Sunwoo Sun has announced that she’s dropping out of KBS’ current Monday-Tuesday cop procedural Crime Squad, reportedly due to some problems between the producers and her agency. Okay, I don’t want to be all lemons-out-of-lemonade about this if she’s being ousted for a bad reason, but I’m actually glad she’s being written out. I don’t know beans about this actress, but her character is a total energy suck. I really get sleepy every time she’s onscreen.

And I don’t want to pass judgment too quickly, as this is the first I’m seeing of her, but there’s got to be a correlation between her performance and my great dislike for her character. She’s just totally unbelievable in both ends of the spectrum, which she’s had to play: a tough cop, and a scaredy cop. Chances are, you’d have to be good at one of those, right?

The producers have released a statement that Sunwoo Sun was dissatisfied with her character from the get-go. Don’t blame her; I’d be pissed if I got to work and my character was all “Boo hoo, I’m too scared to fight…but then I also want to join the squad with the toughest cases…but I’m scared.” WTF? Sunwoo Sun’s agency has in turn stated that she has been responsibly sticking with the production, even longer than she intended. (She reportedly wanted to drop out by Episode 5.)

She’s the one dropping the drama, but I think Show will be better off without her, ’cause I enjoy everyone’s scenes but hers. So…silver lining, yeah?

Her character will be making her last appearance on Monday’s Episode 7, and has been written out, Episode 8 onwards. Crime Squad airs Monday-Tuesday on KBS.

Via Joy News

RELATED POSTS

• Crime Squad: Episode 1
• Preview clip for KBS drama Crime Squad
• More scenes from Crime Squad
• Kim Seung-woo to drop Crime Squad
• Jumong couple back together for Crime Squad
• Meet the cops of KBS’s Crime Squad
• Kim Seung-woo to headline new drama

© girlfriday for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 51 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Sunwoo Sun

Crime Squad preview is out!

I’m a little ashamed to say that my main takeaway from the trailer is supremely shallow: OMG Lee Jong-hyuk, why so hot? I’m even a little sorry, as I don’t even care that Kim Seung-woo dropped out, paving the way for Lee Jong-hyuk’s inclusion as the cold-hearted police chief.

My second response is a little more substantive: The drama is, to my surprise, going for a much lighter, almost outright comedic tone than I’d suppose of a crime-procedural. I was anticipating something more along the lines of 2007′s cop drama H.I.T starring Go Hyun-jung, and instead it’s more like 2009′s comedy-melodrama Hero. (Given that H.I.T was (pardon the pun) a hit and Hero a huge flop, I’m not sure that’s the most promising comparison, but there ya have it.)

(...)
Read the rest of Preview clip for KBS drama Crime Squad (170 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 45 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Kim Joon, Lee Jong-hyuk, Song Il-kook, Song Ji-hyo, Sunwoo Sun

With Crime Squad premiering next month, we have a couple new batches of stills from the procedural cop drama. Frankly, it bums me out a little that I like the cast so much, and yet find the plot so humdrum. (Kangnam police station + criminals + investigations. Eh.) Well, here’s to hoping that the story surprises with some added interest. It could happen.

Looks like Lee Jong-hyuk is now fully onboard and incorporated into the cast as well, after being a late replacement for Kim Seung-woo, who dropped out due to personal reasons. And…I think a lot of fans are happy about him, to put it mildly. I think if anyone were to match Kim Seung-woo as the cold-hearted (yet totally hot) bastard police chief, it would be him.

(...)
Read the rest of More scenes from police drama Crime Squad (197 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 34 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Kim Joon, Lee Jong-hyuk, Song Il-kook, Song Ji-hyo, Sunwoo Sun

Following teen idol drama Dream High, we have the more serious crime drama titled, appropriately enough, Crime Squad. Below are shots from the drama’s poster shoot earlier this week, featuring its cast of cops.

The drama stars Kim Seung-woo (IRIS) and Song Il-kook (A Man Called God), each of whom embody two very differing working styles. Kim Seung-woo plays a cold, clean-cut, buttoned-up police chief, while Song Il-kook is decidedly scruffier as the hotheaded cop. (After seeing the latter playing sageuk kings and sleek modern badasses, I have to say I really like him rumpled-up and sporting some ‘tude.)

(...)
Read the rest of Meet the cops of KBS’s Crime Squad (248 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 39 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Kim Joon, Kim Seung-woo, Song Il-kook, Sunwoo Sun

Woot! I freaking LOVE Kim Seung-woo. Seeing him for three seconds a week on Athena just isn’t cutting it for me. Ye drama gods must be kind, because they sensed our need and put him front and center in a new drama headed our way. The drama is called [강력반] so I’m going with Serious Crime Squad, although a fancier title like Seoul PD: Homicide Investigation Unit or some such might end up being the actual title. You know, I’m just now thinking up a good drinking game involving the naming of cop procedurals…

As you can tell from the title, it’s about a detective unit in the serious crimes division. Kim Seung-woo will be playing the squad’s leader, Bossy McHotterson. Okay, I made that up. But it could TOTALLY be his name. You never know. His character is described as a live-in-his-suit type, who commands trust and has unparalleled verbal skills. He’s described as having a “trustworthy voice.” Hm. I would go with “sexy voice,” but no one asked me.

(...)
Read the rest of Kim Seung-woo to headline new drama (268 words)

© girlfriday for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 25 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Kim Seung-woo, Park Sun-young, Song Il-kook, Sunwoo Sun

The 46th Baeksang Arts Awards were held on March 26 in Seoul, which is one of the biggest awards ceremonies in the industry, in both television and film. Only, this year I’ve got to say my reaction at the winners was mostly: WTF, Baeksangs?

(...)
Read the rest of 46th Baeksang Arts Awards (1,652 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2010. | Permalink | 156 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: awards, Choi Kang-hee, Daniel Choi, Go Hyun-jung, Ha Ji-won, Ha Jung-woo, Han Hyo-joo, Hong Su-ah, Hwang Jung-eum, Jang Geun-seok, Jang Hee-jin, Jo Ahn, Joo Jin-mo, Jung Yong-hwa, Kang Ye-won, Kim Ah-joong, Kim Nam-gil, Kim Nam-joo, Lee Chae-young, Lee Min-ho, Lee Min-jung, Lee Min-ki, Lee Seung-gi, Moon Geun-young, Park Bo-young, Seo Woo, Shin Se-kyung, So Ji-sub, Sohn Ye-jin, Sunwoo Sun, Yoon Shi-yoon, Yoon-ah

Will It Snow For Christmas hasn’t (yet?) incorporated a snow motif into the drama proper, but the producers have been hosting a tie-in event for the drama’s fans. They had promised that if it snowed anywhere in Korea over Christmas Eve or Christmas day, they would select winners to go on a “date” with the drama’s stars, Go Soo and Han Ye-seul.

Well, it snowed, so now they’re selecting the lucky winners. To be eligible in the event, a corner had been set up on the drama’s website (http://tv.sbs.co.kr/christmas) where fans could post up stories about their most memorable Christmases. Over the month that the drama has been airing, approximately 900 stories have been posted, and now the producers are judging the entries.

(...)
Read the rest of Christmas snowfall results in Christmas date (322 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2009. | Permalink | 31 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Go Soo, Han Ye-seul, Song Jong-ho, Song Joong-ki, Sunwoo Sun, Will It Snow For Christmas

I have said many a time that I dislike melodrama — as a genre, as a plot device, as a storytelling crutch. Excessive melodrama is what makes makjang dramas popular, but it drives me batty because I hate when stories are emotionally manipulative just for the sake of being emotionally manipulative.

This, of course, excludes quality melodramas. And Will It Snow for Christmas? has all the makings of a true quality melodrama. It displays the hallmarks of the genre, but rather than throwing a barrage of horrible circumstances at its characters in a mess of tragedy porn, the story is rooted in well-crafted and well-thought-out characters.

I reserve the right to change my mind once the adult storylines get going in earnest, because I have often been enthralled with childhood flashbacks and then lose interest when the adults take over. So this drama isn’t yet a home run. But if the rest of the drama shows these characters in as strongly developed a light as in first two episodes, we’re in for a great ride. What a great return project for Go Soo.

[Watch the series at DramaFever]

SONG OF THE DAY

Kim Sarang – “비 오는 날” (Rainy Day). I LOVE THIS SONG. [ Download ]

(...)
Read the rest of Will It Snow For Christmas: Episodes 1-2 (4,759 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2009. | Permalink | 126 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: first episodes, Go Soo, Han Ye-seul, Kim Soo-hyun, Nam Ji-hyun, Song Jong-ho, Song Joong-ki, Sunwoo Sun, Will It Snow For Christmas

It’s that time of year again: awards season!

On December 2, the 30th Blue Dragon Film Awards were held at KBS Hall in Yoido, Seoul, hosted by actors Kim Hye-soo and Lee Beom-soo.

Considering the recent slump in the Korean movie industry, it was a pretty good year for films, with several big hits breaking box office records, like Haeundae and Take Off, both of which amassed a number of nominations. It was also a good year for the smaller, indie movie, with awards being given to actors of Breathless, and both Kim Myung-min and Ha Ji-won pulling in top acting honors for their performances in My Love By My Side (aka Closer to Haeven).

Actress Jang Jin-young, who passed away this year from stomach cancer at the age of 35, was given a special award that honored her career in film, with roles in movies like 2001′s Sorum and 2003′s Singles.

(...)
Read the rest of 2009 Blue Dragon Film Awards (1,513 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2009. | Permalink | 53 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: awards, Cha Tae-hyun, Choi Kang-hee, Chu Ja-hyun, Chun Jung-myung, Go Soo, Ha Ji-won, Ha Jung-woo, Han Ye-seul, Jang Jin-young, Jang Young-nam, Jeon No-min, Jin Gu, Jo Ahn, Kang So-ra, Kang Ye-won, Kim Haneul, Kim Hye-soo, Kim Ji-suk, Kim Min-hee, Kim Min-joon, Kim Ok-bin, Lee Beom-soo, Lee Chae-young, Lee Min-ki, Lee Shi-young, Oh Yeon-seo, Park Bo-young, Sohn Ye-jin, Song Chang-eui, Sunwoo Sun, Wang Seok-hyun, Yoo Sun, Yoon Jin-seo

Sunwoo Sun is one of the unknown faces catapulted to mainstream popularity after her role in this year’s Queen of Housewives. (She played the unhappy wife of another of its breakouts, Yoon Sang-hyun.) She has announced her follow-up role in the SBS drama Will It Snow On Christmas? [크리스마스에 눈이 올까요, a working title], meaning she’ll be forming a love triangle with Go Soo in his television comeback role as well as Han Ye-seul.

The role doesn’t seem to take her very far from her Queen of Housewives character; once again, she’s playing a chaebol, who is the daughter of the CEO of a large-scale corporation. She’s haughty and lives by her own rules, seemingly cold on the exterior but capable of showing passion in the face of love. She has a contentious relationship with Go Soo’s character, with whom she butts heads in everything. Han Ye-seul rounds out the trio as Go Soo’s childhood love.

Will It Snow On Christmas? will take up the Wednesday-Thursday slot currently filled by SBS’s outrageously addictive You’re Beautiful. I admit it doesn’t sound too exciting from the quick summary, but don’t count it out just yet; it comes to us from PD Choi Mun-seok of What Happened in Bali and writer Lee Kyung-hee of I’m Sorry, I Love You.

Via Sports Chosun

RELATED POSTS

• Go Soo announces comeback drama
• Stars collaborate on travel blog and book project
• Han Ye-seul sings for Mighty Mouth
• Into the White Night marks Go Soo’s screen comeback
• Stars caught lying about their ages
• Queen of Housewives (MBC)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2009. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Go Soo, Han Ye-seul, Sunwoo Sun, Will It Snow For Christmas