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Ji Chang-wook seeks healing in KBS’s If You Wish Upon Me

If You Wish Upon Me

It’s time to dig out those tissues boxes again because the promos are heading into full gear for KBS’s melodrama If You Wish Upon Me and when Ji Chang-wook (The Sound of Magic) cries, I cry.

Inspired by the real-life Dutch foundation, who strive to fulfill the last wishes of palliative patients, the drama imagines a hospice in South Korea who aims to do the same. In this story, Ji Chang-wook plays Yoon Kye-rae – a man who lives day-by-day with no dreams for the future. He’s described as a “broken grown-up child” and has a habit of getting tattoos to feel the pain. But his jaded heart is shaken when he meets people at the hospice and hope starts to grow inside of him.

The teaser begins with our hero getting hit in the face and we briefly flash back to the violence in his childhood. Back in the present, Sooyoung (Run On) asks him about happy moments in his life. But Yoon replies that he doesn’t have any. As we see him getting into more fights, he wonders how his life turned out this way and desperately pleads, “Let’s try living an ordinary life like other people. We’re allowed to do that!” The video then quickly closes on a teary-eyed Yoon.

Written by Jo Ryung-soo and directed by PD Kim Yong-wan (The Cursed), KBS’s If You Wish Upon Me premieres August 10 in the Wednesday-Thursday slot.

If You Wish Upon Me

If You Wish Upon Me

If You Wish Upon Me

If You Wish Upon Me

If You Wish Upon Me

If You Wish Upon Me

If You Wish Upon Me

Via Maeil Kyungje (1), (2)

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This sounds like a difficult watch like Tomorrow, trying to show the harsh reality of life but keeping an audience investing their precious relaxation time isn’t going to be easy. He does sound like a character we could root for and if the staff and patient characters are well developed it could be a healing drama despite the heaviness of the topic.

In a time when people have lost loved ones unexpectedly and reflecting on life has become a reality at all ages this may be a drama for this moment.

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Good thing I just back from Costco with a mega-pack of tissues. Going to need a few boxes to get through this series!

I swear to [pick your deity here], if something bad happens to that puppy, I'm flying straight over to Yeouido to smack the ever-living crap out of that writer-nim. 🤬

But anyway... SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! 🥰

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You make an important point about essentials when watching a K drama. I second the box of tissues and raise you a yoga mat to de stress after:
the plot has gone rogue
the second female lead has gone too far
you realise the adverts for the show were based on the original pitch and not the second rate reality you are now deciding whether to drop at episode two or hate watch in the vain hope they may turn it round.

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Pessimistic much?
I heard that Move to Heaven was good and didn't go off the rails. This feels like a similar theme. There might be hope.......?

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Not that I'm going to risk it. I've got enough tears in real life - I need laughs in dramaland.

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when will this be telecast on Netflix?

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A&E Networks Korea (one of the production companies) made an announcement that it will NOT be airing on Netflix. In fact, Lifetime is going after social media accounts that are wrongly reporting IYSYW will be airing on Netflix to remove such incorrect information. Only KBS 2TV, the Lifetime cable channels in Korea, and the Viu Network in SEA countries will be broadcasting IYSYW for now.

If you want to watch live, I suggest investing in a really good VPN and log into KBS 2TV's live stream. It's free! (https://onair.kbs.co.kr)

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Oh boy, this looks sad, but I will watch with joy!!!

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Will give it to JCW for experimenting with genres and roles. But I hope this time he genuinely picked a script on its merit rather than the previous credits of director and writer.

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I’m actually comforted that Sooyoung is in this, because she seems to have a better eye for scripts, at least recently. So we’ll see how this goes.

He really is very good in almost any role, but he can’t carry a show alone. That’s another reason I’m pleased Sooyoung is in this - she does more than her fair share of heavy lifting, so hopefully the drama won’t need it but if it does, they can both prop it up together.

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I normally try and not comment on how thin Korean actors appear to be on screen and in photos but have to make an exception here. JCW seems so much thinner in these pics than when he did Healer. Maybe this is is part of his method acting but not a good practice. Unfortunately, the pressure to remain slim is globally ever present for actors and especially for female actors even when they are tall/tallish.

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'Healer' aired over 8 years ago - he still had some baby fat at 27 years old. Yoon Gyeo Re is supposed to be bruised, battered and broken beyond repair. I highly doubt his being buffed up would contribute much to the character.

If you want to see a more bulked-up Wook, just wait for "The Worst Evil." He's put on 8kg of muscle just for the production. 😋

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@cherkell: Didn’t mean buffed up. Just not so thin. I did mention that could be part of his method acting.

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I don't think we can chalk this up to 'method acting,' except for the drastic weight loss he went through for his "Five Fingers" character. He's always been on the thinnish side, and the clothes he's wearing in the promos for IYWUM aren't helping much because they're all styled larger than his normal sizes to help with this character development.

But take my word for it - he sure as heck didn't look (or feel) "thin" the last time we met up before he enlisted in August 2017. 😉

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Re your last point, good to know.

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I also noted already a few months ago that JCW seemed to be a lot skinnier than in The sound of magic. (and he had me worried too)

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interested to see both of these actors in this type of role (it will be a first to me, but maybe I just missed some of their previous projects).

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Is he holding a puppy in the last picture? I'm a goner.

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Waouh sa a l'air tres dure cette serie et tres triste bravo a mr ji chang wook qui nous montre encore ses talents d acteur il est vraiment formidable sont talents n est plus à montrer il est excellent dans tous ses rôles il passe du rire au larmes j adore dans empress ki healers k2 suspicious partner the sound of magic il est génial que du bonheur il vaut cent fois certains acteurs américain il est comme il est et il est trop mignon waouh bravo à vous Mr ji chang wook 😉

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