Whoaaa. The entire announced cast of medical drama Brain is being replaced…and potentially filling the new hero’s shoes is Song Seung-heon.
The official story from Brain’s chief producer is that the drama feels too much like a “youth drama” with formerly cast Lee Sang-yoon (The Duo) and Yoon Seung-ah (Playful Kiss). You know, the stripling young lad a month shy of 30, and the barely-pubescent 28-year-old woman. Forgive me if I’m a little skeptical. (By which I mean: Lee and Yoon are in no way old, but youth drama? Pfffft. Like you could see them playing the kids of You’re Beautiful and You’ve Fallen For Me rather than, say, the teachers.)
In any case, the CP said that they felt it was skewing too “youth” and are reworking things now. You think you could’ve done that before actually casting your show? All is backwards in K-dramaland; the cast had even recently held a script reading. Also out are supporting leads like Lee Hyun-jin (You’ve Fallen For Me) and Kim Soo-hyun (Sophie from Runaway Plan B).
Song Seung-heon is in negotiations to take over the lead role as ambitious brain surgeon, which…pfffft, just makes me giggle. I like Song Seung-heon, particularly after changing up his image in My Princess, and especially after hearing that he’s learned to have some fun and not always try to look cool all the time. But brain surgeon? With Song, nekkid abs and glowering are part of the deal, and sometimes the whole of it.
On the other side of the story, you have the replaced actors, whose reactions are: “This is shocking.” Lee Sang-yoon and Yoon Seung-ah’s agencies are already in drama promotion mode, having thought the deal finalized with the production company and the broadcast station.
KBS’s newly staffed Brain will follow Poseidon and air in November.
Lee Sang-yoon, Yoon Seung-ah
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RECENTLY RECAPPED
now kim tae hee really SHOULD join the cast.
YES. I really FEEL you ! ! ! ;D
–and to think i was soooo looking forward to this.
forgive me if i’ll be stepping on some fangirls’ toes, but I dont even consider SSH attractive. i never really got the appeal… that is until My Princess because I think the character suited him. perhaps though, he’s learned the way to “good” acting, rather than wrinkling his forehead or making love to the camera with his eyes. perhaps he can fulfill this role.
still… i was looking forward to seeing Lee SangYoon. i can soooo envision him as a genius, eye-candy for a doctor. i was also excited for YSA.
same here…. this show is now a no for me.
He comes across as kind of smarmy to me. I did like him in My Princess for the most part though.
His eyes bug me out.
same here…SSH for a brain surgeon? *shakes head*
I agree with you on Lee Sang Yoon.
I agree. I’m not into medical dramas from the start and was only considering watching because of the leads. I was excite for YSA as well. But mostly I was planning to watch for my Lee Hyun Jin. Now that he’s out, they have a lost a very valuable potential viewer that is I
.
“You need a surgery…” he said, complete with a smouldering look full of [i] meaning [/i].
he’s progressed…but not that much…
Oh, wait, maybe the character’s a chaebol now!!!
lol like a chaebol who’s also a driven genius…way too many cliches in one character
this is so awkward for the both ex-leads-to-be lol
I mean YSH had already been interviewed and… I noticed how happy she… was… wondering how her reaction after hearing this
typo YSA
fer realz?…looks like some ppl behind the production desk lack some of the stuff that the title of the drama boasts…Lee Sang Yoon is a wayyyyy better actor than Song Seung Hoon
also does anyone else smell some money hungry mongrels over there or is just me…I mean they did replaces a talented though not-as-popular cast with an actor with one of the biggest foreign fan base
Yep, some production politics going on here. Very unfair towards the original cast. I wanted to see Lee Hyun Jin in a more prominent role. Boo!
It’s not production politics but production economics if the claim is true that the drama will and can be sold more overseas with SSH in it .
Yeah, it stinks of one powerful agency throwing its weight around!
I wonder what went on behind the scenes, perhaps an investor pulled out and those who got in had other ideas on whom to cast?
In any case, it’s really unfair towards the actors, who suddenly find themselves unemployed… because their agencies cleared their schedules for the upcming filming. I just hope that those two (and whoever else gets axed) will find a new and satisfying role, soon.
Are they even thinking there at KBS? Most of their decisions this year regarding casting, guesting, etc., are so questionable.
agreeeeee to that, really questionable like the sudden cancellation of JYJ guesting.
SSH as Brain Surgeon – Eye Candy and hot mess in white coat!!! love love.
Are they kidding me? What’s going on in the casting/production department? I liked the previous lineup. I like YSA and was really looking forward to seeing her as a lead. This is complete bunk!
I’m upset too. I was SO looking forward to seeing Lee Hyun Jin again after he got way too little screentime in Heartstrings.
What’s wrong with the cast they already have? And even so, what’s wrong with having a ‘youth’ drama, if it comes to that?
SSH. As a brain surgeon. Pffft.
wow! the title of this article just about killed me! hahahahahahaha… SSH needing a BRAIN REPLACEMENT! Thanks for the LOL, Dramabeans!
Lol, what? I’m wondering how a medical drama could skew in the youth drama direction. I mean, no matter how young looking the cast was, don’t youth dramas depend on the subject matter, which I don’t think would be light since it centers around brain surgeons.
Darn, I was kind of looking forward to this drama too. Sucks for the actors too, since they thought it was a done deal. I’m not really a fan of SSH, nothing against him, but the other cast sounded more interesting. Ah well, let’s see who else they put in there first.
I’m laughing so hard now imagining SSH taking a hot shower after EVERY mind-boggling brain op he’s completed. Heck, he can even take a hot shower BEFORE scrubbing into surgery! I can so imagine him knitting his brows, frowning, jerking his head over X-rays, and hurling his surgical instruments against the operating theatre walls, complete with his classic AARGHHHHHHHH in a fit of rage. This is going to be fun.
lines with go something like this :
If this calls for comedy–”ewwww brain juice squited on me gotta scrub harder in that shower”
If it calls for seriousness “Very important surgery coming up *cue for very serious background music*..MUST scrub harder to get of all germs off of me”
Well, in his defense, you do have to tilt your head to examine X-rays, no?
Of course it will be fun. We can follow JB and GF’s logic and make it a drinking game: one shot every time SSH head tilts.
Hahahaha
OMG, YY! Make this be a nightmare!
All I can imagine is the poor poor Hand Towel flapping in the wind. He has to say no!
I like the first cast. It was awesome!
Btw Lee Sang-yoon is a physics major – he could very well be a brain surgeon!
We don’t want SSH to look stupid, just pretty.
Don’t you worry, Jomo, for all we know, he’ll rise magnificently to the occasion and deliver the goods. Going from hand to brain is a tall order, but I’m optimistic….hand towels are wonderfully adaptive to new situations.
wow no wonder the actors are shocked i would be too if i was replaced all of a sudden from a job (i know they didn’t started filming but they already read the script and was about to promote).
Don’t people actually think before making a casting (re: hiring) decision? To think the irony that this drama is called “Brain” when clearly the production company has none.
I don’t care which way the drama skewed (young or aged-glowery), someone’s head should roll for not figuring it out before casting Lee Sang Yoon (who by the way is a fantastic actor after The Duo) and Yoon Seung Ah, and the rest of the cast.
If I were the blind-sided former cast of Brain, I’d advocate suing the production company for this unprofessional and likely contract breaching fiasco.
Imagine if I hired my staff, who showed up for work all happy and shit, with good attitudes and lots of hope, only for me to tell them two days later they are all fired because they weren’t what I wanted. Too bad I could figure out what I “wanted” until AFTER I hired them. Whoops, bad me.
I hope Song Seung Heon doesn’t step in. This whole thing reeks already. I feel terrible for the fired cast.
Agree.
It makes me wonder exactly what these contracts are comprised of.
There can’t be much of a penalty clause for termination. Four actors let go at once because the PD decided he might end up with a “Doogie Houser” drama?!
Here’s hoping those fired actors file suit and screw the pants off of him and the management.
If this doesn’t further push the competition among actors…
Is this another way of letting the actors know that they are indispensable? Is this making more reasons to drive actors to the brink of physical exhaustion?
A comment full of truths
yeah sis, the Brain production must have left their brains somewhere. I hate it when people do this just cause they can, that’s utterly despicable.
The lead change makes sense. If this IS a remake of Kimura Takuya’s Mr Brain (and presumably will be marketed back to Japan as such), they will want to cast Hand Towel-San.
Add some Van Halen and we’re good to go!
It’s not the remake of Mr. Brain (which I loved btw). It’s set in a university hospital with ambitious neurosurgeons and genius doctors.
HAHAHA. I was wondering when someone would accidentally mix up the two. It’s ok, it was my first thought until I read the previous Dramabeans articles and found out what it was really about.
oh gawd, such an amazing KimuTaku dorama. maybe comes close to Hero for me. well, nothing can beat Hero for me anymore. i can keep watching it every other month. ha ha.
Kimura’s Mr. Brain is the genius scientist type and helps solve forensic mysteries. Kdrama’s brain is about brain surgeons, right?
aw that makes me sad for Lee Hyun-jin. I was looking forward to seeing him in another drama.
This is appalling. What an irresponsible producer. Can the fired cast like sue him or sth? He really needs to use his BRAIN…
Dude! Not that I was going to watch this drama or anything but firing your cast when you’ve already basically “hired” them is messed up. What the hell dramaland? What the HELL? Wait… Is it topsy-turvy day?
to be honest, i’m quite glad that they’ve replaced the old cast. for me, it was kind of lacking in star power. lee sang-yoon doesn’t seem charismatic enough to be leading man material (yet), and i didn’t really like yoon seung-ah in playful kiss. i won’t even go into lee hyun-jin’s awkward acting…
SSH brings more star power and frankly, i’m much more interested in this show now. his acting isn’t top notch but there’s something about him (more than his looks) that’s always made me want to tune in, at least for the first few episodes. but definitely they should cast a 연기파 actress alongside him.
Yup, me too….I wouldn’t even have bothered if it were the old cast, but with SSH on board, I’m in! – sole reason being to see his miraculous transformation into neurosurgeon….oh dear, I’m laughing again….
AGREE with you YY, SSH on board I’m in too!
Absolutely with you guys on this one. NOW the show seems more interesting…
Wow. I guess nothing is certain until filming start. It is unfair to change the old cast at such short notice, otherwise they could have taken another job. Even actors have mortgages or rent to pay.
I find SSH vapidly boring. he has a CF kinda quality( 30 seconds) is enough.
I don’t mean any disrespect, and you are surely entitled to your own opinion, but do you really have to be this mean?
That was mean? I thought that was fairly tame and rather widely accepted. He does come across as vapid. Hence, DB’s nickname for him as handkerchief / hand towel.
It’s also his nickname because his real name sounds a lot like “hand towel” in Korean.
And because, well… hand towel + SSH = yeah!
Yeah, it’s just a great pun, all around.
I don’t know why, but I find your comment so hilarious, esp the word ‘vapid’, which means ‘insipid, flat, without liveliness or lacking in spirit’, as in ‘flat, vapid tea’…we could substitute ‘tea’ with ‘hand towel’ and it’s spot on.
Yes, sadly.
I love THT with all my heart. The press will destroy him if he sucks in this role.
I guess I am thinking back to other hot docs like George Clooney – was he supposed to be a genius?
Mandy Patinkin – he was an odd genius.
House, MD
Uri SSH ah doesn’t have the stuff.
Oh no! Lee Hyun-jin! D: Forgive me but I’m in love with him…:( Oh well I’m looking forward to his next project <3
he is a beautiful man.
If they do this right, we could have a winner on our hands. SSH could very well be the new McDreamy….all we need now is a Meredith, and it’d be an exciting new love story…forbidden love between the surgeon and the young intern. The elevator, like Grey’s Anatomy and Que Sera Sera, holds infinite possiblities for romantic encounters, a sizzling first kiss, even a shower….But who could be Dr Brain’s intern? Hm…Jung So Min? Haven’t seen her in a while.
New idea.
Hapless, brainless Dr. Hand Towel lives his life by narrowly missing every possible accident that he creates – think “The Pink Panther” – and through a series of fortunate coincidences, ends up the Chief Neuro surgeon at Seoul Hospital in charge of doing a brain replacement for a beatiful model actress.
He ends up (detail fuzzy here) switching his OWN brain with the beautiful lady.
Hilarity ensues! Think “All of Me.”
It isn’t until the beautiful lady falls out of love with his cousin that they switch back brains, only to find…
Does the story involve rain and magical smoke and gardens? Plants and zombies? I’m excited!
OK. We can make that happen.
…only to find her world has turned upside down…The zombies have taken over the used car lot with their hilarious antics. Only by burning the plants from her herb garden they scare them away…but the rain, threatens…
LOL!!!
I just love how poetic that sounds, Jomo.
Now I believe that the story can be written as a series of haikus. 
Thinking of “brain” and “rain,” I’m laughing as I recite “Rain, rain, go away…” in my head and replacing “rain” with “brain.”
…come again another day,
Little Seung-Heon wants to play.
The cast being young is just some straight up bullshit. Is there some rule that says you can’t be a brain surgeon at a young age. Japan did Code Blue with a young main cast & older supporting cast so why can’t these people do it??????
agree… code blue with yamapi and gakky has 2 seasons and 1 spesial drama… so why not?
hhahaa all I had in my mind when I read this post…korean McSteamy??? maybe…???
He has to be McDreamy, the neurosurgeon….McSteamy’s the plastic surgeon – for THAT one, maybe they could get someone who’s really gone through the whole plastic surgery thingy; nothing like real life experience to hone those acting skills!
McTilty?
McStill-y?
LOLOL! McTilty it is! He’s more tilty than stilly. Only Yong Hwa can be McStilly.
If McStilly joins this drama with McTilty, I’d be definitely watching.
I kind of agree the original cast looked really young.
Now SSH as a brain surgeon… Not convinced yet. Images of Joe Tribiani in “Days of our Lives” keep popping.
My reaction is: “why not?”
Eh, if Joey Tribbiani can play a brain surgeon, maybe SSH can, too.
j/k
I can sort of see why the producers would think of YSA as a “youth” – she did play very young characters in Playful Kiss and All My Love – but seriously, replacing a whole cast is a bit much. Must suck to be those poor underlings who have to smooth all of this over.
Two HOT Guys in the same drama? I am tuning in. I love the casts. I know I am shallow but drama are entertaining even if the story line are not as good and the actors ‘s acting skill are not as top notch. But I find that if the actors and actresses who are good looking makes the bad story line more durable than ugly casts.
What is with all the disappointing casting news this week??? first Yoona then Lee Ji Ah and now Song Seung Hoon???
definately will not be watching this now. the whole reason i wanted to was because of the leads + lee hyun jin. argh!
As much as I like Lee Hyun-jin and Lee Sang-yoon, I can’t say that I’m too annoyed. I am not a big fan of Yoon Seung-ah–her acting in “All My Love” made me cringe.
Can’t say much about the possible Song Seung-heon add-in. No, he’s not the best actor, but can you blame them? He has star power.
Lee Sang-yoon’s agency said it is a mutual agreement with KBS that LSY quit from the drama. His agency also said that some media reported this to be a one-sided KBS-decision is not accurate.
¡Qué horror! alguien, alguien, nos salve de este horror!
I feel like I am spamming this site with that comment… but I can’t help it! what is going on in kdramalalalalaland? are directors/producers/scriptwriters of kdramas on some kind of crack these days?
Song Seung-heon in for a Brain replacement?
HA HA HA ..u nailed it JD..the casting news today really disheartened me
oops I meant “JB”
Now I really want to cry because I wanted to see my sweet dimples again in a drama
But I hate to say, I do think Lee Hyun-jin and Yoon Seung-ah look a bit young for brain surgeons. Unless, you know, they were child geniuses, not a far fetched scenario in Kdramaland.
And regarding my gorgeous SSH-bot, I hope he doesn’t take this drama. I really want to see him again in another funny rom com. Is that too much to ask?
i also think kim tae hee shld join the cast! luvd their chem in my princess. song is one of my faves so this is good news!
That’s whack!
WOW is there a virus going on in Dramaland lately …all this missed castings got me going crazy!!!…..srly the casting for futures dramas are HORRIBLE…..
However, if Mr. Towel can show me some great abs/shower scene/gym scence i’m all for it….
OK, I thought about it for 10 mins.
If you need to cast a star, make SSH the lazy hyung of the surgeon, instead of the smart guy.
Both fall for the same woman (don’t care – it’s not me)
You think she’s gonna fall for the Brain, but somehow THT wins her over with his lazy-transformation-plan, and his big, uh,
chest musclesheart.The second lead girl (again, don’t care) is a
model, art gallery owner, fashion designer, architecht, actess, restauranteer,used car saleswoman.No?
But if he’s the lazy hyung, then he won’t be clever anymore, which means they would have to rename this drama ‘Brainless’ or ‘Lazy Hyung’ or ‘ My Hyung Has No Brains’.
Exactly, but then, we will let Dramafever vote on the new name, and they’ll come up with something super sappy.
So we end up voting between:
“Love Mind”
and
“Lazy Ass”
Guess which one wins?
“Love Ass”
or the replaced actors – for they’ve been saved from being in the drama.
OMG LOL!
“Sometimes you fall in love with a surgeon, sometimes you fall in love with an ass…
This fall on MBC…watch someone else make that mistake.”
I’m giggling again….make that poster blare LOVE ASS across on top and below, a girl flanked by a clever-looking guy in scrubs on the left, and Donkey from Shrek on the right.
….LOVE COMES IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES…..
I’m guessing who in the poster tilts his head.
“Ass in Love”
“Assstruck”
“Hospital of Asses”
“General Asspital”
“Houseass”
Why not change the setting from human to veterinary hospital?
LOL
LOLouder
LOL
LOL
Ha!
OH No does that mean SSH-oppa is going to go back to dark tormented characters again. Not that he’s not good and we get to see him shirtless (drool) but i liked him in a comedic role also….Then again he himself might like doing tormented/cool characters.
Anyway it would be nice to see him on tv again!!
Honestly, I love SSH(the man is beautiful!) but I really didn’t expect to see him in another drama this year and I must say this is not one I am happily surprised he’s in.
I am already liking the initial cast and this sudden cast revamp just makes me want to throw a brick at KBS to wake them up. I mean they already got a good cast, why change it up again?
I smell trouble for this drama. Hope it doesn’t join the Monday-Tuesday curse of Spy Myung Wol and Poseidon.
Oh god I don’t know what came to mind when I read the heading… lol
Forgot to says: This is the BEST Headline on DB EVER.
NOOOO Lee Sang Yoon!!! I loved him in Life is Beautiful and The Duo.
*Sigh* Seeing him in this could’ve been awesome
Ooh love him, SSH. I was looking forward to his next project after My Princess. Too bad for the other actors though.
Oh no! I love Seung-heon,but I also love Lee Hyun Jin and Kim Soo Hyun.
This is kinda ridiculous and they should Sue.
The bigger names they have cast, the more money they’ll most likely make. This is how the casting game works in America.
I doubt that the other cast members were fired because the production though they were too “young” to take on the rolls. It’s all about the money and attracting the bigger audience.
Bigger names who can infact act. This is the opposite imo.
Since when does it matter whether or not you can act in this business? Do actresses like Kim Tae Hee keep getting offers because they’re talented actresses?
No. It’s all about how marketable you are.
What would ahjummas rather watch? A drama with a bunch of b-list actors or one lead by the man who starred in the hallyu hit Autumn Tale aka Song Seung-heon?
You nailed it..thumbs up to you SprinkledPink!
I know that about Korea but its not the same in Hollywood unless you are Michael Bay.
so… i guess all brain surgeons are McDreamy?
Saying the original cast look too young for their roles, I LOL-ed, ‘cos hasn’t Korea heard of “Doogie Howser?”
Anything is possible in dramaland! That’s why it’s fun, to take reality into fantasy and keep viewers glued to the show by how great the performance transitions.
Whatever…. I was missing Mr. Towel a while anyways if this solidifies. I guess a new nickname will bestow upon him if he does take this job, back to “Maybe he’s born with it, maybe it’s Maybelline” or Lash Gere???
I was looking forward for this. Especially for Yoon Seung-ah but now….. I’m not sure if I want to watch it anymore… >_<"
i love ssh oppa…i think he’s a quite good actor..although i agree with most of u that he’s better in a rom-com genre coz the real him is a quite funny guy…maybe i want him to take a role as a vampire rather than a doctor…oppa likes to act cool and brooding…and he’s also kind and very good looking…so being a vampire suits him more than a doctor…anyway i will support him with every decision he makes
fighting oppa!!
I agree.
A vampire role would put his head-tilting to good use.
And never mind using the eyes to hypnotize. All he needs is to flash his abs. That would make any girl dazed.