News bites: June 27, 2015
by awcoconuts
Oh Ji-ho, Jeon Hyo-sung, Ha Yeon-joo
- The return of Ghost-Seeing Detective Cheo-yong has secured a time slot. In its first season, the show scored the second best viewership of all OCN’s original programming, and thus Oh Ji-ho has been brought back to reprise his role as an officer with an unusual talent. Now that his colleagues know about his ability, the season will focus on Oh using his powers (with the full support of his team) to unravel difficult cases. Most of the original cast will return, but Ha Yeon-joo (My Secret Hotel) will step into the shoes of the female detective played by Oh Ji-eun in the first season. Cheo-Yong 2 will air after My Beautiful Bride beginning on August 20 on Saturday evenings. [Maeil Economy, Joongang]
- Veteran actor Han Seok-kyu is positively considering a return to the silver screen with Father’s War, based on the death of Lieutenant Kim Hoon at Panmunjom in February 1998. Although his death was deemed a suicide, his father, Kim Cheok (Lt. General, Army Reserve) found the official ruling suspicious, and the film will be about his struggle to uncover the truth. The film is still in the early stages of pre-production, but Han would be amazing in the role of the grieving (versus ragemonster of a) father. [News 1]
- Kim Sae-ron (High School: Love On) will play the lead in We Become Stars, a fantasy youth romance about a boy band that is on the verge of debuting, but the day before the young men hit the stage for their big break, they time-slip into the past. Kim will play a calm and wise person in the past who helps the boys debut safely. (I wonder if it’s Kim’s slightly ethereal looks that land her these fairy godmother/guardian angel-type roles?) The web drama began filming a few days ago and will run for 12 episodes of ten minutes each. We Become Stars will be broadcast on portal sites and via other channels in August. [Sports Worldi]
- YG Entertainment recently released a preview for the web drama We Broke Up via YouTube. It features Sandara Park (of 2NE1) and Kang Seung-yoon (of Winner) playing a happy couple — until they break up but are still forced to live together. In the clip, they sing a cute duet together called The Two of Us, and the two-episode web drama will air both episodes on June 29 via various portal sites. [Ten Asia]
- The web drama Romance Blue (mentioned here) is currently nearing the end of its run, and the two dating and romance experts, Park Min-woo (Modern Farmer), and Kim Ji-an are starting to find it’s impossible to escape fate’s efforts to keep them together. Romance Blue began airing one episode each day for six days beginning June 22 and will air its final episode on June 27 on Naver TVCast. [Ten Asia]
- Nam Gyuri (Heartless City) and Yu Xiao Tong have been cast as the leads in the upcoming Chinese-Korean web drama Swan. Nam is a plastic surgeon who is blessed to look like a model herself. She was previously married to Yu’s character, also a plastic surgeon, but they got divorced. While not so successful at a romantic partnership, they’ve discovered they make excellent business partners, and they’ve set up a clinic together in Korea. Yu is a brilliant plastic surgeon who’s aloof but has an eye for aesthetics and is able to turn clients into newly beautiful individuals. Fei (of Miss A) and rookie Jo Min-sung have also been cast in supporting roles, and Fei will play a 2nd-year resident who hides her own ablity so that she can stay close to Yu (she even follows him to Korea) and Jo will play the head of consultations at Nam and Yu’s clinic. He’s got a winning smile but he’s a bit heodang, and he’ll stay close to Nam and watch over her. Filming will begin next month and will take place in both China and Korea. [Kookje]
- The web drama About Love, which was scored by pianist/singer/songwriter Yoon-han and which aired on Naver TVCast in March, will be aired again on KBS — it’ll be broadcast June 27 during their web drama special time slot. While the musician has contributed to previous OSTs (Sungkyunkwan Scandal, I Need Romance), this is the first drama for which he oversaw all of the musical direction. The four-episode, omnibus-style short drama features Dong-joon (of ZE:A), Chinese actress Yurina, Kevin (of U-KISS), and ZN (Bae Jin-ye of LABOUM) as they figure out the meaning of young love. If you happen to catch it, keep an ear out: Yoon-han combined Bossa nova, jazz, pop and classical styles for the soundtrack and uses music to show the emotions of the characters. [Enews 24]
- Naver’s most popular web novel of 2015 has been selected to become a web drama. In Noble My Love, Sung Hoon (Faith) has been cast as the male lead, while Jaekyung (of Rainbow) will play his costar. Production has opened a funding page via tumblbug to help with the budget, and a release is being targeted for the latter half of 2015 on Naver TVCast. [Ten Asia]
Han Seok-kyu, Kim Sae-ron
And, on to the web drama portion of news bites (there are several!):
Nam Gyuri, Yu Xiao Tong, Fei, Jo Min-sung
Sung Hoon, Jaekyung
RELATED POSTS
Tags: Ha Yeon-joo, Han Seok-kyu, Kang Seung-yoon, Kim Sae-ron, Nam Gyuri, news bites, Oh Ji-ho, Park Min-woo, Sandara Park, Sung Hoon
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1 Aigoooo
June 27, 2015 at 12:23 PM
Wow! Web dramas have really taken off this year. It is kinda weird that their run time is about as long as a regular movie but divided up into segments. I guess they do that for advertisement purposes?
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windsun33
June 27, 2015 at 6:18 PM
I have watched a few, but overall pretty much given up on most, at least those that seem to be nothing more than idol showcasing - which is most of them.
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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
June 27, 2015 at 7:30 PM
The only web dramas I've really liked are last year's Be Arrogant, and Twenty Years Old.
Both had some semblance of a story and decent performances from their idol actors (plus a fairly strong focus on the non-idol characters too, and a really unexpected feminist streak in BA) so I found them a pleasant, non-cringeworthy watch.
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windsun33
June 28, 2015 at 7:56 AM
I think Be Arrogant was the only one I really finished, and even it was a bit weird.
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2 alua
June 27, 2015 at 12:46 PM
Half of these seem to have idols as actors / leads...
No actors left in Korea? Or is it 'means of promoting idols' before 'producing dramas/films' now?
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Sombra
June 27, 2015 at 3:06 PM
I think for bigger companies is promotion to gain young fans (keep the ones you got too,) like idol varieties (short of) and a way to train their idola-ctors without getting massive hate for landing a role in an important drama.
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Jon G.
June 27, 2015 at 3:57 PM
Well, the truth is: Casting idols instead of actual actors is the only known method of increasing the viewership predictably.
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AAAAA
June 27, 2015 at 5:14 PM
Buzz*
Cause idols do not contribute to viewership.
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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
June 27, 2015 at 7:15 PM
Not really, considering so many idol vehicles have ended up with ratings in the sub-5 percent range. Casting idols does not work unless you have a writer capable of working around lack of skill.
That's probably why the trend ended late last year and young lead roles finally started to go to actresses again - no channel wanted more She's So Lovable-style flops.
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bd5
June 27, 2015 at 9:29 PM
Production companies and networks thought that casting idols would bring young viewers not only in Korea, but across Asia - but hasn't exactly been a successful formula.
The 1st key is always the writing/script.
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Aigoooo
June 28, 2015 at 1:16 AM
At least this makes sense somehow. Idols usually have a younger audience and most of them do not watch tv anymore but live on the internet. So, it's a win-win for idols and actors. Idols can prosper doing web dramas (and get the internet ratings) and actors can do TV.
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windsun33
June 27, 2015 at 6:19 PM
It seems to me that it is really nothing more than idol promotion, to keep the names out there in between the multiple "comebacks".
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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
June 27, 2015 at 7:21 PM
I'd rather see them keep themselves busy with web dramas than cluttering up actual tv channels as drama leads when they can't act.
And thank god, that trend looks to be at an end now. I've noticed a lot more young actresses scoring drama lead roles since last October, instead of idols - Shim Eun-kyung, Nam Ji-hyun, Go Ah-sung, Kim So-hyun, Kang Sora, now Lee Yubi.......SO much better than a couple of years ago.
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sunnyl
June 28, 2015 at 5:07 PM
Also we had/will have Kim AhJoong, Kim SunAh, Song HaeKyo, Ha JiWon, Kim TaeHee, Kim HeeSun, Go HyunJung. Yay!
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3 p3rk3le
June 27, 2015 at 12:53 PM
do you know where to watch/download Romance Blue? I cant seem to find it anywhere...
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4 Mandy
June 27, 2015 at 1:49 PM
Ha Yeon-joo has the ability to make really unlikable characters work. I think she's really good but doesn't get hype she deserves so leaving a comment out for her (=
And a little off topic but she looks a lot like Lee Yu-bi in that pic. I almost confused them.
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p3rk3le
June 28, 2015 at 4:42 AM
For a moment I thought you said Ha Yeon-soo and I was really surprised you think like this. But I do agree on Ha Yeon-joo :)
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5 rinoak
June 27, 2015 at 1:55 PM
Ok, so, if Ghost-Seeing Detective is second best in viewership, does anyone know what came in first? Cuz I'm still really hoping for Bad Guys to get a second season and I thought it did pretty well in the ratings department. (Though I know it might be a while since they do take their time with second seasons over at OCN. Sigh.)
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karecity
June 27, 2015 at 10:23 PM
Bad Guys definitely did better than Ghost Seeing Detective in terms of viewership. I'm kinda surprised Detective is second cos I don't think its ratings were that spectacular? But maybe they're just comparing within timeslots as Bad Guys was on Saturday while Detective on Sunday like the other OCN shows (VP, God's Quiz, Hero etc)
Hoping for Bad Guys Season 2 too!!! But apparently Park Hae Jin is fully booked this year so we'll have to wait till at least next year for the original cast.
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6 panshel
June 27, 2015 at 4:13 PM
Is this News bites: Idol Edition?
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sunnyl
June 28, 2015 at 5:09 PM
+1 LOL
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7 PistachioSkies
June 27, 2015 at 5:22 PM
Does anyone else find it slightly icky that Kang Seung-Yoon (21) is romancing Sandara (30)? I mean I know that Sandara is sort of like benjamin button - she looks SO young, but that is nearly a decade age gap. I think I wouldn't mind if he as at least 25 and she 35 even, but 21 seems like a rather young age to be in an on-screen romance with a decade older actor. I feel like if he was a woman that was 21 - it would raise quite a few eyebrows.
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kuromitsu
June 27, 2015 at 6:01 PM
I think what's more important is that Sandara isn't really a very good actress. At least from what I've seen of her in Producers, she acts just like the way she acted during her stint in the Philippines.
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bd5
June 27, 2015 at 9:27 PM
Older actors get paired up w/ young actresses all the time - and not just in Korea, but in Hollywood and elsewhere.
Don't see why what is good for the goose isn't good for the gander (or in this case, the other way around).
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8 whilethemusiclasts
June 27, 2015 at 5:44 PM
Eh. I don't think so? I don't think the backlash was that huge when they paired Rain with Krystal for My Lovely Girl. Krystal's only 20 and Rain is way older than Sandara.
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whilethemusiclasts
June 27, 2015 at 5:52 PM
Was supposed to be a response to PistachioSkies. Damnit. My phone browser is being weird.
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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
June 27, 2015 at 7:22 PM
Rain's born in '82, Sandara Park is an '84er, that's not 'way older' than her....
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9 No1
June 27, 2015 at 6:03 PM
If Ghost-Seeing Detective Cheo-yong get another season what about vampire prosecutor. Is there any chance that there will be another season???
And that cliffhanger ending is so very need another season...
How many years have been since seen the last season
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maknae_reader
June 27, 2015 at 8:22 PM
I 'd rather not want a Vampire Prosecutor S3 if Yeon Jung Hoon and the gang are not the ones playing their character.
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No1
June 28, 2015 at 8:09 AM
yes thats true.
thats the best team for the vampire prosecutor
same team please and a great story without a cliffhanger ending :)
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fantasy
June 28, 2015 at 7:22 AM
After discovering Yeon Jung Hoo in Mask, I am now watching Vampire Prosecutor :) and my God what a beautiful smile he has !!!
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No1
June 28, 2015 at 8:13 AM
season 1 or 2???
i recommend season 2 a badass villain vampire and a blooming crush within the leads
if you want action more then it is season 1 ;)
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fantasy
June 28, 2015 at 6:44 PM
watched S1 but now that you recommended I will watch S2 also :) thanx
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10 Jyc
June 27, 2015 at 6:40 PM
Toooooo many web dramas :O
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11 Lincoln Gu
June 27, 2015 at 7:16 PM
Quite surprised Oh Ji Eun is not coming back. I think she did quite well.
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12 bd5
June 27, 2015 at 9:22 PM
Seems like a juicy, dramatic role - perfect for Han Seok-kyu.
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13 Mrs.Song Joong Ki
June 27, 2015 at 10:57 PM
Web dramas everywhere lol
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14 brightsept
June 28, 2015 at 7:22 AM
I also wonder why kim sae ron always got thay angel roles. But she does look like an angel though. And I cant wait for we broke up!!!!
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15 Michiki
June 28, 2015 at 10:29 PM
If you know any news about casting for actor Ji Chang Wook, please let us know. In April he said the press will release the news soon, but until now I haven't heard anything new.
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