successfully, it making me doubt abt the news that they’re facing with bankruptcy with the reshooting from rwtmr. the payment for these 3 aren’t cheap. or maybe the success from rwtmr really bring more money to the company. or they’re granted with more budget? idk, sometimes i felt that victory content is good in media play.
Just the war sections alone 1930s & 40s Japanese occupied Korea & 1950s Korean War with US Sino soldiers call for a diverse cast of thousands. I suddenly envision hunky Daniel Henney as a sexy American-Korean colonel rescuing the younger version of YYJ’s character. This is worth luring Won Bin out to make a cameo. Whichever network that got this golden goose better scale it up in terms of epic-ness like Mr Sunshine + CLOY + The Last Princess + Assassination.
Ok. It resurfaced here. Lol.
Just the north-south korean thingy resonates with millions of asian aunties. FB pages would go kaboom while twitter explodes with hot oppa madness. I suspect syj will turn it down due to too similar to cloy’s nk-sk plotline. Who else would fit FL role?
This has the potential to reel in all ages of the demographics. Ajummas will be glued to yyj, 30-40s to syj and 20s rooting for khn. A win-win if casting coup of the year is pulled off. Who’s producing it????
victory contents. they never give up to pair sonyejin and kang haneul again after unsuccessful attempt in rwtmr ?
thank you!
Thanks @dawang. Is that bad news or good news? I’m not well-versed with k-productions companies. Been dying to see that pairing but if drama fate/destiny doesn’t allow it, sigh.
i don’t really know abt vc generally, but i don’t think it’s a bad news. victory content is very generous with giving contents. and they’d produced many popular dramas already like rwtmr, empress ki, memories in bali, etc. u can check their website
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I would prefer to see Son Ye Jin as the younger YYJ during the 1930’s. After all if the story is to focus on what happened during those turbulent times, it might help to flesh out the titular character when she was still young along with her husband and son.
The synopsis reminded me a bit of Ode to my Father where the main character got separated from his father and younger sister.
I agree. SYJ can play two roles. One as the younger version of YYJ’s role and two as her present day grand-daughter. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why VC offered SYJ the role coz only an actress of her calibre can pull it off convincingly.
Wow! What a cast 😮
This cast will never happen SYJ will not accept it.Youn yejong have movie with kimsunhoo.
Seems for me that the plot is taken from Los árboles mueren de pie (The trees die standing), a theatrical play by Alejandro Casona. It’s quite famous in my country and was staged many times