If you are a singer - sing. Please don't pollute my screen with your 'acting', kthnks.

[dangermousie]

Oh God.

WHY DO THEY KEEP CASTING IDOLS WITH NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE IN MAJOR ROLES IN KDRAMAS?

Another drama has been afflicted with idolmania - apparently one of the members of boyband 2AM (or is it 2PM? I can't keep them straight) has been cast in Personal Taste as a secondary guy.

Whyyyyyyyyyyy? Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy? Is it some sort of a Lee Min Ho curse, to be a leading man in a drama saddled with a wooden idol as his rival. The hell?

With every day, my interest in that drama diminishes.

Seriously.

Kdramas are starting to turn into jdramas (which I have almost given up by now in part because of this), casting good-looking idols who have never acted before in major roles, regardless of any acting ability. Someone like Siwon, who is about to star in a drama of his own, is fine - it's his first leading role in a drama but the boy has been working up to it for years - in a short drama and a bunch of minor roles. But this is not what's going on.

With the exception of Lee Seung Gi in Brilliant Legacy, I cannot think of a single idol cast in a major role as a starting point who did in any way a decent job. And yet they keep trying!

Kim Hyun Joong in Boys over Flowers - so good-looking, so wooden, so derailing the entire drama because the writer wanted into KHJ's pants.

U-Know Yunho (the name says it all) in Heading to the Ground - a more apt name for a drama or his acting has never been invented.

Sonbi in Dream - I have seen more charismatic hunks of wood than this leading lady.

Yoona - I see her name in the credits, I run.

And the list goes on and on and on. I don't care if they stick them in teenybopper dramas, I don't watch those anyway. But now they are beginning to infiltrate things I want to watch - Cinderella Unni has another idol attempting to act. It will be interesting to see him opposite Moon Geun Young, Seo Woo, and Chun Jung Myung - he is going to be eaten alive. There is going to be some scary-looking boybander in What's Up - a boybander in a drama written by the Legend/Sandglass/Slingshot writer. Yeah.

And don't get me started on the Personal Taste guy. Son Ye Jin passed on IRIS and starring opposite Lee Byung Hun to be involved in a love triangle with a flower boy (I love you, Lee Min Ho, but Lee Byung Hun you ain't) and a boybander? Hah.

The rate this is going, I am going to have to stick exclusively to period dramas. I have yet to see a boybander/girlbander in one, thank God.

ETA: Now that I think about it, I think Yoon Eun Hye and Sung Yuri started as singers? And Yoon Kye Sang? And I love them all. OK, maybe it's the recent crop that looks particularly insipid then. Except for Seung Gi I hated every idol they tried to inflict on us acting-wise in the last 4 years.

Comments

[katranna.livejournal.com]

Weeeelll, in Kim Hyun Joong's defense, if there was ever a character for whom blank and wooden acting was appropriate, it's Rui. If anything, he was cast for canon. The sceenwriter's psycho-ness could hardly be seen as his fault, either.

[er-mused.livejournal.com]

Haha, I agree. He was actually perfect as Rui....that's how I envisioned Rui's character when I read the manga. I think that for a first timer, he was better than Vic Zhou...(don't kill me! haha)...who was unfortunately not convincing at all. I felt that Kim Hyun Joong's woodenness was somehow quite natural....hahaha...if you know what I mean...

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Poor Rui :)

he was just as bad though when they wrote him into this emo prince in the second half.

[uisceros.livejournal.com]

In general I agree. Not that I necessarily find singer-turned-actors bad, but I prefer classically trained actors. I also prefer little known, but well trained actors being cast over popular singers.

With Cinderella Unni, the boybander in question, Taecyeon, actually apparently trained as an actor. It's up in the air whether he'll be good or not, but at least he's not totally green. As for What's Up... that boybander is Dae Sung from Big Bang. And I wouldn't write him off. He's done stage musicals before, so he definitely knows how to act. (Dae is the antithesis of scary, btw. He's a total sweetheart ;D )

And hey, as far as I've heard, TOP did a great job in IRIS, and that was only his second drama!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Let's hope the Unni boybander can act then. I would love to be pleasantly surprised :)

Re; TOP. The thing there it was a small limited role - which is fine, it enables him to build his skills without hampering the drama. I am all for that.

[uisceros.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping he's good too :D

As far as I know, Taec and Dae's roles will be similarly small.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

That's fine then.

My problem with inexperienced idols acting in major roles is that while I am sure they get better with time (look at Sung Yuri - apparently atrocious in her early stuff, now one of my favorites), they are often not so good starting out - and I am all for them learning and getting better but if they are in a major role they are learning to the detriment of the viewers :P

[uisceros.livejournal.com]

I'm the same, I prefer them in side roles for just the same reason. Putting an untrained person as a lead in a drama is generally unwise in my book. Sometimes it turns out okay, but sometimes it doesn't. By putting idols in lead roles they're not ready for, they're taking a role away from other actors who perhaps deserve it better (and putting unnecessary pressure on the idol themselves... netizens can be harsh).

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I am actually morbidly curious about what reception the 2PM/2AM members are going to get due to the whole mess with 2PM going on now. I can't imagine.

[uisceros.livejournal.com]

I can only imagine. The backlash has been terrible for 2PM. It will affect Cinderella Unni's viewership ratings, that's for sure. But whatever, their loss!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I have never even heard a second of 2PM's music and couldn't pick any of their members out of a lineup if my life depended on it but I've been following the recent mess with rapt attention - fascinated both by how badly the agency handled this and by how insane Korean fans are. I am wondering if 2PM is done as a group or if they'll survive.

[uisceros.livejournal.com]

It really is quite the mess. The agency really did handle is horribly, especially since it's been going on for months now. As for the fans... wow, I'm surprised at how intense they're getting. Have you read the transcripts from the conference? Those fans were just plain rude and disrespectful. I hope they survive, because I do think they're quite talented. But it's a massive setback.

[ethvren.livejournal.com]

Very very well put! Completely agree.
Even if Rui was the silent/guarded type(to put it rather simply), it was no excuse for KHJ to turn in a lousy performance. A good actor should be able to express even the most subtle emotion.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yes. There is reserved and weird, and there is wooden like a plank.

[kycoo.livejournal.com]

Aw man, I totally understand what you're talking about. It annoys me as well when actors who can't sing try to break into the singing industry. D: But at least actors-turned-terrible-singers are easier to ignore than singers-turned-terrible-actors, because you can just pretend their songs don't exist.

U-Know Yunho (the name says it all) in Heading to the Ground - a more apt name for a drama or his acting has never been invented.
LOOOL. I've never seen this drama (actually, I've never seen a Korean drama in my life *shot*), but this is one of the funniest statements I've read in a long time. :D

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I've never seen this drama

You haven't missed anything. I never finished but I want the hours I spent on the first eps back!

actors who can't sing try to break into the singing industry

LOL yes. I love my F4 boys but when Vic or Jerry try to sing, I crrrrrrriiiiinge.

[cfensi.livejournal.com]

OMG, I didn't expect to see you here.

[sodahands.livejournal.com]

I agree with all of this.

And the worst part is because of these idols young actors who may actually have talent don't even get a chance. I wish writers/directors would stop trying to please the crazy teeny bopper fangirls by shoving these idols into dramas.

And that boybander cast for What's Up is so fug. At least the other ones can just pass off as eye candy but this one will have nothing to offer.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Re: What's Up. Thank God I am not the only one who thinks that.

I saw his pic and I was - OMG, honey, have you considered plastic surgery?

Seriously. He is not just plain, he's actively ugly.

[robotmatsuri.livejournal.com]

I so agree with you. Anyway, I'd rather just skip the idol dramas (unless I like the idol in the first place, ha) because I know the insane fangirls are just going to ruin the fun for me.

Yoona - I see her name in the credits, I run.
LOL!!!!

Korea, I don't want to watch teenybopper 'flower boys'! I want MEN plzkthx.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Korea, I don't want to watch teenybopper 'flower boys'! I want MEN plzkthx.

Oh yes yes yes. I keep hoping that with Chuno's success (and IRIS' success before that) they are going to make more of dramas with manly looking grown-ups with muscles :P

[shinystory.livejournal.com]

I'm on the fence on this one: since I watch a drama mostly for fun--and idols are fun. But of course, not to the point that they leave a really bad impression. I mean, I loved Woo Bin in "Boys Over Flowers" and I like Kim Joon, but he's not really a good actor (I won't get into Kim Hyun-joong.)

I'm holding out hope for Taecyeon in "Cinderella Unni."

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I liked Kim Joon too, but that's the case in point - he had a small role. I am fine for sticking idols into smaller, less challenging roles (another example would be TOP in IRIS). Once they get experience, bring them on. Just not all at once into the main role asap.

[shinystory.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes. I get it. Smaller, less significant roles do work for these. (In the hopes that they do actually get better eventually.) I agree.

Or, I guess, cast them in non-primetime dramas. The daily, ensemble cast sitcoms would probably work for them.

[(Anonymous)]

Who's been cast in Personal Taste??? I thought the secondary guy is "Wang Son" from Chuno i.e. Kim Ji Suk.... The only ones I heard are Taecyeon in "Cinderella's Unni" and whats his name from Big Bang in "Whats up"

Seriously, if its true that another boy-bander is cast in Personal Taste as a secondary guy, my interest for the drama would definitely diminish....

[(Anonymous)]

Don't worry about it... I found out its 2Am's Seulong or something -_- Sigh hopefully his character is just a small puny role....

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Ugh. I hope it's a small role. Small role is fine, everyone needs experience. Just don't make him a second lead.

[fivil.livejournal.com]

I know they get acting training as idols but they REALLY should start out doing some daytime dramas or something that people don't really watch to get used to acting, and to get actually good at it. I feel like they're jumping that step more and more nowadays with dramas like BOF and YAB becoming huge favourites.

Or they should do smaller roles that don't require that much acting like TOP is Iris. Not drama leads, that's too much.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah - they should stick them in dailies or give them minor roles. Yet they keep sticking them in these major roles. I thought the swift death of Heading to the Ground would have put an end to it but seeing how popular YAB was after that. Eeeek.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Gosh, I am sorry to not agree with your grump! I liked the boy-bander guys in "You are beautiful" (loved him, actually, and he was such a delight) and "IRIS".

Plus, I think Kdrama, due to their specific requirements for the leads to be pretty, is generally affected by "wooden lead" syndrome and it is nothing to do with boy banders. They take all sorts of pretty faces (models, etc.) and cast them as leads. IMHO, wooden leads generally abound, and regardless where they come from.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I don't require my leads to be Oscar-winners but they have to have some modicum of ability and charisma and the people I named as examples lack both of those qualities. Have you tried Dream? It was painful to watch Dambi in a scene - not only either of the leading men but the bit actors were all out-acting her - the difference was startling.

Or Yoona in Cinderella Man. I don't think Kwon Sang Woo is the world's premier thespian but I felt like cringing for Yoona while seeing her in a scene with him.

As to Heading to the Ground - oh My. Yunho is a good-looking guy but it was painful to see him try to emote. And he wasn't paired with some amazing actress but with Go Ara, who is young, cute, and OK.

Re: YAB. You already know we basically disagree on every aspect of that drama so it will come as no surprise to learn that I think Hongki and JYH were pretty bad. It was less in-your-face because the drama was written/acted in a deliberately OTT/mangaish style so it hardly required subtlety, but even with that they were rather not good. (That's another one of my fears - that to cater to idols'acting weaknesses, kdramas are going to become more cartoonish a la trendy jdramas).

Re: IRIS. I have no problem with TOP being in IRIS because he had a small role, written to deal with his limited experience. That's fine. It's not like I want a moratorium on idols on my screen. I just hate it when they stick them in major roles - I am willing to accept that some of them can act, in which case, fine with me. But from the past few years it seems they don't even bother to train them, just stick them there all wooden.

[mishane.livejournal.com]

A whole bunch of older actors started off as singers, add Eugene to that list (even though she's not that amazing of an actress) and now Lee Min Ki/Lee Jun Ki are trying to be singers. :(

I can't think of anyone I've seen that was horrendously bad, except maybe Yoona in 9E2O. Emote girl!

I wasn't going to watch Personal Taste anyways, and I'm really surprised that Son Ye Jin picked this drama to come back with. I've heard so much about her acting ability (although I've only seen her in one thing, a romantic comedy movie in which she overacted a bit). I hear her specialty is with dramas, not romantic comedies, so yeah, I don't have high hopes for it.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I do not get the Lee Min Ki thing, honestly - I mean, I never heard him, he may be an amazing singer but what I don't get is the popularity - he looks like a total freak! (And was wearing a skirt in some still I saw). Bizarre. I didn't really go for him in Dal Ja, either.

Re: Son Yejin. Everyone keeps talking how amazing she is but the one thing I've seen her in, Summer Scent (I saw 4 eps before I got bored) she didn't impress me.

I am still going to check Taste out - I check most of new dramas anyway, and I do have a thing for Lee Min Ho though if this drama sucks too, I will probably stop liking him. But my expectations are rock-bottom.

[mishane.livejournal.com]

You don't think Lee Min Ki is cute? *dies* I've only seen him in Dal Ja (and bits of I Really Really Like You, which I should finish one day) but I thought he was adorable. He does have some questionable fashion sense. I'm trying to think of what made him really popular.

I'll probably watch Personal Taste on viikii, at least for a few episodes. I'm in the mood for something more serious now though, I feel like I've only been watching romantic comedies lately.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know, I am the only person on earth who doesn't like LMK. He looks like a cute serial killer. It's the crazy eyes.

Serious - CHUNO!!!!! Heee.

[cranberrysheep.livejournal.com]

It's the crazy eyes.

LOL. I get that, but I kind of like the crazy eyes. It's kind of the same reason I find Cillian Murphy strangely attractive. He's got some serious creepster eyes.

[moonyka.livejournal.com]

I understand what you're trying to said. I don't like idols in japanese dramas, less if it's a Johnny, but I'm trying to give korean idols an opportunity. Like you, I didn't like Kim Hyun Joong in Boys over flowers but I did like the other two idols in You're Beautiful.

What I don't like about Personal Taste and I have my doubts about seeing it it's the main actress. If I get it right she's a girl older than Lee Min Ho in the drama, isn't it? And for the stills that are out I'm thinking that she's gonna have that My name is Sam Soon attitude and... no. I don't like when the woman is older than the guy and just as inmature as him or more.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the apparent immaturity of her character (I don't think anyone older than 10 should wear that outfit/that hairdo, and her expression is also trying hard for cutesy) is what's bothering me the most. I have no objection against younger man/older woman stories but I hate it when they make the woman, as you put it, as immature as the guy or more.

[syrenstar.livejournal.com]

Looking back the promo pics of Jan Di should really have glued me in...

I want to give Personal Taste a chance but I have a low tolerance for silliness right now and the more I hear about Taste the less likely it seems I'm going to like it.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I'd say "as long as they stay out of my historical dramas unless they can act" but I understand it's too late for that.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Heh.

Actually historicals are the last safe refuge. I can't think of any proper period dramas which had an inexperienced idol in the lead - e.g. Chul Woo had Shinhwa's Eric and while he was completely out of place in a period drama (a separate issue), I've seen him in a number of previous contemporary dramas where he acted quite well.

[ifruity.livejournal.com]

You know my stance on KPOP, but now that I understand, I agree with you. I don't actually care for the drama that much (at least I'm trying not to because I know the Min Ho's (and now Seulong's) rabid fangirls will surround the drama without actually evaluating it and that'll just ruin it for me). I'm gonna watch it though for Lee Min Ho and the plot, but I have no strong emotional need to watch it. I just don't want Seulong to suck because I really like him in 2AM.

Daesung, even if he's not the handsomest guy, is really sweet. He's got legions of fans. He has a lot of acting experience in theater. Actually, a lot of KPOP artists go into theater. Lee Hongki from FT Island, Jessica from SNSD, Sungmin from Super Junior, and a few others.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

If they have experience, I am fine - hopefully they will all do a good job.

[village.livejournal.com]

I'm more turned off by the promo stills than anything else. The female protagonist looks idiotic. I feel like PT has the potential to be very bad (acting, storylihe) so at this point I have zero expectations. I just don't want LMH to be in another crappy drama.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

True - I started out with about equal expectations for this and OML but the more I see about both of them, the more I am excited over OML and less excited about Taste. I have learned to go with my gut feeling re: stills etc and these promise nothing good - the lead female looks like a knockoff Jandi.