News bites: November 15, 2015

56 November 15, 2015April 6, 2017

by awcoconuts

Joo-won

Joo-won (Yong-pal) has been cast as the lead in a Chinese drama called Love Express. In the rom-com, he’ll be coupled up with Deng Jiajia, who will play a woman who loves to bake. Qiao Zhenyu, Hui Shiu-hung and Monica Mu round out the cast, and the drama will shoot in Shanghai, Hangzhou, and in foreign locations. [Xports News]

The very first guest on new Chinese-Korean variety program Meet a God was none other than Lee Jun-ki (Scholar Who Walks the Night). He visited several of Seoul’s tourist spots on a guerilla date and concluded with an interview with broadcaster Oh Sang-jin. The episode airs on Anhui TV and online in China on November 28. [TV Report]

Lee Jun-ki

There are some conflicting reports, but SBS could be filling Six Flying Dragons’ timeslot with another large-scale sageuk upon the show’s conclusion. The station has cautiously approached the makers of Daebak, a historical drama, about taking over the Monday-Tuesday spot that will be vacated in January. Daebak will be written by Kwon Soon-kyu (Warrior Baek Dong-soo, Goddess of Fire Jung-yi). [Sports Chosun]
Filming has begun on the sweeping Chinese drama Dear! Long Time No See, and Kwon Sang-woo (Temptation) is the star opposite actress Li Yixuan. A collaboration between several large Chinese production companies, the big-budget drama has been two years in the making and is based on the popular novel North Sea Lovers. Cameras began rolling on November 9 in Shenzen. [TV Report]

Kwon Sang-woo, Yang Jin-sung

My Son-in-Law’s Woman, SBS’s upcoming daily drama, has found its lead: Yang Jin-sung (Bride of the Century) will play a cheerful and easygoing fashion designer who meets and marries a great man, but he comes with a catch — a former mother-in-law who thinks of him as a son. (I know it’s just a daily drama and not a horror show, but anyone else get Olgami shivers?) [Chosun Ilbo]
Bong Joon-ho’s Snowpiercer is being remade for American TV, and the director, as well as producer Park Chan-wook, will have a hand in the adaptation. Josh Friedman (Avatar 2, War of the Worlds) has been hired to write the script. [Segye Ilbo]

Snowpiercer, Misaeng 2

Eeek, season 2 of Misaeng (the webtoon) begins on November 17. Writer Yoon Tae-ho has promised the second season will be a continuation of the lives of the characters we know and love. [DongA]
Small World IFT, the company that snapped up the right to bring CJ E&M’s Grandpas Over Flowers to the States, has now purchased the formats for two additional Korean shows, JTBC’s Abnormal Summit and Crime Scene. CEO Tim Crescenti expressed confidence that Abnormal Summit could successfully be adapted for American audiences (the Chinese and Turkish versions have been hits), and he believes Crime Scene will appeal to U.S viewers because of its fresh spin on old material. [JTBC]

Crime Scene, Abnormal Summit

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1 kanz

November 15, 2015 at 3:07 AM

The title should be:
"Everyone, let's go to China or US!!"
LOL

Even Ji Chang Wook has more works in China than Korea these days.
And oh, for Daebak drama (what a title, LOL), someone please cast Ji Chang Wook and Moon Geun Young! I need my faves together, preferably in sageuk?

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capricorn

November 15, 2015 at 1:01 PM

I want all of these actors back in korea shooting a drama so that I can see the process and there's more updates/news on them

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2 pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉

November 15, 2015 at 3:22 AM

wow, everyone is hopping off to China (even oppa! )

But I'm looking forward to Misaeng season 2, even if it's only in Korean and I can't read it. Because it means maybe a drama season 2 someday, and the prospect of that has me so happy (and also nervous) that I just can't deal.

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Kiara

November 15, 2015 at 5:14 AM

Scholar may not have been oppa's best project but he stood out in a big way. He is even more popular because of it. I'm very happy for him.

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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉

November 15, 2015 at 5:29 AM

I was never too worried for him, to be honest - he's too well-respected to be held responsible for the writer's mess.

The one I'm more worried about is Yubi, who was saddled with a character who was never given anything to actually DO, despite being the ostensible heroine of the piece. She deserves better than to be written off because of this (and I hope to goodness she books a lead role in something good next time)

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Kiara

November 15, 2015 at 5:35 AM

I'm worried about her too. The main casts have been casted in new projects except for her.

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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉

November 15, 2015 at 6:23 AM

I just hope her agency doesn't take the better part of a year to get her next acting job like they did after Gu Family Book :/

bojamz

November 17, 2015 at 6:15 PM

been trying to read the webtoon with my grade school level korean. ugh.

hoping for a tv version in 2016 (fingers crossed)

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3 Daehoney

November 15, 2015 at 3:29 AM

The first time I read the title of the drama, Daebak, I instantly pictured Daebak the Lee Dong Gook's 10 month old son in Return of Superman with his Bodhisattva expression, and that made me laugh thinking the drama will be about Daebak (with the theme song. "Daebaki, Daebaki, Daebaki-ya!") I know I sound weird now okay but he's really cute.

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genkibaka

November 15, 2015 at 4:27 AM

Me too! lol

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Brittany

November 15, 2015 at 8:39 AM

Same lol

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4 cheekbones

November 15, 2015 at 3:39 AM

Nowadays the money is in China. I've noticed that kpop acts now go to many cities in China for concerts. Some years ago, they would only go to Shanghai or Beijing, but now they will go to some others. Look at Big Bang. They had a very extensive tour in China.

It's no different for dramas, movies, and variety shows. It used to be Japan, Japan, Japan. Now I guess it's China, China, China.

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Kiara

November 15, 2015 at 5:22 AM

I believe they don't get paid nearly as much as the Chinese actors. I wonder if Korean actors are just doing it to expand their fan base.

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es

November 15, 2015 at 5:43 AM

I've heard that they still do get paid a lot more for things like CFs than they would in Korea, especially for stars like Kim Soo-hyun and Lee Min-ho.

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Narsha

November 15, 2015 at 8:10 AM

Actually China pays tremendous due to cost of an advertising spot there. Hong Kong actors are paid in the region of USD80-120k per ep for an A-lister so I think Joo Won with his hit Yongpal in China will also get similar. Throw in endorsements in the region of min 800K USD, who doesn’t want to go to China to make money? KSH made 60mil USD alone last year in ads, pretty sure its majorly contributed by the ads he shot in China. (Its a lot... I saw hi everywhere in Shanghai)

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Kiara

November 15, 2015 at 8:38 AM

Kim Soo-hyun and Lee Min-ho of course they would get paid a ton. I mainly referring to dramas not ads.

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glim

November 15, 2015 at 8:48 AM

I think they get paid a lot especially for doing Chinese advertisement, i know for sure Kim Sooo Hyun,Lee Min Ho and Jun Ji Hyun get much better pay than they do in Korea.
I heard Yoona got 4 mill yuan for her Chinese drama, i don`t know any actress that gets so much in Korea.

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spazmo

November 15, 2015 at 10:01 AM

well since there are 1.3 billion people in china... do the math...
; )

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cheekbones

November 15, 2015 at 4:54 PM

Of course, but China is also an economic power now, even on the road to overtaking the US. So yeah, it's obvious. :)

And I think it's an easier market to crack than Japan, for instance ? (which is still a huge economy and market for kpop).

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5 graey

November 15, 2015 at 4:12 AM

My heart jumped when I saw Crime Scene!! But I'm a bit disappointed that the news isn't about a Season 3. I need the squad back! T.T Also happy for Misaeng. I mean I probably won't be able to read it(I will definitely learn Korean when I find the time and concentration to!) but Season 2, any plans TvN?

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6 Itenoria

November 15, 2015 at 4:17 AM

All I can say is Misaeng season2!!!!!!!!! But now that I think about it, what if it just stays as a webtoon and they never turn it into a drama. *Goes to a corner to moan softly.

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7 Kiara

November 15, 2015 at 5:10 AM

Got excited when I saw Song Kang Ho's picture. I thought it'll be some news on Secret Agent.

We heard quite a few potential US remakes in the last couple of years but nothing happen. I have no doubt that "Snowpiercer" have the best chance. Director Bong Joon-ho and Park Chan-wook are well respected in Hollywood and they are both involved in this project. Josh Friedman is not a bad choice for a writer either.

I'm looking forward to KBS's next big authentic sageuk. "Jung Do-jeon" was a success. Hope it'll encourage them to produce more based on the history's unsung heros.

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juniper

November 15, 2015 at 4:34 PM

Yes to another real sageuk. Kind of side-eyeing the project that might replace 6FD, though. The writer of Goddess of Fire? No thank you lol

There is some hope for sageuk, though. Did you see that they picked up subbing Queen Insoo again? It's going slower than before but the whining has dropped off in the comment section, so I have hope they'll see it out. I couldn't take 6FD anymore after a couple of weeks but God of Trade (or The Merchant or whatever its title is lol) is actually decent so far, though it's kind of over dramatic and it's not gripping me as I'd hoped. Still, Jang Hyuk <3

Sorry, way off topic lol

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Kiara

November 15, 2015 at 9:38 PM

KBS is our last hope for a real old school sageuk. I'm not sure when they are going to come out with another like JDJ. I hope they'll keep Jung Hyun-min as their main writer.

Glad to hear about Queen In-soo :).
I can't handle 2 sageuks at a time so I'll have to watch Merchant after 6FD. I'm still hanging on for Kim Myung Min.

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juniper

November 16, 2015 at 7:47 AM

Hopefully there will be something much better than Merchant on by the time 6FD ends!

I haven't been able to see Jung Do-jeon :(. I've watched some of Assembly (still have to finish it), and he definitely writes politics pretty well. Hope he goes back to sageuk for his next project and somebody subs it this time lol

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Kiara

November 17, 2015 at 9:12 AM

I should've taped Jung Do-jeon when it was on KBSworld. I know Jung did a lot of research for the drama because they wanted it to be as accurate or close as possible. I heard that they hired some of actors from Tears of the Dragon and put them through 4 months of history class before they started shooting.

juniper

November 17, 2015 at 9:41 PM

Now that is dedication. I have nothing but respect for a writer who cares so much about their work, and understands how important it is to get history right.

sunnyl

November 16, 2015 at 4:21 AM

authentic sageuk? There is Jang Young-sil. Kim SangJung who was Sejong in the Great king SeJong will be Sejong again (from what I read). I think it will be good -Jang Young-sil will perfect for unsung hero story.

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sunnyl

November 16, 2015 at 4:26 AM

btw Merchant has been such a disappointing drama. I am still watching hoping for the show to come to its senses (It is Merchant success story, not romance), but so far disappointed big time. How could they do that with all those great casts. Sigh.

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Kiara

November 16, 2015 at 7:29 AM

Awesome! I read about the drama but I wasn't sure if they were going fusion or authentic since it's only going to be 24 episodes.
I was going to watch it anyway since it's Song II Kook's comeback drama. I'm not a huge fan but I like him.
The one I'm most excited about is Kim Sang-Kyung playing King Sejong again :). I loved him in The Great King Sejong.

I'm glad KBS is going with the unsung heros. I think Choi Mu-seong deserves his own drama. Loved his character in the movie "Divine Weapon" but a drama would be a real treat.
I was kind of disappointed that they didn't mention him in 6FD but since they didn't really go into details with the wars there was no need.

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8 Nana

November 15, 2015 at 5:16 AM

Olgami - i actually have that on vcd. ♡Yang Jin Sung

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9 Chanelboy loves Jang Ki Young Argh

November 15, 2015 at 5:18 AM

Joo Won never sleeps for sure

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10 Beverly A

November 15, 2015 at 5:29 AM

Snowpiercer was excellent!!

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11 cat

November 15, 2015 at 6:23 AM

Oh boy he doesnt sleep at all

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12 ilchul

November 15, 2015 at 6:59 AM

Lee Jun Ki ssi in a variety show that would be fun!!! the last variety program he was in was "Happy Camp" about 2 years ago and I can't wait to see him in this one!!! :D

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13 Den

November 15, 2015 at 7:16 AM

Misaeng 2!!!! That is all. ;)

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14 Rosemary

November 15, 2015 at 7:17 AM

I could not even finish Misaeng season 1; It became repetitive and boring. Really, no need for Season 2.

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15 kellie

November 15, 2015 at 7:55 AM

Poor, lovely Yang Jin-sung. The big dramas just don't come knocking, do they?

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Annie

November 15, 2015 at 8:27 AM

MTE. Even some throwaway rom-coms still go after established actresses... makes you wonder how today's top actresses ever got a break!

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16 whatis

November 15, 2015 at 8:53 AM

So what is the general opinion of the collaboration projects?

In general, I'm not crazy about anything dubbed over. It's always a bit awkward for me to have watched a korean drama with original language + subtitles and then catching it randomly when my family watches it with chinese dubbed over it. (But these chinese voice actors are absolutely amazing... I was actually pleasantly surprised at how well they captured the feel of the original. I feel like if I had never watched the original, I would totally be all in. But because I did, it's always a bit awkward :\ )

I don't know much about acting... but wouldn't there be communication and acting barriers when one actor speaks in one language, and the the others in another? Or is this just my fantastical idea of the World of Acting?

And then... what happens when fans of, let's say, Joo Won, goes to watch this drama... and all they really get to see is his face... and his voice is completely someone else's? Are they cool with that? Well I guess there's really nothing for them to do if they're not cool with it.

Turned into a bit of a meandering post... but was just curious how people ... Korean watchers and rest of the world watchers feel about these collaboration projects.

Which then makes me wonder... Are there korean dubbed foreign dramas? Like... Let's say Joo Won finishes 'Love Express', and it gets exported into Korea. Would there be a voice over for every actor, but Joo Won's part would be in original Korean with his own voice?

Meandering post indeed...

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DeeDeeW

November 15, 2015 at 10:07 AM

Completely agree with you. I've tried watching these collabs with the dubbing and cannot, for the life of me, get through them. Voice and facial expressions go together and I have yet to see one done convincingly. Especially if it's a beloved actor I really love watching.
I'm always sad when an actor I really like takes on a Chinese collab...that means I will miss their project.

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Fefe

November 15, 2015 at 11:17 AM

I personally don't have an issue with the dubbing if it's done right, I mean they dub chinese speaking actors too! So I guess fans just get used to it. For example, I had no problem with Nichkhun in his drama (the few Eps I watched, at least) and you could SEE him mouthing in English. But in an example of bad dubbing you have Yoona, her voice actor is just so terrible! There's only been a few teasers out and already I'm annoyed with it o.O What I've noticed though, is that int and C-fans are not bothered with the dubbing, but with the actors not (trying at the least) speaking chinese. They think it's disrespectful or something (and also troublesome for the actors).

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Kiara

November 16, 2015 at 7:36 AM

So why are they dubbing their own actors who speaks their language? I know Liu Shi Shi's voice was dubbed in Bu Bu Jing Xin and Song of the Desert. Is it because she doesn't speak the old language well or they just don't like her voice?

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Jon G.

November 16, 2015 at 9:05 AM

They dub every single voice in these productions, and pretty much all the other noises are post-produced too. It's much cheaper, but I think it was originally done because of the many different languages and dialects in the Chinas.

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nanner

November 16, 2015 at 9:35 AM

they dubbed over arial lin's voice in her chinese dramas because 1. she had a taiwanese accent and 2. her voice is lower and not considered feminine enough.
when i complained (i find the high pitched voices grating on the ear) i was told higher pitched voices were considered more attractive to the chinese.

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Kiara

November 17, 2015 at 9:15 AM

Thank you both. I thought it would cost more to hire voice actors.

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kbaswithneko

November 18, 2015 at 6:59 AM

Even though I do not understand Korean the voice of the actor is still so important to enjoyable viewing. The tone, the infection and the rhythm are a vehicle to convey emotion just as much as the actual words. I recently watched Absolute Boyfriend in which the main character is dubbed. The un-synchronized lip movements were so distracting and it was disconcerting not to hear her normal voice. Not a fan of dubbing.

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17 Miky

November 15, 2015 at 9:23 AM

This days everyone is going to China..curious about the no. of ep for Joo Won's drama and if it will be accesible to people outside Asia...Glad to see news about Season 2 of Misaeng,i guess maybe next year will hear some news about the drama seson 2,maybe,maybe...

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creidesca

November 15, 2015 at 11:35 AM

For Joo Won's chinese drama, 30 episodes according to baidu. The synopsis of the drama can be found at soompi's Joo Won thread...as the drama already started filming, photos have been posted there.

The director's previous works include SOP (I and II), Fall in Love With You Again (stars Choi Si Won), Summer's Desire...

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18 Rena

November 15, 2015 at 10:17 AM

A US version of Crime Scene sounds good but I hope they cast the right personalities.

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19 ⭐ Sera The Ms Temper ⭐

November 15, 2015 at 4:45 PM

I just wish Joo Won will get enough sleep after this, esp before he goes to army.

Nowadays, news for an actor/ actress go to China for drama/movie is no longer exciting. Good for their career, and money too.

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20 bjharm

November 16, 2015 at 3:01 AM

to add to casting news
http://asianwiki.com/One_More_Happy_Ending
Jang Nara heading back to Korea in the new year for a new drama

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21 Katniss

November 16, 2015 at 9:36 AM

I wish my country can import some of these shows too. Especially Abnormal Summit and Return of Superman... But I don't know if people would watch them, our entertainment is more about people flirting and pursuing relationships everywhere lol. Like Big Brother is really famous, and even the kids there can't help but flirt like they have an itch or something. Plus for RoS, I don't know if there are suitable artists... Actors in my country aren't exactly morally great.

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22 Dreamer

November 17, 2015 at 8:27 AM

I know it is the webtton version of MISAENG 2 ... but i am quite happy and hopefull... may be they will produce it sometime in future... with the same cast and CLASS.... :)

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23 HKIM2011

November 17, 2015 at 3:27 PM

Could someone explain to me why so much of popular Korean variety seems to be dominated by men? I feel like this is more true now than even before. New(ish) shows generally seem to have a group of men doing things or talking about things - Abnormal Summit, Witch Hunt, most (if not all) of the cooking and cooking competition shows, Yoo Jae Suk's new show, all of Sung Shi Kyung's new shows . . . . And, of course, the long-running variety programming are generally male-dominated -- Radio Star, 1N2D, Running Man (1 lone woman among 6 men) . . . .

I had noticed this before and hadn't thought too much about it, but when Happy Together got a "new" cast, which was just getting rid of the 2 women and replacing them with men, I was seriously upset. Women in variety programming are becoming such a small minority. Are all the women funneled into morning shows or shows talking about makeup? Or am I not getting a full picture of Korea's variety programming?