For historical setting dramas, have seen more plot with females pretending to be males than the other way around, so this should be interesting. This is a drama where an androgynous pretty boy would be right for the role.

Anyway, I have a huge crush on this girl and hope she hits with this role.

I don't have much hope in the writing though. Moonlight and School 2015 was saved by the actors and osts imo.

In some of the roles Kim So-Hyun played while she was in elementary school, the characters she played were so despicable that I even started to dislike the young actress. All that changed after Let's Fight Ghost (Bring it on Ghost). I loved her role in that drama and most of all, I was completely impressed with how her influence on Taec-yeon seemed to transform him from a really "weak" actor into an actor of merit. For the first time, I took Taec-yeon seriously as an actor. He became believable and I credited that to the relaxed and playful chemistry he had with Kim So-Hyun. Since then, Taec-yeon has shown himself well in his dramas and Kim So-Hyun is still a strong and talented actress but may have taken on several roles that were beneath her ability.

As for male actors pretty enough to play female roles, maybe Song Joong ki or Park Bo Gum depending on how tall they are compared to the females in the drama and how much they may have been working out lately. In the historical dramas hair is hidden in both males and females. If not hidden, at least it is stylized in such a way as to diminish personality and individuality. I love seeing how people wear their hair naturally and believe that is something to consider in deciding which males might pass as female in a historical drama. If the hair is all slicked back, it's harder to hide masculine features

I find it hard to picture KSH "with two left feet" - she normally strikes me as so graceful. But she is a good actress, so maybe she can pull it off.
I've heard he sing, so it's easier to see her as tone-deaf.

LOVE Kim So Hyun!!! She's my fav teen actress (well not teen anymore, but I've been following her since Moon days). Can't wait to watch Love Alarm, and with this drama, it will be a year full of Kim So Hyun!!!

I heard some reports about Jang Dong Yoon taking the lead male role. I don't dislike him, but he's not my fav either. He was kinda nice in School 2017 and Mr. Sunshine. He actually dressed as a female for Just Dance, maybe this is a reason why he was choosen for this (he is in talks, not confirmed yet)...

What do you people think of this choice?

This sounds really fun!
So looking forward to seeing which actor they choose!
Low-key want it to be Ji Chang Wook. Do we remember his Disney Princess Snow White in Batchelor vegetable store! He was so pretty!
https://twitter.com/fanwithacause/status/825433385606606848
And he's apparently willing to cross dress for a role!

The more I read your description, the funnier it gets. At first I thought this was the same Mung Bean show the 6FD team was working on and wondered why it became a rom-com and casting big names this late.

Totally random, but I think Ahn Woo-yeon would make a pretty girl. He has that thing at the end of his eyes, like that tiny wing you usually draw with eyeliner. LOL I don't know what it's called but he's so pretty in Five Kids.

I thought that her next drama was about a love app for Netflix? So she already filmed it?

It sounds like a fun sageuk, I like it. I liked a lot Moonlight Drawn By Clouds, it was so funny. The trio Kim You-Jung, Park Bo Gum and Kwak Dong Yeon were good and have a great chemistry.

Would love to see her reunited with Yook Sungjae. I guess he can pass off as a pretty woman easily with his those gorgeous looks. Or may be Do kyungsoo? Oh how I would love to see kyungsoo back on screen and that also on a saeguk drama.

Park Hyun-sik as the pretty boy/man?

Oooooooooh the reversal where the man dresses up as a girl. I soooo like this premise.

Or they could cast a girl and have her pretend to be a guy pretending to be a girl...

How about L? I'm rewatching SUFBB and willing to give him another chance.

What is with mung beans? Jo Jung Suk's drama is also titled mung beans, to be exact Mung Bean Flowers 😆

Thanks for more casting news, @tipsymocha.

So now we have Joseon rom-com MUNG BEAN PANCAKE hot on the heels of MUNG BEAN FLOWER set during the Donghak Rebellion?!? Wey, Writer-nim, wey?!

Is the venerable mung bean the newest fad in Kdramaland? Will it replace robot friends and lovers -- and exorcist priests?

This sounds like a Joseon variation on PERSONAL TASTE.

If Sadie Hawkinsville is a "strictly women-only community," why is there a gibang?

I'm always game for a good tale with cross-dressing. I nominate Jang Geun-seok, who I think could pull it off. I feel kind of sorry for whomever gets the role. Lee Joon-gi set the bar stratospherically high in THE KING AND THE CLOWN. Manseh, Gong-gil!

As a thought experiment, I'd love to see what Jang Hyuk would do in such a role. I don't think he's played such a character, but I bet he would be fantastic. He goes for broke in all his roles.

So Hyun looks more like the cross dressing male lead than Jang Dong Yoon, because the way the writer draws the male lead is much more beautiful than the female lead. It would be hard to cast an actor that is so beautiful and feminine and with convincing acting. I couldn’t think of anyone...

I recommend Jung Jin-young for the role...another reunion for the actor and the writer! And boy he's beautiful!

I’m going to throw Lee Gikwang into the cross-dressing ring. That boy is so beautiful and has two awards proving it. Lol! In all seriousness, his face is very effeminate and he could pull the acting off in spades as well.

My two wishes for the male lead:
1) age-appropriate
2) no idols who cannot act e.g., more Kang Chan-hee (2000), less Cha Eun-woo (1997)

Mung Bean Pancake is Kim So-hyun's second gender bender drama after Ma Boy.

Kim So-hyun in a sageuk reminds me I still need to finish Ruler - Master of the Mask. Honestly, I ought to just drop it at this point.

I'd love Yook Sungjae & Kim Sohyun to reunite for this.

I do hope that this is going to be a good drama for her. I love her ever since THE DUO (2011). She had a small part but she stood out.
I'd love to see her with Noh Young-hak, Park Gun-tae, Park Ji-bin, Lee Min-ho (93), Kwak Dong-yeon, Yeo Jin-goo again in the future.
They have sageuk experience but under-rated except for Yeo Jin-goo.

Jang Dong-yoon is considering, and he is ABSOLUTELY beautiful enough to pull it off.

This requires a pretty boy...let's wait and see...

For the male lead, I think they should choose an actor who isn't too tall because if he exceeds every women by 30cm, it would like very funny (like the SF9 Taeyang and Hwiyoung reacting Lovers in Paris and Goblin) but not very credible.

If it’s one of Kim So-Hyun’s work then I’ll definitely watch it no matter what. I love this talented girl. She’s a beauty inside and out. 😊😊😊 On the other hand, I don’t mind whoever became the ML as long as they’re convincing.

Yoon park, Kim jae young or my favourite alligator lover shin jae ha😉😉😉😉😉

Looking forward to it! Choi Woo Shik would be a perfect fit.

Kim Nam-gil anyone? just watch him/her in fiery priest! or Taemin though he might be too pretty! he does have a face i could stare at forever. a lot of the singing idols who have acted could pull it off. lest we forget Heechul!

Some of the suggestions here... for real, normally it's always about age-appropriate casting here, but now a good amount of the male lead role casting suggestions are guys who are in their thirties?? Hope those were just made as a general 'who would make a pretty woman' and less 'I want him as Kim Sohyun's love interest'.

She had done something similar to this before but it was modern drama, anybody remember ma boy??

She's so adorable. I enjoy her every time I see her.

Having just watched Ho Goo's Love, I think Choi Wu-Sik will suit the role nicely.