"I don’t mind RSW. If I can’t understand his character, I’ll think he’s supposed to be mysterious. "

I just think his character is just really into tofu made with spring water. Nothing wrong with silken tofu, you know? ;)

"I love her charisma and (sex) appeal"

Yup. She lives life . .. wait for it, wait for it . . . with EDGE!!! *down vodka shot*

I really like Style if, for nothing else, you have Ambigiously Gay guy who's probably in love with the Chef. He's just so . . . lispy. :D

Originally, Lee Ji Ah and Ryu Shi Won were the leads of the show. But somewhere in the middle, I think the writers changed my mind and made the feature couple Editor Park and the Chef. Unfortunately, they couldn't bring themselves to link up Lee Ji Ah with Ambiguously Gay photographer because he was ambiguously gay. Faboo!!!

This is my take on the whole issue:

It all begins with the writer. The writer(s) has to be very clear about what the character is suppose to be. Any hesistancy on their part comes across as characters that are inconsistent.

Next, directors should trust the writer(s) not the ratings. Don't go changing the story lines, twisting the plot to meet the ratings. It upsets the base and doesn't result in more fans. It leads to confused actors and frustrated writers.

The actors must know how to act. Period. You are an actor, hence go study it. I understand the time crunch and pressure upon you. Still, you choose this profession and all the evils that come with it. Yes, things can improve and you can bring change by speaking up about it. But you have to be very strong in your fundamentals before pointing fingers at others.

Finally, we as viewers need to understand that it goes with the territory. I'm not saying accept bull just cuz' it is dished out week after week. Still, know that logic will be checked at the door from time to time with kdramas.
If you want better quality, then how about we have one episode per week for 16 weeks. Or just reduce the dramas to 8 episdoes only. Two episodes per week is taxing especially if they are produced simultaneouly to airing.

As my teacher used to say "when pointing a finger at others, notice the other 4 are pointing towards you".

this is quite informative.... got to learn a lot about how kdrama is done...

thanks JavaB!

on the funny side...
>I just wanna say, am soooo LMAO on everybody's comment on STYLE... ^-^

>When I saw the PHOTOGRAPHER danced the SECOND time, I exclaimed, "??!!!??? Ok, ok, ok, what in the world is wrong with this guy?!" I havent checked out Style after that.... lol!

>OMG! RSW was supposed to be the lead in CH?!?! Thank Goodness that didnt come true!!!! ^-^

i'm frustrated with badly written characters. i am okay with live shoots and changing scripts and all that, but i believe that the core characteristic personality of the character must be consistent.

they can change and they should exhibit change, but they must retain some of their original characteristics, no? this creates a believable character and therefore we love them more. i.e. kang mae in BV. from the start till the end, he's still the "ddong ddong ol li (sp?)" guy. yeah, he did become a little more caring and friendly...but he didn't change into a doormat either.

unlike those female characters that started off being so cute and bubbly turns into a depressing wreck (i.e. Lovers in Paris. I still love that show though).

a case in cinderella man's han eun jung's character: she was nice and all and seriously i was looking for a new kind of 2nd character, then they made her go back into the sabotaging mode. i was like....what in the world.

i haven't seen any of the dramas mentioned, so maybe i've veered off the topic a little. XD

but writers play a very important role in developing characters. storyline can be meh (not an excuse though) but characters will make the show believable and sustainable, imo. writers really, have to develop the character WAYYYYYY before they write the storyline. in other words, writers need to know every single thing bout each character, including habits and peculiarities. my take.

The article and all the opinions above taken as a whole makes perfect sense. The idiosyncrasies, the culture, and established MOs of every country in making drams and movies had opened the viewers eyes into a vast mixed of standards by which we gauge not just the performance of actors/ actresses, the director, the writers, but the production team as a whole (including it's promotions and marketing).

But I agree with "thank you". The success of a movie or drama or any show starts with a good script/story. Then the creativity skills and reputation of the production team which director, costume, cinematography, set design; then the right casting of qualified actors; the skills of the marketing and promotion handlers, and the right timing in showing. This formula not only makes for a high blockbuster rating but for possible awards in every category. But how many can actually manage to actualize or even comprehend this? Very few - i know one Steven Spielberg. .Tina Fey . ., , etc

But lets not go too far, I've seen a lot of good low budget drama (acting and casting wise) but lacks promotional marketing or star quality actors, hence did not succeed in the ratings game. Too bad! On the other hand, a nonsensical badly acted drama (but with the right promotions which started even before filming, and updated costume design) did a killing in the ratings (like what happened to BOF as mentioned in other blogs).

Bottom line is there must be a balance between the quality of production and the marketing of the product if the intention is to make a hit and hopefully receive accolade at the same time.

So many great comments, love it.

@BO: "Bottom line is there must be a balance between the quality of production and the marketing of the product if the intention is to make a hit and hopefully receive accolade at the same time."

I agree, but I think, therein lives the problem. The strive to "make a hit" seems to be becoming more independent from receiving "accolades" on quality/artistry. It's like you have to give up on one to achieve the other, but why is that? Do we fault the viewers, the industry, the culture...? Perhaps, going back to what I said earlier about making "artistry" the new craze within the industry; that indie films, low-budget dramas, great plot/character devo etc. are the ones that get tons of awards, media attention, and spur netizen debate/excitement. It doesn't always have to be a "vicious" cycle.

Speaking from the point of view of someone who's acted before, although not in movies or dramas so perhaps that's a little different, I do think that it is difficult for actors/actresses to "do their best" when they stumble across incomprehensible characters/scripts.

Usually when plots start to fail, and characters begin to show inconsistencies, it becomes very frustrating, and I think that's true not only for the cast, but for the team in general. I understand why Koreans do the live shooting and weekly adjusting of script - it makes sense, time/budget wise especially if you're surviving on the ratings. It's all a rating games, and the Korean entertainment industry is a cut-throat arena, and I don't have a problem with that - hey, business is business.

What I do have a problem with is the way the article says, "The actor is also a factor when characters go bad. One can say that this is a problem when actors lack sufficient imagination to understand their character." ...Well, when you have badly written characters, or flat characters that audiences are not going to relate much to, I don't think it's fair to push the blame onto the actors/actresses and say that it was their fault they were unable to portray the nuances of the character(s).

Admittedly, the cast don't do themselves any favours when they come out and tell everyone what everyone else is already thinking while the show is still being produced i.e. JIW and his whole "confusing character" interview. (Never watched Style or Eden, so I can only comment on MFL) This whole article strikes me as very much a "pushing the blame" kind of article, where everyone else disses the actors/actresses and they diss them right back.

Anyway, it's pretty much rhetoric, since I don't see any signs of them changing their styles of shooting/broadcasting/acting/writing anytime soon, so problems like this will just crop up again. It's a bit of a waste of talent, but we all live and learn, right?

Personally, I find badly written characters the worst & biggest problem of any show. Doesn't matter if the actor is good or bad. A good actor only highlights how bad the writing is.

Also - as for LDH and EOE situation. Who here hasn't applied for a job, taken a job, and quit the job because 1) it wasn't what you agreed to nor was it what was represented to you, 2)the environment was so bad you couldn't work comfortably, 3)you hated the job so much it was physically making you ill? Or how about staying in a job that you're overqualified for, does nothing for you professionaly, just because the money is good?

If you said yes to any of these, then you know exactly where LDH was in her position. No company, no money, no professionalism is worth your sanity, health, or self respect. LDH had the balls to do what most people wish they could do - walk away with her head held high. Yeah, there's people who are going to give her flak, criticize her, but at the end of the day - she's the one who has to live with her choices & do what's best for herself. I've never been a huge fan of LDH, but I can respect her more after what happened in EoE.

'ldh had the ball to do what most people wish they could'-I like that phrase.

Yes, actually LDH is the lucky one in term of financial background-she come from a very well being or very rich family (read that her father owns department store in Sydney, her grandfarther is a hotel owner), plus her vast of CFs income post her MY GIRL days in 2006. Just at 21 yrs old she already can spend millions decorating her house.
The point is she can make decision leaving eoe without worrying about money,(maybe her antis love this phrase) unlike other actresses/actors, they need to think twice if they faced the same situation like her. Like it or not, they have to swallow it.
Bottom point is what I like about her most is her talent and I found her a bit different from others actress in the same generation as her-in other words she is an intelligent person and her talent is hard to debate. Unlike her other fans, I'm impressed with her from Heaven Fate (Lotus Fairies) not MY GIRL.
Don't know much about RSW and IJW, so cannot comments on them.

there it goes. most of the comments are defending LDH, as i expected.

So this is what i get in short and what i totally agree..:

1. Never take unfinished drama's script.

2. If you toke unfinished script, it's your responsibility to finish acting it till the end.

3. If your not satisfied about your acting, wait till the drama's finish airing, then you can speak up frankly.

how is it relevant that LDH is rich? I like her and all but that's like totally irrelevant to her controversy.

i thought the other cute guy in Style was gay.... I thought it was established? kind of? didn't he give RSW the look?

bellaza- yeah, if she does well and nails Chuno, she should be back. i hope it isn't too experimental and alienates the korean audience.

but Stylish- they never get finished scripts... they get outlines that has at least the direction of the character. knowing at least where they are headed.

didn't SYJ walk out of her historical before?

The writers and pds might have picked the wrong person to do the job, but its up to actors/actresses to own the character. I think this is why a lot of actors and actresses get typecast because they often stick to what they know.

for eoe, I heard the writer took 10 yrs to write the script, so in this case, it is not unfinished script-I'm also curious what behind the scene, now I feel MBC should sue LDH so we can know the real story. Anyway she is rich, piece of cake for her to pay the bill.-all I know there was chairs throwing parties during the scrpt reading session

@Kgrl,

"The strive to “make a hit” seems to be becoming more independent from receiving “accolades” on quality/artistry"

But that's true almost everywhere. The alternative is cable (such as the States), but cable doesn't have the same presence in Korea (or Asia for that matter.)

Then, the alternative is to have the government subsidize segments for quality programming (ala the BBC.) Which I think they did for Dramacity when that was airing.

Also, well, there's a conflict of interest here. Basically the problem is that the housewives of Korea want to watch soaps, lots and lots of soaps. At the same time, the international audience wants to watch soaps, lots and lots of soaps. The answer to all this is to stop making soaps and make genre TV. And then from genre TV, you can then start making original programmes that don't quite fit one genre or the other. But, then again, K-drama would no longer be "K-drama." It would be, well, J-drama. :D

hm....I was just thinking about this issue the other day....and I have to disagree with you......on the other hand, I agree completely with the article....I don't think one should criticize a project that he/she is involved with....well not publicly anyway.....I know that each person might have differing opinions and it's hard to work together with a large team, but I think team members should resolve the problem internally instead of expressing it outwards to the media.....To me, Lee Da Hae made the right decision....I don't blame actors for being dissatisfied, but if they are that dissatisfied that they have to tell the media, it's only ethical to drop out like Lee DaHae did......otherwise, if they decide to stick together, they shouldn't speak badly of the team......I think that's what being professional is all about...it's not about being dishonest or giving "polished answers" and it doesn't just apply to drama production team.....
Like if I belong to a team and don't understand my role in it, or disagree a little on the ideologies of the team, I'd try to talk things out with the other members.....if the problem is not resolved and I feel so dissatisfied, I'd simply go out and form my own group....and if for some reason I HAVE to stick out with a group that I dislike (for money, or whatever reason) I think it's only logical to keep the good name of the team regardless of how I feel......

".......But, then again, K-drama would no longer be “K-drama.” It would be, well, J-drama. :D "

Nooooooooo, belleza, please...that's asian drama apocalypse for me. If this happens how will i be able to run to jdrama world when I get sick of kdrama world and vice versa? I don't really want to change kdrama world that much I just want things to make more sense. And the current system isn't helping with that.

korean actors are actually pretty nice at this point.

I mean Katherine Heigl and Kristin Kreuk blatantly dissed their shows while they were in it, all said they wanted out, and all.

i think if one is a good actor/actress and this is just my opinion, you can blend well even if the director/producer alter your character from the original synopsis! as an actor you have to be prepared for the changes or modification/s for the good of the story or production. in other words, aren't they supposed to expect the unexpected and just blend into the improvised character perhaps? i'm sure there's pressure and all that and having your mindset as to the script or character you need to play and boom, they need to alter it! it must be frustrating too but then if i may reiterate and if i'm fully understanding the concept here from the actors' perception, if you're a good actor/tress you prob. won't find it difficult to adjust (to the modification). having said all this, i didn't mean i don't sympathize to the actors featured here but it's simply just a thought!
thnx for the article!

@65 belleza: Though the entertainment industries go up and down around the world and have differences, I think the trend has been more quality than not. Just look at the independent films popping up everywhere, the diversification of themes and concepts, challenging norms and standards etc. I think making quality, artsy works is getting more popular and accepted internationally, so shouldn't that make it easier to incorporate a shift in Korea, being so heavily involved in globablization now? (It isn't called the Hallyu wave for nothing. lol)

@67 nell123: LMAO, oh you crack me up! Yes, Kdrama can't change too much or I wouldn't be able to get frustrated and diversify my entertainment to other regions. Now that's what I call looking at the bright side of things. lols...

@ kgirl:
I'm glad I made you smile :)

… and the comments about LDH made me curious. Now I have another reason (besides Jang Hyuk) to watch Chuno. I want to see if this woman is worth all that drama.

@kgrl,

"being so heavily involved in globablization now? "

In theory, yes, but Hallyu (which includes what happened post-Shiri to the Korean film industry) had a damaging effect on the industry. This goes back to the live shoot thing and the "budget=quality" mindset. What I thought hurts My Fair Lady was that the producers conceptually began with a very expensive looking show, marketed toward the Hallyu audience, with a lot of fancy location shoots and logistical challenges. THEN, they came up with a synopsis to fit it. This is close to the drama model that SBS has used for their event dramas (including this year's Cain and Abel, and Swallow the Sun.) If you watch most SBS event dramas, you'll notice that the often big name actors seem kinda "shipped around" from scene to scene. The writing is there to "pimp" the money spent on the show. Certain writers (the writer of the Lovers trilogy) manage this better than others, but that is kinda the bottom line.

Hallyu probably did kill the sageuk. None of the major Hallyu exports -- Dae Jang Geum, Emperor of the Sea, and Jumong -- are really historical dramas. Dang Jang Geum is basically a cooking shoujo. Jumong is basically a Chuck Norris RPG fantasy. I happen to love both of them (and Queen Seon Duk is crack to me), but I love them as soaps with some historical condiments her and there. And they found out that this kind of show sells really, really well in the Mainland. (Then again, taiga has gone through a major idol-zation phase the last 5 years. Tenchijn is kind of an abomination to me :D )

Having said all that, well the truth is, I like the above shows. I like the SBS event dramas, because you have pretty people in pretty places. I love the "hanbok soaps" because IMO they generate the most memorable villains and love stories. I AM the Hallyu demographic, and I don't apologize for that. Iris is first and foremost a Hallyu show. Before there was a released synopsis, they were already talking about Lee Byung Hun and doing shoots all over the countries that, well, watch K-dramas. It was always going to be about the marketing before the art. But, at least, they went with a true pre-shoot schedule. At least they wanted to make a cinematic product that in their minds competes with the Hong Kong all-star projects.

In terms of globalization, that's what I thought was happening in 2007. MBC finally catering the need for genre entertainment and programming stuff like White Tower, Time of Dog and Wolf, even the Coffee Prince and The Legend (which, quality or not, was a brave choice to compete with Sino fantasy works from .) Then they kinda went 180 in 2008, going back to star-driven vehicles. And for the most part, they got killed doing it.

There's an emerging 25-35 (something like that, forgot the demographic) singles female demographic in South Korea. That is the demographic that watches American fare like Gray's Anatomy, House, etc. That is also the demographic that the cable stations like OCN were aiming for. Yellow Arts Entertainment originally was going to sell the pre-shoot show "Someday" to MBC, but they opted to sell it to OCN instead. First, typical OCN ratings peak at about 1 or 2 points, and so there's zero pressure for the show to do "well." It just has to appeal to that specific market.

SBS has been kinda programming shows for that market as well. There's the makjang and event drama stuff, but they've been trying ways to counterprogram with pre-shoot dramas, art-house sageuks, and genre-ish entertainment. If it's a long term plan, then yeah you may seen a larger emergence of pre-shoot dramas.

So ultimately, we as viewers need to accept the restrictions of the production model of shows, or demand that production teams continue to try to break from convention, i.e., encourage those models that run closer to how things are here in the States in regards to producing a show, and even maybe continuing a show the following "season."

Hi Kgrl. May I ?

The strive to “make a hit” seems to be becoming more independent from receiving “accolades” on quality/artistry. It’s like you have to give up on one to achieve the other, but why is that?

This is exactly what I mean when I say strike a balance. The problem with INDIE Films is only the true artists recognize art work. Of course, when it wins an award, there could be fluke reactions from the viewers like what happened to slum dog millionaires. But how many had this kind of experience? That's why we need to find believers and funding for INDIE Art works.

I also believe in INDIE FILMS. However, we need to bring quality films at the doorstep of the viewers so they know better. We need to keep harping on the weaknesses (even sing praises if warranted) of what we see on TV or movie houses; make loud noises so the media will hear us and hopefully production teams will take heed and improve their performance in accordance to the art & quality standars we viewers deserve.

That's why this kind of exchanges are really eyeopeners to all. So let's continue sharing our views. and watch if we make any impact no matter how small.

glad that LDH left east of eden, she is a great actress, i watched robbers although the drama didn't rate so well she and JY did a great job. Even in EOE she did well, but her role leads to nowhere, I myself cannot understand her role.

@javabeans - “Shifting the problem from oneself to the character evades one’s responsibility as the actor”.

For an actor in a truest sense, there is no small or big role. What matters is how you interpret the character you are portraying and giving it your best shot thereby long after the drama has ended its impression lingers in the viewers’mind leaving an unforgettable character on screen.

@8 javabeans – “But a key element of acting is tapping into the real emotions and situations of the character to bring that personality to life.”

Agree. There has to be some semblance to reality and should strike a chord or certain connection to the viewers’ emotions and/or mentality to make it believable and thereby allowing viewers to emphatize or relate with the character.

@52 thankyou - “It all begins with the writer. . . Next, directors should trust the writer(s) not the ratings. . . The actors must know how to act. Period.”

It greatly helps if there is a synchronize efforts from the members of the artistic and production team – the scriptwriter, the casting director, the director, actors and crew. Then that would be a perfect team. The ideal would be for the scriptwriter to paint the character to which the casting director’s task is to find the actor that would fit the character (taking into account not only the artistic competence but as well as the physical credibility) and the director to motivate or guide the actor in his portrayal. Not the least is the actor’s experience and/or inherent acting talent. All these are inseparable in the success of a drama piece. I say that each element is a factor that could make or break a drama. A successful drama is a collaboration of a group and not of one single individual. A badly written script or an undefined character/s could ruin the flow of the story. The wrong choice of actor would be a disastrous flop. The opposite of it would be a delightful sensation. Take for example City Hall. Originally cast to take the role of Jo Guk was RSW. Who knows how he would have breathe life to the character had he pursued it. But thanks to his refusal, otherwise, Jo Guk’s character would not be as physically and artistically engaging to watch. CSW’s wide range of acting skills shone brilliantly in this drama. Through City Hall I have re-discovered CSW and KSA who have both validated their artistic aptitudes with aplomb.

So, who is to blame? I say it takes two to tango. It is a concerted effort of all involved in the production.

I guess this "thread" is an example of what I've been missing out on all these years - insightful critiques, enlightening debates... *sigh* if only I had listened to my friends and participated sooner. lols...

@72 Nell: You make me smile just seeing your name now. Actually so many here have that mesmerizing effect on me. :P

@ 75 BO: Oh, you can segway off me anytime. I love how you expressed my thoughts on change - by public conversations and debates - and that's why I hoped this article would induce discussions within Korea and spur a little change.

Kudos JB for bringing such a great article to light. And yes, of course, no subliminal messages. ^_^ Just kidding.

for an actor/actress who is unhappy in his/her role lies the responsibility on the
the people behind the scene, such as the writer, director and so forth.
The actor/actress of course are just portraying a role that the script has written for. When the script has no direction, no plot for the actor/actress, of course,
it is depressing showing up day after day for work. Another issue is changing
the synopsis of the story because what make me watch a drama series initially is whether the synopsis is watchable. For instance, Lee Dae Hae is supposely the lead actress for East of Eden, but the dialogue for her character was so limited, her character was not going nowhere. I think she made a wise choice
by not finishing the series. I stop watching the series in the middle of it and did
not bothered to the end.

@kgrl,

"I guess this “thread” is an example of what I’ve been missing out on all these years – insightful critiques, enlightening debates… *sigh* if only I had listened to my friends and participated sooner."

Come on over to the Off Topic threads. Those go on all week now!!

MFL: This is odd. Why would JIW even complain knowing that he chose to be a the "other" guy in the drama? He is supposed to play the 2nd fiddle, the superficial guy that people will look away from to focus on the main leads, in this case, YEH and YSH. Did it ever occur to him that the writer MEANT to make his character confusing and not understandable? which he is to act accordingly, so that the AUDIENCE would be CONFUSE too and will look away and focus on YEH and YSH. So, I don't really know what JIW is smoking.

Style: KHS flat out stole the thunder from everyone. But oddly enough, her character was also CONFUSING. The whole drama was CONFUSING and disorganized. LJA was ok, she was better in BV than this drama IMHO, but she did put an effort and was somewhat cute enough to pass by. RSW however was full of bleh. So I will sympathasize with RSW just a little bit.

EOE: Now this is an animal on its own. I'm gonna poke a bit on this subject. MBC, the writer, Chorokbaem Media company, all CAVED in before the almighty hallyu star SSH period. Come on people lets not beat around the bushes and just blame on the writer and the pd. They were all scared of SSH and his management company at the time, Mnet, which probably invested 70% of the whole drama of EOE. What was worst, SSH even gave back some of his contract money because of "budget" problems with the drama production early on, and that just sealed it.

LDH stood up to all of that, with valid reasons she spoke up. All of us can just imagine her going to the writer and address the issue that she was concerned with. But after waiting and waiting, she had enough. She walked with integrity knowing the consequences of her action by quiting. She knew that she'd get criticized and probably lost some of her fans due to it, mostly in Korea. But I applaud her for standing up to what she believed in.

I guess now everyone has moved on, she has a new drama in Chuno with 2 good actors.

So let the LIVE SHOOT continue HAHAHA (^_^)

***feeling kind of scared for some reason***

@ 81-Now, I feel all other actors/actresses in Korea will think twice to act alongside SSH-if he likes them or his friends, then should be OK, but if the partner is someone more talented, outspoken, he/she better watch out. Personally SSH maybe very good person, but when comes protecting his career then it's diff story-he did it before "military scandal".

the script writer. who else?

this is really a best article, thank you javabeans, for explaining me about Jung Il Woo.
I've just finished this drama, and I am really frustrate with how Jung Il Woo's character change suddenly..
cute guy with bad acting, *sigh*

I was hoping to see Lee da hae in EoE to see her acting alongside SSH but then she didn't finish the series making it impossible for the 2 of them to even end up together (err do they even have some feelings for each other in this series at all?!). So I gave up after seeing the 1st 2 episodes.

It's really annoying to watch confusing characters (as well as confusing persons in real life hehe!) and lately there have been confusing characters in certain k-dramas that at some point I don't even know what to feel anymore. I know there are many factors to consider but I think the blame is on the writers for not thinking out clearly what they want to convey, here in the Phils. today I think there is a growing number of netizens (myself included) that criticizes writers for poorly-written shows, add to that a growing number of remakes of korean series w/c takes away the very essence of developing one's craft through sincerity and hardwork. Sorry for adding this up but I just can't help thinking of our entertainment business here whenever I think of korean entertainment. I hope that one day the Phils. entertainment business will be inspired and will work hard more but until then, it is also my hope that korea can get through this, it is no doubt that korea have produced shows that touched the hearts and souls of the international community in the last 8 to 10 yrs and I hope they can continue providing quality entertainment to relieve us from some of the crap of the world we live in.

Interesting article. I believe the blame for confusing characters should be placed mainly on those behind the scenes - the writers, directors and producers. Because no matter how good and versatile an actor is he/she can't make a badly written, confusing character make sense.

I also read Jung Il Woo's interview about how confusing he found the his character in My Fair Lady. It must have been frustrating to take what must have seemed like an interesting role and see it turn out the way it did.

I only recently discovered Jung Il Woo and appreciate his dedication to his craft. He's one of those rare actors who is more interested in stretching himself as an actor by choosing interesting characters than he is with being the lead character.

I find it strange that several posters seem to believe that if a role isn't the lead, then it doesn't matter how it's written. That's the kind of short-sighted thinking that leads to a less than satisfying drama because the best shows are those where everything works. That's why Return of Iljimae was so good. Not only were all the characters well-written, but it was also almost complete before the 1st episode aired, so there wasn't the risk of messing up the show because of the need to chase higher ratings.

That's why I agree that after being a part of the incredibly well-done Return of IIjimae, it must have been especially painful to work on a show where things seem to fall short. The good news is that since this article, Jung Il Woo has had better luck with other projects. In 49 Days, he was the second male lead again, but unlike the disappointment of his My Fair Lady role, his role as the Scheduler in 49 Days was compelling and well-written.

He then followed that up with a hilarious and touching lead role in the cable hit Flower Boy Ramyun Shop, which finishes airing in later this month. And, he will follow this with second male lead role in The Sun and the Moon, which I hope will be as interesting as it appears now.