This ought to make fans happy. The stars of two of the most popular kdramas of recent years, Full House and My Name Is Kim Samsoon, have been cast together in a new drama, The World They Live In.

Song Hye Gyo and Hyun Bin, both 26, have been confirmed as the leads in the new drama by PD Pyo Min Su (Full House, What Star Did You Come From, Insoon Is Pretty) and writer Noh Hee Kyung (Goodbye Solo, Several Questions that Make Us Happy).

This marks Song Hye Gyo’s return to television after four years away (her last TV role was 2004’s Full House); since then, she’s had an unremarkable turn attempting a film career with the romantic drama My Girl and I (co-starring Cha Tae Hyun) and the disappointing large-scale epic Hwang Jini (with Yoo Ji Tae). She’s also been working on a U.S. debut in the low-budget U.S. indie flick Fetish — which doesn’t sound terribly appealing to me.

Hyun Bin may have shot to national heartthrob status after Samsoon ended in 2005, but his follow-up starring in The Snow Queen had a disappointing broadcast run in 2006, and this is his first project back since then.

Apparently Song Hye Gyo was PD Pyo’s top choice, and was sent the synopsis early. Her character is described as strong and straightforward, conveying a mature image as a professional woman; both she and Hyun Bin play drama PDs at a broadcast station. The World They Live In plans to air on KBS in November.

I’m not sure about this — it could be entertaining. I’m a little bored with dramas set in the entertainment world, although at least they aren’t actors. The writer has some good projects under her belt (Goodbye Solo, for instance, which is really a writer’s drama), and despite what I thought was excessive hype for the overrated Full House, I enjoyed watching it, at least until the final run of nonsensical plot turns. As for the stars… I’d say they’re both likable actors, but neither has made a mark through their actual acting talent. Still, it’s one I’ll keep watch for. And hey, we’ll always have the eye candy.

Via OSEN

SONG OF THE DAY

Maybee – “엉엉 울었어” (I cried) [ Download ]

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The upcoming KBS Wednesday-Thursday drama Insoon Is Pretty is one I’m keeping my eye on. This is Kim Hyun Joo’s (above left) comeback drama — although it bugs me that the word ‘comeback’ is misused an awful lot, thrown around to describe anything from a true comeback to merely a star’s next project (summer 2007’s Get Karl Oh Soo Jung was called a “comeback” vehicle for Oh Ji Ho, when his previous drama had only wrapped in December 2006!). Kim Hyun Joo’s last drama was the SBS series Marrying a Millionaire; she’d also previously appeared in Miss Kim’s Quest for a Billion Won and Glass Slippers. Newcomer Seo Hyo-rim (right) has been cast as the younger half-sister to Kim Hyun Joo’s titular Park Insoon. Her “ice princess” role was won after fierce competition in an audition process where she beat out 300 other hopefuls.

The director, Pyo Min Su, has a resume boasting some familiar titles, among them the light-hearted romances What Star Are You From? and Full House — but what catches my attention aren’t the stars or the production, it’s the story. The beautiful Insoon unintentionally kills someone and is sent away to prison — and now has emerged to face the cold judgment of the world, eventually overcoming her struggles as an ex-con to emerge victorious (not a spoiler; that’s the tagline accompanying the story description in all the media stories).

Insoon Is Pretty premieres on October 31 (Halloween!).

(Random) SONG OF THE DAY

Linus’ Blanket – “담요송 (Blanket Song)” [ zShare download ]

More on the cast >>

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