I also read Jung Il Woo’s interview about how confusing he found the his character in My Fair Lady. It must have been frustrating to take what must have seemed like an interesting role and see it turn out the way it did.

I only recently discovered Jung Il Woo and appreciate his dedication to his craft. He’s one of those rare actors who is more interested in stretching himself as an actor by choosing interesting characters than he is with being the lead character.

I find it strange that several posters seem to believe that if a role isn’t the lead, then it doesn’t matter how it’s written. That’s the kind of short-sighted thinking that leads to a less than satisfying drama because the best shows are those where everything works. That’s why Return of Iljimae was so good. Not only were all the characters well-written, but it was also almost complete before the 1st episode aired, so there wasn’t the risk of messing up the show because of the need to chase higher ratings.

That’s why I agree that after being a part of the incredibly well-done Return of IIjimae, it must have been especially painful to work on a show where things seem to fall short. The good news is that since this article, Jung Il Woo has had better luck with other projects. In 49 Days, he was the second male lead again, but unlike the disappointment of his My Fair Lady role, his role as the Scheduler in 49 Days was compelling and well-written.

He then followed that up with a hilarious and touching lead role in the cable hit Flower Boy Ramyun Shop, which finishes airing in later this month. And, he will follow this with second male lead role in The Sun and the Moon, which I hope will be as interesting as it appears now.

It’s really annoying to watch confusing characters (as well as confusing persons in real life hehe!) and lately there have been confusing characters in certain k-dramas that at some point I don’t even know what to feel anymore. I know there are many factors to consider but I think the blame is on the writers for not thinking out clearly what they want to convey, here in the Phils. today I think there is a growing number of netizens (myself included) that criticizes writers for poorly-written shows, add to that a growing number of remakes of korean series w/c takes away the very essence of developing one’s craft through sincerity and hardwork. Sorry for adding this up but I just can’t help thinking of our entertainment business here whenever I think of korean entertainment. I hope that one day the Phils. entertainment business will be inspired and will work hard more but until then, it is also my hope that korea can get through this, it is no doubt that korea have produced shows that touched the hearts and souls of the international community in the last 8 to 10 yrs and I hope they can continue providing quality entertainment to relieve us from some of the crap of the world we live in.

Style: KHS flat out stole the thunder from everyone. But oddly enough, her character was also CONFUSING. The whole drama was CONFUSING and disorganized. LJA was ok, she was better in BV than this drama IMHO, but she did put an effort and was somewhat cute enough to pass by. RSW however was full of bleh. So I will sympathasize with RSW just a little bit.

EOE: Now this is an animal on its own. I’m gonna poke a bit on this subject. MBC, the writer, Chorokbaem Media company, all CAVED in before the almighty hallyu star SSH period. Come on people lets not beat around the bushes and just blame on the writer and the pd. They were all scared of SSH and his management company at the time, Mnet, which probably invested 70% of the whole drama of EOE. What was worst, SSH even gave back some of his contract money because of “budget” problems with the drama production early on, and that just sealed it.

LDH stood up to all of that, with valid reasons she spoke up. All of us can just imagine her going to the writer and address the issue that she was concerned with. But after waiting and waiting, she had enough. She walked with integrity knowing the consequences of her action by quiting. She knew that she’d get criticized and probably lost some of her fans due to it, mostly in Korea. But I applaud her for standing up to what she believed in.

I guess now everyone has moved on, she has a new drama in Chuno with 2 good actors.

So let the LIVE SHOOT continue HAHAHA (^_^)

***feeling kind of scared for some reason***

“I guess this “thread” is an example of what I’ve been missing out on all these years – insightful critiques, enlightening debates… *sigh* if only I had listened to my friends and participated sooner.”

Come on over to the Off Topic threads. Those go on all week now!!

I guess this “thread” is an example of what I’ve been missing out on all these years – insightful critiques, enlightening debates… *sigh* if only I had listened to my friends and participated sooner. lols…

@72 Nell: You make me smile just seeing your name now. Actually so many here have that mesmerizing effect on me.

@ 75 BO: Oh, you can segway off me anytime. I love how you expressed my thoughts on change – by public conversations and debates – and that’s why I hoped this article would induce discussions within Korea and spur a little change.

Kudos JB for bringing such a great article to light. And yes, of course, no subliminal messages. ^_^ Just kidding.

For an actor in a truest sense, there is no small or big role. What matters is how you interpret the character you are portraying and giving it your best shot thereby long after the drama has ended its impression lingers in the viewers’mind leaving an unforgettable character on screen.

@8 javabeans – “But a key element of acting is tapping into the real emotions and situations of the character to bring that personality to life.”

Agree. There has to be some semblance to reality and should strike a chord or certain connection to the viewers’ emotions and/or mentality to make it believable and thereby allowing viewers to emphatize or relate with the character.

@52 thankyou – “It all begins with the writer. . . Next, directors should trust the writer(s) not the ratings. . . The actors must know how to act. Period.”

It greatly helps if there is a synchronize efforts from the members of the artistic and production team – the scriptwriter, the casting director, the director, actors and crew. Then that would be a perfect team. The ideal would be for the scriptwriter to paint the character to which the casting director’s task is to find the actor that would fit the character (taking into account not only the artistic competence but as well as the physical credibility) and the director to motivate or guide the actor in his portrayal. Not the least is the actor’s experience and/or inherent acting talent. All these are inseparable in the success of a drama piece. I say that each element is a factor that could make or break a drama. A successful drama is a collaboration of a group and not of one single individual. A badly written script or an undefined character/s could ruin the flow of the story. The wrong choice of actor would be a disastrous flop. The opposite of it would be a delightful sensation. Take for example City Hall. Originally cast to take the role of Jo Guk was RSW. Who knows how he would have breathe life to the character had he pursued it. But thanks to his refusal, otherwise, Jo Guk’s character would not be as physically and artistically engaging to watch. CSW’s wide range of acting skills shone brilliantly in this drama. Through City Hall I have re-discovered CSW and KSA who have both validated their artistic aptitudes with aplomb.

So, who is to blame? I say it takes two to tango. It is a concerted effort of all involved in the production.