Famed Season Drama PD Yoon Suk-ho (Spring Waltz, Winter Sonata) has finally begun casting for his highly anticipated comeback drama, and it looks like he’s pullin’ out the big guns. Jang Geun-seok (Mary Stayed Out All Night, You’re Beautiful) has been cast as not one, but two leading men in his new youth melodrama, Love Rides the Rain. ‘Cause why have one Jang Geun-seok when you can have two?
Yoon Suk-ho has a reputation for being a star-maker, but to be more accurate, his actors went from pretty famous to crazy famous, not like zero to sixty. But hey, credit where credit is due — the likes of Bae Yong-joon, Choi Ji-woo, Song Seung-heon, Song Hye-kyo and Won Bin are just a few among his Hallyu A-listers. Jang Geun-seok holds his own, at home and abroad, so it’s kind of the Hallyu Super Combo, the pairing between these two. This is also potentially the thing that’ll give Jang the kind of ratings-hit, every-mom-and-grandma kind of fame to propel him to the next stage of his career.
PD Yoon reportedly wanted Jang to play the lead since the beginning of the project, when it was set to air this fall. But because of Jang’s schedule, it couldn’t be done, and so rather than go with someone else, he pushed the production and waited it out. I guess good things do come to those who wait, because with the extension, the stars have aligned.
This will be the first drama from PD Yoon since his five-year hiatus, and though he’s the prolific director of all the great 90s trendies like Feelings and Propose, he’s better known as the Melodrama PD, or Season Drama PD, for his Autumn-Winter-Spring-Summer series from 2000-2006. This new project has been described as a melodrama in the same vein, though with one major twist — it covers two different generations simultaneously.
Jang will be playing two different characters, one in the 70s and one in present day, as themes of young love get explored through the differences in the two generations. In the 70s, he’ll be playing a passionate, sentimental artist, and in present day he’ll be playing a wild and carefree photographer. I can see both why Yoon PD wanted Jang Geun-seok so badly, and also why Jang wouldn’t pass up the chance to play two characters in one drama. That’s an actor’s dream.
Love Rides the Rain enters production in September, and plans to premiere early next year on KBS. I’m officially excited.
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Finally.
Looking forward to this. Really like all his other dramas.
so I have to wait til next year to be able to see this drama, huh?… I’m so excited for jang to be a hallyu star! hahah!
I wish it would be Park Shin Hye.. hehe. I love them to be together..
OTP foreverahhhhhh!
Just one day, you’ll see, they will announce that they are dating! One day!
(Even though Park Shin Hye is pretty darn cute with Jung Yong Hwa right now)
Wow.. okay. I’m sold! I have a feeling this will be sooooo worth the wait..
I love JGS. He’s like Matsujun with his ability to wield cuteness so powerful that you can’t help but squeee and feel this uncontrollable urge to hug him and kiss him even when,(sometimes, specially when,) he’s pouting.
What I wouldn’t give for a drama made with mixed S.Korean and Japanese cast, writing and directing. Just the thought of JGS, Matsujun, Lee Min Hot and Shun Oguri in one 20 episode drama brings a big silly grin to my face. Err, BOF remake of all remakes maybe? Anyone? No? Pity.
Okay, enough about day dreams. Don’t you think the plot of the drama sounds a bit like Jo In Sung and Sohn Ye Jin’s movie, The Classic? (which was awesome btw):D
that a dream i want to see too matsu jun jgs shun wow
“not to be” (future) – but, he is (current) already a hallyu star.
I FEEL YOU, oh yeah!!!!
FINAAAAAAALLY ^_^ I am really happy to hear this new about Jang Geun Seok will be ready in his new drama!
LOOOOOOKING FORWARD TO THIS! ! ! !
IKR?? …also doesnt look like another musical romcom…yay for more variety…now please cast a good actress..please no idols
who will be his leading lady…im so curious,,,i can’t wait to see oppa sulie playing two roles,,,he’s perfect for the role…
excited!
wow! Will definitely watch it. I wonder who will be the leading lady…
Keeping my fingers crossed that it’s Yoon Eun Hye…
The scriptwriter of Love Rain was the one who wrote the defunct Love Song where YEH was supposed to star in…
OH YES!!! I’ve been heard about that new!
Oooo………BINGO. (smirks)
Exactly!!! I can’t wait to find out who it is (or if there will be two), as everything rides on that decision. I get the feeling it might be Lee Min-jung or someone like that. It would be cool if Jung So-min could do it, but I don’t know if she’s famous enough yet.
I hope it someone like Lee Min-jung! I love her!!
Jung So-min too!!
Lee Min Jung could be awesome as well! And YEH is a given, and all-in-one talent pack.
I’d love Jung So Min to be in it, but if she famous enough to get the role? Girl’s got chops to work with Top stars, it would definitely get her up there.
Wow, this is such an amazing opportunity for him!
And he’s only 24. AND he’s pretty visible in Japanese media too. I really hope this is the drama that just skyrockets his already great career!
Yaaaay!!!! Jang Geun-seok in another drama! Can’t they cast Moon Geun-young opposite him? Pleeeeeee-ase? Pretty please?
It’s not possible, Moon is finishing her studies and will just finish it in the end of the year… and since they will begin to film in september not possible.. =(
dont like..please another somone that more talented and beautiful…mary stay out was very bored…
because the storyline of “Mary” is damn boring….even they cast any damn gorgeous/experienced actors will still get same result.
just when jb said jang’s next drama could come soon… here it is! hope its no a flop like mary. looking forward!!!
oh my heart, he’s so damn pretty that it hurts my eyes!
Wow….I’ll definitely be tuning in to this one.
Yay… more JGS…
I know he’s already super famous! But this drama will prove his acting ability, get recognized by all ages viewers n he’s just not only a Pretty boy now but become bigger! I’m extremely excited too as his fan
sounds like a boring drama to be honest
At least we’ll know that he’ll have to change his hair because I doubt they approved of this hairstyle in 1970s korea
I wonder if beatlemania hit korea in the 70s? I can see JGS rocking john lennon’s hairdo. Maybe he’ll have Song Seung heon’s blond perm from summer scent? ^-^
Just when I was craving to see another JGS drama… Yay!!! I got my wish granted!!! Though I like watching JGS with all smiles in a lighter drama but this wouldn’t be so bad… it’ll look good on his profile and it’s better than nothing and besides You’re My Pet is just around the corner!
This sounds totally AWESOME!
I agree. It’s gonna be Totaly Awesome. Especially since JGS is supermegafoxyawesomehot xD
A Starkid fan on a KDrama blog… I am in love.
Thank you, my squirrel. Our powers reach far and wide, and something as trivial as the defeat of Voldemort cannot stop us. Even though there is literally no way to move on from this point. Wait, that’s absurd.
Aaanyhow… Yes, we exist everywhere. Even in the drama world. Who said you could only belong to one fandom?
Sounds exciting! I cannot wait!
thank y girlfriday,
Should choose a macho young man instead of him, don’t
see A hallyu in the making there are other better othe
actors, it is just to get the teenagers ahjummas
to go gu gu and ga ga. What a waste with such
script.
ok.. hope jgs will cut his hair for this drama..
his hair has been distracting for me personally
Don’t think so…artist in the 70s…definitely long hair…also present day photographer…long hair (maybe, pony tail) I’m ready…
At least please make him looks like a guy, PDnim. It’s confuse me that in every drama he looks prettier than the female lead.
I second that. New look, JGS, NEW LOOK!!
Heh, just when Javabeans was saying JGS hadn’t reached the peak of his career. Well, looks like this will propel him to the top of that mountain rather quickly.
In the 70s, he’ll be playing a passionate, sentimental artist, and in present day he’ll be playing a wild and carefree photographer. I can see both why Yoon PD wanted Jang Geun-seok so badly
Totally! It’s so perfect that it almost verges on typecasting!
Dang! Jang Geun Seok & Moon Geun Young do a remarkable job of making me feel very, very lazy.
On a slight tangent, I’d love to see JGS and MGY in a drama with Kim Gab Soo and Lee Soon Jae. In a No Hee Kyung, Kim Soo Hyun, or Song Ji Na drama. I’ve no doubt the latter three would be able to pull it off. As for JGS, I haven’t seen him tackle anything so weighty (his role in Hwang Jini is the heaviest I can think of) and it would be nice to see him attempt such gravitas.
Didja take a peek at my kdrama fantasy list?
i remember when TOP was rumored for this role. i admit, i was excited to drool over him in an entire drama even if his acting chops aren’t up to par with JGS.
I LOVE TOP but I don’t thins he’s up for this kind of role… yet..
yep. TOP’s awesome and all.. but can you really imagine him pulling off a ‘season drama?’
on a second note, SSH did it.. right?
oh, well TOP’s awesome. period
LOL I agree that I totally can’t picture him doing a melodrama. But he would look hot regardless. I hope he picks up a role that is more similar to his personality rather than the awkward that was in iris.
I’m soooooooo excited and thank you for revealing a little bit of the plot. I have not heard of it anywhere else and it is deff an intriguing one. An artist and a photographer, JGS should be in love with his future roles!
I hope he can pull it; Jang smashed all my Aejong with his mediocre performance in Mary Stayed Out All night… Cute or no cute, I need to invest my Aejong in the right person.. Thanks to him though I moved to Lee Min ho, who proved to be a disappointment in Boys Over Flower (sorry, I cannot see anyone as Domyoji if it was not as crazy as Matsu jun) yet resuscitated himself with City Hunter (I mainly watched it because I love Park Min Young.. Adorable.aww) but I graduated from the series as an fervent and adoring fan of his.
Let’s hope this will do the trick.. though I don’t need to remind you of the lethargic tone of all these dramas. I remember the reruns of KBS Last year of the saga and it was during early morning hours. I couldn’t but sleep through the entire episodes rerun because of the Slow pace and AWFUL Tranquil ambiance of the dramas.. hope this one does the trick…
PEACE
oi. this role will enable him to keep his hair. =’/
No Way……Cut cut cut cut cut if not send him to army
The storyline kinda reminds me of a Bollywood movie – Love Aaj Kal. That also showed the love stories of two different generations, portrayed by the same actors. xD
YES <3
loving it
i can't wait to watch this
Interesting. I hope he gets rids of the girly hair by then.
agreeed! awesome chemistry between him and Moon Geun Young. i hope she’s considered
i’m not surprised the director was willing to wait… jang geun suk’s one of the best young actors in south korea…and i love him ;P can’t wait!
scriptwriter is a a genius..we all know youth melodramas don’t exactly hit it off with the korean audience…but with this plot…having two time periods..one in the 1970′s..to appeal to the ahjummas…and one in the present time period..to appeal to the younger generation today…clever i might say..
and i agree with the one who said…endless love series is shot with a lethargic tone..
New hairdo, please.
and javabeans just wished that Jang returns to dramaland with a new project and now we have news that he has a new drama in the works….
hey java, could you ask the powers that be for a new drama for song joong ki where he is the lead? pretty please?
Interesting. I love the name… very romantic. I hope they don’t change it.
Wait! I know this story so well!
Its from Bollywood movie i accidently watch, and yes it has beautifull story line..
I hope they dont copycat and will give original touch..
Which one?
The fact that this is going to be a PD Yoon drama makes me wary. I admit, the Season dramas will always hold a special place in my heart for being my introduction to kdrama, but I feel like my preferences have evolved significantly since I first watched them that I ain’t re-watching any of it even if you pay me. I’m hoping PD Yoons’s style has changed with the times as well. I swear, if this has JGS falling in love with his sister, giving up his eyes for her only to have her die of leukemia . . . Imma run for the hills!
Don’t forget your box of tissues!
LOL… u crack me up…. but makjang storyline is depends on who is the screenwriters, no?
After she dies of leukemia, the docs transplant her heart into another girl. The girl becomes strong and healthy, and gets married to a widower with a daughter. She has a daughter with the widower. The daughter grows up and goes to Austria/Switzerland/some European country where there’s lots of snow and dinner parties and people speaking any language that is NOT Korean. She meets a rude Korean long-haired dude (guess who?) who speaks really bad English even though he has lived abroad for many many years. Later back home in Korea, they meet again, fall in love, her stepsister gets jealous and runs her down, she survives but develops amnesia and forgets him. He tries ways and means to get her to remember but it’s no use. Then one day he has an idea. He speaks really really awful English to her, and WHAM! just like that, she remembers!!!! And they get married, even though she’s blind (a side effect of the accident), he builds her a dreamhouse by the beach and plays the piano for her on the beach even though he doesn’t have the faintest idea how the piano got there in the first place, or how he’s going to get it back to dry land….
LOL!!
Yep, that’s just about right.
OMG – I’m dying laughing here! Thanks for the snarky plot description! It’s a winner!
That’s perfect. How’s JGS’s English?
he can carry casual conversations in English and Japanese. He studied in New Zealand for a few months, I think
It’s not funny, stop watching Korean drama if you think it that bad. Even though Korean dramas are always a little crazy but they are darmas, what do you expect?At least you should show some respects.
HAHAHAHAHA!!! U literally had me rolling on the carpet dying of laughter! You couldn’t have described the early 2000s melodramas any better!! Thanks for recapping it all in one paragraph!!! =)
I LOVE YOU FOR THIS WINNING COMMENT. Hahahaha!
yeterday,in his birthday post i wish a new drama from him sooner.LOL isnt it too fast ? but anyway i really like JGS’s acting,i hope this drama will be hit.
I think he’ll probably do a fine job – it’s an interesting plot.
All I can say is that if they don’t CUT HIS LONG, LANKY GIRLY-HAIR for these upcoming dual roles, I swear I will hunt him down, tie him down and take care of the problem myself.
And the wardrobe folks had better not let him dress in all those ambiguous (read:girly) clothes he loves to dress himself in, for the drama’s different timelines.
I really like him as an actor but it’s just off-putting seeing his personal fashion choices – the age of the Flower children is long gone.
Oh, wait – now I get it. He wants the ’70′s Hippie role! OMG. He won’t have to change a thing. Smart boy…
As for his leading lady (ladies?) my vote goes to casting Jung So Min.
If there’s one thing that JGS needs desperately is a leading lady who can bring the uber-femininity to the screen – he needs an sweet and girly actress to play against to bring out his testosterone.
One of the reasons why I wasn’t overly thrilled with You’re Beautiful was because (to me) his leading lady was more of a masculine boy than he was (is) – I like her acting but she always comes across as boyish (and would account for her casting in Coffee) – that’s the image she projects.
Say what you want about Playful Kiss, but Jung So Min sparkled in that role – her sweetness and vulnerability just jumped off the screen and I’d love to see her cast opposite JGS.
although I am completely thrilled about this news… can a fangirl wish for more?
please cast MOON GEUN YOUNG as the opposite lead!!!
I know that MSOAN was a disaster but it wasn’t their fault!!
with an outstanding PD I know they can pull it off!
oh please dramagods… hear my prayers
Totally agree with you. Though the storyline of MSOAN was messy, the Geun geun really made the most of it which was quite impressive. I can see Moon shine in this role. My fingers, toes and even eyes are crossed.
I can’t wait for this! The plot sounds interesting… I wonder if there will be two leading lady? Hmm.
i heard tht go ara has been considered as the leading lady. i hope not…i want a better actor for geun suk. maybe, kim ok bin or han hyo joo
I’m so excited! Can’t wait!
Can the lead female be Park Shin Hye please?
I vote for shorter hair, too, if anyone is counting.
Jang keun suk already said he will cut his hair. I can’t wait for this drama! two roles in one! Jang’s superb acting will do the trick! wish you the best of luck JKS! you are already quite famous but I hope this drama sky rocket your career to the top of the top! you are a hard worker and deserve to be more recognized ^__^
Too bad he doesn’t get to play against himself :/ Seriously, playing both the guy and the girl in a drama would have been perfect for him. And hilarious for me
lol. it would be hilarious for everyone.
Indeed.
“JGS, saranghe.”
“Saranghe you too, JGS”
Awkward kiss scene. xD
Yes Yes Yes! love it to boot!.
I want the female lead to be either Park Bo Young, Shin Sae Kyung, Han Hyo Joo, Jung So Min. Is Nam Ji Hyun (Giant/Will It’s Snow for Chrismast) too young for this?
I think Nam Ji Hyun is too young. I have a hard time picturing her playing a young adult.
hope it will be PSH!
Can’t wait for this,,, its PD yoon drama,,, so I think its full of cry,,,and need a lot of tissue,,,, but I love PD yoon drama,,,ecspesially “season dramas”…
And of course if its about JGS,,, I’m in…..
my guess is..there will be two female leads..one for the past, and one for the future…the real question is..who will be these leading ladies?
the second lead actress in coffee house would be
suitable for this lead actor.
Argh now I can’t wait for next year!!!! 4 months is just too long
Hope they cast a good female lead(s?)
Not a huge fan of him. I wonder whose going to be the leading girl.
Me neither, was initially a fan of JGS, but that soon fizzled out when I saw him in Mary stayed out all night. That was an awful drama. Wasted on the talented Moon Geun Young too.