Lee Hong-ki to star in Japanese drama
by girlfriday
Hong-ki! Dramaland has missed you! FT Island’s voice-of-a-hardened-rocker-in-the-body-of-a-kid lead singer Lee Hong-ki (You’re Beautiful) has just signed on to be the lead in a Japanese drama. He’ll be starring opposite Ichikawa Yui (Love Game), above. Are they just trying to explode the screen with cuteness? They look like a pair of anime characters.
The drama is called Muscle Girl, and I can’t even begin to fathom what that means, because it can’t be literal. Maybe she’s a gangster who kicks ass and he’s her toady? Maybe she’s an athlete and he’s her trainer? Maybe it’s totally nonsensical and has nothing to do with anything? Yeah, I’m gonna go ahead and put my money on the last one.
It seems that Hong-ki’s going the same way of his You’re Beautiful co-star, Park Shin-hye, who’s starring in Taiwanese drama Hayate the Combat Butler. While I’m all for his global success, I’d like to see him back in k-dramaland sometime soon. He played my favorite character in You’re Beautiful, and though he’s still got a lot to learn as an actor, he’s got a raw talent for emoting onscreen.
If there’s going to be dubbing in this drama, I’ll be sad, mostly because his voice is what makes Lee Hong-ki stand out. But chances are, that’s the way it goes. On the upside, FT Island will be doing the OST for the drama, so there’ll be lots of Singing Hong-ki on the soundtrack. FT Island already does well in Japan, so the album should be a hit.
Muscle Girl will air on TBS/MBS in Japan in April.
Via Joy News
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Tags: Lee Hong-ki
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1 Ahjummoni
February 15, 2011 at 1:21 PM
skullhong Jeremy..,my darling lil traitor I want u in kalal land
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P
February 15, 2011 at 1:55 PM
Aw! My fave bf is back in drama! Total overload of cuteness for sure!
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Ahjummoni
February 15, 2011 at 2:05 PM
Do you remember the moment when everyone asked When Kim Jae Wook learned how to act? Well it was a jdramas previously
Ichikawa Yui was in Love Game only in ep5 but she was the secondary girl in Kurosagi (my fav jdrama)
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2 Eunsoo
February 15, 2011 at 1:23 PM
He was the best actor in You're Beautiful. I can't wait to see him.
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brookeeve
February 15, 2011 at 2:52 PM
Skrait up, yo. The bus scene killed me.
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hitsugaya
February 15, 2011 at 8:16 PM
the bus scene was too touching!! i felt sooooo sad for jeremy
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Lilian
February 15, 2011 at 8:57 PM
me too...his voice is really good!
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Cam
February 17, 2011 at 7:25 PM
YYEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSS!!!! ^__^
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3 jubilantia
February 15, 2011 at 1:25 PM
Yay for country crossovers, but that actress always kind of annoys me in the stuff she's in. Too much cuteness and not enough depth.
Oh well, hopefully it's good.
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4 Rina
February 15, 2011 at 1:28 PM
I loved him as Jeremy! I'm so curious about this - Muscle Girl? Maybe she's trying to become an Olympic bodybuilder? I wish him luck and hopefully he'll be back in K-dramaland soon!
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5 Emi
February 15, 2011 at 1:34 PM
According to Tokyograph, it is about a girl who inherits a failing female-pro-wrestling gym. She recruits Lee Hong-ki to be a referee.
http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-7453
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Sheng Her
February 20, 2011 at 4:42 PM
LOL that sounds like a terrible plot imo.
Of all things, WHY a female pro-wrestling gym!?!?!?!
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6 M
February 15, 2011 at 1:44 PM
im not hating
but
she has one of the most annoying sounding voices ever
she played
hachi in nana the 2nd movie and i didnt even watch it because of her and i LOVE nana
the drama sounds pretty random
but most japanese dramas are pretty random
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saraha
February 15, 2011 at 6:44 PM
Me too. I disliked Nana 2 because of her. Her character Hachi is supposed to be this likeable, bubbly person; and she just ruined it!
She's also in Rondo, but I didn't bother to finish that one so I have no idea what her performance was like.
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cheekbones
February 15, 2011 at 8:20 PM
She is so not Aoi Miyazaki...... :(
But, I'll keep an open mind. Besides, I'm Hongki's newest fangirl. He rocks ! :D
Oh, I don't think it's gonna be dubbed.
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7 Kender
February 15, 2011 at 1:47 PM
As far as I know, the character he's playing is Korean, so he can get away with an accent.
In other news, EFF YES. I've been excited since I heard about this a few days ago. :3
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8 peanut butter
February 15, 2011 at 1:48 PM
oh hongki! i want him back in kdramaland too! he is just too cute!
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9 Silka
February 15, 2011 at 1:51 PM
can't wait.. Love Hong Ki as jeremy in You're beautiful.. he certainly has the potential to be a great actor.. love his voice.... and love the phase 'voice-of-a-hardened-rocker-in-the-body-of-a-kid'... his voice definitely raw, powerful, rustic and unique.... hope this jdrama is good and can't wait for the OST.
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momosa
February 15, 2011 at 11:15 PM
Really? I heard the song that he sang in YB OST and he seemed to be gasping for air and I cant say it's rustic!? I gotta listen again...
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10 Bluefyre
February 15, 2011 at 1:57 PM
"FT Island’s voice-of-a-hardened-rocker-in-the-body-of-a-kid lead singer Lee Hong-ki "
"Are they just trying to explode the screen with cuteness? They look like a pair of anime characters. "
GF! You crack me up! Totally agree :)
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11 summer
February 15, 2011 at 2:12 PM
its been waaaaay to loong ...omg i missed him so so so much...finally new drama! used it wazzz k-drama though :( we wont be getting a 100% of hong-ki since his vocie maybe dubbed...But omg...just looking at him n his cutness should do it :)
thanks for the get news!
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12 okitokki
February 15, 2011 at 2:15 PM
Hong-ki's Japanese isn't that bad, even tho my friend says he definitely has an accent when he speaks. And I think that'll be excusable since his character is a Korean singer or something. So here's hoping they don't dub over his voice [:
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13 lovin it
February 15, 2011 at 2:16 PM
??
i dont get the purpose of casting lee hong-ki if they're going to dubb the voice..
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14 ar_arguably romantic
February 15, 2011 at 2:30 PM
while i'm happy for the actors to expand their horizons and and do cross-country dramas, I really hate the dubbing factor! Hopefully his japanese will pass enough to let them keep his voice.
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15 leonardswench
February 15, 2011 at 2:39 PM
There is rejoicing in our household ... any Lee Hong-ki is GOOD Lee Hong-ki.
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brookeeve
February 15, 2011 at 2:54 PM
What I wouldn't give for a household of little girls to squeal with! I told my husband and son and they were all like... mehhhh...
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16 Sarah
February 15, 2011 at 2:55 PM
omg i love him! he was my favourite character in YB! <3
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17 momosan
February 15, 2011 at 2:59 PM
http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-7453
wherein the plot is stated as she is the heir to a struggling female pro wrestling outfit (Okaaaaay!) and in a pinch sort of randomly hires him to be a ref for a day - ah, this could be a cracktastic dorama. I can see it now going all Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge weirdness or going all sweetness like Natsu no Koi.
And that isn't even the oddest plot outline listed in the news the last few days.
And on the music front - boggling at Jin collaborating with Jason Derulo....quick I need to stop before I get lost in dorama land!!!
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18 jheart
February 15, 2011 at 3:22 PM
Such a great day for You are Beautiful lover :D
I heard the new that Jang Geun Suk and Kim Ha Neul confirm for You are my pet movie :X
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badmarkz
February 16, 2011 at 3:37 AM
and ft island leader and guitarist, chou jong hun will also make an appearance on that movie! OMG, this is seriously gonna be a good year for all primadonna!
sorry for being random ^^;
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badmarkz
February 16, 2011 at 3:38 AM
whoops, i meant, choi jong hun
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19 Bandi
February 15, 2011 at 3:25 PM
KYAA~~ *more fan girl screams* i was waiting for hong ki to come back to dramaland!! i'm a little sad that he's going to be in a japanese drama, though...i wanted to see him with like MGY or maybe that one girl that played haru in triple. AH LEE HONG KI!! his voice just kills me, but i must admit not as much as like hero jaejoong ;D can't wait till this drama starts though..
don't know much about the girl, but i did watch some of kurosagi but i don't remember her...i barely remember nana 2, too...oh well, hopefully she will be good with hong ki~~ (my white friend [not being racist] has totally become addicted to kdramas because of you're beautiful, so she will be sooo excited to hear the her beloved jeremy is comign back!!) ^^
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20 Big Cat
February 15, 2011 at 3:30 PM
I was into Japanese Wrestling a few years ago, so this is right up my alley.
That, and THE ROCK is back in wrestling so I'm pumped for anything wrestling related now. lol.
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21 amhrancas
February 15, 2011 at 3:43 PM
*flail flail* \o/
I saw this yesterday and couldn't believe my giddiness.
And yes, according to the Japanese articles I've seen, Yui inherits a failed female wresting team, and randomly pulls in Hong-Ki off the streets to referee, not realizing that he's actually a famous star in Korea.
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22 Anona
February 15, 2011 at 4:16 PM
I'm seriously not going to the image as that girl as the second girl in Kurosagi who was pining after Yamapi's character out of my head..........but still LEE HONG KI <3
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23 Purpleclouds
February 15, 2011 at 4:17 PM
I can't seem to get into Jdrama because everything seems to go really fast, rushed and I have a hard time catching up. One exception is "Absolute Boyfriend" which I adore.
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24 Agatha
February 15, 2011 at 4:30 PM
I swear... he makes me wanna do things I never think about doing...well...usually...He is too hot for my comprehension...
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25 danni
February 15, 2011 at 4:34 PM
I've never been able to warm up to Ichikawa Yui, probably because the characters I've seen her play are always so annoying, so I probably won't check this out unless the plot's good. But it's cool to see Hong-ki expanding his horizons.
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26 rose
February 15, 2011 at 4:39 PM
hmmm ok i will just say this lee hongki is also an idol that knows how to act ...... but chunnie still my number one of all the idols that can act .... by the way is jgs an idol ?
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27 Debbi
February 15, 2011 at 4:42 PM
Here is a Synopsis of the drama:
Shiratori Azusa (Ichikawa Yui) is the only child of the owner of a small female pro wrestling group called ‘Shiratori Girls Pro Wrestling’. When her father dies of illness, she struggles to keep ‘Shiratori Girls Pro Wrestling’ going. However, it is extremely difficult to run a business which continues to be in the red and mired in debt. The group is on the verge of breakup. At that moment, their referee leaves behind a letter with the words, “I quit” and disappears on the day of a performance match. A frantic Azusa hustles a Korean youth she encounters on the streets to be her improvised referee just for the day. In truth, he is a popular star in South Korea … The two of them have entirely different nationalities and upbringing, but they soon unite in a match for survival against a strong rival group and also grow conscious of each other ..
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28 Mia
February 15, 2011 at 4:55 PM
gosh~ i can't wait~ saranghaeo! <3
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29 someone
February 15, 2011 at 5:36 PM
yay yay yay yay yay for my fave kpop idol! besides returning to k-drama land, how 'bout returning to kpop land? i know they promoted beautiful journey 3-4 months ago, but it's never too early! :D
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30 Christy
February 15, 2011 at 5:54 PM
Hong-ki/Jeremy was my fave character in YAB too! Good luck to Hong-ki on his new drama. :)
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31 Severine
February 15, 2011 at 6:29 PM
Girl's pro wrestling gym owner meets Korean superstar turned interim referee? eh? I've watched weirder Jdoramas, might as well give this one a chance...not in the least because of Hongki. *ahem*
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32 swui
February 15, 2011 at 6:38 PM
Jeremy was too cute for words in YAB...Love him. And the bus scene just break my heart...it's the one scene I remember most (and a personal favourite) from the entire series.
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Silka
February 17, 2011 at 7:04 AM
completely agree... the best scene was one of my favorite in YRB...
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33 rouby
February 15, 2011 at 6:51 PM
Can't waiting,,,,,,,,
Love jeremy too
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34 Hang
February 15, 2011 at 6:56 PM
"explode the screen with cuteness" --> sure thing :D
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35 joy
February 15, 2011 at 7:17 PM
i too would like hong ki to be in a KOREAN drama once aqain. is that to much to ask?? and if possible so skin showing(abs)?? maybe that was a little too much...
but still hopefully we'll soon see him in s korean drama but or now i quess that japanese one will do.
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36 Biscuit
February 15, 2011 at 8:09 PM
Isn't dubbing more done in Taiwanese dramas then Japanese? I'm pretty sure Hong Ki will keep his voice, especially since he'll be in the role of a Korean.
I do miss him in Kdramas, but since he's already going to be in this drama officially, I ain't complaining. I never expected this, but I'm SOOOOOO looking forward to it!
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37 lemonlime
February 15, 2011 at 8:49 PM
Can't wait to watch this! Love that hairstyle on him, not many can pull that color off. And he probably won't be dubbed over. That would be just plain weird.
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38 Yume
February 15, 2011 at 9:27 PM
Why dubbing?
JaeJoongs role in Sunao ni narenakute wasn't dubbed, was it? So maybe HongKi is just good enough in Japanese ^^ and it won't be dubbed too. Let's hope for the best.
But I am definitly looking forward to that. I was really waiting for him to star in a drama again (doesn't really matter to me if japanese, korean or taiwanese xD).
Thanks for the news!! ^^
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39 Ani
February 15, 2011 at 9:33 PM
Actually, good news about j-doramas: they rarely (if ever - recently I mean) dub. They like it raw and funny (and cute, did I mention they really like cute in j-doramas?). So I think Lee Hong-ki is in for some Japanese training... But with all their activities in Japan, I would think he's gotten a hang for the easier stuff. I've always found Japanese easy to speak (I love those vowel sounds because they're so similar to my native language), so I would hope Hong-ki would be in for it too. *fingers crossed*
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Ani
February 15, 2011 at 9:39 PM
Also, it won't be the first time they've had a KoJa (JaKo?) collab. I mean, there was Rondo, starring the awesome Takenouchi Yutaka and Won Bin was in friends with Fukada - who I can never like as an actress but I always found as an irreplacable member of Shin Domoto Kyodai. There are a couple more out there, but the facts are: the Japanese aren't fans of dubbing their j-doramas. And I hope it won't change any time soon. X)
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roake
February 16, 2011 at 8:29 AM
*heart* Takenouchi Yutaka
That guy just takes over when he's on screen. Saw him in With Love and was hooked since.
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Ani
February 16, 2011 at 8:39 AM
I feel the same way. And the guy has an awesome comical side too, like in one of my all time favorites: BOSS -- starring Amami Yuki, one of my all time favorite Japanese actresses!
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noi
February 19, 2011 at 7:11 AM
did i heard amami yuki? haha. she's my favorite actress~~ x3
40 Unnursvana
February 16, 2011 at 1:01 AM
I might just check this out :) I loved him as Jeremy and I haven't watched a J-drama in a long time.
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41 Serena C
February 16, 2011 at 2:41 AM
Lee Hong Ki! Miss him so much especially since You're Beautiful. Now that he's acting in a Japanese drama, I'm tempted to start watching Japanese dramas. :P
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42 Hannah
February 16, 2011 at 3:51 AM
Man, everyone goes around saying "omg the bus scene killed me!!" and then I feel like a heartless bitch since I had to fast-forward because it was getting way too weepy and I couldn't take it seriously anyway. :/
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43 dany
February 16, 2011 at 7:55 AM
I'm so happy! Can't wait!
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44 pohonphee
February 16, 2011 at 8:04 AM
YAY Lee Hong-ki!! I wish it is K drama, but anyway Lee Hong-ki!!!
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45 roake
February 16, 2011 at 8:21 AM
everything I think of Hongki
I think of Jeremy's face when he said "vinegar?!"
I must have replayed it a million times and laugh myself to a tummyache
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46 tomatan
February 16, 2011 at 10:30 AM
I kind of want to watch this. haha
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47 mel
February 16, 2011 at 11:20 AM
LEE HONG KI--YAB's loveable Jeremy with pet Jolie, good for you!!! Your YAB great heartbreaking scene on the bus with Park Shin Hye was one of the best ever.... Fighting!!!
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48 hmmm
February 17, 2011 at 12:53 AM
most likely his voice won't be dubbed if he can learn to speak/memorize his lines in japanese... japanese dramas don't dub foreign actors usually unless it's beyond understandable
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49 Cam
February 17, 2011 at 7:27 PM
LEE HONG KI!!!! ^_____^
I am glad to see him BACCCCK on Japanese TV drama with this Japanese actress. ofc.
Oh lord, I really LOOOVE him from You're Beautiful & I wish I could meet him in person sssooo badly.........=(
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50 Christine
February 17, 2011 at 8:40 PM
EHMAGOOOOOOD. I'M HAPPY <3
LOVED HIM IN YAB <3 Jeremy, haha XD
can't wait 'till April! Hope it's not dubbed! Waiting for the OST! I'm high.
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