The production of the K-version of Nodame Cantabile is coming along at a nice pace in securing the cast. Called Cantabile Romance, the casting of leads Joo Won and Shim Eun Kyung have gotten all the attention since their characters are central to and anchors the entire story. I’m not a Joo Won fan but he’s been the leading man KBS wanted for this drama since the get go so I’ll keep an open mind about it. He is starting to look very Chiaki-senpai in looks and aura most notably at a movie premiere last week wearing a white button down and a classic mature hairstyle. Two new supporting male leads have just been lined up and both are positive additions in looks and talent. Go Kyung Pyo (Flower Boy Next Door) has signed on to play the Mine character, a brash talented violinist in the orchestra who has more attitude than discipline. If Joo Won has big shoes to fill in his character being played by Tamaki Hiroshi in the J-version, then Go Kyung Pyo will need to show that he’s got the same charisma as Eita who played Mine in the original.

Another promising addition is rising young actor Park Bo Gum (Gaksital, Wonderful Days) who will be playing a new character who is a cello player and finds himself growing curious about the odd duck piano player that is the leading lady. I’m sensing he’s supposed to be in a love triangle with the OTP but much as I like Park Bo Gum and find him quite promising a talent, not sure he’s ready to be wooing Shim Eun Kyung or throwing down with Joo Won.  Even more exciting news is that the adaptation finally has a screenwriter in Shin Jae Won who wrote Cyrano Dating Agency the drama and was the head writer on the writing team behind Tamra the Island. The former was a sweet Summer treat but the latter is one of my all-time dramas so this makes me super optimistic since Tamra the Island was also a manha first that was adapted into a drama much like Cantabile Romance will be adapted from the source manga and not the J-dorama. Continue reading →