like in sassy girl, he doesn't look alike a thirty years old actor he's so cute, surely when he got angry haha..

he have stolen my heart and refuse to bring it back to me <3

I like UTW and even if I dont know him yet when Sassy girl was shown in the Philippines, I already favored him than the lead actor… I also like KNG, no doubt he is a good actor too…. all actors and actresses at QSD were great…

um tae woong Fighting

He’s great at portraying intense and conflicted characters. He’s a physical actor; he’s at his best when he’s making these big actions. Must be his training in theater. And he can cry too but it’s more of the outburst kind, like at the end of the movie Sunny. His face doesn’t show a lot of subtle emotions like KNG can but that’s okay, UTW has his own niche in acting.

I do agree that in QSD, it has to do more with the way his character was written. He is heroic but the character he plays does not show a lot of development for all the screen time that he has. He seems only a foil for the great rivalry between DM and Mishil, and he’s even supposed to be timid and slow, according to DM.

The story arc for him peaks in the episode 20s when he confesses his love for DM but realizes he has to sacrifice that love first for the sake of DM’s quest to be the princess and later for the sake of his people Gaya. So his rivals were kinda abstract, not flesh and blood.

LYW and UTW played their love scenes with a lot of restraint and dignity. Gosh those scenes were painful to watch. Frankly, I hate it when the leads have to give up their love, so a few more love scenes between them would have been better.

I think his best scene though was when he was fighting with Chilsuk, falling and getting up, and just refusing to lose. I don’t know about the later episodes, he is accused of being a traitor so the conflict is between him and QSD and also between him and BiDam.

Besides QSD, I’ve only seen ETW in The Devil and Resurrection (not Delightful Girl Choon Hyang) and didn’t think he had chemistry w/ the lead actresses either. Which makes me think, he just doesn’t have that romantic vibe. However, in QSD, LYW is partially responsible for not exuding love, so put them together and it’s a total dead zone. Regarding ETW’s screaming and yelling, if my memory is correct, I swear he had his subtle moments of expression in Resurrection. I just don’t know where it went in QSD.

“My favorite scene in the entire show is when Bidam and Mishil over the fields after Mishil had rejected Deokman’s last offer.”

Ah, I LOVED LOVED that scene too! It certainly required pressing the repeat button. The quiet exchange, along with the hanging silence at the end where it seems Mishil will say something but doesn’t as she barely/lightly touches Bidam’s head and shoulders, took my breath away and my heart to the next level. Another favorite and memorable Mishil scene was after one of her early face-off with Deokman when she shares with Lord Seolwon the three things that make her envious of Deokman: 1) Her youth, 2) Her royal lineage and 3) Her Dreams. Mishil’s wistful delivery of the third reason gave a very humane insight into her character, which was both sad and tragic. The context of the old saying, “right time, right place” really hits home. Here is a charismatic and intelligent woman, completely ahead of her time, who can never achieve her dreams and/or create new dreams because of limitations beyond her control. Makes my heart pause.

Yeah, and I do think that’s a major problem with the acting. The Deokman/Yushin romantic scenes are only compelling when ETW starts rattling the cages or if she’s screaming for him. Whereas Kim Nam Gil just gives Deokman the saddest, hurt look and we just go “ahhhhhhh” Or when Bidam points the finger back at Munno, knowing that his surrogate father wants to strike him down. Or when Deokman holds Bidam, yet fears the most innocent man in Sorabol. Simple things like that. So heartbreaking. So moving. My favorite scene in the entire show is when Bidam and Mishil over the fields after Mishil had rejected Deokman’s last offer. The acting between them in that scene was off the script — there weren’t many lines, but you felt like a lot was said between them.

The show has huge flaws, but Mishil and Bidam are my #1 and #2 favorite characters this year. By a moonlight mile really.

“Isn’t Jewel in the Palace and QSD written by the same person?”

Yup, and it shows. Two alpha female leads. Lots of mini-story arcs. Awesome disregard for history. etc. etc.

Nam Ji Hyun as young Deokman was superb! She was like the equivalent of Kim Bum as Dong Chul in East of Eden. They became their characters so convincingly…I swear I was them for a sec…and then they grew up and it was…okay. Like you said belleza, and I agree, I don’t think UTW and LYW are bad in their roles. It’s even ok that their characters aren’t as exciting or colorful as the ones mentioned above (not everyone can shine equally at the same time) but I really wish there is chemistry between them. Now, Bidam, he has enough chemistry for the whole cast!

I haven’t seen any dramas w/ Sung Yu Ri or Han Hye Jin. I guess the only one I could offer is Lee Young-ae (although she wouldn’t be young enough for the part). Isn’t Jewel in the Palace and QSD written by the same person?

Really? Lee Seung Hyo as Jook Bong? Hmm…I wonder what that would’ve been like! After seeing Last Scandal, I would never have thought to cast Jung Woong In as Mi Saeng but they did and it worked. I was so surprised that now I’m a fan of Lee Seung Hyo. His versatility, charisma and presence as an actor is admirable.

Yeah, Yoo Seung Ho made it all look so easy. I haven’t seen him in any other roles but he certainly wowed me as Chun Chu.

“But then again, I haven’t really thought much about who would have been a better actress for the role.”

They originally wanted Sung Yu Ri, and now I can see the reasoning behind it. If you think about her character in HGD, you can kinda see maybe they originally wanted a lively, spunky Deokman for that part. Lee Yo Won can be spirited in her own right (see Surgeon Bong Dal-Hee or her early movies), but she prefers playing on the temperamental of fiery. She’s like Eom Tae Woong in that way, when the part asks for her to demonstrate great emotional pain, she’s well in her wheelhouse.

For the overall part, my first pick would have been Han Hye Jin. HHJ can do the silly, tomboy bits (see Aja Geum Soon), and of course she can play one helluva queen. Can you imagine HHJ and GHJ staring each other down? That’s fierce yo!

Also I want to add that I don’t think either LYW or ETW are bad at all in their roles. I love Lee Yo Won as the queen, and the more Yushin’s hairline recedes, the better ETW gets. (And, yes, I think he’s losing his hair in front of my eyes . . . )

“On a side note, I thought Jung Woong In as Mi Saeng and Yoo Seung Ho as Kim Chun Chu should also be given recognition for their acting.”

Both my mom and I love Lee Moon Shik as Jook Bong. Apparently, they were going to have Lee Seung Hyo play Jook Bong. That’s right — the dude playing Alcheon was going to play silly JOOK BONG. Talk about miscasting lol.

As for Chun Chu . . .Yoo Seung Ho makes it look easy, but I promise you, it’s extremely difficult to find a young actor, let alone a teenager actor, who can EASILY convey the intelligence, mischievousness, AMBITION, and pain (see scene where Chun Chu finally grieves over his mother), with just a simple look. YSH has also played princes also in King and I, and the Legend. Absolutely effortless and devishly, devishly charming.