Fans of Lovely Runner Upset that Producer Credited the Success of the Drama to Molding the Male Lead Character for Byun Woo Seok’s Image

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• Somehow I believe him that he might have favored the male lead over the female lead without rightfully saying it but it could be that he did mold the role to fit his limitations because Suzy always did well with the writer of the first drama dream high but tanked with other projects when it came to her acting and since has improved but it happens. That is probably the only way to make idols fit their roles when they have limited acting range but not everyone puts that effort and just lets it slide by. He does seem a little full of himself though.. in which I mean the director not the actors. The main actor needs to sign up for something so he can further prove himself and people would stop ragging on him and speculating whether he is good or not. I felt both actors did well and at times they both had those cheesy moments in acting that was a bit cringe but I would chalk it up to the writing and directing.

• Well actress usually received less praise when it came to hit drama but the producer is over the top if he doesn’t even acknowledge the fl

  Anyway it’s strange that there is so much news from this drama. I mean if we talk about other hit like qot, there isn’t much news anymore. maybe someone is behind fanning the flames?

  • @Yuhyi: just watched and it's an interview from Viki with producer Park Joon Tae about dramas he worked on. He talks specifically about Lovely Runner and True Beauty in the interview as those are his hit dramas that are streaming on Viki.

    He does talk about the FL for Lovely Runner in the interview too but not as much as the ML. He also talks about the ML for True Beauty but doesn't really mention the FL.

    • Apparently the title of the video were first the director talking about the behind of lovely runner, but after the controversy, since he brought up unrelated cha eunwoo, they changed the title into talking about dramas he had worked on

    • Earlier they promoted this content as LR behind the scenes with pictures of both leads on IG. When content was published PD only spoke about ML of LR and even TB. Title was changed after the controversy. They should have just promoted it as PD talking about ML of his dramas. LOL. No controversy.

• I watched the interview just now and I don't think it's that bad. It's an interview with producer Park Joon Tae about producing K-dramas and they asked him which actor he worked with left him with the best impression and he said Byun Woo Seok and Kim Hye Yoon. Then they also asked him what difficulties they had making Lovely Runner and his first impressions of the cast so he talks about how they were looking for the actor to play the ML for three years until they met BWS who made a very strong positive impression on them which is why the response is mainly about him. But he does compliment the Kim Hye Yoon in the interview even though, admittedly, he doesn't talk about her as much.

  I thought the more interesting comment in the comment section was from a Korean netizen who was angry and said the producers barely supported or promoted the drama before but now it became a surprise huge hit they are bragging about it.

  • PD not promoting drama. They directors, they filming drama. Others PD not promoted their dramas before either, they just getting credits after or while drama airing.
    I judging by QOT PDs, they didn't promote drama in any way, and gave interview after QOT aired.
    Not to say netizens angry at director for bragging about success of the drama he filmed, which... logically?
    He's the one who filmed that surprise hit.

• I stopped watching because of the actress.

  • I also stopped watching because of the actress!

• Is the interview completely uncut/unedited? It’s hard to really say whether or not he spoke more about her and the footage was just edited out. I thought they both did great, and it was honestly the chemistry between the two that was one of the main drivers to the drama’s success. I loved it but didn’t think the writing or storyline was anything extraordinary. I’ve also seen BWS in other dramas and he never made an impression until Lovely Runner.

• I've watched the drama for her. And still like her more tho. The double standard between men and women in Korea isnt something new. She hard carried many dramas but always the male leads got the popularity. Sigh. Hope she'll get what she deserves. Fighting Hyeyoon ah!!

  • I have a huge crush on him because of his character in the drama for a couple of months. But overall, I love her. Both in the drama and in real life. I used to find her annoying because of her Sky castle character. Lol

• The PD's comments (I don't remember anymore) sounded like BWS needed more attention because he was lacking. In True Beauty, it was the same, CEW was not a really good actor when MGY was perfect in this role.

  • I got the same vibe - he needed more attention because he wasn't as good an actor. in all the bts, you can see the director having to overly direct bws and tell him what exactly to do. he didnt really have to do that as much with kim hye yoon who often came up with her own ideas for the scene. the actress that played hye yoon's mum even mentioned she found that bws was awkward in some emotional scenes, and had to guide him along as well. overall he's just not a very good actor, hence i guess that's why his agency is going the popularity/kinda idol route by gaining alot of fans etc and not really the actors route by picking another script after LR. I think he has a limited range in acting as well and only suits certain roles - the sunny, first love vibe, always there for the FL kinda roles - which other actors also do pretty well at.

• People saying he also mentioned Cha Eun Woo, and I remember CEW interview after True Beauty shooting, how he discussed his character with PD, and about acting advises PD gave to him.
  So I guess, PD worked with both of them a lot.
  Let's be real.
  With all respect to Byun Woo Seok, he didn't gave much impression in his previous roles (maybe except Strong Girl Nam Soo). He become a big star after Lovely runner, thanks to Lovely runner and thanks to PD work. And, of course, thanks to his agency work, but we talking about drama here.
  I read comments before from people who watched bts of LR, how hard PD worked to get a best from BWS.
  So I think it's obvious PD thinks he played a part in BWS stardom, he proud of this, and he wants to gave credits to himself. Maybe in a lame way, to talk how they made ideal performance to BWS.

  What about KHY, I think many her fans are on edge right now. There are a lot of talks and comparisons between co-stars and who of them gained more. They already took one PD's interview put of context - when he discussed how he made KHY's character look better, to make a "love from the first sight" more believable. Many people made a huge tantrum because of that, but anyone who saw "before and after" look of her character can understand what he meant. I wouldn't be surprised if they did it again, made it out of context to find a reason to criticise PD.

• Well SK society seems to be very misogynist. JWS was back at Blue Dragon awards while Kim Min Hee is exiled. What is the difference between the two. Didnt they both have affairs with married people? Im Jiyeon and another actress are being criticized for cheering JWS more than JWS was criticized for attending the award. GHJ had to cry on You Quiz and apologize for her divorce. Like why?

  LR male lead has an idol type fandom and the vicious hate comments Kim Hyeyoon gets these days are so over the top. All these are women hating on women. I like KHY and hope her next project does well and she escapes toxic LR fandom. Hopefully she gets offered genre films. She may not have star quality but she is a good actress who really digests her characters well.

  • I'm not against your other words, I comment only about comparison of JWS and KMH. Kim Min Hee decided not to attend Blue Dragon herself, the same as JWS decided to attend Blue Dragon himself.
    There are a lot of articles was made at that time, Blue Dragon weren't against her present on an award. They gave her The Best actress award. Kim Min Hee got others Best actress awards after her "scandal", even director who supposed to gave her an award on some korean festival made a speech to support her and said in the end "Kim Min Hee, we, directors love you" (I sent the link and his whole speech under other JWS article, as KMH also was mentioned there). This should say to you something. There are also info Kim Min Hee got offers from producers but declined them, she also filming in movies and by information, she decided to focus co-work with her bf director. The difference between them two, KMH decided not to attend Blue Dragon, JWS decided to attend. That's all, there's no comparison.
    K-movie industry seems pretty different from k-drama industry in Korea, they seems more supportive to actors they working with.

    • I admit I do not know all these details. But would people have clapped if she had attended like they did enthusiastically for JWS. I dont think so but I admit this is conjecture on my part. I am also not trying to say what is moral vs not. Just the clear distinction how women always have to work 10x harder for everything and more so in asian societies.

    • @hellomel
      The things you're saying about "would people clapped" is only your assumptions. I already said, K-movie industry pretty different from k-drama industry. Kim Tae Ri openly thanked Kim Min Hee during her award-speech, director openly supported KMH during his speech. I pretty sure actors would have clapped, but our both opinions just our assumptions without a facts. In a fact, Kim Min Hee got support from directors, got Best actress awards and actress she worked with mentioned her in her speech.

  • I saw the clip on the big clap for JWS on the Blue Dragon award...Lim Ji Yeon and Hyeri's contrasting response...it was very interesting to see. Hyeri had the 'I have no time for cheating men' look, her eyes says it all.

    • Yes - I also saw that. But my point is why don't we see articles of how X or Y male actor reacted differently to this situation. Why drag females to define morality of the situation.

  • And about "toxic LR fandom".
    LR is a big fandom, and unfortunately most of the big fandoms like this.
    Some Kim Go Eun and Lee Min Ho fans hating eachother even 4 years after, without a serious reason. Some Kim Ji Won and Kim Soo Hyun fans hating eachother although actors show only respect to each other. Even some fans of two seasons Alchemy of souls hating each other. Gosh, even some fans of Queen of tears and Lovely runner hating eachother, and I'm sure they can't explain why.
    If Kim Hye Yoon will film in another popular drama with popular actor, and this drama will gain fanbase, highlikely she will get hate comments for nothing, as trolls baiting on any popular.
    Such lame trolls hard to avoid, so sometimes it's better to be out of a fandom, not to see their nonsense.
    There's a meme "being a fan of something without ever interacting with fanbase".

    • I was not watching kdramas when King came out. But I love KGE career trajectory. I would want all my fave female actors to do more genre roles. I love KJW and I hate all the online QoT shippers. I want her to do a genre like PSH next. Same wish for NJH and KHY.
      I should just avoid all Chinese social media. LOL.

  • I checked information about GHJ you told. She didn't apologise for her divorce. She cried because of her relationship with the kids.
    She also become the highest-paid actress a years AFTER her divorce, and filmed in hit dramas.
    I know where exactly you get that info, from twitter, as twitter folks do nothing but spreading misinformation to get likes. Is it really so hard to check information and to watch her interview?

    • Well continue to nitpick and miss the forest for the tree.

    • To nitpick? You said untrue things, I corrected you. You used her divorce to push your narrative, ignoring GHJ become a highest paid korean actress after her divorce. Ignoring her interview. She didn't apologise for her divorce. You didn't watch her interview, did you?
      You didn't even read her interview, did you?
      At least read
      https://m.korean-vibe.com/news/newsview.php?ncode=1065597073036757

• So funny that ppl say this sexism when in fact it is simply true , look how ppl flock to the actor at the airport that even his bodyguards could do anything ab it , he enjoys all the fame and money ,while the poor girl who did all the hard work didn't get anything in return,she even said she didn't feel the drama success herself at all, and weren't typically getting more offers or CF deal,and here the same ppl are criticizing the director for simply saying the true bffff

  • Ehh, it's probably because the women calling out the sexism are different from the women flocking to BWS at the airport and going crazy for him. Not all of them, but some oppa fangirls tend to have internalized misogyny, they usually just hype up male leads and ignore the female lead, sometimes even hating on her. So I don't think there's some disconnect like you're implying, it's simply different groups of women: the ones calling out sexism are feminist women while the ones flocking to BWS are oppa famgirls who probably don't even give a sh*t about KHY lol