“The great thing about LBH is his versatility. He is not the usual pretty boy (but he is undeniably handsome) and everytime when seeing his new work you just can’t help wondering how the same face could give a different feel and deliver the role so successfully. He is no doubt one of the very best actors of his generation.”

This is exactly what I always say about LBH whenever someone is talking about his acting, his work… etc. I mean, you have to watch – at least – “All In” and then” A Bittersweet Life”, you know, so you can make an almost fair comparison in terms of what the character is (a gangster picked up from the streets by the big boss and then takes revenge, etc.) Or maybe, watch BD and then two of his movies and you would have to agree with the fact that he is a chameleon… yep, no doubts about that.

Like I said before, I have given this exact description of his acting (with other words, of course lol) so many times in other blogs that I feel bad saying it again. Although, when I read your comment, I just couldn’t help my self.

You know which American actor is that way? Leo. Is like this; they give you a different part of themselves everytime they go into acting. How interesting.

LMAO

“I know RSW was supposed to get the girl in the original plan but LBH’s popularity changed everything”

Yeah, that’s the thing. Even though on paper, it would make sense to do a reunion between RSW and CJW (i.e. Truth), as soon as you cast LBH as Min Chul, there’s just no way it was going to happen. LBH was already top-tier draw in the K-drama world (Happy Together debuted with a rating just under 40 — though the times were different) who was one of SBS’s main guys to carry their event blockbuster dramas. Even though Ryu Si Won was popular at the time, he (like Bae Yong Joon) was still kinda in his post-idol phase of his career.

In fact, Beautiful Days and Hotelier ran in the same time slot and competed brutally against each other. (Ironic that the two shows would later exchange partners in pivotal shows in the near future.) I think Beautiful Days won, but the demographics such that the younger crowd preferred BD, and the older audience preferred Hotelier.

@Laura,

“I can see where he makes the connection. I think he meant the very arrogant part, and the fact that both of them where under a delusion, to later on realize how things really are in life.”

Definitely can see that. I think I have difficulties connecting the two, because his character in “Once in a Summer” was happy as happy can be until like the last 15 minutes of the movie. Where Ming Chul had very good reasons to be a cold, cold man.

“Suk Young had that turning point as well, although is a different context of course, but is about realizing the true meaning of love, in a general way of speaking”

And that’s the thing. I enjoyed Suk Young as the old professor at the beginning and very end of the film; the spiritual difference between the young and old him was very well done by LBH. And, just as you said, both LBH and Soo Ae have a phenomenal, wordless moment together in that interrogation room. These two actors are two of the most beautiful criers in drama/movie today. All those bitter, bittersweet smiling-through-tears bits in Once in a Summer Trailer is practically softcore porn for melodrama junkies like me!

I thought I was the only one doing that….. I love AAE but have never watched it in full because I can’t stand the evil girl’s part. AAE is one of my highest re-watched dramas squarely because of JDG and CR. Whenever I watch it, I just watch the scenes of those two together and then fast-forward everything else.

@ LBH in Beautiful Days

I guess Beautiful Days would not be the same if Min Chul is played by another actor. It is a classic case of how a great actor could change the fate and status of a show. I know RSW was supposed to get the girl in the original plan but LBH’s popularity changed everything. The subsequent change of script in the latter 1/3 – on Min Chul’s redemption – elevated the drama to another level.

The great thing about LBH is his versatility. He is not the usual pretty boy (but he is undeniably handsome) and everytime when seeing his new work you just can’t help wondering how the same face could give a different feel and deliver the role so successfully. He is no doubt one of the very best actors of his generation.

Lmao

You are great! The fact that I’m not fond of an actor doesn’t mean I don’t see his merits. Yonsama has an air of distinction, very few can handle. He looked great in “Legend” and “April Snow” but “Winter Sonata”… that yellow hair… ugh.

I agree with you about Min Chul’s character and all you said about “Once in a Summer” Which is why I have to disagree in a way with LBH and what he said about both characters being similar. However, now that Im thinking hard about it, I can see where he makes the connection. I think he meant the very arrogant part, and the fact that both of them where under a delusion, to later on realize how things really are in life.
Like what you said about Min Chul, who was often cold and confident, very arrogant, and then after realizing everything… but no, even after that he made wrong decisions “for the sake of others” but yeah he became a total different person after knowing the truth. Suk Young had that turning point as well, although is a different context of course, but is about realizing the true meaning of love, in a general way of speaking. Anyway…
I didn’t want to say much about the movie because I didn’t know if you had seen it. So, the part where he sells her out is the highlight moment of the story. I love how he tells the viewer everything he is feeling (or the character in reality) without even speaking. He is so great.

Im trying hard to get all of LBH’s work, but its kinda hard as you can imagine.

“Yonsama” I just love how Japanese have made him a local. lol

I confess that I didn’t like “Once in a Summer” that much. I enjoyed its “Harmomium of My moery”-style look at rural life, but I thought Lee Byung Hun wasn’t great playing a young 20-something. I felt like he was overcompensating with the impish stuff to play young. The last 15 minutes of the film was good, and the performance when he sells her out was heartbreaking

I guess I don’t see a lot of Min Chul in his “Once in a Summer” role. Beautiful Days is a good example of where a fairly standard character can be elevated by a great actor. On the page, Min Chul deeply resents his illegitimate brother, but that he doesn’t throw him out outright. However, the way Lee Byung Hun plays him, you strongly, strongly sense that here’s a man who everyday lives inside the consequences of his father, trying to overcome him, trying to seek his love, etc. He is benovolent and polite, but cold and hard, hard, hard. So when we see him finally break down toward the last 1/3 of the show, especially upon finding out what his father really did, it’s just such a catharsis, a release of a lifetime of misery and misguided hatred. He greatly improved the quality of the script with the gravity he brought into the role.

“BTW Belleza, Im dying to watch “Happy Together” But I think I’ll wait till I get the DVD. Its kind of expensive on eBay.”

It’s not great, but it’s just kinda cool to watch for all the stars and to see a different side of him. Asphalt Man (which he did with the director of Beautiful Day) was like that too. There’s Lee Young Ae, Choi Jin Shil (RIP), Jo Weung Soo, etc., and you get to enjoy pre-All In LBH/Ho Jung Hoo. Oh Ho Jung Hoo, your performance as Haemosu in Jumong will always haunt my dreams!!

“. His look in “Winter Sonata” really bothered me.”

Yonsama, the John Lennon of Hallyu, My Philosopher King, the Guru of Love!!

Yup, after watching Winter Sonata, I was ready to pack up and join the Grateful Okasan tour with the other Japanese housewives. I believe Yonsama, I believe!!

“Back in the 90s, LBH was considered handsome, but not really classically dreamy. The weird thing about LBH is that, the older he gets, the prettier he gets. Like Yonsama, he ages in reverse!!”

I agree with you 100% on this. However, I don’t like Yonsama physically. He is the typical dreamy/perfectly handsome/pretty face boy. Yeah, true. But I prefer a manlier look. His look in “Winter Sonata” really bothered me. In “April Snow” I thought he was extremely manly, I liked him there a lot.

I’m sorry if I don’t agree on other things. I really respect your thinking and I have enjoyed your funny dialogs. Keep it up; it’s a talent to make people laugh with smart remarks.

Actually LBH said in an interview that the character Min Chul was pretty much like the character he played in the movie “Once in a Summer” Which is sort of true… in a way, I don’t completely agree.

LBH’s character in “Once in a Summer” was arrogant, like Min Chul; selfish, also like Min Chul. However, Min Chul grows as a person and takes the opportunity to show it. I liked that he didn’t faltered when it actually mattered, he saw this as his way of compensating for all the stupid choices he had made in the past, whether he made them for the sake of others or not, they were stupid choices and kind of selfish too. Now, his character in “Once in a Summer” lost that opportunity. He came to understand where he had wronged much too late. The fact is, I think he knew how big of a mistake he was making at the moment it was actually happening, and even then, he just led it go like that, because of his selfishness. Anyway, I’m getting off topic here.

I guess the point that I was trying to get to was that I did not like his character in “All In” as much as I like/love/adore LBH. I think his acting in “All In” was a lot weaker, comparing his acting in BD and then later on in “Once in a Summer” “A Bittersweet Life” Maybe the fact that he was romantically involved with the lead female actress was the reason behind his rather weak performance at some particular moments during the whole drama.

I know that the scenes are not shot in order, so he would be really good in some episodes, you know, very focused trying to be convincing, and actually succeeding. Then, in other episodes/scenes, he would give me the feeling that even when he was actually acting his mind wasn’t totally there (maybe he was thinking about her… or whatever)

Ahh! It makes me happy to read other people’s good comments about my favorite actor. Im so proud! lol

BTW Belleza, Im dying to watch “Happy Together” But I think I’ll wait till I get the DVD. Its kind of expensive on eBay.