You can only pick one: Song Joong-ki drama

by DB Staff

You can only pick one, and boy the pressure is on. The DB team will answer a new prompt in each post, and you’re invited to do the same in the comments. Ready to play?
 

You can only pick one Song Joong-ki drama

missvictrix: Oh, I’m definitely picking Nice Guy. This show is just K-drama revenge melo at its best — from the Very Melodramatic OST, to the ups and downs of the plot, to the pining, the fury, and the many reversals. For some reason the first image of this drama that pops up in my head is always Song Joong-ki when he’s all beaten up with a huuuuge swollen eye standing in the rain being a not-so-nice guy. That’s basically the drama in a nutshell. (Do they make them like this anymore? I don’t think so.)

quirkycase: To make this easier on myself, I’m only counting dramas where Song Joong-ki is in at least half the episodes (which knocks out Tree with Deep Roots). So I’m going to ultimately go with Nice Guy. Some revenge dramas can take themselves too seriously and zap all the fun out of the proceedings, but not Nice Guy. It’s just the perfect soapy, revenge drama. I had a blast watching Song Joong-ki and Moon Chae-won’s melodramatic saga that went all in on the tropes. Because sometimes, all you want is a tortured, morally questionable hero full of angst, schemes, and secrets.

mistyisles: I want to say Sungkyunkwan Scandal, because that’s where I first fell in love with him, and Gu Yong-ha will always be absolutely iconic. But I’d either have to re-cast the male lead or do some serious mental gymnastics to separate that actor from the character if I were to try watching it again. Still, if I look at it from the standpoint of my favorite Song Joong-ki role, that’s definitely the one!

DaebakGrits: I try not to think too hard about Vincenzo (the drama) because it glorifies a lot of things that probably shouldn’t be romanticized (e.g. the mafia), but I loved Song Joong-ki’s Vincenzo — even if his violence-filled past is glossed over to soften his character for the bulk of the drama’s story. But, as I’ve mentioned before, I’m an absolute sucker for fictional men who kick butt in a tailored suit, and Song Joong-ki did a great job straddling the line between being suavely dangerous and humorous. Admittedly, the comedy was largely due to the supporting cast, who emphasized his fish-out-of-water circumstances and provided a lot of situational humor, but Joong-ki never lost his edge — not even when he dressed up as a shaman or wore matching headbands on his date with Kim Sung-cheol’s character.

solstices: Song Joong-ki has had plenty of memorable roles, ranging from werewolf boy to mafia consigliere, but I’d have to go with Sungkyunkwan Scandal. He was easily one of the best parts of the show, especially his amusing dynamic and bromantic banter with Yoo Ah-in’s Geol-oh. It’s a shame that the drama has since been marred by the male lead, since Song Joong-ki’s portrayal still stands the test of time. His take on Gu Yong-ha reminded me of why I liked Kim Ji-seok so much in The Slave Hunters — and since that show is tinged with nostalgia as one of my gateway K-dramas, it made me appreciate the character of Gu Yong-ha even more. I loved how he was carefree, yet thoughtful; he may have been lackadaisical, but he was reliable when it counted. Song Joong-ki did a great job of bringing across that depth, and it solidified my appreciation of him as an actor.

alathe: Descended From the Sun! Cards on the table — it’s been a long time since I’ve seen this one. However, the fact that I can still think of it and grin about four years on probably speaks for itself. Song Joong-ki is at his most soulful and superb here. I love the sheer, smirky competence he brings to the role: that man is made of charisma. All the same, there’s something so broken-open and layered about his performance in the romantic scenes. And god, the chemistry. Who can forget that spectacular kiss in the pickup truck? (Possibly one of the best K-drama kisses… maybe ever?) Or that moment he bends to tie her shoe? (Also one of the best shoelace-fixing moments ever??) Our heroine watching the soldiers do their morning workout and shamelessly drooling? (Also one of the best — actually, nope, that one’s pretty unique.) Anyway, I could list about a thousand beautiful, flat-out iconic moments, but it all comes down to the fact that this drama — despite its issues, and despite being far from my type of show on paper — is immensely satisfying to watch. I could watch Song Joong-ki all day in this… and, if I recall the details of my light-speed binge-watch correctly, almost certainly did.

 
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• Vincenzo: Episode 1
• Sungkyunkwan Scandal: Episode 1
• Nice Guy: Episode 1
• Descended From the Sun: Episode 1