Upcoming SBS Wed-Thurs drama Yongpalyi just firmed up the casting and production details, and then promptly went from intriguing to likely miss for me. I’m not rendering an early judgment on the drama’s potential quality or lack thereof, just that it ends up with certain elements that turn me off. The first is the PD switch from the Lee Dong Hoon who directed God’s Gift: 14 Days to the one who directed SBS weekend dramas Modern Farmer and Goddess of Marriage. Such a downgrade switch. This drama originally got on my radar when it was in the early stages of production solely because of the GG:14D director.

The second issue to rub me the wrong way is the casting of Jo Hyun Jae as the second male lead, rounding out the leads consisting of Joo Won and Kim Tae Hee as the OTP well as perennial second female lead Choi Jung Ahn. I love Jo Hyun Jae and am sad to see him relegated to second lead status, made even worse by the male lead being Joo Won who I basically have zero interest in. Doubling the ignominy is that Jo Hyun Jae and Kim Tae Hee played the headlining OTP over ten years ago in K-drama Nine-tailed Fox, and now he’s playing her older brother! *headdesk* Continue reading →