seriously, we are all pretty much watch a lot of kdramas by now. don't be to quick on judging a drama base on the casting!
for instance, my fair lady, great casting and director-but still a flop.
it takes more than just one actor to make a drama. and by only one reference for his acting (that is bof-the drama that pretty much sums up what not-to-do in acting/directing/writing in a drama) i don't feel that it's fair to bash KHJ like this.

KHJ hwaiting!

its funny to see how many comments this post has attracted and WILL add my two cents to the general feel. HOW CAN THEY DO THIS???!!!!! this is one of my favourite manga besides the one Boys Before Flower was based on. Now I'm also angry at Lee Min-ho for turning down the role and so allowing this to happen. GAAARRRRRR!!!!!!

Sigh. At least I will get some fun reading your recaps than watching the show.

I love both Kim Hyun Joong and Lee Min Ho. I'm excited about this news. Fighting... Jihoo.. sunbae!

To those accusing JB of being baised and slating her for critising KHJs acting.... remember this is HER PERSONAL blog. She can write what she want, how she want. If you do not like it, do not read it.

Well, at the end of the day, I watch k-dramas for the pretty boys and the light-hearted fun, and KHJ is as pretty as they come, so I will be watching this. Hopefully KHJ will channel his natural sense of humor and fun -- the kid is super cute when he is not "acting" -- and make this character his own. Besides, the role does not ask him to do much except sneer at the girl and look exasperated.

So,
Pretty boy. Check.
Light, fun, comedy and romance: Check.

Imma gonna watch dis! Bring it on!

KHJ was the worst actor in BOF, but part of the blame lies in the directing.He was a newbie, but the director was not giving instructions to him to act differently. As to the casting, Group 8 is assured of high ratings because of his huge fanbase. His acting may improve over time. For me it doesn't matter who is casted,as this is a remake.How many different ways can the storyline be rewritten.
Please do not go after JB. I like reading her opinions ever though it sometimes is different from mine.In this case I agree with some of it.

...OUCH!!!!! ...boy I am so glad I am not KHJ, again--give him a chance......... Let's see how KHJ does, it's over a year since BBF, and now Girlfriday is recapping--UMM all the way to the end or just up to the first episode? ....... fighting KHJ.... Yes, I agree regarding Javabean's loss of "veneer" regarding this casting.....again, FIGHTING KHJ...

oh my goodness, i was so excited for this drama and all the rumors about park bo young and etc. then..this news comes out and any ounce of interest i had in this drama is now killed. grrr...

this sucks balls man! i was so looking forward to this drama and now i really don't care anymore. yes, he can improve, but knowing that there are so many other REAL (non-idol) actors out there who could've really used this role as their big break have now been out beatened by KHJ just makes me sour. now i honestly don't care who the actress is because this drama requires a strong lead to be convincing and we've lost hope of this already haven't we. sorry, but i'm really bummed out. well, that means i'll be less distracted by dramas later this year.

Ahhh,Javabeans having a field day again with KHJ ha . Ok,be my guest . You know I really like how you write.Witty , substantive ,knows the subject matter .If you could only put aside your bias I'll be your fan for the rest of my life .

Tsk,tsk,tsk why do you ruin your reputation ? Why not be guided by ethics of criticizing with responsibility. Do not be like the mob ,enjoying the thrill of lynching your victims because you have the pen and not the sword .

Not all actors receive their fame at first shot . You learn the ropes along the way . Maybe some are more gifted than others . Others have to cut their teeth in the course of time and practice. You did not become a writer overnight for a blog . You understand what I am trying to say ?

I knew you would start lambasting KHJ for reasons you alone knows disguised in the name of having standards for acting . Standards ? Do you really have it when you have not studied very well the Jihoo role . You harped on the actor being wooden -have you ever heard of restrained performance ?If you have then by all means use it .It seems you only appreciate acting that is done with a lot of histrionics . That's ok if called for . But if not ,what is the actor suppose to do ,leap out from his skin to please you critics . But these points are much belabored now.

We are now in the present period of time where KHJ is going to be in another drama . But you have started attacking him on the basis of past acting behavior. If all people will be judged this way ,this world will go nowhere . Failure is the backbone of success . However ,KHJ did not fail in BOF .Its just your POV. and now you write as if the person is not entitled to work again in the acting field .Who are you to make that one time evaluation of a person's capabilities?

I suspect you are acting this way because your favorites did not get the role .I'm sure later on you will also do sour graping .Don't worry the field of Psychology is very dynamic they will invent some new terms to help you understand your behavior .

I'm not even going to say that you should give him a chance . My whole point here is to tell you how inadequate you still are even with your pretensions of being able to pass judgement so easily . Well,perhaps you really want your blog to be controversial ,many reactions,the wilder the better ,yes? You must be existing for a reason .And what might that be ? I hope one of this day ,your conscience and ethics will guide you more than your so-called knowhow in the field .

OMG OMG Hyun Joong ? I'm getting more excited for playful kiss !
I really love him !!!
As for the female lead I wish if It be Bo Young ! I'm miss her :'( but I guess there's no hope for her to be the lead ! Owww~
for my 2nd choice , Seung Yeon ! She's so pretty ! my favourite from kara , and she make a really great pairing with Hyun Joong !!
I really don't wanna Sulli to be the lead girl , Park Shin Hye neither !
I don't know why , i mean it's not that I don't like them but I think I can't just imagine them in this caractere ! Please not ! please not ! please not !!
Anyway , look forward to this drama ! Hope it'll be a success! Hwaiting~

Wow i'm surprised any one could argue against JB's opinion on this singer not actor, he cant act to save his life. Sorry but what the hell were the producers thinking and what was he thinking saying yes. If he is so desperate to be an actor first prove yourself in a small supporting role and most definitely not in a main lead in a popular remake such as this. I most likely will not be watching this since this guy ruined BOF for me and i love HYD, the manga and the jap version and i have no intention of allowing him to ruin another drama for me. In my opinion he really is not good looking either so not sure what the fuss is about with him, i wish he'd stick to staying in the singing world and leave the acting world to the professionals.

It's going to suck ass.

I'm sorry, but he doesn't fit at all. It's just not him.

His acting sucks. BOF made me cringe. He needs to stick to music.

They are turning my favorite manga into another joke by filling it with only idol roles. It's crappy because they are only doing it for marketing reasons.

I just can't believe the directors are doing this. I totally agree with you. My interest in this has dropped and I'm so terribly disappointed. I was so excited because this is literally my favorite manga/story ever. And now it's just going to be a crappy BOF repeat with untalented "actors" who look nice but can't understand the characters or portray them with anything beyond staring out a window or having a blank expression or whining.

The directors need to change this or else they will only get 13 year old viewers who want to see KHJ.

Ugh.. I love KHJ, but I hate this.

I don't think I'm even going to bother watching anymore if they are going to pull this crap.

Korea has SO MANY amazing actors... and this is the only ones they can get? Are you kidding me?

WTH. i am so pissed off!
i was looking so forward to this, since i loved the taiwan version!
OMG. i wanted jung yong hwa.
seriously, i love hyunjoong and all.BUT he really can't act (coughcough...bof.)
aww this sucks.

oh man... hahaha when I saw the news on another blog, I was hoping it wasn't true. But I guess it is!
Kim Hyun Joong provided me with so much entertainment in Boys Over Flowers due to very awkward acting, that I'm kind of anticipating this one! I watched the Taiwanese version, and if the Korean one is going to make the male lead similar to the Taiwanese version, then I don't think Kim Hyun Joong really needs any acting skills at all. Just walk around, thinks he's da bomb, be snobby, and that's really all you need. That's largely what Joe Chang did (though I liked him in The Rose)

I really hope the Korean version adds more depth to the characters. I didn't like Ariel Lin's portrayal of her character as well. I hope this korean version does a better job. Couldn't stand the drama about 5 episodes in. How can a person be so stupid?? I liked the manga comparatively more.

@12 - If you want to see "restrained" acting or good acting... watch the Japanese version of BOF. Then you will see true talent and how Rui is supposed to played. GTFO.

OHHHHH NOOOOOOO
I'm sooo disappointed, I lost all interest in this drama. I was really anticipating it and wishing for some outstanding actor but apparently it's almost impossible now.
No offence for KHJ's fan, actually I do like him as singer, but sooorry he CAN'T ACT, I had a hard time watching him in his debut drama BBF, anyway hope that he improved since then.

I know that I surely won't watch this series especially after this...I'll probably tried it out, but no hope to watch at all... I actually didn't even watch the Taiwanese version because the acting was so cheesy for me...it's so typically of dramas that make me crunched...I love Kim Hyun Joong, but his acting...eh!?!...ew....I'll give him a chance, but we'll see...As for the females they're keeping in mind, I don't like none of them either...I actually like Park Bo Young as the choice, but it looks like it won't happened...I want Moon Geun young to take this role badly, but too bad, she's doing a play...

Okay. It's very simple!
If you don't like his acting, then don't watch the drama!

You can lambast his acting, as if his fans will care. They will just make them support KHJ more.

Why don't you try another strategy? Your style is sooo obsolete. You're so pathetic.

I just got to school and this is the first thing I saw:(....so sad. Seriously I couldn't take him in BOF he really screwed up Rui, I'm going to try and keep an open mind but jeez this sucks. I feel like Park Shin Hye would be wasted with him, but I really hope she gets the part:)

woah!!!! thats my first reaction when i read this news!!!! KIM HYUN JOONG?! REALLY?!

first of all, i have nothing against Kim Hyun Joong in fact I do like him as a leader/member of SS501, i think he's doing a great job as a performer. and will also admit that my initial reason to watch Boys over Flowers was because of him (or most likely because of his cuteness!). But must agree with Javabeans that in acting department he's kinda lacking.

I watched It started with a kiss and fell in love with Joe Cheng and Ariel Lin's adaptation. I really do hope that Kim Hyun Joong will give justice to the role given. Will give it a shot and hoping that i will not be disappointed.

HOPEFULLY it will be worth watching for!

Okay, despite me liking him, I don't see him at all as Zhi Shu. I got stuck with Joe Chen playing that part but Lee Minho may very well have played it better, if he had accepted.

The female cast better be good or else...

PLEASSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
THEY NEED TO CHOOSE PARK SHIN HYE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SHES THE ONLY ACTRESS WITH EXPERIENCE THAT COULD SAVE THIS DRAMA

I think we all know Kim Hyun Joong can not act. & yes, he can improve. But first, he should try some supporting roles if he wants to improve instead of taking on the lead role of a drama that has already been done twice (three times, if you count the anime version). People will obviously compare him to the actors in the past versions. I understand that most of us are quick to judge his acting skills, but all we're trying to say is, there are tons of talented, young actors & actresses who can play the roles of Naoki & Kotoko, & that an idol star who can't act should start off with minor roles, or just stick with singing & dancing. Most of us are just pissed because he was offered the role because of his huge fan base & pretty face. That's basically all we're saying.

But if you're having a problem with our (especially JB's) opinions, then please shut up & GTFO.

I'm his fan, but even I admit that: Hyun Joong DOESN'T knows how to act (there's a difference between being bad actor and NOT knowing how to act at all). He had the easiest role in Boys Over Flowers, but he was still able to look awkard and ruin the fan-favourite character, Rui/Lei.

I know producers are USING him in order to create buzz and ride on his popularity and I'm sure he will work hard in order to do a better job than in BOF, but Hyun Joong doesn't even seem to like or care about acting at all.

As a Hyun Joong fan, I'd rather see him continuing his music activities (which he loves) or take smaller roles in order to improve his acting skills instead of taking big roles and embarassing himself again.

"With those options, it seems they were determined to cast an idol-star-turned-newbie-actor, which just confuses me when you’ve got such an open field of talented actors."

It bothers me how producers insists in casting idols for big roles!!! There are so many good young actors and actresses out there!!! Lee Minho and Park Bo Young would be perfect for ISWAK! But what can we do if the producers only want idols on this drama?

Top contenders right now are Park Shin-hye, Kara’s Han Seung-yeon, and f(x)’s Sulli. (Man, if they make this an all-idol newbie cast, this may just turn into incredible snark fodder.)

Out of these 3 girls, I think KARA's SeungYeon is the one that has the looks that fits the character, but I don't know if she is a good actress. So in the end, Park Shin Hye is the best option because she has acting experience at least. I can't believe producers are considering casting Sulli, OMG... are korean PDs idiot? First they cast Kwon Sang Woo to play a teenager and now they are considering Sulli for the role of a 17-18 years old girl? Sulli looks 13-14 years old. if they want to ruin the drama and make Hyun Joong's character look like a pedo, go ahead and cast Sulli. -_-'

You know I well like to add that,
maybee he is confirm butt not the main lead.......
I know its just a dream.:(

Seriously, I think we all be in for a shock. I for one thought Vic Zhou was a TERRIBLE actor when he played that same character. I think the character is supposed to be disconnected. But when Vic went on to play other roles (anyone see MARS?) it showed how awesome he actually was. So I guess we will see.

Besides, if his character is as much a jerk as the one in the Tdrama, I am going to hate this one anyway.

Oh, and he didn't ruin BOF. It was the complete lack of chemistry between the 2 leads that ruined it. It's not his fault he had more chemistry with Jan Di than Joon Pyo did. Just saying.

jez.....this really turns me off!!!!
i was so looking forward to watch this drama......now i think i rather take a nap then.

I HOPE HE IS NOT THE MAIN LEAD .......CROSS MY FINGER

This series is not Shakespear, so the PD's do not need to find the Korean Laurence Olivier (I hope you young kids know who he is) for the lead. Give KHJ a chance.

To those saying the lead role will help him grow....

I'm all fine for someone learning the ropes and improving. However, it's quite baffling that someone should be learning through leading parts. Especially when it's the main lead of a drama. Again, it's just baffling to put someone as a main lead if they haven't improved to that level. The main leads generally have the most face time, the most lines, most actions, etc. It's not really a learning time. Learning time should've already happened or they need several Apples of Talent to snack on and with some learning to boot still. Kim Hyun-joong hasn't done the learning time or have any of the Apples, so it's really baffling that he's a lead. Especially, when it seems he has no major interest in acting. It's one of the reasons I can't help, but wonder if Group 8 is banking on idol+BOF combo fandom through his casting.

Of course people base their reactions on past events, past abilities. It's a way to judge whether someone has improved or not. Considering there's only BOF where she didn't see improvement (along with others) it's no surprise plenty are shouting out like Vader.

Also, netizens, layoff javabeans for stating her opinion in her blog folks. She wasn't required to sign any "I will remain neutral in my reactions when sharing information" contract when she made the blog. Shout out to @Annie B here particularly for the elitist remarks. Particularly when said @Annie B is obviously being bias and snippy while calling out javabeans on her opinion. I'll point out Return of Iljimae as an example of where javabeans loved quiet acting. In previous postsshe's watched dramas where her favorites weren't picked with no more than an "aw", been nicely surprised by someone, or disappointed with who she thought was a shoe-in. Ditto for plots.

Her blog exists because she wants it too. Her reputation is quite intact in my opinion. Her reputation is through what she has been doing for years. Sharing news going on in kdrama land and also stating her opinion on it. Just too bad it's getting a momentary lag of fandom lashback.

So quit it. There's no required ethics for a FAN BLOG.

I've envere been more disappointed in my life.

@35,No I think he chose KHJ cause they need to start filming soon.
Thats why?
Cause Road # 1 only has 16 episodes and it aired 6 of them already.

Good dammit!!! i wanted a good actor!!! dammit. i don't fell like watching this but i have to cause i loved it stared with a kiss. hopefully kim hyunjoong have gotten better at acting!

I hated KHJ in Bof but I hope to give this drama a chance. If he acts the same way he did in Bof, I will be really disappointed. As much as I thought he was so purrty in Bof, I wanted Jan Di with Jun Pyo. Luckily in ISWAK, Zhi Shu had very limited emotions so maybe KHJ will play that part well. I really hope that they pick PSH for the main lead, I think I'd watch the entire thing just cause of her.

hmmmm.... this killed my interest like totally... going to skip this.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

the lead guy's role so important! the k-drama adapatation's success rests heavily on the lead guy. oh well... let's just wait and pray that KHJ will prove us wrong! but like JB, i'm so not excited about this anymore :(

let's give KHJ a chance.. he might be good at it.. he may not have given justice to the role of rui but things might be different this time around.. the director for Playful kiss is one talented man..

I love the fact that Park Shin Hye is a top contender for the female lead.. I hope she bags the role =) they worked in a cf together and I can say they've got chemistry.

I agree with you that KHJ is not the best actor out there...heck..I am sure he's aware of that too. BOF was his first real acting job so understandably, he had a hard time portraying Ji Hoo character. I know that many of you wanted LMH but I doubt that he wanted to be in Playfull Kiss, especially not after Personal Taste where he proved himself to be a versatile actor. Out of F4 boys, KHJ has the biggest fan base, the most popular CF actor, and the most bankable star. So of course, that the producer wanted him as supposed to the other F3 boys. It's all about rating.

This drama can still be saved by:
1) having a female counterpart that is not only good in acting but has personality that can bring HJ out of his cave. THe more uncomfortable he is with the lady, the worse his acting will be. HJ has 4D personality and is generally uncomfortable with women. So, team building activities are important. Now..I wish I could convince the PD/Producer to cast Hwang Bo..he..he.. They were so natural and the chemistry was awesome in We Got Married.
2) The past two years, HJ has been honing his acting skills and immersed himself in the character.
3) Having plenty of eye candies namjas.
4) please no female idols.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOx1,000,000,000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh I'm disappointed (to the point I forgot how to spell the word, I had to retype several times!!)

What news! I just knew they will cast him simply to target certain market segment, no good acting skills required here. Rating is definitely high for sure but all the KHJ's fan must understand - it is not because he can act.

Sigh.....

I agree JB, I would be so happy if Kim Soo-hyun was the lead! I want to see him as a lead character. Because he was only in like the first two eps of WISFC he did such a great job that it made such a good impression on me and I'm sure everyone else watching the series. Maybe I'll try to watch this and see how it goes. KHJ is sure pretty to look at, so maybe I'll survive. I'd actually prefer Jung Yong-hwa to him too actually. Oh well.

@ Rachael - I have to applaud that comment regarding the Annie B rant. I wouldn't have been so polite as you.

From experience, I trust JB's opinions/recommendations. Yes, there might be a chance that KYJ might just surprise us all and a lot of people are going to eat their words, and that would be great. I, for one, would love to be surprised! But as pointed out, with a whole lot of talented actors out there to choose from, why him? For a twice re-made series like this, for a popular manga, expectations are high and people just don't want to be disappointed. Experience & qualifications matter. If you didn't do well on your first role as a second lead, how could you expect people to look forward to your next role as the main lead? If he had been taking acting lessons, then good for him. If the director could bring out Naoki from KHJ, then good form him too. But not really expecting him to do better than Joe Cheng.

I'm just going to look forward to girlfriday's recaps. She's a little bit meaner than JB. =)

for me it would be better if its JGS or LMW, it seems final so... let it be? :( Hope PSH will get the female lead.