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Jin Se-yeon joins Lee Jong-seok in Doctor Stranger

Confirmations are in for Jin Se-yeon (Age of Feeling), who was offered the lead in SBS’s spring Monday-Tuesday drama Doctor Stranger opposite Lee Jong-seok. She’s signed on to play the heroine (and her doppelganger, naturally), which means the show finally has a leading foursome secured. The casting isn’t terribly exciting, though it makes perfect sense that they went from Park Min-young to Jin Se-yeon, because they’re pretty interchangeable in my mind.

Doctor Stranger is the medical spy melodrama from PD Jin Hyuk of Master’s Sun and City Hunter and writer Park Jin-woo of Conspiracy in the Court. It stars Lee Jong-seok as a North Korean doctor who defected to the South and gets treated as an outsider in the hospital where he works. Park Hae-jin (You From Another Star) and Kang So-ra (Watch Out For Fools) play the other geeeenius doctors in the hospital.

Jin Se-yeon will play two roles, one as an anesthesiologist and Eastern medicine specialist. She’s the daughter of a merchant who emigrated to China, with a sweet, dutiful disposition. And then her doppelganger (I really hope they have a good explanation for why they have the same face other than “just because”) is a woman on a secret mission to get close to the hero. So I guess that makes her the spy in this spy drama. Earlier plot descriptions did mention the hero’s first love who ALSO had the same face; if that’s still true, it could mean that she becomes the spy, or there are just seventy gajillion Jin Se-yeons running around in this drama.

She’ll be coming straight from the set of her current Occupation-era epic Age of Feeling, which wraps just a few weeks before Doctor Stranger premieres. It’s actually not the first time she’s had such a crazy schedule, because I remember her joining shoots for Five Fingers concurrently with the last few weeks of Gaksital. Somebody get this girl a nap.

Doctor Stranger follows God’s Gift–14 Days in May.

Via DongA

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Eh. Lee JongSeok alone is not enough to pull me in. Jin SeYeon doesn't do anything for me. Guess it's up to the writing whether I'll be following the drama as it airs (if I'm going to watch it at all).

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Her acting has improved since her 1st debut. Cant wait to see JSY chemistry with the new lead actor.

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I'm on episode 11...still don't see any chemistry between her and the lead actor.

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And the kiss scene between them is the Korean boring kiss scene ever !!!!

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hahaha, i think you're not the only one who saying like that XD

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I've heard Jin Se-yeon is better in Age of Feeling then she was in Gaksital, so maybe she won't be so bad, though I can't see her as a badass spy.

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She can't possibly be worse (than in Gakistal) now, can she?

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i don't think she's bad in gaksital, her charracter in gaksital is straight n doesn't have to show many emotion change, but the other three lead is complex charracter, it make her look plain than the other

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Totally agree with you. the role of Mok Dan was only there to show character development to the two male leads. There wasn't much else to her character.

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She's great in AoF but they've cut down her scenes so much, I see her practically once per episode. That doesn't include that one episode that she didn't even show up in.

Not only that, her character is such a cliche female lead and all the other side characters outshine her. Idk I may have gone off topic a bit, but I really hope there's more character development for her.

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booooooriiingggggggg.....

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She's like a 'replacement actress'.

She seems like a nice girl, easy going and cute with a clean image. And somehow becoming SBS & KBS sweetheart. Acting wise she is not that bad,serviceable but forgetable. I think as time goes by, she will become one of the leading lady in K-entertainment industry.

Such a lucky girl, already act alongside some of the hotties, Joo Ji Hoon, Choi Jin Hyuk, Joo Won, Kim Hyun Joong and now Lee Jong Suk!

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serviceable but forgetable.

Yeah, her acting career and rise to leading lady status is pretty much a triumph of image over talent.

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And strong support/sponsorship?

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I wouldn't be so quick to jump to that conclusion, she's pretty enough and fresh faced, maybe she just gets a lot of CFs a la Suzy and that is why people think giving her lead roles is ok?

Still not a good reason to be offering her lead roles though.

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Hard to say. There are plenty of actresses who're more famous with more CFs but we don't see their career moves like JSY's does.

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I don't say that I like her or hate her.

Saw her in Gaksital, but don't really care much about her presence there.. I'm more interested in the interaction between the leads, Joo Won and Park Ki Woong.

Like someone mentioned that she will be the next leading lady that will keep on getting offer with lots of CFs, clean image but less-talent in acting.

This drama will not be a problem for Lee Jong Suk and Jin Se Yeon because they're good friends offscreen. Acting wise, both are at the same level. So, yeah.. Good Luck Jin Se Yeon!

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LOL so true

she replaced eunjung in five fingers, kim so eun in age of feeling and now park min young in doctor finger.

That is a skill in and of itself

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With the amount of attention and judging from her serviceable acting and clean image.. She going to be like Kim Tae Hee, Lee Min Jung and Han Ga In. Heh.

She has depth in acting but not quite enough, probably because of her age, she's only 20. I hope she will continue to improve.

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So sorry to hear that. Back to that old fashioned activity called Reading then.

I saw her in Gaksital. That was enough to keep me away from her for say at least 10-20 years, giving her time to learn her craft.

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you should definitely check her out in Age of Feeling. She's improved quite a lot actually.

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Her character in AG isn't complicated and has much depth. So it isn't really a good barometer to see whether she has improved or not. Especially when her character is not much different from her RL personality

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It will be fun to watch her play a different role

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I'll be honest and say that I don't know who Jin Se-yeon is ..... I've never seen her so I certainly can't comment on her acting talent.

However, having just found out that she was in Gaksital and Age of Feeling (both of which I didn't watch), I'm going to assume being involved in intense stories are within her comfort zone.

If this drama is going to amp up the intensity with the whole spy angle, then perhaps casting her is completely appropriate.

We'll find out!

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You, my friend, might not have watched Age of feeling or Gaksital but you just figured out what the problem is! Let me add Five fingers also to the list and say that these are not really girl next door characters that she has played.
Maybe she is just taking on roles too heavy for her.
Maybe she just needs to do a light-hearted adorable role, something more befitting of her age and experience in the industry.

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Not really that excited abt this casting news despite me being a JSY fan, my apprehension comes more with the plot itself and my lack of interest in LJS himself.

I've only seen JSY in Age and she's doing a fine job in it, in fact she's doing more than the lead female for me. It probably helps that she is playing an endearing character and it certainly looks like it's within her comfort zone to play it naturally.

I would definitely give her s chance despite my aversion to LJS and medical dramas. I would go and even say that she is an improvement to PMY. At least they casted someone who is closer to the lead's age, and as long as it is someone not named Park shin hye or suzy then I think it helps well in the diversity and cultivating of actors talent within the k-ent industry.

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I have no idea why Suzy even has an acting career.

Not that Jin Se-yeon is much better (and there are way more talented actresses in that age group who could do more opposite Lee Jong-seok) but she's at least somewhat tolerable onscreen, if bland.

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I know, I cringed so badly when I had to listen to Suzy's sageuk speech in GFB. In the end that put me off the drama entirely even before I heard about the horrible ending .

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And to think her character could have been one of the biggest badasses in Korean dramas, if it was someone else who played that role... *sigh*

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She has the looks and I heard on the rumour mill that she is a money-making machine for JYP Entertainment.

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Huh? suzy and her are almost the same talent wise.. both survive on the look, though I like something more about Suzy, IDK her eyes catch me more than JSY's eyes and screen presence, maybe Suzy having chemistry with her co-stars is what makes me like her more, while I never think JSY has chemistry with her leading man, IDK, something always seem lacking.

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she is nice and talented girl
but i don't know why i don't like her at all :((

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This girl keeps getting work and i wonder why. It's not like she's that marketable to begin with. smh

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She's in Age of Feeling and she's doing quite well I believe. She's not bad at all.

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Every time news for Doctor Stranger comes out, I never can tell if it's a good or bad. I literally feel nothing for this show. Is that a good thing?

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I initially thought Kang Sora was going to be LJS' love interest and was far more interested then, but maybe JSY won't be as bad as usual?

I hope so for Puppy's sake, anyway. It's a major downgrade from Kim Ji-won and Lee Bo-young, but still less cringeworthy than those rumours a while back of Kim Woo-bin being cast in some movie with Suzy.

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Will Lee Bo-Young ever act on TV dramas?

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er, I Hear Your Voice, My Daughter Seo-young, the upcoming God's Gift (14 Days).....

Of course, JSY is a massive downgrade from Park Bo-young too.

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Oops... sorry I got her confused with Park Bo-Young. I still want her to act on television again someday.

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I wasn't aware that kim ji won was even on the talks with this one, luckily for her she was casted on a potentially great drama on tvn anyway. Although this will definitely have been more helpful in boosting her popularity being a local channel.

Anyway I'm just happy that two of my fave 90-ers are having a great exposure. Wish them both the best. Now if park bo young could just do more dramas then that would com

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Ugh stupid phone, sory for double post.

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I wasn't aware that kim ji won was even on the talks with this one, luckily for her she was casted on a potentially great drama on tvn anyway. Although this will definitely have been more helpful in boosting her popularity being a local channel.

Anyway I'm just happy that two of my fave 90-ers are having a great exposure. Wish them both the best. Now if park bo young could just do more dramas then that would complete 2014 for me.

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haha no, I mean Kim Ji-won was Lee Jong-seok's love interest in one of his last few dramas, just like Lee Bo-young was in his last one.

I would have much preferred it if KJW was in consideration for leading lady status on this drama, she's definitely far more talented and beautiful too.

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Oh yeah now i remember they were at high kick, haha, nevertheless it's good forcher to be casted on another drama after that disastrous heirs.

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I like Kang Sora. and yes it would've been much better if she was the lead. still gonna watch it for Kang Sora, Lee Jeong Seok, and Park HaeJin. whether I'll continue to watch would depend on how the drama will progress.

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Its not often I hear a lead actress gets cast into another drama while still filming her current drama. does this happen a lot? I swear this it happens to Jin Se-yeon.

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That's true. The girl steak me as being too ambitious

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If Jin Se Yeon is ambitious, then what is Joo Won? Or is it alright because he is a guy and hot? ôO

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Yes, Joo Won is similar. Did I ever mention that he is not? But at least he didn't took two dramas at one time for live shooting? (referring to Gaksital and Five Finger) and i gave him more excuse since he started quite late and will enter military soon, so he probably wants to do as much as he can before MS.

It is a matter of opinion. You think she is not, and I think she is. No need to argue over this. Don't always jump on conclusion and try to do mind reading on others that all people excuse actors over actresses.

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wow lucky her. She is like the no1 replacement choice when a KBS or SBS drama lost it's leading actress.

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It's funny how this situation is somewhat similar to last year. First star in a film noir action drama, and then replace another actress for another drama within the next few months.

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NOOO why??She is awful. Couldn't they have gotten park se young instead to compensate for the lack of romance in school 2013?

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Looking back now, yeah... she was pretty darn weak in Gaksital. Gizzles. Buuuutt, I am glad it's not Park Min-young. I'd rather have Jin Se-yeon pairing with Lee Jong-seuk than Park. Their might be SOME chemistry, at least.

Also, what have you been up to drama-wise, KIM SO-EUN?? :(

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She's currently filming a movie called "The Girl's Grave" with Kang Ha Neul and from what I've heard, they won't wrap up until April.

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Reading the article I started to hope there was some sort of Orphan Black thing going on with the female lead but I gather from the comments she's a bit lacking in the acting department so I'm back to hoping she's a spy trying to make the assignment work despite running into an old flame.

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LOVE Orphan Black...Wow, what a great actress Tatiana Maslany is! BTW, OB is returning in April.

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yay orphan black fans! was obsessively watching over winter break, but april still seems so far away and I need my suburban clone fix! Speaking of, since Another Star is rocking it with aliens, perhaps a clone drama should be next, where the love triangle (or polygon) includes clones! but the actress would have to be of the more tatiyana M. variety as opposed to the skills of said JSY.
Wherps stream of consciousness rant over but ya know, CLONES! and stuff.

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I actually haven't seen her in anything other than Gaksital and she was awful. Like really bad. HCA really over shadowed her so I can't see this being a better option than PMY. I thought they'd go a better actress, and if not, then at least a bigger name.

Oh well, LJS already has me stepping miles away even if admittedly, I do find the premise rather intriguing. At least they have the cast in now. Which is saying a lot in comparison to Golden Cross. Don't even know who they're courting after KJH bowed out. It's also airing around the same time in April.

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I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who isn't a fan of LJS, i've literally been more attracted to my neighbors dog (to my credit is was a St. Bernard;) then him. Not a fan of the dehydrated androgynous model look I reckon.

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Me too! I think he's a serviceable actor, but I'm always going to be a little put off by his facial features tbh.

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She is cute in AoF in her scenes with bye-bye Kim Jae Wook.

If she is opposite Swine-flu (he has it now) Lee Jong-seok, isn't it too much cute on cute? Not that PMY would deliver anything better.

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Lee Jong-seok, I love you; Park Hae-jin, maybe when you are the lead next time. Medical + Jin Se-yeon = I'm out. She truly was awful in Gaksital, and I still don't much care for her in Age of Feeling - I fail to see the improvement that others claim she has made.

It was depressing trying to imagine a replacement for her though. Somehow there are tonnes of talented bright young actors, and no one to pair them up with. Maybe the reason behind the new onslaught of noona romances is the lack of skilled young actresses?

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Whoops! Sorry for the double post.

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Maybe the reason behind the new onslaught of noona romances is the lack of skilled young actresses?

Only that's not really the case - the 20-25 age range is packed with some highly promising young talent - Kim Ji-won, Lee Yubi, Jung So-min, Im Joo-eun, Han Groo, Kim So-eun, Park Se-young, Ha Yeon-soo, Park Shin-hye (yes I know she's ubiquitous but she can act) plus the recently improved Go Ara and Lee Yeon-hee, and that's not even counting the ladies who stick to film alone like Park Bo-young and Kim Go-eun......

it's just that very few shows on network tv appear to want to give these ladies a shot at first lead (and the exposure and buzz that'll give them), PSH is the only one who gets cast in lead roles with some regularity. It's outrageous to me that the girls who are getting the lead roles these days are either mediocre (Jin Se-yeon) or flat-out talentless.

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should clarify: all the lead roles for young actresses in that age group seem to end up either with Shin Se-kyung, Park Shin-hye, or an idol (hit or miss on whether they can act). The others who have talent hardly ever get a look-in at lead.

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Interestingly enough those two plus suzy is being touted as the next wave of leading Korean stars to replace the a-list triumvirate of Kim Tae Hee, Jeon Ji Hyun, and Song Hye Kyo. Are the comparisons warranted? JJH is awesome, and I actually like kim tae hee despite how mich criticism her acting has garnered, I heard she vastly improved in her last sageuk outing. It's interesting how you also mentioned lee yeon hee bec she's one of my fave actress too on the 20-25 range, despite how she too was maligned for years.

I sincerely believe that some actress are just blessed with good materials which helps them showcase what they can truly be. It's especially exciting since the 90-ers are really fresh, and i do believe that there are a lot of area for them to grow and improve. I just wish that they stop hoarding everything to suzy and PSH.

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Kim Tae-hee has never had a reputation as a good actress, only as a great beauty. I liked her in My Princess, but she improved hugely in the first half of Jang Ok Jung (went back to overacting in the second half though). Likewise with Song Hye-kyo, her acting can be hit and miss but it's her looks that really get her places, though she's better in dramatic roles than comedies. Jeon Ji-hyun is head and shoulders above the other two in terms of acting talent, but with the 'CF queen' tag, I think people forgot for a long time that she actually is a really good actress.

I can see the comparisons in terms of how much the younger gen 3 are praised for their looks, though I don't know whether they can really build acting careers off it - Suzy can't emote and people know that, she can only do it when writers go out of their way to cover for her lack of ability, and she can't even do it well. She gets loads of CFs but frankly, unless she improves I think the buzz will die at some point, for her acting career at least - Architecture 101 was a smash hit but her subsequent popularity is really all about her image and not about her abilities (which she doesn't have) at all.
Shin Se-kyung does better at acting - not great, but she's had a couple of sageuk roles in which she's been good, though again, she remains in the public eye more for her good looks - her last couple of dramas were flops and she's lost some buzz since her post-High Kick days. Park Shin-hye is the best actress of the three, and even though she's not perfect she can at least deliver what her roles call for (Heirs was mediocre and not her best work), and she's also the only non-idol actor in that age range who actually has a following. I can see why she gets considered for roles, but I wish they;d consider other young actresses too, like I said there is enough talent in that age range that should be allowed to shine. And some of them are definitely better actresses than her, too, though she could change that if she took on roles with a different image. She's tried that in a couple of movies, but she really needs to break out of that 'pure innocent girl' rut. She did that with Flower Boy Next Door, but it needs to happen with something that has wider distribution too.

Lee Yeon-hee really impressed me in Gu Family Book and Miss Korea, her acting was rightfully criticised before (because let's be honest, she's another one who only got lead roles because of her looks when she couldn't act) but she's clearly found whatever it is within herself that makes her able to really become a character. Too bad Miss Korea is so underrated, but I hope it gets her noticed for better roles in the future - she's doing really well as Ji-young.

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lol pogo, some actresses you mentioned where just as bad when they started and were really young, and they improved, after YEARS, but you just decides Suzy won't improve and that is it, she can't do it.

I really hope she improves, for me she improved since DH, she is still bad, but not terrible bad like she was and I hope she can improve more and more. Suzy not taking acting classes and not having much experience is maybe one of things that makes hard for her to show some acting skilss, I'm sure when she isn't more the ''it'' girl, she will have to take acting lessons and maybe improve.

I mean, I never thought KJH could emote but look him, he made me teary in Age of feeling! Who could know!

But I noticed that bad actors get a pass in this website.
Most of time because they are hot and men.

I mean, some actors are so bad but fans get happy to watch in onto screen.

I find Lee Min Ho, bland and can't emote that well, I never really connect with him, same with LJS and other young actors people love so much here...

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I have watched some of Park Shin Hye's dramas, and I really don't understand what is your base on saying she is a good actress.

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Lee Jong-seok, I love you; Park Hae-jin, maybe when you get the lead next time. Medical + Jin Se-yeon = I'm out. She truly was awful in Gaksital, and I still don't much care for her in Age of Feeling - I fail to see the improvement that others claim she has made.

It was depressing trying to imagine a replacement for her though. Somehow there are tonnes of talented bright young actors, and no one to pair them up with. Maybe the reason behind the new onslaught of noona romances is the lack of skilled young actresses?

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I know everyone loves Lee Jong Suk and all, but tbh I can't see how his acting is any better than Jin Se Yeon's.

I will give this a try cause I love Kang Sora and the writer is good. But this honestly sounds like a mess in the making.

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I can’t see how his acting is any better than Jin Se Yeon’s.

Look it's your prerogative to not like him in the face of everyone else liking him, but that statement was flat-out nonsensical.

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I don't think she commented something really nonsensical since it's her own prerogative to judge his acting capabilities according to what she sees fit. Unless you're implying that there is a universal gauge of acting acuity that all actors fall along to. If she thinks he sucks as much as JSY then it's valid opinion regardless of how unpopular that thought maybe.

Personally I agree that they have about the same range, and that is saying a lot bec I like JSY and don't find anything worth hyping abt LJS myself.

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This comments beg the question - what is the criteria of judging a "good" actor or actress from a mediocre one. I'm asking because I genuinely want to know.

Is it subjective? For instance, I'm mainly English speaking and I rely a lot on facial expressions and subtitles to understand the dynamics of a show and to me, both Park Min Young, Jin Se-yeon and Lee Jeon Seok are pretty talented. So I was basically surprised when I read about others comments on how horrible Jin Se-yeon was in Gatiskal,or how bad Park Min Young's acting is. I watched Jin Se-yeon in Gatiskal, and thought she did all right. I feel Korean actors do a fantastic job, in my humble opinion, much better than most of the wooden A-listers that Hollywood likes to tout along. To be able to capture audiences whose primary language is not Korean says a lot.

So that brings me to the question - what distinguishes a very talented actor/actress, from a good one, to a mediocre one to one which is flat out unwatchable? Is it based on individual likes/dislikes, or is a criteria used for judging? Because, if it is subjective, what one individual would connect to and applaud, may make another person flat out bored.

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Good acting is whatever you want it to be for the average viewer. For example many love Leonardo DiCaprio and think he is amazing...I think he is OK, lol.

For a Korean example...hmmm...I think many might say Lee Dong Wook is not that great but I love him! Or...people really love Lee Jong Seok--I think he is good but I've never really raved about him yet/can forget him quite easily, lol. I go mainly on if the actor can get me to feel something or connect with them. I dunno what a professional looks for but probably much of the same?

I also think being able to change it up often is a sign of a good actor. As in taking on something new and being able to completely delve into that role/make it natural--people like Yoon Kye Sang, Park Ki Woong or Shin Ha Kyun. Even Won Bin is good at that. Or being able to do more than just the description of a character--Jung Ryeo Won, Kim Jae Wook, Bae Doona, Gong Hyo Jin, Daniel Choi...

Just some examples for me...I don't think there is some magical guideline or scale for it. Whatever you as a person connect to. And everyone is different, so people will feel differently or change their mind eventually, too! :D

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In my opinion it's more to do with the viewer than the actor/actress. An actor/actress can show one expression or performance on screen, and it will draw a variety of responses from different viewers, ranging from highly critical to highly, or just indifferent.

So when it comes to the viewers, factors like gender, age, cultural background, personal preference and even drama viewing experience weigh in. So it means that there will be no such thing as an universally acknowledged good or bad actress Or actor.

I know this for a fact because my mum and I can agree on the acting skills of only one local actress. But another actress that she always pan for overacting and faking it, I find her ok. While her second favorite that she always emphasize is a good actress, I prefer to see in comedic roles because I think her perfectionism always ruined her performance in serious shows for me.

For me as long as the artiste can pull me into his or her emotional world with the expression(s) employed I will consider him or her good.
Hope it helps u.

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canxi perfectly summed up some of the criteria (benchmarks) that many of us use as a point of reference when judging and comparing the acting talents/skills of actors and actresses.

"...being able to change it up often is a sign of a good actor. As in taking on something new and being able to completely delve into that role/make it natural...Or being able to do more than just the description of a character."--canxi

What is intended to be and what actually is...

In the case of Jin Se-Yeon, there really isn't a difference in the aura of her portrayal of the characters

Mok Dan (in Bridal Mask/Gakistal) vs. Kim Ok-Ryeon (in Age of Feeling/Inspiring Generation).

For example, her diction, facial expressions, delivery of lines, movement, etc. are the same for both characters. You really could swap-out both of her characters with each other and it wouldn't make much difference. Her male costars seem to always stand out and she fades into the background, which really shouldn't happen if the person has true "acting" talent (a screen presence).

Both Lee Jong-Suk and Kim Woo-Bin played high school student roles back-to-back in their recent dramas. There is no way you could swap their characters out with each other. They may have had a similar backstory but they made their characters distinctive.

Lee Jong-Suk (as Go Nam-Soon in School 2013 vs. Park Soo Ha in I Hear Your Voice)

Kim Woo-Bin (as Park Heung-Soo in School 2013 vs. Choi Young-Do in Heirs vs. Kim Dong-Hyub in A Gentleman's Dignity vs. Kang Mi-Reu in White Christmas)

Right now, I would characterize Jin Se-Yeon as a one trick pony. Several have succeeded in the entertainment industry as one hit wonders - meaning they have one signature ploy that they do well and make tons of money off of. Many are not the most talented and don't claim to be.

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You have only but scratched an aspect of what makes an actor great, but to dissent - I don't think LJS has made that much distinction to the characters he played either - it has always been the same cool, laid-back, soft spoken high school kid. Kim Woo Bin too also has always been playing the bad boy swag character, now shouldn't I categorize these guys as one trick ponies too? Nuance can also come from the way that characters are written, ofc you cannot swap the characters and say they are the same when their characters were written particularly for a specific drama. Personally I haven't watched Gaksital so I cannot comment on how similar is she there as she is as Okryeon now, but is it possible that she's playing the same mold of character, pretty much because that's what fits her persona the most? Just as swag is KWB's signature, as LJS innocent and soft spoken persona is?

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@Silverteen - the difference lies in the execution of each performance. LJS and KWB have managed, so far, to make their respective high schooler/bad boy characters distinctive and genuine (and emotion, chemistry and nuance matter in each role), so their one-trick pony aspect doesn't bother me nearly as much as JSY, whose particular one-trick pony line of characters have been far more underwhelming because she lacks the skill to bring them to life.

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Same. I parents don't usually like Korean drmas because they don't understand, but they loved City Hunter (will now watch anything with Park Min Young hahah) and Gakistal.

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I judge actors by how convincingly they portray their roles (as in, do I believe this person is the character or is it just the actor in costume), how well they emote and how they play off their costars/what they bring to a role that perhaps, wouldn't be there on the page. If I'm able to get a handle on language, then I do judge accents etc.

And by that standard, it would take someone with an admitted bias to think that Lee Jong-seok, as seen in I Hear Your Voice and School 2013, is no better an actor than Jin Se-yeon. The best she's been able to do is play cute, somewhat one-dimensionally at that. He was streets ahead of that even in High Kick, and I say this as someone who doesn't actually find his looks appealing at all.

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Like Silverteem said - its an opinion, so whether or not you agree with it doesn't make it non-sensical or not. I definitely agree with her. LJS does me nothing - his acting is mediocre at best and I see no 'puppy' cuteness too. Personally, I think all the hype is just because he's the current 'it' boy (like Suzy was the 'it' girl - not that I'm comparing their acting abilities, cz I definitely think he's much better than her - again, that's me).

Honestly, I've read quite a lot of comments by folks who also don't find him all that. Opinions on his acting abilities is still a personal opinion - whether or not the opinion is popular.

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It's one thing to not think much of his acting abilities, but comparing him to Jin Se-yeon of all people and saying he's no better is pretty nonsensical and as far as I've seen has only been expressed by Jin Se-yeon fans - who have an admitted bias.

What's next, someone's 'personal opinion' that he's no better than Taecyeon? Come on. He's not hyper-attractive to me (that's Woobin) but I did appreciate his acting even if he does nothing for me that way.

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But that's the exact thing about opinion. I'm not saying he's Taecyeon's level; but if I do say that, it would still be a valid opinion because that's what I think. You (or anyone here for that matter) have the right to say you don't agree, but that doesn't make my opinion wrong - just different. It really is just as simple as that.

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I was stating an opinion; I don't really see how it was nonsensical?

It just seems to me weird that people have been complaining about JSY and PMY's casting in this drama, like they're not worthy to act opposite him (see the comments below and in the pervious DB article regarding PMY's possible casting in this show, and you'll find yourself some examples). Just, while LJS is cute and all, he isn't what I would call talented, or even particularly promising as an actor.

I have nothing against him as a person (he seems super adorable irl, how could I?), I just don't find him particularly compelling onscreen and his technique needs work. Tbh, he needs some serious acting classes. I totally acknowledge that PMY and JSY are limited actresses, but as I said I don't really see how LJS' acting is superior to theirs, and just because he may be very cute doesn't make him anything to write home about imo. While he gets praised, JSY gets comments stating that she's completely devoid of talent and that LJS is 'cursed' to act opposite her. Umm... yeah.

(Maybe I shouldn't have worded that quite the way I did. But I don't dislike him at all, I'm just talking about his acting ability here).

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He's shown far more evidence of acting ability and range than she ever has, not to mention chemistry with his costars across several projects, which is why I found your statement...let's just say....extremely odd.

And like I've said, it's not his looks that I find appealing, and implying that everyone who praises his acting is only doing it because they find him cute is somewhat patronising. Park Min-young isn't a great actress either, but she's likable and imo a far better actress than JSY.

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Experience-wise, LJS and JSY seems to have made roughly the same amount of drama projects, so with that regards, I think they both roughly have the same range. In fact, JSY has already starred a lead role in a 100 ep long daily drama, with her tender age that speaks a lot for acting experience.

Again, I haven't watched any of her previous works, but she's doing a decent job in AoF, though she is playing a character that seems to be closer to her real life persona, and perhaps is an easier and more natural acting job in her part.

Awards wise, ironically she won a best new actress award for her supposedly dismal Gaksital gig. LJS himself has won a couple of awards. But I think what sets LJS apart is that he had the luxury of acting alongside talented actors and actresses. It helps a lot that when your show is doing good, and you're surrounded by seasoned actors, the overall impression seems to be good too for the younger actors themselves. He was also casted in a handful of movies, again, opposite really great actors.

Age-wise LJS has a good 5 years ahead of JSY, JSY is literally freshly picked being a 1994-er. LJS is entering the prime of his career while JSY is still finding her footing, although she has been quite lucky landing roles. With that said, objectively LJS might be a better actor, but given their tenure in the industry, that much could be expected from LJS already.

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@Silverteen - number of drama projects =/= acting range, just fyi. And as for awards, it's more or less an open secret that Korean network tv awards are a sham pretty much given out to the shows and actors with the highest ratings regardless of the actual quality of the performance (see: Han Ga-in for Moon/Sun). And she's been in projects with incredibly talented actors too - which only serves to highlight her own deficiencies in comparison. You say you've never seen any of her previous projects, and that is obvious because in Gaksital Joo-won, Park Ki-woong and Han Chae-ah were killing it left and right, while she just underwhelmed next to them. Same with Five Fingers. Using her 'award' to prove a point is just spurious logic.

And fyi, Lee Jong-seok didn't make his acting debut till 2010. Jin Se-yeon had already started acting before that, so they actually have roughly the same amount of experience, though there is a vast difference in their skill levels and age. He's also done a 120-episode sitcom, been the lead of two dramas, and unlike Jin Se-yeon, he's delivered the goods in demanding roles that were nothing like his real-life persona and proved himself equally well able to work with a younger cast (School 2013) as an more seasoned one (IHYV). And in her case, age is not an excuse - there are several actresses in her age range who have proven themselves as better actresses, all with far less experience than her - from IU and Jung Eun-ji (1993) to Krystal (1994).

In any case, I've noticed that fans of actors widely seen as untalented tend to try to defend their biases by dragging an actor widely seen as more talented. It's a trend that needs to stop.

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@pogo

By the end of the day I do not hold a degree in theater and arts nor am I a professional actor so I cannot really give an exact judgement to how to assess the actor's efficacy, however I did use those objective paramaters (eg. age, awards, number of dramas) as my own way of assessing them in a method that I'm familiar with. Having said that, you've brought up some things that I do agree and disagree with - particularly let me just point out first that JSY made her dubt at 2010 as well.

On the other hand, you have once again used subjective criticism - the same method that we (I) and some of the commenters here used to gauge LJS's performance as an actor. I would not try to debate with you whether you found JSY underwhelming as opposed to her co-actors, because again, that is your opinion. In effect, it is also in my opinion that LJS doesn't have as much range nor the efficacy as you claim him to be - and I say this with confidence not as JSY fan, but as someone who first witnessed LJS prior to watching JSY. I have seen him before in Secret Garden, School, and IHYV (all of which came before AoF and my exposure to JSY) and I found him a decent actor, but not as particularly stimulating. Out of those mentioned projects however, he shined the most in School and I give him credit for it, as he deserves it, but on the back of my mind I do know that he is acting alongside actors who have no better if not comparative acting experience as he did, excluding Daniel Choi and Jang Nara.

Now going back to age, let me just first affirm, that talent is the exception and not the rule - having said that there will be actors who are naturally gifted in delivering performances and connecting the audiences despite starting from different non-acting roots - as the examples you have given, all of which are IDOLS. I agree that Jung Eun Ji was great on 1997 although I haven't seen her other than it, but I definitely felt that she personified her character in it very well, as for the other two they are decent at best.

I myself am tired of people criticizing idols for going into acting when it's not their niche but people still whine when an actor who have formal education in acting is dissed for getting casted on roles - which is it that we truly want to see? Gamble on an idol's popularity or an actual actor?

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Yeah, I guess that's where we disagree - I don't think he has. But yeah, he could demonstrate some range and versatility in the future. For me, he just hasn't yet.

That wasn't a comment specifically directed towards you, just the kdrama fandom at large. Some actors and actresses seem to me to be of a similar level of skill, but one gets praised, and one gets criticized. The disparity is pretty obvious to me. Not saying everyone does that, just a general observation I've made, and one that really annoys me.

Just having charm, cuteness and likability doesn't make you a good actor. I find LJS likeable onscreen. He doesn't lack charm. What I was talking about is more acting ability, like actual technical ability, which I think he needs to work on otherwise he'll never improve as an actor.

And for the record, I'm not a JSY, PMY or LJS fan. I like them all, but I don't fangirl them. So my comment wasn't really in staunch defence of JSY because she's my ~bias~ or anything. It was more of a reaction against tons of comments I've seen on this site criticizing actresses that I don't feel are any worse than their male co-stars. If you find that really odd, that's cool. We just think differently.

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**EDIT
I myself am tired of people criticizing idols for going into acting when it's not their niche but people still whine when an actor who have formal education in acting IS casted on roles - which is it that we truly want to see? Gamble on an idol's popularity or an actual actor?

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Why???? :(

My first reaction was poor Lee Jong Seok...

Recently you were diagnosed with swine flu and now Jin Se-Yeon is the actress that was selected to be your leading lady in Doctor Stranger.

Your career was really taking off and you were blessed to work with good/talented actors and have consecutive back-to-back projects.

Unfortunately, this drama project will be at a disadvantage no matter how talented you are. To bad you signed up for this drama before the leading lady was officially cast. Now you are stuck with the untalented Jin Se-Yeon as your female lead.

What a curse having to act with someone devoid of talent - in this case - the actress is Jin Se-Yeon.

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Wow, curse - seems to be a really heavy sentiment there.

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Yes a curse. Forced to expend energy/make the extra effort to compensate for Jin Se-Yeon's conscious choice not to pull her weight and take strides toward improving her acting skills.

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I personally don't know her, nor do I believe you do either. Which parameters did you use to arrive at such conclusion?

I can only judge her from what she has done so far in her projects and from what I observed, she has done numerous dramas already, in fact a lot for someone at her age. She also has attended University and have formal education to theater and arts. Now, I don't know how much effort she has exerted towards improving her craft nor do I know whether she has made a conscious choice to stagnate and not improve at all professionally, but judging from the frequency she has been taking projects and the fact that she has found time to pursue formal education - evidently speaks much about the quantity and quality of effort she has not only as an actress but her character as a person as well.

In that light, I don't think it is a fair assessment to say that she has deliberately made herself a liability to others, especially when she doesn't have the clout to choose her own projects - in fact she was chosen to do the projects. Acting itself is a trained skill, as pretty much every skill is, and the only way she is going to improve is if she keeps practicing it.

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I think it's more of an issue that all her characters are seemingly interchangeable in the way they are portrayed

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Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian can brag about their success and the various projects they were hired for. It doesn't meant that they were the most talented people available or that the hiring process was fair.

Just because one puts effort into something and succeeds doesn't mean he/she was the most qualified. Likewise, for those that didn't succeed at something even though they put all their effort into it doesn't mean they were any less deserving of success or the chance to prove themselves.

At the end of the day, some people truly have acting talent/gift for acting, many take it seriously and work hard to improve upon their craft, and others don't. Some in the entertainment industry simply show up for the paycheck.

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Oh my, all the hate for this poor girl. Whatever, I like her, she´s really cute.

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I can't really explain it but Jin Se Yeon looks like so many other people! I feel like I am always confusing her for someone else.

Dunno if I can see her as a spy with an ulterior motive...I dunno if I can see her as anything after Gaksital, but apparently she is doing well in Age of Feeling so that's nice. The drama sounds interesting in a whacked out and crazy way. I'm not a big Lee Jong Seok fan but I like the roles he picks for himself so maybe I'll give this one a go.

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Ugh, way to throw a wet blanket on this drama from the get go. I'll watch for my love of Lee Jong Seok, but I can't understand why Kdrama casting directors keep shoving JSY down our throats - YUCK!

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I rather someone else. Actually I don't like any of the female actresses chosen to play in this drama. Not even kang sora. But with that said, who exactly is the lead female? Her or Kang sora BC I read it on another article and it said that Kang sora is the lead girl so jsy is supporting? Oh well I don't even like any of them. I like jong seok but don't like plot or the girls.

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Well it could be me, but doesn't she look a little too young to play a doctor? I mean, I don't know how old she actually is but she looks like in her teens.

As for the acting. Unfortunately she doesn't do anything for me. She is cute and a sweetheart but I'm not really into her acting. I watched Gaksital and she really didn't shine. She got better in Age of Feeling but isn't that great to me either.

But on the other side I'm not even that convinced of LJS's acting. And doesn't he look too young (for a doc) as well? Anyway I hope that Hae-Jin and So-Ra do a great job and maybe those other two suprise me :D

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Wow, the reception to this news is a lot worse than I thought it would be.

I mean, Jin Se Yeon was definitely not the best actress in Gaksital, but she's definitely improved in Age of Feeling from what I've seen. The thing is, if you don't give young actresses like her chances to really challenge themselves and feel the pressure from having a lead role, then will they ever improve?

Yes, there are other actresses I wish had gotten this role instead of Jin Se Yeon, but I'm not going to write off this drama entirely just because of her.

Remember, almost all of our favourite leading ladies were once not-very-good rookies themselves.

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I am really bored with this actress. Her performance does NOTHING for me. I wish they had gone for someone else to play as lead female.

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so you dont have to watch this drama. its simple?

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Let say that she also has the misfortune to act alongside stronger actors than her (Joo Won, Joo Ji Hoon, Park Ki Woong, Ji Chang Wook.....). They all overshadowed her (not that it is difficult)

Funnily enough though is that in both "Gaksital" and "Five Fingers", they shoved her character to the side once she was no longer useful to the plot.

The reason why she's able to shine in "Age of Feeling" is probably because KHJ is no better acting-wise.

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I do have to hand to her though. She's damn good at picking projects, even if her characters in them are meh. Although I should be little more kind because I actually really like her in Age of Feeling even if I'm holding off on watching that show at the moment. I liked what I saw of her character. It helps that the other lead girl in that drama isn't doing it for me the way Han Chae-Ah did so the comparison isn't as glaring I guess?

Her role in Age of Feeling actually really reminds me of Park Min-Young in City Hunter, in that it means that she did manage to make me connect with her character at least once. But in all her other roles, I haven't connected at all. But besides that, I can't get excited about this pairing at all. I adore Lee Jong-Seok! But something about this pairing is so...eh. BUT I like the credits on the project a lot and it's such a bizarre premise that I'll definitely tune in! And since it was City Hunter that made me adore PMY before seeing her other projects, perhaps I'll love this girl when she works with this PD too?

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UNBELIIEEEEEVABLE...... I was really forward to this because of Lee Jongsuk, Park Haejin, and Kang Sora. But I am so tired of Jin Seyeon. So disappointed. She was the weakest link in Gaksital and I don't like her Inspiring Generation. She didn't bring much to the table in Five Fingers either. How frustrating. I'll be reading recaps before I decide if I should watch it. Sawrry Lee Jongsuk. SAWWRRYYY~

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you should watch My daughter is The Flower too if you want compare all her act. but if you still do not like her you better do not watch this drama or you will be end at the hospital.

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Really hope she does well for everyone's sake. I'll keep an eye on this drama but I'm not a fan of her or LJS so I'm not going to break my back trying to watch and keep up with this.

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Why do this to me? Why? I just discovered Park Hae-jin and he had to go and join a medical drama which I hate co-starring Lee Jong-seok who I can't stand and Jin Se-yeon whom I've never seen before. Well, I guess that's one less drama to worry about.

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Meh.

At least there's Lee Jong-suk and Park Hae-jin... Kang So-ra's good too. I truly hope Jin Se-yeon has improved. I couldn't be bothered with AoF... but we'll see if this is worth watching.

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yeah.

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She's acting as an anesthesiologist?? Yea, i'll believe that...sure, why not? Not that she looks like a 18 year old or anything.

Yeesh.

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shes 20 thank you

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Why won't they have Kang So-ra lead?

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Poor Jin Se-yeon. The amount of negativity aimed towards her is startling. I only saw her in Gaksital and I thought she did a decent job. Yeah, she's rather forgettable...but still, that doesn't mean she shouldn't get projects to improve her craft. Who knows, maybe this can be her breakthrough role.

I'm more worried about the storyline. It sounds so strange, especially with the doppelganger mixed in with first love storyline. That puts me off and I can see this kind of drama not doing so well in terms of ratings.

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ugh....WHY?.....I cringed so badly when I saw this. I don't usually give a crap about the female lead roles because not a lot of the Korean actresses have my interest but JSY is one of the few that I do NOT feel anything when she's acting and it irritates me really badly. when the girl acts it's like she's just reading off the script without any emotions. or when I expect something more, she doesn't deliver. *sigh* why do people who can't act to save their lives keep getting lead roles?. Kang Sora is a much better choice and yet she wasn't cast as lead. aiyaiyai. what is drama land trying to say with all these actresses who have pretty faces but can't act for crap.

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I don't get what all th hoop la about Kang Sora is. I couldn't stand Dream high 2, but then again it could have been the writing and though she was mediocre in Ugly Alert.

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Well I wasn't watching this either way...good luck

This character will have to be a bit more distinctive just so the doppelgangers will be different at least because goodness knows somehow all her characters seem the same until now. I'm watching AoF and I totally still see Mok Dan which seems impossible but there you go LOL. She's better now but than Gakistal but...I'm only watching for all the awesome actors and (shipping) Gaya and Leader Mo

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Wow, Javabeans commentators are really passionate.. :-)

I am a fan of LJS and I have not seen this actress in anything to be able to judge.

I had not seen Lee Bo Young before I saw IHYV either and therefore have an open mind.

Perhaps, this drama will be a breakout role for her.

Sometimes, it does happen.

I simply can't wait for it to start. If it has LJS in it, I am sure it will be a good one. I know he will do well and everyone around him will shine.

Yes, I am very biased for LJS. :-))

PS - Watch him in his new movie. LJS haters will agree he can act. That kid has the chops.

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One thing I wonder is why these up and comers (actresses) are hired for their looks at all. It would seem that the demographics watching the major dramas (at least the rom com's and melos) would be primarily female. So one could surmise that it is only the male part where looks would play more heavily in the casting choices. Obviously, the female part couldn't be a fug but it would seem time could be spent more on whether the girl can act worth a darn, cause that would connect with the demographic more and ya know have a better show and stuff. Yes, it makes sense that they often hire idols due to a previously established brand but without said branding I am at a loss as to how they seemingly see head shot, cast, and ask questions on how they emote on screen only once the cameras roll. It's almost like the casting directors are all guys or something?!?

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Oh and I just finished answer me 1997, and how in the hellz bellz is jung eun jin not getting all these parts! yes the writing and her character were on another level but she could certainly knock a rom com out better than most of these names.

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I dont know why people keep think negative for her or another actress, if you diont like, so dont watch it. the reason when i go for some drama its the story even I do not like or didn know the actor or actress if the story sounds good I will in (it happen when I saw Heartless City, i dont know whos JKH but I like the story, and now I become his fans). but if I do not like the story i was looking for whos the actor, if he/she was may idol I will in even the stories awful or I dont like the other cast.
For jin Se Yeon she still young and she always trained her self to become more better. She went to college and take a role in musical drama 'Closer' so, she didnt just stand and wait. I think its not about her acting, but it just because most of all get jealous and want our fave actress take the role. if I want i could say joo Won is more better than Lee jong Suk why not him? but i dont want to say that because i think LJS have own charm and hes a good actor too, even Im not his fans but i really appreciate what he does in the past drama.

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I don't think Jin Se Yeon was as bad in Gaksital as many here make her out to be. I think it has also got to do with the way Mok Dan the character was written. Perhaps a more experienced or better actress could have made us less frustrated with Mok Dan by adding more layers. Otherwise, Mok Dan was just a single-minded, simple female character.

I have seen a little of JSY in My Daughter The Flower and Age of Feeling, While her acting is decent, I agree that she is still not good enough to make greater distinction to the characters she plays.

Then again, not many actress or actors can do that. Joo Won is my bias and to me, he is one who does it successfully in each of his dramas. There are probably others but I doubt many especially in their 20s can achieve this.

Acting aside, at the moment, I cannot imagine JSY and LJS together. I can't put a finger to it. It's like JSY need a more mature man and LJS needs a stronger woman? Too much cuteness? But who knows, sometimes the most unpredictable thing happens.

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ugh. shes a tiny bit better in Age of Feeling than she was in Gaksital, thank God. But, she's still not good enough to attract me to any of her projects. might have to miss this one.

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I am a big Jin Se Yeon fan, so to read all these negative comments is really disheartening. I admit she is not the best actress, but she is improving in her craft. She doesn't deserves comments like 'devoid of talent', 'cursed', or even 'yuck'. JSY is still young, so she needs all the experience she can get. To say that she shouldn't be in a project because she doesn't 'deserves' it seems too much. She is an actress after all, so she needs to be in different things. Whether or not JSY is a good actress is up to people's opinions. She is deserving and worthy as much as the next actress.

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i actually like Jin Se Yeon way better than Kang Sora even though her acting is mediocre
Jin Se Yeon is really young, a 94-er but yet has already been a female lead in few dramas, you don't see this happen regularly
give her chance to improve her acting

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i don't know what's so special about this girl....

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