Lee Jia has been cast as the other female lead in the IRIS spinoff Athena, alongside the previously cast Jung Woo-sung, Cha Seung-won, and Su Ae. (And… meh.) Well, you can’t win ‘em all?
She’ll play a character named Han Jae-hee, who is a special agent in the European office of the National Anti-Terror Service. She is physically tough and level-headed, who will contrast (somewhat) with Su Ae’s cool and calm double agent character.
Honestly, I can’t quite put a finger on why I can’t get fired up about Lee Jia. I’ve tried to like her in all her previous projects — she was pretty good in her debut, Legend, though a little less compelling in Beethoven Virus and downright shrill in Style. I just can’t connect with her and don’t really feel any sincerity from her acting, which prevents me from sympathizing with her characters. And to think, until now I was all excited about Athena. Though I like the men better in Athena than IRIS (as a whole), I think the women are about equivalent. I might even give the edge to IRIS for Kim So-yeon.
Athena will begin shooting in June.
Via Star News
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Aww, darn. I’m a bit worried that she won’t be as stellar as the rest of the cast…hopefully she’ll surprise us though. Like you mentioned, I’m not that drawn to her as well.
I wish IRIS hadn’t ended on such an abrupt note, and wish that Athena will wrap up some loose ends, even though the chances of that are probably slim.
Yes. Lee Ji-ah is annoying. I get irritated by her. So JB, you are not alone, also not excited when I see her in a project.
“Meh”
I think that word sums it up great.
I know exactly why I can’t get excited about her: her fake @ss nose. It’s too distracting. I just can’t stand to look at her and I really tried because of Legend.
Lee Ji Ah? Athena will be a show . . . with edge. Can’t wait for the scene where Lee Ji Ah spazzes out while running into a gunfight.
Cha Seung Won is enough to get me all excited
Nooo….. Oh god, I give up. It’s a done deal, so back to Athena countdown. Is there a corollary in kdrama casting that if 3 of the 4 leads rock so hard your eyes may melt when you watch them, the fourth one has to…..not.
LJA: Put your hands up! With edge, with edge, I say!
OMG. They’re going to eat her alive.
I’ve got nothing against Lee Ji Ah, but…as a lead for Athena? MEH.
haha how does she get such top notch acting gigs?? LOL x) kim myung min, bae yong joon.. like seriously?? x) haha
i don’t think she would be good..cuz i watched all her dramas and i felt like..’ouh,,she just has one exression in her face!’ cuz all her expression couldn’t be so natural for me….
maybe i like her as personal..but her acting..i have a high expectation for this drama…but with the ‘wrong’ actress???emm..let’s see..i hope this drama would be much better than the first one..
but anyway,,i hope she can do something ‘wow’ with her acting..goodluck then onni…
Er….okay.
Kim So Yeon FTW!!
yes. i agree. meh’s the word.
unfortunately. unfortunately. unfortunately.
i hope she will bring back her ‘legend’ days. at least she can speak good english. just let her speak a few good english lines eh?
but she’s gonna be like totally stepped down and trampled by the three leads. sigh. hope she have improved. pls pls pls.
talking bout that. she still seem to get casted with hallyu/top stars.
legend: bae yong joon
beethoven virus: kim myung min
style: ryu shi won; kim hye soo
that show with kang ji hwan (JB’s)
and now this: with the three leads. (okay, i dont noe much about soo ae, but jung woo sung and cha seung won are hallyu and top actors…no?)
well, all d best. i did watch beethoven virus because of her (at first) until kim myung min just have to come and sweep me off my feet. talking bout that, can we have a villian kim myung min in athena as well? XD
The reaction’s somewhat like when KTH was cast in IRIS 1?
Agree with you DB. I also liked her (a lot in fact) in Legend as Sujini. But then her consequent projects and characters just went downhill from then onwards. Hmmm..
In conclusion I would say that this drama and its casting lead me up and down from top to bottom feelings wise. When I knew they were doing IRIS 1, I went : NO WAY I’m gonna watch this. But then when CSW and JWS got cast, the interest kinda rekindled. And I started to worry whether the writer of IRIS 1 would pick this up because IRIS 1 was horrible. Later Su Ae was cast and because I like her a lot, I thought, finally we have some hope Athena would do better. But now THIS.
Dunno how I feel right now.
“haha how does she get such top notch acting gigs?? ”
Bae Yong Joon’s BOF agency groomed Lee Ji Ah as a future Hallyu star pretty much from the beginning. All of her shows were produced with crossover aspirations in China and especially Japan.
Plus she runs her hands up . . . WITH EDGE!!!
I have to admit, I am beyond disappointed at this news. And I was so excited too. Boo!
Well, damn. What a disappointment after the excitement of Soo Ae’s casting. WHY, producers, WHY? There are a million other (better) possibilities in the industry.
Ah well, hopefully she’ll get relegated to the sidelines. I liked her as Sujini, but was indifferent to her in Beethoven’s Virus and downright wanted to run her over with a truck in Style.
What’s the opposite of SQUEEEEing?
Because that’s what I’m doing right now.
I take solace that Su Ae is PLEASE GOD the lead actress, and LJA is the second lead actress, because that just means less screen time. I don’t mean to knock the poor girl, but she has yet to do a performance I’ve found anything less than grating.
^ babe it’ll be 1#$5!$#^$%&#^%$*%$&(&%^!&#*(#(O&^%$#!%@*#(* (I really used my head to desk my keyboard and type this most genuine bottom of heart post of mine)
Big fat BUMMER. There’s no subtlety in her acting at all.
Omg, glad to know I’m not the only one who doesn’t care for this actress. Athena looked so promising after the announcement of the male leads but then they disappoint with the females. Why??? I should be a K-drama casting director, dammit!!!
LOL JB. You and your LJA dissatisfaction. Cracks me up everytime.
I personally think she is a decent actress. Whilst I’m not a fan, if I can sit through 18 ours of her in Beethoven Virus for Jang Geun Seok’s sake, I sure as hell can sit through another (I assume) 20 of her in Athena for…….
Wait. I don’t fancy either one of the guys. Skip!
ugh…why?! i was actually getting excited for this one too…
Totally disappointed cause she a mess. There has not been one thing that I have seen her in that I have liked her. She has ruined it… ruined.
I spent about 20 minutes of my lunchtime today discussing Lee Jia with a co-worker… And how we don’t really see why she keeps playing leads because she’s lacking that oomph, that star-quality or even maelyuk… and now this…
And I was really looking forward to Athena, too (Su-ae!). If Su-ae is Kim So-yeon’s equivalent, I think Lee Jia is like Kim Tae-hee to me…
@9 gloria – you got that right!
i don’t know – she’s not the best, but she’s not the worst either.
i can’t imagine her as the main lead though alongside su ae – i feel like she should be like Mijung (the hacker) or something…
“I liked her as Sujini, but was indifferent to her in Beethoven’s Virus and downright wanted to run her over with a truck in Style.”
These are exactly my thoughts.
Hope she improves her acting. I’ll still watch Athena though since i’m excited to see Jung Woo Sung in a drama again.
I was all YES! YES! YES! OMG YES! and now I’m like……..
hopefully she will have a career revamp because of this and become all kickass secret agent like
super cute pic though
yeah i agree, luke-warm is what ifeel about her
Came back just to say **urrkk** I was looking forward to Athena thanks to the other female lead, but I couldn’t watch style or BV because I couldn’t stand her as a lead. I agree with the others…. she should in no way be a lead in a drama, she’s just so MEH!!!
i dont like Lee Ji Ah,,,,,,,,,,,so the drama just went meh to me. and i dont know much about su ae. i will see when it comes out.
I think I’m the only one here who is happy/satisfied about this casting. LOL. I don’t know why but I really like Lee Jia.
I heard that some chick from Girls Generation was going to be casted in this. Ugh, now that sounds bad IMO. No offense to the SNSD fans out there but no, no, and NO.
Lee Jia = Kim Tae Hee
Agree with that. She’s the weakest link among the 4 leads.
And I thought she’s just healing from her illness, the one that struck her when she just finished a movie with Kang Ji Hwan. Is she in fit condition to take some action scene ?
never see her acting, oh i wish Kim Hye Soo is the one who’ll join the cast instead of Lee Jia…if you need an edge in this drama
Uh…. why her PD-nim?
At least the men perk me up. and Su Ae.
she just supporting . so don’t care JWS + CSW that’s more than enough for me
I loved Lee Jia in Legend up till episode 20-something when a time lapse made her character really girly (there was a good reason why) and she became more mellow and weak (it was unnecessary to do a complete 180). After that it seems like she got weaker with each project….maybe she just needs to get back to playing a strong, action-type of heroine.
Good and bad should always combine, same with acting. If LJ would have one minute airtime in this drama, I can take it or I will just close my eyes for her.
I saw her in Style and BV just started airing here, she is OA, annoying, she`s not funny at all. But may be she is good in action. She`s lucky in receiving good projects and collaborate with huge stars. Lets wait and see.
Warning: LJ should not have a kissing scene or
bed scene with CSW or else I will hunt her….hehehe!
” I might even give the edge to IRIS for Kim So-yeon. ”
The nicest comment for IRIS in quite awhile.. at DB.
I’m sorry, but EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!
But Lee Jia??
What a bummer!
I learned while watching Chuno how to use the fast forward button. I will not hesitate to use it.
I’m only interested in seeing CSW and JWS anyway… 
I tried to watch Style for like 13 minutes… but then I just had to switch the channel because her nose was the only think that I noticed, and not in a good way, it’s too obvious she had a nose job (and a bad one at that), I couldn’t pay any attention to her acting, and judging from the comments in this thread, most of you agree she’s not a good actress anyway.
Such a waste for the two super hot male leads, and Su Ah whom I actually liked in Sunny. Athena is definitely not going to be on my most anticipated drama list.
@ Javabeans
“Honestly, I can’t quite put a finger on why I can’t get fired up about Lee Jia. I’ve tried to like her in all her….”
I second the motion, I am wondering why she gets high profile projects, and yet IMHO she is just an average actress, nothing great. Must be she has a very good Manager that gets these high profile projects for her to audition? If so, she has one good damn Manager. Lucky her I think she is overated as an actress, IMO..
I never watched Legend but she was ok and tolerable in BV. I can’t believe I actually watched (skimmed) Style. I wanted to like her but Style was such a mess and very disappointing.
I hope this would be good, love the male leads.
This is such a let down after the first three star announcements. Her agency must be really good at lobbying.
i juz love kim so yeon…
but in this case, cha seung won the only one that me want to look forward for this drama…
lee ji ah is my favorite korean actress ! she is the most talented (and also the most beautiful korean girl ever).
omg what’s with the comments btw? it breaks my heart
she is so talented , how can you guys hate her?
fret not, guys. the 2 men and su ae alone will burn up the screen! we’ll be too dizzy from their movie star presence, to even take mind of jia (who has been improving, at least…)
Am I the only one who’s ridiculously happy about this?
My interest in Athena just went from 0 to 100%!
I love Lee Ji Ah. I’m sure she’ll show some great acting skills in this drama!
me too me too!!
i LOVED her sooo much in Legend.
she’s awesome
Lee Ji Ah fighting!!!