News bites: January 8, 2022

35 January 8, 2022September 29, 2022

by tccolb

Yoon Shi-yoon, Namgoong Min

Yoon Shi-yoon (Train) will be starring in KBS’s new weekend family drama It’s Beautiful Right Now. Alongside actors Oh Min-seok (Cheat on Me, If You Can) and Seo Beom-joon (Nevertheless), the three will play brothers who are all still single and live at home with their parents. To encourage them to leave the nest, the family’s elders offer to give an apartment to the first couple who gets wedded and the marriage race begins. The cast also includes Bae Da-bin (Do You Like Brahms), Shin Dong-mi (Bossam: Steal the Fate), and Choi Ye-bin (Penthouse 3), among others. Written by Ha Myung-hee (Record of Youth) and directed by PD Kim Sung-geun (Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha), the drama is currently being planned to air towards the end of 2022. [Osen]

Namgoong Min (The Veil) is considering an offer to play the main character in SBS’s new legal drama One Dollar Lawyer. The story won first place in SBS’s 2015 script writing contest and was written by the sister writer duo Choi Soo-jin and Choi Chang-hwan. The two also collaborated on Heart Surgeons and Defendant. [Dispatch]

TVING has confirmed new comedy There’s an Ant on Here with Hong Jong-hyun (My Absolute Boyfriend), Han Ji-eun (Bad and Crazy), Jung Moon-sung (The Veil), Kim Sun-young (The Silent Sea), and veteran actor Jang Kwang (Moonshine). The story explores the funny but sad realities that arise from social issues, and features five characters who come from very different backgrounds but become friends when they form a stock market club together. Written by Im Yeon-soo and directed by PD Choi Ji-young (What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim, Beyond Evil), the premiere is being planned for later this year. [YTN]

Jeon Do-yeon, Sol Kyung-gu, Esom, Gu Kyo-hwan

A new Netflix action film is in the works called Kill Bok-soon, directed by Byun Sung-hyun (Kingmaker). Jeon Do-yeon (Human Disqualification) plays an infamous assassin who’s the best of the best in Sol Kyung-gu’s company of mercenaries. Although Sol respects and admires her abilities, he is also wary of the fact that she is more than capable of overthrowing him and taking over his business. At Sol’s right hand is his younger sister Esom (Taxi Driver) who helps manage the firm, while Jeon’s fellow assassin Gu Kyo-hwan (D.P.) is determined to gain more credibility. [JTBC]

Jang Dong-yoon (Search) and Nana (Oh! Master) have been cast in a new fantasy romance called My Man is Cupid. As a disgraced deity, Jang’s wings were taken away 500 years ago and he’s been working in the mortal realm ever since in order to restore his honor. When he accidentally hits himself with his own arrow, he falls in love with veterinary doctor Nana — but his mistake also causes her destiny to be forever altered. Written by Heo Sung-hee (One More Happy Ending) and directed by PD Nam Tae-jin (Switch, Lovers of the Red Sky), My Man is Cupid will be airing sometime this year. [SBS]

tvN’s upcoming Twenty Five Twenty One has released a cute set of character posters featuring a miniature Kim Tae-ri (Mr. Sunshine) and Nam Joo-hyuk (Start-Up). The coming-of-age story starts with a nostalgic trip back to 1998 and follows our main characters into the present as they both mature into adulthood and their relationship deepens. Together, the tagline in the two posters reads, “No matter where you are, I will meet you there.” The drama premieres next month on February 12, following Bulgasal. [KBS]

With the January 14th premiere just a week away, SBS’s crime thriller Through the Darkness has released a slew of new posters that capture the mood of the drama. Kim Nam-gil (The Fiery Priest) plays the man who becomes South Korea’s first criminal profiler back in the 1990s, aided by his colleagues, Jin Seon-gyu (One the Woman) and Kim So-jin (Marriage Contract, Escape from Mogadishu). [SBS]

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1 ladyjaye

January 8, 2022 at 4:05 PM

Oooh I always loved the news bites format. Welcome back!

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2 OldLawyer

January 8, 2022 at 5:04 PM

The new weekender sounds like it could be fun and so does MY MAN IS CUPID- and Nana is just right for a part like that.

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3 Kafiyah Bello

January 8, 2022 at 6:33 PM

Ooooh I like this!!! Will watch Jeon Do Yeon in anything. Will check out 2521, through the darkness, my man is cupid, and will try anything with NGM.

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4 miso

January 8, 2022 at 6:36 PM

Like the News Bites! But the first two dramas - one written by the writer of Record of Youth and another based off of a 7-year old script...

At least the Jang Dong-yoon and Nana one should be cute. Can't be worse than Oh Master at least.

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Then you should (te-)watch “Be melodramatic” if I may suggest ;)
Being successful in the past is no guarantee of future drama quality, … and after the rain always comes the sun, so you never know what good can come from someone over time ;)

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5 miss h

January 9, 2022 at 12:20 AM

Yoon Shi-yoon's star has fallen a lot for him to do a weekend drama, but they are a good way to restart a career too.

It might be wise for NGM to turn that drama down. It was shelved years ago because of plagiarism controversy and the controversy started up again when it was announced. I guess SBS is hoping his name is enough to overcome that.

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Zestileigh

January 9, 2022 at 1:02 AM

Oh bummer.

I just want him to play goofy again. I pretty much find his character in the first half of Dear Fair Lady Kong Shim (when he wears the capri pants and flip-flops, and before he gets all serious and wears suits) to be my ideal crush. I want more of him in that mode.

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Zestileigh

January 9, 2022 at 1:03 AM

(Comment above is referring to NGM)

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LoveKDramas

January 9, 2022 at 7:27 AM

… Yoon Shi Yoon hasn’t been lucky with “Train” in terms of viewership, but the drama is extremely well rated and he’s not a fault, like the rest of his filmography :)

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6 redfox

January 9, 2022 at 1:36 AM

whats glorious about assassins? I would never write, make, star in or watch a drama like that. gross.
why does this world glorify killing

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7 Lily left the valley

January 9, 2022 at 1:54 AM

😭I am already wearing my fan heart on my sleeve watching a family drama I can't stand for one actor playing the ML...now I might need to do so for another so soon after that one is wrapping up.😭

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8 korfan

January 9, 2022 at 2:20 AM

Several of these projects sound interesting. I'll definitely be giving them a try!

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9 PYC

January 9, 2022 at 5:37 AM

Welcome back, News Bites!

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10 ladynightshade wants to be gazed at by namgoong min

January 9, 2022 at 6:08 AM

These projects are very exciting, yes. But the most development here is the return of news bites! It feels like I’m back in the old dramabeans days, when the site was packed and I was just shadowing without making an account (why did I wait so long to do that??).

Speaking of the projects, a lot of these actually sound pretty good.

It’s sad to see Yoon Shi-yoon not be a prime-time leading man but maybe a strong weekender is just the push his career needs. Besides, if it’s like Father is Strange or Once Again, I’ll watch all 50-something episodes and have no complaints.

It’s good to see Namgoong Min back - even if I wish he did something more comedic or romantic. I know he’s in a bit of a thriller/darkness kick lately (he’s damn good in those roles, I get it), but his lighter performances were so memorable and I want to see more of it.

More Han Ji-eun!! I don’t care for the premise and I barely understand how stocks work (maybe not the best thing to admit), but I’ve watched dramas with weirder premises win me over, so why not? Also, more Han Ji-eun is always nice.

Jeon Do-yeon as an assassin? *And* there’s Esom and Koo Kyo-hwan?? Sign me the fuck up, I am SOLD.

Now, the news that excites me the most. Jang Dong-yoon and Nana! That pairing sounds…amazing. JDY as Cupid sounds absolutely perfect and I already cannot wait for this drama. Yes, I’m still traumatized from Nana’s drama-that-shall-not-be-named but I’m willing to overlook that catastrophic blunder for this. I hope the writer is considerate about this and doesn’t plan to traumatize me further.

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LoveKDramas

January 9, 2022 at 7:49 AM

My understanding is that YOON Shi Yoon will be the main ML in Now is Beautiful:
One alternate title for the drama is “ Hyun Jae is beautiful”, which is his name in the drama…
“ Lee Hyun Jae is a divorce lawyer. He isn’t particularly interested in dating or marriage as he is busy and hasn’t found someone he really likes, but everything changes when he meets Hyun Mi Rae.” source Naver

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ladynightshade wants to be gazed at by namgoong min

January 9, 2022 at 10:06 AM

Yeah I know he’s the male lead, but I meant him being the lead in a prime-time, 16 episode (give-or-take) drama - as opposed to a long-running weekend family drama. I feel like the connotations of being a leading man are very different across these two types of dramas.

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miss h

January 9, 2022 at 11:48 AM

It's definitely considered a step down. There are some actors that primarily do weekend dramas, but leads tend to be up-and-comers or actors whose careers have stalled or took a dive. I remember when Jang Hyuk did Money Flower (MBC weekend drama), he said everybody thought he was crazy.

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ar_arguably romantic

January 10, 2022 at 10:25 PM

And he got nominated for a Baeksang for it. He and the drama got more buzz there than some of his primetime gigs before and after.

Pretty baller move! Namgoong Min was fading until he decided to go with a second lead role.

YSY - wish him all the best!

lackingfive

January 10, 2022 at 11:02 PM

yoon shiyoon is gonna hit big with this weekend drama...it seems like youth story too...it's about time for him to shine again...even ji hyunwoo can wing daesang with weekend drama lol

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11 LoveKDramas

January 9, 2022 at 7:07 AM

i am really curious about “IT’S BEAUTIFUL RIGHT NOW” (or Hyun Jae/ now is beautiful?)… Because of Yoon Shi Yoon, a very recent discovery for me… I’ve started quite a few dramas these last few days without being hooked, and fell upon Your Honor “by chance. I’m not into legal dramas, but what a great surprise! Funny, charming, really entertaining, with a more than decent storyline and suspense balancing more intimate moments, and above all, there’s something really special about YSY. Not sure what it is, but since he’s not playing on his good looks, he brings something else that is quite uniquely enticing in his acting…. Very refreshing for me.
Now all his former movies are on my watch list.

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lackingfive

January 10, 2022 at 11:04 PM

his best acting for me is in The Nokdu Flower..that drama gave him best character and he nailed it

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LoveKDramas

January 11, 2022 at 12:09 AM

It’s on my watch list now
Thank you :)

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lackingfive

January 24, 2022 at 12:13 AM

i'm currently on yoon shiyoon marathon too...please watch Hit the Top and Psychopath Diary too

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12 LoveKDramas

January 9, 2022 at 7:21 AM

MY MAN IS CUPID seems to be promisingly light-hearted with an enticing storyline … Once is a while, it’s nice to watch a no-brainer … with an eye-candy casting (for me: Jang Dong Yoon - flower of Nokdu, pairing very well with Nana - Memorials, Into the ring ) ;)

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zzthorn

January 9, 2022 at 9:43 AM

I would think that casting a FL beside Jang Dong Yoon might be tricky as it would seem more difficult to find a large selection of women more beautiful than he is.

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ladynightshade wants to be gazed at by namgoong min

January 9, 2022 at 10:02 AM

He can be prettier than the women, I’ve got no complaints about that.

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mindy

January 9, 2022 at 10:34 AM

Maybe if you’re straight

I’m sorry Jang Dong-yoon is cool and all but the idea that he’s prettier than the average female lead actress is a bit. . . 😭

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LoveKDramas

January 9, 2022 at 11:31 AM

Well, the thing is that the majority of ML have feminine vibes… even more obvious in their published pictures,
whereas the FL have quite strong male vibes … big eyes and mouth/teeth, sharp jaws that are angular from the ears, are a male trait, like proportionally longer necks, wider shoulders, hidden by their long hair, longer arms, legs / shorter torsos, narrow hips… looks like their features are inverted actually ;)

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13 la wants to feel liberated too

January 9, 2022 at 10:20 AM

I never would have imagined Jang Dongyoon and Nana in the same drama, as a couple. Both are stunning, but Nana has this mature look while Jang Dongyoon looks so young that he can still play as a highschool student when he's already 30...

Who knows, they could be one of people's fav otp this year

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14 Lord Cobol (Kdramas, like water, flow downhill)

January 9, 2022 at 10:56 AM

Oh, you can add more of these articles to the list of things I'd like to see more of on Dramabeans.

The buy-a-home-for-one-son bit sounds likely to encourage the others to hang around hoping for similar bribes -- or waiting to inherit the parents place ;)

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ar_arguably romantic

January 10, 2022 at 10:32 PM

I wonder if the government is hoping this drama will encourage parents to offer this incentive to their unmarried kids so that more people would get married and have children.