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Lee Junki fans mobilize to support Hero

It looks like Hero is going to be the next Tamra the Island, and by that I don’t mean in terms of subject matter, tone, or even ratings. I’m referring to the swift and massive response that both dramas have inspired, spurring fans to devote not just time and effort but actually money, as they take out their own advertising space to promote the drama.

In an effort to resuscitate the MBC drama (their words, not mine), which kicked off two weeks ago to a shaky start, the fan club has turned six public Seoul buses into advertising surfaces for the drama.

The buses have been plastered with Hero‘s title and images and is being called “Lee Junki’s bus.” These vehicles travel lines in Seoul’s Galhyeondong and Yoido neighborhoods (No. 7613), the Yangjae station and Dongdaemun Gym (No. 407), and the Suwon and Bundang Seohyun stations (No. 720-1). The ads went up on December 1, and will remain on the buses until the drama wraps on January 13. The price tag? In the vicinity of 2 million won.

A rep from Lee Junki’s management company explained on the 2nd, “Junki-sshi is incredibly grateful. Last month, fans asked the company for permission to use the images on bus advertisements.” The drama is hoping to raise its 3%-5% ratings now that one Wednesday-Thursday competitor has bowed out (You’re Beautiful), as it heads into its third week of broadcasts.

Seriously, Korean fans amaze me (and frighten me, just a little). Not only are they incredibly passionate, they’re fast, organized, and pretty effective upon occasion. Kudos to them. This follows the project put together by overseas fans who folded and sent over 30,000 paper cranes — and by some other reports as many as 200,000 cranes — to Lee Junki to support the drama’s premiere.

Via IS Plus

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Wow! amazing indeed. MBC must be smiling heaps.

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wow! what great fans! i hope MBC doesn't stab them in the back and cut down this drama!

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Since east of eden mbc is going down.

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Highly moved by the fans of Lee Junki! Yes, they support their idol not only by their hearts, but also by their brains, and most importantly, their money! Hero is becoming more interesting since episode 3, really hope that more people would start paying attention to this drama.

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Wow! His fan club should become a management service if they can mobilize themselves that quickly. That's crazy (in a good way).

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We need to start a new corner on dramabeans..... "Only in Korea......" lol

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@6 - I like your "Only in Korea..." concept, it can also apply to kdramas as well "Only in kdramas the hero..... etc", this should happen instead " the hero.. kisses the heroine - properly".

I am not watching Hero because the premise did not appeal to me plus I have too much Asian dramas on my plate watching right now. Taking up a new one is totally out of the question. Good luck to the show all the same as I like Lee Junki.

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wow.. that is amazing.. you don't see that happening here in the States. I don't even think fan clubs here in the States are regarded in the same level by the actors/singers as compared to in Korea. I may be wrong, but you can really see and feel the artists/celebrities themselves show their appreciation and gratitude to their fans.

By the way, does anybody know if non Korean fans can join a Korean celebrities' official fan club? I live here in the States, I am not of Korean descent, but I want to join my favorite artists' and kpop idol groups' fan club. I am thinking of going to Seoul on March for a visit, and I think it would be nice to belong to something there, especially their official fan club.

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Jun Ki oppa definitely appreciates what his fans do for him. Last year our fan club sent him a collage of photos and messages, and months later he posted a selca of himself and we saw our fanmade photobook sitting on a shelf behind him in his home XD Also, when we send him stuff you can actually talk to some of his staff and they will confirm whether they received what you sent.

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Wow!very good and very touching!!am proud to be one of LEE JUN KI's fans...
I,myself, am watching HERO online raw though I do not understand Korean just to support him...many of his fans around the globe are watcing it,too.
The drama is great!...as the story unfolds,it's getting more and more interesting...
Loving HERO and of course LEE JUN KI... I don't watch any K-drama only LEE JUN KI's drama...He is all that matters to me!

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i really want to join in his fans club

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Since Iris will be fairly consistent in ratings, I wonder how Hero will perform when stacked against a melodrama like Will it Snow on Christmas.

I feel the pain for Hero's fans. I was so very vexed when ratings for You're Beautiful averaged 10%, I don't know how Tamra or Hero fans could hold in their frustration at their drama's single digit ratings despite good storyline and acting. Argh!

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Oh yeah! Good for Junki's fan club, to do something meaningful and practical at the same time.

So happy for Junki that he has such devoted fans. I'm itching to start Hero, just worried its gonna crash my computer for the Xth time. MBC is so lucky that fans of its mania dramas truly appreciate something special, as opposed to the suits at MBC. Harrumph, still bitter about Tamra.

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This is amazing on part of the fans but I really doubt the ratings will go up. YAB is out but Christmas is replacing it and with that PD/writer/actors and, most of all, it being a romantic melodrama, I am sure it will get at the very least the ratings YAB got, and maybe better as YAB's ratings weren't that spectacular. And I doubt anyone following IRIS for 7+ weeks is suddenly going to switch to Hero.

I confess I have no desire to check out Hero and that is unshaken even if half of Korea got covered in bus placards. I like Junki a lot, but not enough to watch a drama where nothing else appeals except for his participation - I don't like the leading lady, and the topic (journalists' lives *yawn*) bores me to tears.

I do find it amusing that MBC axed Heading to the Ground (which was, IMO, not a good drama so no loss, but still - it was insane to cut it so suddenly) in order to hurry the coming of Hero which seems to be doing even worse! I feel bad for the cast and crew of Hero but as for MBC, it's pure karma.

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His korean and oversea fans really support him whatever he does. Although the rating is poor but at least he'll be still happy and appreciate that fans never leave him. Hero drama really rely on leejunki so i think he must felt so depressed but this effort is one of the power to support him and his drama... i don't know if it will work for rating but it's so touching. i'm also proud to be his fans ^ ^

fan's great support is one of the reason why he really love his fans. Since he popular from King and Clown til now,,, he's still the same. Nice and always care his fans wherever he goes. I think this is what he deserved. i'll watch tonight episode .. now the story is really interesting.. can't wait for episode 5

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Wow, very dedicated fans. I'd love to be Lee Junki right now. Haha I'd take those cranes home and hang them around my house :)

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wow! now, im scared. they're really passionate dont they.

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DAmn, that is love right there.

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Hmm, I dunno, I watched the first ep of Hero and to me the drama felt a little...fake. Not sure why, but that's my first impression of it.

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@ deeta

Watch through eps 3&4. The first episode wasn't great but it definitely gets better.

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I have to say, I can understand both sides. I can see how some might find Hero lacking, and also see how others find it wonderfully quirky. It's not an easily accessible drama like IRIS or You're Beautiful, whose concepts are strong and genres clear-cut. Hero is about the clever little moments, the witty bits of dialogue, the funny in-between beats. It's not something I think can be experienced fully without subtitles -- and bloody good ones, at that. So yeah, I think both sides have got a point.

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Great idea!
I would like to watch this drama, I'm waiting for the English subtitles to have a opinione about it.

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I feel that dramas with low ratings in general are much more digestible for me than those with high ratings. For example, 9 ends 2 out is one of my favorite dramas but it flopped big time in terms of ratings. Boys Over Flower got great ratings but I think it is one of the worst dramas ever produced by the Kdrama industry. The whole drama is just a messy production that I almost feel disrespected as a serious drama viewers when I watched BOF.
Therefore, I hope Hero will stick to its own charm instead of adjusting to popular taste.

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I agree that Korean fans are crazy. I was in Korea this summer, and I just happened to be in the mall when Lee Seung Gi was filming for Brilliant Legacy. The crowd went crazy when he came out... scary...

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Maybe I will watch it after it wraps up...after You're Beautiful, I'm stomped with work...argh....

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@22: i totally agree with you. some of the most highly rated dramas in korea are some of the lousiest. two examples: goong and boys over flowers. both had huge international responses too but essentially they were riddled with bad scripts, impossible plots and very very poor acting. they were really ridiculous dramas that survived based on aggressive marketing, pretty boys and lots of money.

and about korean fans - they SCARE me. how is it possible for them to develop such a strong devotion to a drama that has only aired for 3 weeks?! crazy.

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low or strong rating .... Lee Jun Ki's one of korean great actor. mybe comedy genre not suit for junki because he very excellent in TBDW & Iljimae (action genre). but junki never disapoint his fans

if tonight HERO still not getting better, i still will continue watching LIVE Hero because junki doing very well here!!!!

JUNKI fighting! love him.....!

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It seems that a few good projects have suffered at the hands of ratings this year. Fans are having to come through and defend the projects. You mentioned Tamra the island suffering due to poor ratings. You're beautiful is another example. Now Hero.

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Wow. You know, I wouldn't label this as crazy. They like their show, they want to support their favorite actor, so what of it? I'm impressed. I'm even more impressed when actors and crew accepts all the food gifts. IDK, if fans here (in Europe) were to do that, TPTB would probably throw it all away as there might be poison or something. Guess we're all paranoid here. ^^''

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Hmm, I think MBC should be the one who do this bus advertising long ago, instead of the fans. How much promotion MBC has done?

Is there a survey to find out who's watching Iris vs. Hero?

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"You know, I wouldn’t label this as crazy."

Indeed. This is not really about Hero having devoted fans. This is about Lee Jung Ki having the biggest fanbase among 20-something actors in Korea. Still baffling why MBC would do this to a Lee Jung Ki show, and a lot of LJK fans think MBC already screwed over LJK with underpromoting TODAW. I mean, it's frigging mind boggling. Yes, SBS moved Iljimae around a bunch of times before airing, but they gave that show its proper promotion and a good time slot. And I'm not a hardcore LJK fan, but dude he's Lee Jung Ki, maybe the most popular 20-something Hallyu idol besides Rain.

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It's not the drama..we( fans )are doing everything we can for LEE JUN KI.It's all about LEE JUN KI.We have faith in him and believe in him!!...not even once he disappoints us...HERO is a great drama and JUN Ki is a great actor!On top of that,He really love us,his fans!......In my country there are a lot of hallyu stars who come and go but they are shallow characters.You can feel their shallowness.
LEE JUN KI is the 1st Hallyu star I've met who is natural...he is humble and so down-to-earth.No wonder,he is so loved by his fans!...

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@belleza

i also have some negative mind about MBC 'time between dof and wolf' promoting in 2007. So i felt unhappy when they announce that HERO will on air by MBC coz at first it said that HERO will be produce by SBS but it changed later.. And same thing happen again.... what did MBC do for promote hero til now?? almost none.. then fans tried to promote it by their own. low rating is not surprising. We know it will be like that....accept it and fight with JK til the end hahaha..

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i hope hero lives up to the fans expectations!!! i miss lee jun ki!!

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Anyong, I'm from indonesia ...........................
Lee jun Ki Fighting, I hope rating can be higher

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These people need a life..

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Jun ki Oppa fighting. You are the greatest actor in the world. So, I think God may help you. I always pray for you. Love you Jun ki forever and always.

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i want to watch this... but i dont kno where.. can anyone tell me a good website so i can watch it online??

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