Okay, I think I’m done posting pics of stars visiting Lee Eon’s funeral room. If more information comes to light, I’m on it, but until then we’re just going to be getting photos of grieving folks, which is probably gratuitous.

I know it sounds hypocritical for me to dislike the photos and then post them. However, I do think it’s a matter of interest — just up to a point. When it starts feeling gratuitous, I step back.

Below are Strongest Chil Woo co-stars Eric, Gu Hye-sun, and Kim Byul. More pics beyond the jump.

Celebrities pay their respects >>

Tags: Chae Jung-ahn, Eric, Girls Generation, Gu Hye-sun, I Am a Model, Joo Ji-hoon, Kim Byul, Kim Sung-soo, Lee Chun-hee, Lee Eon, Lee Min-ki, Lee Yoon-jung, Oh Ji-ho, star accidents

Filed under: Drama Recaps by javabeans - 42 Comments →

Is it just me, or does the cast of Strongest Chil Woo look like they just stepped out of the pages of a Sears catalog (come see the softer side!)? With a hangover? Such pretty ladies, such unflattering styling.

Anyway, when I first heard about this upcoming fusion historical series, I was kinda tired of the genre and the concept. But now that Iljimae has started and utterly lost me a mere three episodes in — though I seem to one of the vast minority who took the red pill on that one — I’m actually starting to look forward to Chil Woo. It looks like a total fluff drama — but at least a fun one. And at the end of the day, I want entertainment.

The cast had their press day on June 4 in Seoul, and those in attendance included stars Eric (aka Moon Jong Hyuk) and Gu Hye Sun, as well as supporting actors Lee Eon, Kim Byul, Yoo Ah In, Im Ha Ryong and Jeon No Min.

The drama airs next week on June 9 on KBS2. Here’s the preview trailer — anyone else feeling shades of Back to the Future with the makeshift boarding?

Via JK News

SONG OF THE DAY

Kim Dong Wan feat. Eric - “Honey” from his current (second) solo album. [ Download ]

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Tags: Eric, Gu Hye-sun, Kim Byul, Lee Eon, press conferences, Strongest Chil Woo

Filed under: Drama Casting & News by javabeans - 25 Comments →

Hmm, they’re slowly winning me over with their cast…

KBS’s new fusion sageuk Strongest Chil Woo (or Choi Kang Chil Woo) seemed a little like another attempt at what they’d just done with Hong Gil Dong — funny, jokey, comedic historical. And while I enjoyed Hong Gil Dong for what it was, I can’t say it was a quality drama. (There were flashes of something interesting, but ultimately I think it was too uneven.) Plus we have Iljimae coming up — not just one but two different series — so I wasn’t really all that interested in Eric’s turn in Chil Woo — even after they added Gu Hye Sun to the cast.

But now they’ve gone and added two more actors I dig, Lee Eon from Coffee Prince and Kim Byul from Taereung National Village. I don’t know what it is about the foursome, but for some reason they feel well-matched to me. But on the other hand, it doesn’t exactly scream serious work of art. I’ll be watching this one merely to see how well its sense of humor fares.

I’ve been disappointed enough in the past to not put too much faith in a series’ actors to carry a show, but I will say that Chil Woo just got a little more interesting. The drama airs on KBS2 in the beginning of June.

Via Mk.co.kr

SONG OF THE DAY

Brownie Speaks - “Mary Mary” [ Download ]

RELATED POSTS

• Eric’s last pre-military project
• Lee Eon dishes the latest fashion advice
• Kim Byul, Jang Geun Seok — and baby makes three
• Breaking the fourth wall: Stars and their homepages

Tags: Eric, fusion dramas, Gu Hye-sun, Kim Byul, Lee Eon, sageuk dramas, Strongest Chil Woo

Filed under: Drama Casting & News by javabeans - 19 Comments →

Doll-faced actress Kim Byul (of the uncommonly good sports drama Taereung National Village, and Clazziquai’s “Sweety” music video opposite Lee Junki) has been cast opposite Jang Geun Seok (of the current fusion sageuk Hong Gil Dong — but if you spend any time on this site you already know that, lol) in a new movie, Baby and I. She was also in the teen sex farce Dasepo Naughty Girls, which I actually thought was quite interesting on several levels (although as a film narrative I think it ultimately falls short).

In Baby and Me, the 18-year-old character played by Jang Geun Seok has his life turned upside-down by sudden fatherhood. Kim Byul plays a quirky girl who, coincidentally, shares her name with her character in the film, which initially was a source of surprise for both actor and producers — she’d received the script to audition for the part and was startled at seeing the name. A source from the production team explains: “It isn’t only the name that’s similar, but in every aspect she’s like the film character, as though she’d come straight out of the movie.”

The film is set to start filming at the end of March.

Via Newsen

SONG OF THE DAY

Beautiful Romance - “그토록” (So much) [ zShare download ]

RELATED POSTS:

• Jang Geun Seok rocks Black ‘N Jean, Black Engine
• Taereung National Village
• Inaugural music post

Tags: Jang Geun-seok, Kim Byul

Filed under: Chungmuro/Film by javabeans - 14 Comments →

Despite the winningness of Coffee Prince, I’m starting to veer from cheery immersion into overload territory, and before that flares into full-on burnout, I thought I’d turn my attentions elsewhere to balance things out a bit. I’ve started watching some other series, dabbling in a sea of first episodes, trying to see which ones are worth sticking with.

The first to stand out as noteworthy is the short Best Theater miniseries Taereung National Village (태릉선수촌), which is a series of which I’ve heard many good things (this one’s for you, thundie!) and had been meaning to try even before realizing that its director is the same Lee Yoon Jung who is currently at the helm of Coffee Prince.

(Random) SONG OF THE DAY

Fortune Cookie - “일요일 아침” (Sunday morning) [ zShare download ]

Thoughts on TAEREUNG NATIONAL VILLAGE Episodes 1-2 >>

Tags: Choi Jung-yoon, Kim Byul, Lee Min-ki, Lee Seon-kyun, Lee Yoon-jung, sports dramas, Taereung National Village

Filed under: Drama Recaps by javabeans - 37 Comments →

I am totally getting the hang of blogging.

I thought I’d try posting a “song of the day” at the end of each post… I’m just playing around for now, but we’ll see how it goes. So to start it off, here’s one of my favorite videos of one of my favorite Korean groups, Clazziquai. It’s such an awesomely cute video.

[Read more →]

Tags: Clazziquai, Kim Byul, kpop, Lee Junki, music videos

Filed under: Kpop News by javabeans - 15 Comments →