Viewer Disconnect and Annoyance with the Loveline Between Song Joong Ki and Shin Hyun Bin in Reborn Reaches Crescendo as Romance Starts in Episode 10
jTBC weekend drama Reborn Rich is still doing banger ratings, this Friday and Saturday’s episode 9 and 10 dropped from last week’s high of 19% but the story continues to deliver the great plotting plus payoff. Plus the ending of episode 10 will definitely bring in viewers for Sunday’s episode 11. But this post is about the “romance” in this drama which is the weakest link since it was previewed when Shin Hyun Bin arrived as Song Joong Ki’s law school classmate in this life and the future prosecutor he remembers from his past life. Perhaps he thinks she’s great because she turned out a good person, otherwise I cannot for life of me understand why he likes her and what the heck is going on to nurture those feelings. Episode 10 devoted way too much time to their dating scenes and it was just snooze-inducing not to mention the lack of chemistry and cringe was off the charts. These two have no chemistry and on top of that this drama story just doesn’t need a vanilla romance. I agree with annoyed K-netizens but have reluctantly accepted the writer just want to make it happen so let’s grin and bear it.
I skip over her scenes tbh. Her character adds nothing to the story, the romance is unconvincing and irrelevant and the two actors have absolutely no chemistry, sexual tension, nothing.
Give me more Jin family scenes thanks.
Totally agree with you. I skipped every time the two meet. No chemistry between the two. Just stick to the grandpa and the family vs. The young grandson.
I remember when SHB’s casting was announced a lot of people were groaning and saying she isn’t a good enough actress, she lacks charisma, etc etc. I thought those people were exaggerating, but no, they were right. She and the romance are the weakest links in this drama.
I used to think it was the character and bad writing, but the recent episodes made me realize her acting is the problem too. SHB doesn’t have the “oomph” factor that commands viewer’s attention. In scenes that are supposed to be tense (courtroom), her acting just muffles the tension. She was ok in Hospital Playlist because her character there was bland and flatline, which suits her.
SJK has had good chemistry with all his FLs, and this is the first time I’ve seen him not sync with his partner. His scenes with the sis-in-law are electrifying in comparison. This is his worst pairing so far.
Don’t know who is the actress that acted as male lead cousin-in-law.
She is good better than the female lead. Wish there’s more scenes between her and the male lead.
The cast for the rest of Jin family is also great.
Park Ji Hyun… she’s excellent. I really really hope she has a Han So Hee moment.
The male lead cousin’s wife is mostly appropriate for the role of female lead
I feel you! So then I am not the only one who enjoyed her scenes with do jun ki. Lol I wish she was the main female lead cause they are so good on screen together. She really has great screen presence and I hope does female lead roles in her future projects.
It’s interesting how some reactions are universal, irrespective of culture. I’m following this show on XHS and cnetz reaction is the exact same as knetz, maybe even worse. They’ve all been complaining about her and shipping Dojun with Myunhin.
I was watching episode 10 and when the kiss happened out of the blue, the screen exploded with complaints when usually it’s the opposite for kisses.
Look, people don’t actually mind romance when it’s done well and the actors have chemistry. Just look at Vincenzo and Little Women. The romance here is written very haphazardly and I still don’t get when or why Dojun likes her.
I would SO love to see Song Joong Ki and Jeon Yeo Bin paired together again!!!
Haha, the funny thing is a bunch of cnetz who are watching RR are now running off to binge Vincenzo for the first time, so they’re watching both shows at once. I’ve seen comments saying RR should switch out Minyoung for Chayoung.
I also can’t help but compare Song Joong Ki’s eyes in VINCENZO to Reborn Rich. In Vincenzo, his eyes convey deep love and affection for his partner JEON YEO BEEN, their visuals and acting match, they look so good together onscreen. Whereas, in RR something’s lacking in his gaze to Shin Hyun Been. I’m actually a big fan of SJK and I’m forcing myself to like them but I really can’t, I cannot feel anything when watching their scenes, it just feels so empty that I wanna cry! This is the worst pairing for Song Joong Ki.
For me the romance was part of the webtoon, not a major but it was there all the same. Hence they put it in the story. The romance is neither here nor there in the drama, as I think what they are trying to do is give the character someone who he can be vulnerable with. That so happens to be the girl in some aspects with the other characters its not the same. Also its not like its over 10 minutes integrated in the story its usually between 30 seconds to 7 minutes max. This last episode was the one I saw her most in. Despite the lack of chemistry, I just let it be, its not distasteful but neither its impactful.
She is a good actress. Can’t judge her if the story line has not been developed in her favour. Hopefully the scriptwriter can weave more meat into her romantic relationship and job as a prosecutor without undermining the main plot of Reborn Rich.
sad to see so much hate for SHB – always liked her acting, but yes she does seem to fit the role of someone who is in misfortune more than a prosecutor. I do think their scenes are cute tho – it’s a good reminder that Do Jun’s life is just not all intrigue, and he has people on his side. It’s probably a set-up for where she will either die or come into harm that will trigger all out Do Jun’s war against whoever’s behind everything. in any case, all this disconnect and annoyance didn’t really lead to lower ratings so all is good I guess.
This is one of the few times I actually groaned at a kiss scene.
I agree with you I don’t understand why he seems so intrigued by her when he just met her once in his life as HW?? But their scene in ep 11 is kinda touching
Not liking the character is one thing but hating on the actress, and I have seen such nasty words is another thing. I wish she hadn’t taken this role because all she got was vitriol when the role is like it is because this is how it goes in the webtoon. It’s barely there and a hint of a safe space for Do Joon in a stressful situation.
I also don’t understand shipping Do Joon with the other one because the guy says what a nightmare his life would have been with her and yet suddenly romance is fine because yes, let’s Stan toxic people and toxic relationships. Yuck.
I would have preferred no romance at all in this type of show but if it must happen,might as well be with a woman that isn’t toxic af.
SHB is the reason I’ve been holding off on watching this drama. Bland actress with no charm, indeed. Didn’t enjoy her performances in her brief role in Confidential assignment or in HP either. I’ll wait til the show is done before watching. Shame because I really love SJK and LSM.
No one is saying anything nasty about SHB tho. Acting criticism is fair game. Her role got more screen time this week and her acting failed to deliver. Plus, great actors are able to deliver even with limited screen time.
If you don’t understand shipping, then you don’t understand good tv. People ship whoever is more fun to watch, not who is healthiest to watch. Grandpa is toxic af too and everyone stans him and SJK.
Shin hyun been and song joong ki acting just awful, lacking pressence and sin charisma.This show was for lee seung min.All award will goes to him.
I remember the webtoon but I think I dropped it because the later part isn’t as good as the beginning.
Should really skip the romance if they don’t pass chemistry test
This is my opinion.Same I dont care about their relationship and I think it mostly due to her acting.I feel like she doesn’t have any screen presence. I always felt that way about her but the story line and the other actors surrounding her made it ok back the but there it’s not. It’s highlighted here but thankfully the drama is great.
I don’t know why MinYoung is in this show. Probably the most unnecessary female lead of the year. Even Tiffany character existence makes more sense
And when one mentions that some come at you with the usual feminist argument “romance works you only choose to hate her cause you hate women”. Seriously I read sh*ts like that
I just don’t see and feel any chemistry between them. And Shin hyun been lacks charisma on screen. Her acting somewhat bland as well. I have nothing against her it’s just that I find her really bland. Hope she will have a role someday that will really highlight her acting ability.. but this drama is not it!.
I never liked Shin Hyun-Bin as an actress, she has no charisma. In Hospital Playlist, she had no chemistry with YYK who usually had a lot of chemistry with his partners (very excited for his next drama)…
Her character is not very present in the story neither. So it doesn’t help.
It’s the lack of chemistry for me. Some actors have natural chemistry with each other even when they’re not meant to be romantic but this one is a case where both actors just lacks chemistry with each other, period. They felt like acquaintances rather than people who like each other romantically? So when they kissed, it felt so out of place and odd. It’s not the acting per se. I feel that chemistry can be built with good writing so I think that this is partly a writing issue as well. But yes, unfortunately these two actors just don’t have any sort of chemistry at all, visually as well as narratively. Their scenes tgt felt so flat and unexciting. Their scenes could’ve been really cute and dynamic if only they have actual chemistry and better writing. & honestly, it’s the writers fault because the romance would have been easier to digest(despite the lacking natural chemistry) if they were to flesh out the female lead to make the viewers see why Dojun would naturally like her instead of making her so…bland. The reason why some people tend to lean on Mo Hyunmin’s character is not because they prefer ‘toxic’ femme fatale characters but rather they find the actress to have more natural chemistry with Song Joongki compared to the female lead.
I have always been wary of Shin Hyun bin’s casting in any romance genre, she just makes romance tasteless (with Hospital Playlist being an exception), I mean the same thing happened with her character with Jim Chang Wook in Warrior Baek Dong Soo where the second female lead stole the show..
But seeing her in RR which that micro expressions again…. facepalm…
I disagree about HP. As an old theatre critic once said about an actress, (paraphrasing) “The emotions she displayed ran the gamut from A to B.” SHB has only a few expressions, with her main one being pouty. She was crazily mismatched with YYS in what could have been a warm and sweet romance though I was hoping for something a little more fiery, lol).
Need romance between kiddo and his new mom ain’t no female hotter than kiddo’s mom in this m ofo childish drama
LOL! Her character is rather minor in the story so I don’t care that much. But it surely feels like a wasted opportunity for having a perfect cast and an appealing love story in the drama,…if they had cast another actress.
Plus, sparks fly in Do Joon’s interactions with everyone else, so it’s a sad comparison that his love encounters are so bland. His chemistry with MinHyun was far better, not a surprise that so many people are shipping them. I was shipping them too at the beginning.
Back then Suzy was rumored for this role and there was so much drama around that rumor.
I was wrong. I now think Suzy actually would be the better choice. Imagine that.
@Royal We – where are you?
They should have cast Park jihyun in SHB’s role instead, but the moment the casting was made SHB was in her popularity moment due to Hospital playlist…
It happens, in my own opinion this drama doesn’t need romance and certainly not this pairing . No chemistry at all .
I actually feels they have good chemistry in the beginning. I think it’s more due to Song Joong Ki can’t connect to her. I actually feel SJK don’t have chemistry either with his 2 leading woman. His eyes is so bland and seems not interested with his 2 leadong woman.
Everyone shipping Park Ji hyun because she is on fire in his roles. So everyone feels spark with Park Ji Hyun. For me Park Ji Hyun has more chemistry with her husband than Song Joong Ki.
Agreed, no romance was needed. There is a good actress in this thing — Kim Shin-rok as Hwa-young, the crazy chaebol daughter. I loved every scene she was in in Eps. 9 & 10. She’s just what this rather dull affair needs. Like putting your finger in an electric socket.
After Moon Chae won, she’s the second actress that is perfect for song Jong ki. They look good together. Hope they end up together in real life.
It’s common in K drama to ruin a good story with an unnecessary love story
SHB is so bland not only in Reborn Rich but also other dramas.
Park ji Hyun and even Tiffany did a better job in Reborn Rich.
Hopefully the rest of the episodes don’t focus on the romance part.
Just give us more Lee Sung Min and members of the Jin family.
I don’t think she is bland in Reborn Rich. Shin Hyun Bin actually quite good. IMO It’s just there is so many good actor here so she is not the standout.
I am following this drama because I have been missing Song Joong-Ki a lot since after Vincenzo, but the business backdrop I think might not be everyone’s cup of tea. If you’re not interested in biz, economics, investments, talks of acquistion, hostile takeover, etc. you’re just gonna get bored.
SJK doesn’t own this drama. He doesn’t have a lot of acting here… his scenes mostly are like always on the background plotting, strategizing ways on how he will sabotage his grandpa, aunt and uncles, etc.
He clearly has zero chemistry with Shin Hyun Been (I also don’t get it why Do Joon liked Minyoung who is plain looking, bland and painfully annoying). I cringe everytime she appears on screen. Right, she doesn’t have screen persona – her looks, micro expressions including voicetone are unexciting.
Song Joong Ki can add nuance with his acting in this mind and strategy game. Add more vulnerability moment on his past. His past is very pitiful.
You are right. She is so plain looking. There are far more beautiful and better actresses than her. The chaebol’s daughter is not pretty but she is a very good actress.
Song Joong Ki’s leading lady in Vincenzo, Jeon Yeo Been imprinted on me as an actress who has a lot of charisma and screen presence. I became a huge fan that I dig all her previous works. Watching her and Joongki’s scenes in the drama, I can feel the sparks fly, tension, affection, longing for each other and other varied emotions. They showed us what a great chemistry is in Kdrama. Now, whoever will be Joongki’s drama or film partner, I will always go back to the satisfaction I felt when he was with Jeon Yeo Been. Sadly, I did not feel the same way with his interactions with Shin Hyun Been. Their scenes are limited but they should still register as impactful right? She could have acted her role as annoying but still cute, attractive, mysterious, likeable. But thats not the case so I don’t even know why Do Joon fell for her. Even her acting as prosecutor is so lame. Well, its just me just like those Knetz and Cnetz, frustrated and annoyed with the loveline in Reborn Rich!
Many were high on SHB for no reason. She was equally terrible in Hospital Playlist, but somehow that performance was hyped to no end. I remember commenting on this casting and saying that Suzy might be the better choice because at the very least she still has some visuals to contribute, whereas Shin does nothing.