Lee Jun Ki and Lee Yoo Bi Show Off their Looks for Scholar Who Walks the Night
Count me in for the group that just doesn’t understand any of the casting controversies around Scholar Who Walks the Night now. Earlier on when a roster of potential leading ladies were mentioned in the casting process, the discussion was lively and pertinent to reflect folks having personal biases and preferences. Now that the two leading ladies are Lee Yoo Bi and Kim So Eun, why is there even any further commentary when both are well cast and has enough acting chops to merit giving them a shot.
The drama has started filming already, getting a nice head start even with currently airing MBC Wed-Thurs drama Warm and Cozy just starting its run. Lee Jun Ki posted a picture of the first six drama scripts, and his supporting actor costar snapped two pictures with him in costume as the vampire scholar Kim Sung Yul. My first reaction in seeing the pictures was a non-reaction because he’s been in so many Joseon sageuks (Iljimae, Arang and the Magistrate, Joseon Gunman) it’s almost like seeing an everyday picture of Jun Ki. He forever looks great as a Joseon nobleman.
Putting Jun Ki’s first look as Kim Sung Yul next to Lee Yoo Bi in her cross-dressing bookseller costume as leading lady Yang Shan, she definitely looks young but nothing that stands out as glaringly mismatched. Even better is how much both look like their manhwa counterparts.
LYB really looks like a kid. A really young kid and so wrong next to someone as manly as LJK. And nope, I’m not even a KSE fan so if anyone’s going to rattle on and on about how I’m hating on her whatever-whatever-whatever, save the effort. I’m claiming what I see, and if the live action changes that, then good for everyone involved.
in the manhwa itself she’s a young girl and he’s 150 years old so I don’t really see the problem with them casting an early 30s actor with a visibly younger actress. It’s not even like he is Hyun Bin, Jo In Sung or one of the more mature-looking early 80s actors, Lee Jun Ki has always looked younger than his age.
And that was how they were casting from day 1 since the first people who were reported to be offered the role were Park Hae Jin (32) and Han Groo (22).
Yes, except Han Groo wouldn’t look like a kid next to PHJ or LJK. She looks her age, unlike LYB who again – looks like a kid. LJK looks younger than his age, sure, but he can’t pass off to be as young as someone like LJS or KSH. He still looks late 20s easily and LYB look 16. In my eyes, there is too much of a visual difference.
It is true LYB looks like a kid in the photo above, but that is the point, isn’t it? She is not supposed to look older and womanly when she is cross-dressing. Having seen the way she carried her scenes in Go Family Book, I am not worried about her appearing too immature for LJK; I think she is a very promising actress and I think she definitely has the ability to pull off the complexity of this part.
Just pointing out that the OTP characters have a 150 year age difference. The fact that LJK may look like a man next to more teen looking LYB (debate IMO, LYB actually gives off very womanly vibes when she acts) would not be a problem narratively. Just sayin’. It’s like saying two actors have a visual age difference and that might be a problem, but not taking into account the characters being played having a big age gap so the visual difference wouldn’t matter. In the manhwa, Yang Shan looks like a little teenager boy while Sung Yul is a very mature looking scholar, handsome but mature.
I don’t think I ever claimed that would be a problem narratively, did I? I said they’d look wrong visually because one looks like a teen and the other looks like a man. Just sayin’. I haven’t read the source material so characters and situations are something I’ll judge when the actual teasers and/or the first episode comes out. I’m totally saying I find it problematic that there’s a large visual disparity. Now if its accounted for and makes total sense in the drama, then like I said in my initial comment – good for everyone involved.
@Gum – why is it problematic for her to look much younger than him if the story itself has her looking very young and him looking older? So many classic movies have that same kind of pairing even in Hollywood.
@Gum What about Blood? The dude looks like a teenager as a doctor and Gu Hye Sun looks way older than him. And not to mention the Prime Minister and I? So I wouldn’t say LYB like a teen next to LJK. Lee yoo bi looks like a kid in this filtered photo. However, she actually looks older especially in Night of Watchman something. But from what I’m seeing, both of the leads have very expressive eyes and I think they will have chemistry together
Lee yoo bi looks so cute!! I hope she slays thos drama and shut those annoying KSE fans mouth
agreed
Me too! Either way, her acting chops will definitely make up any “shortcomings” she might have. Can’t wait!
It’s not fair to blame Kim So Eun fans since I like her as an actress, some of them were quite relentless with the conspiracy theories about LYB’s casting. Thankfully that has calmed down now, so please don’t go stirring it up again.
Anyway I hope the drama is decent and has a good story, and doesn’t mess up its supernatural concepts and effects either. Please god, let it be better than Night Watchman’s Journal.
Comment like this will incite fanwars.. smh
Not a fan of the female leads, only mildly interested to them but at least the girls can act. So I’m amused why their fans need to bash one another in order to defend their bias. Remember, this casting could be much more worse, so we should be thankful instead we’re given 2 talented leading ladies.
Seriously, look at the lead role casting we were saved from…..at least LYB can act.
We don’t know if she can actually pull of the leading role here next to Lee jun Ki because all she did was minor roles.. So let’s see if she really can act
Much better to have a leading lady who showed talent in minor roles before landing one big one, than a leading lady who takes one lead role after another and can’t act in any of them.
her role in Gu Family Book was not minor, and it was received quite well. It was also a sageuk, so that helps too.
You seem quite biased
Yes, at least she can act.
Anyway Past Lee Jun Ki must be a yangban too! LOL
He looks so perfectly suited in hanbok and always been great in sageuks!
IKR, he looks so sexy and handsome even in those silk over-sized traditional clothing…is it slightly possible for any other actor than him? I don’t think so! I have only one teeny-tiny wish left: LJK, a rom-com…some day, pleaaaaase! Next Hong sister project, maybe? Just maybe? After one very long year or more…close to two endless years! Throw me a bone here… LOL
He looks the best in sageuk clothes, he carries himself so well. And when he does action scenes in traditional clothes….WOW.
Wow they really look like their manhwa counterparts, but it certainly won’t be a lusting chemistry due to lyb having a double edged sword in the form of her youthful looks.
considering that in Trot Lovers, Jung Eun Ji (21 and baby faced) had quite excellent chemistry with Shin Sung Rok (32), I don’t think a young female lead with a much older male lead automatically = no chemistry.
I’m willing to reserve judgment on LYB/LJK’s pairing until the actual drama.
Lee Yoo Bi is 24, not 14 like some people harping on about her looks seem to behave. And she doesn’t look too young in that picture of her in the hat.
also Lee Jun Ki is quite youthful looking for 32-33, so idk why people are behaving like this is going to look like some cradle snatcher pairing. Sounds like people pick on LYB’s looks since there’s no real reason to be picking on her acting.
I personally would worry more about the writer since this is the same lady who did the terrible Paradise Ranch, after doing Coffee Prince.
What’s upsetting me if that they’re changing this great Manhwa to put some typical love triangle
Yah you commented in the same post with 3 different handles already, why are you so cowardly that you need the illusion of 3 people agreeing with you before you say your opinion?
(ms Koala, please correct me if I am wrong since you can see the IP address of all comments and confirm whether Star, Ex or whatever handle they go by, is really all the same person or not……but one look at the display avatars says it is)
I’m just happy that the 2 ladies can act. As for the fan wars, I can only dedicate a Chinese song to them: 女人何苦为难女人 (transalation: why must females make trouble for females… assuming the fans are females).
Can’t wait.
I mostly care about script, then directing, and then actors. Not to mention this is a LJK drama. I have confidence in him as a fine actor, specifically in sageuks – he looks good in any ancient attire and he can fight. The latter I consider extremely important for a sageuk plot which usually involves fighting scenes. (For example, Suzy was a huge flop in Gu Family Books when it came to fighting scenes.) I expect that Scholars Who Walks the Night also have some (if not extensive) fighting scenes. Idk if the heroine is someone who can fight or not, hopefully not. Lee Yubi has such a delicate small frame that it doesn’t look like she can showcase any martial art. But I’ll keep this drama in my to-watch list.
Yes, script and directing are very important. I just hope they give the characters some depth, the description of Yang Shan as being ‘bubbly’ makes me afraid of her being some Joseon Candy stereotypes. And she does not do any fighting, she constantly keeps getting saved by Sung Yeol……hope she is not totally helpless and that the vampire concept is well done.
I read the manhwa, ( witch it’s really good) but then I read that they were changing it to put some ridiculous love triangle in it -_-
What is the name of the manhwa ? please.
Lol, Scholar Who Walks the Night, also called Scholar of the Night and Vampire of the East.
She looks young, but fantastic and just like the character. She actually could pass for a guy. A flower boy, but still a guy. LJK it goes without saying he looks great. Can’t wait.
And Lee Jun Ki did get more manly after the army, but he’s always been one of the prettier and younger looking Korean actors. Some people are really trying it. They do not look mismatched at all.
I agree with you, Koala. And I love Lee Yoo-Bi’s picture as a young man. She still looks feminine and attractive. I look forward to seeing them together, as well as the rest of the drama. Great cast, I am sure we will all enjoy. I esp. look forward to fight scenes between Lee Joon-Gi and Lee Soo-Hyuk
When it comes to sageuk, we don’t need to worry about the age gap.
LYB looks like her character in the manhwa. Cute and BIG EYES. Where is them makeup artist? I need to see LJK in eyeliners, contact lenses and fangs ASAP! The waiting game is a torture. Hopefully, there will be a trailer soon or a little sneak peak!
eh, not looking forward to the male leads … but I’ll watch a few for the girls’ sake.
HATERS GONNA HATE. Here’s to hoping this show will prove them wrong. KTHXBYE
Nice! I like Jun Ki in Sageuk garb. Will be watching this one. Hope it’s as good as Arang – with the supernatural aura. The OST was great in Arang too.
to be frank, I am not too impressed with the costumes, but … hoping the TV magic to show them as splendid. I would have given them some touch of time however. They almost look plastic. but maybe it is my textile artist nitpicking
is the picture of the manhwa a Chinese translation?
Yes, the manhwa is being translated into Chinese.