When I first heard that Park Gun Hyung was joining the Moon Geun Young sageuk Goddess of Fire Jeongi, I was elated. He’s an engaging actor and they have worked together before in Innocent Steps back in 2005 (wow, so long ago, and she was still a teenager then). Plus I haven’t seen him onscreen since I Do, I Do last year where his character was initially super cool and the turned into a super creep so that wasn’t so fun to watch him. Then when I read the first news reports of his casting in GoF, I started freaking out because it said that he was being cast as the perfect guy who loves Moon Geun Young’s character. Hello? Wasn’t that being held for Kim Bum? The unexpected but perfect pairing of Bummie and Geun Young was going to be over before it even began? I don’t want to hate Park Gun Hyung but that would make me resent him, yes it would. Then the subsequent news reports came out on his casting and I breathed a giant sigh of relief. He’ll be playing what appears to be the antagonist in this drama, or at least a competitor type character. His character is the eldest grandson of a notable pottery making family. He’s the heir and successor who has proven with his skill that he is a talented and worthy of carrying on the family name and business. He keeps pushing himself in his craft and will have a rivalry with Moon Geun Young’s character. Whew, I am so glad I kept digging around for news articles before commencing freak out that Bummie’s character was given to someone else. A bit more is known about the role offered to Kim Bum, a perfect man type who knows martial arts and grew up with the heroine. Theirs is a family-like affection that naturally becomes romantic. He will become her husband, as well as the bodyguard to Gwanghae Gun, who harbors an affection and love for the heroine that he cannot act upon so he nurtures her talent and supports her.
If Kim Bum confirms, and I hope he does so soon since the drama apparently held the first script reading last week and most of the cast was there already, then this is going to be diverse and interest main cast. Lee Sang Yoon, a true sageuk natural, playing Gwanghae Gun in a way that he said will show the famous ruler’s tender and ambitious side. Park Gun Hyung reuniting with Moon Geun Young not as a mentor but as a competitor. And finally Kim Bum really taking all his recent challenging career choices and taking it yet another step forward with a chance to play a sageuk character opposite arguably the best sageuk actress in his generation. With Jang Ok Jung, Live in Love doing so well in blending the historical pathos of sageuks with the romanticism of a great K-drama, I hope Goddess of Fire does something new with the genre and uses its great cast wisely with well-written and complex characters. This drama starts filming next week with a premiere scheduled for early July on MBC.
Why would they cast Kim Bum for a role like this? He needs way more practice to go toe to toe with the rest of this cast… plus his character sounds so classically second-leadish that I have a hard time believing that MGY’s character will actually feel anything beyond affection for him.
I think the same! I feel like MGY’s character will fall in love with Lee Sang Yoon character and Bummie will suffer a lot! 🙁
Haha– my k-drama-trained brain interpreted “competitor to Moon Geun Young” as meaning he would be a romantic competitor (competing with her for Bummie)… now that would have been an interesting twist! Anyway, I’m happy about this news. Just yesterday, I was thinking about PGH and wondering when he’d appear in Dramaland again.
I’m still curious who will play the Japanese man. I think a huge benefit would be a actor that is fluent in Japanese. (Kibum I know is not, he knows some basic conversation skills)
A actual Japanese actor would be awesome but I don’t think a major station would dare to hire a Japanese actor like smaller channels do.
I’m confused with some of the casting. I thought that the romantic interest was supposed to be Japanese. Maybe I misread. If there is indeed a Japanese character then, like you, I hope that he is played by an actual Japanese actor.
Don’t be afraid guys ! My bummie can pull it together ! Haaaa in KB we trust !!lol
Wasn’t he Dojin in Kingdom of the Wind? I thought he was pretty wooden in the drama.
PGH had excellant chemistry with MGY in Innocent Steps tho it was bordering pedo. I was hoping PGH would be MGY’s love interest again in this drama since she has grown out of jailbait territtory. I would still watch this if Kim Bum doesnt sign on and they upgrade PGH to leading man. He looks a tad like Ji Hyun Woo in the saguek-do.
I also love love love Park Geun Hyung.
He would be so much better as MGY’s love interest than either Lee Sang Yoon or Kim Bum.
I’m curious about the Japanese male character mentioned in the earlier post too. Since now that Lee Sang Yoon & Kim Bum’s characters would be the main male leads, are there going to be any young male Japanese who would be romancing Moonie’s character.
This is interesting news.
PGH reminded soooo much of LJK in IDID, I can’t get it out of my mind when I see him now in everything.
I think this could be really good. I HOPE it will be really good.
Thanks for the update! I am loving the cast and firmly crossing my fingers Kim bum will sign on. Am not a big fan is his, but feel he could deliver, if not learn a thing or two from his acting sunbaes. So looking forward to this! Go, go, go Moonie!
omgomgomg! I absolutely flipped out when I saw this casting news. Innocent Steps was the first kmovie I got into way way back. I can’t wait for this reunion to happen.
And what did MGY do in her previous life to gain Lee Sang Yoon, Park Gun Hyung and possibly Kim Bum as co-stars?!
i hope kim bum accepts the role, i am been checking out who is being cast for this drama every single day cus i really wanna see moon geun young acting in a historical drama and i hope that her character would be more elegant and woman like. i hope jaejoong and jung ii woo could cast as well 😀 the child actors can be yeo jin gu or chae sang woo, this would be amazing if it happened. i have high expectations because of the cast but i hope it doesn’t disappoint me, otherwise it would have been a waste of time getting excited for nothing.
YAY for Innocent steps reunion…. I had a five second panic attack when I read the heading of this article about Bummie too!…lol…I find Park Geun Hyung to be pretty decent from the one movie I have seen him in….mostly I’m hoping Bummie confirms cuz otherwise there’s nothing that exciting about this show’s cast aside from MGY
were pictures released for the script reading? i haven’t run across any.