Athena ramble

[dangermousie]

Man, dramabeans website started the hate engine for Athena really early. It's close to half a year before it premiers but the post and comments to that post on Kim Hyun Joong being offered (presumably a small but high-profile role a la TOP in IRIS) a role in Athena are something else. All the people going "OMG horrible I won't watch!" have fun with your imaginary high ground!

KHJ is a mediocre actor to say the least but honestly - staying away from a 20+ ep drama full of otherwise presumably appealing to you stars and interesting storyline (because all those posts are, I would have watched but for HJ...) because a guy you may not like has a small role? *rolls eyes*

Plus, I am pretty sure his role would be similar in scope to TOP's (you know, another boybander who never acted before. Only it's cool to like him, unlike with KHJ). I don't think TOP can act much at all (IMO KHJ is acting genius compared to him) but IRIS and his role was written in such a way that it wasn't an issue what with his being a rarely-shown mysterious emotionless assassin and all.

The way they are all calling for their fainting couch, you'd think KHJ was cast as Jung Woo Sung's love interest (now, there's an idea...)

Comments

[miss-magrat.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, that is early. Looks like my resolution to stay away from dramabeans because of this kind of stuff should remain firm. And you're absolutely right - the people behind IRIS/Athena seem to be perfectly aware of the strengths and limitations of their actors and use this knowledge while writing. So really, no worries here. His role will most likely be minor (but with a lot of poster presence) and tailored for him, so what's the problem?

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Exactly. I am sure they will write him a role for his limits.

[sodahands.livejournal.com]

Lmao iirc the same commenters were all "omg I'm only watching IRIS for TOP!!!11"
And I love how they're defending TOP and how he totes fit the part. Oh yeah he totally didn't at all seem ridiculous wearing ring pops and skull shoes and mumbling in very awkward Engrish. That's how stealthy super serious assassins look and act I'm sure. I can't stand KHJ (I know it's unfair to hate him for the insane BOF/Ji Hoo Sunbae fans but I can't help it) but that's not going to stop me from checking out a drama where he may have a tiny role. I mean think about all the unintentional lulz he'll bring and all the jokes we can make! Imo that would make watching the drama that much fun.

But javabeans needs to stop bashing Lee Jia. She's proved that she can do badass really well.

[sodahands.livejournal.com]

Oh but I do hope he'll refuse or the production will go with someone else because I think he sucks. A LOT. Come at me fangirls.

[cranberrysheep.livejournal.com]

The constant bashing of Lee Jia drives me insane. Granted, I haven't seen her in anything besides Legend. But even if she is as awful as JB claims it doesn't matter to me because Sujini is awesome.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Exactly. I don't care if she sucked in everything else. Sujini = gloriousness.

[sodahands.livejournal.com]

Ikr. Sujini was amazing band I'm sure she'll do great as a tough profiler.

[bae-mac.livejournal.com]

I was just about to comment when I saw this! WTF? LJA haters to the side! I could take the hate for KHJ but not with LJA or Sujini! LOL!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

LJA = awesomeness

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I've given up on LJA bashing over there. Whatever, Sujini could totally take them all :)

KHJ may suck at acting but IRIS survived TOP just fine, I am sure its sequel will deal with KHJ's just fine too.

[sodahands.livejournal.com]

I'm sure LJA will do awesome as a profiler so they can suck it.

Exactly! I'm not thrilled to hear he may be part of the cast but with the four leads I doubt I'll barely notice him. Plus nothing has been confirmed yet.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yup. It's basically - whatever, wait and see.

[hanjae.livejournal.com]

I personally thought Hyun Joong was TERRIBLE in BOF, as in Jung Yunho terrible, so the fact that he might be casted in Athena is totally not welcome news. What makes me wonder is WHY Kim Hyun Joong when there are a million other boybanders?! He's so flaily that just trying to imagine him looking tough makes me LOL.

I'm with you that it's stupid to be signing off THE WHOLE DRAMA because Hyun Joong might have a TOP-ish role, though. It's really not that hard to fast-forward a few scenes. Now if he was cast as lead male, however...

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Maybe he won't play tough? A nerdy eccentric genius or something? Who knows.

I believe it's KHJ because he's very popular and also his agency seems to try to break him into acting. And I repeat - he is ridiculously popular. During BOF, within the eps, the highest ratings inveitably were for scenes he was in.

Yeah, if he was a lead male I'd be more bothered, but as a glorified cameo - don't care at all.

[hanjae.livejournal.com]

I can see nerdy genius, but probably unlikely, if his agency's as interested in selling him as an Attractive Super Cool Actor as I think they are. Poor guy doesn't even seem particularly interested in acting.

I suppose if they hire a few more veterans and focus less on the pretty for the rest of the supporting cast, they'd be more than able to make up for KHJ's acting deficiencies. More actors like Kim Seung Woo, maybe.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, hopefully they'll get a good cast.

I agree, he seems to have no interest in acting at all. I wonder why his agency is pushing him.

[popaddict.livejournal.com]

Heh.

KHJ better than TOP? We'll agree to disagree.

However, I do suspect his role will be really small so I'm not too bothered. I understand the rather loud reservations though.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I thought TOP was pretty robotic in IRIS (which could have been the point, in which case they'll write around KHJ's limitations as well).

TOP's role was a glorified cameo though and I am sure KHJ's will be the same so I just can't get fussed about it in a 20 ep drama.

[timescout.livejournal.com]

I read this today myself and was rolling my eyes hard even without reading the comments. Decided not to go there as I knew what the contents would be like.

The way they are all calling for their fainting couch, you'd think KHJ was cast as Jung Woo Sung's love interest (now, there's an idea...)

LOL! THAT could be epic. Maybe if Athena was a film....

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I would SO watch that movie :P

[timescout.livejournal.com]

So would I. XD

[robotmatsuri.livejournal.com]

you'd think KHJ was cast as Jung Woo Sung's love interest (now, there's an idea...)

LOL! I can see where some of them are coming from on his look—to me he looks very innocent and nice, but then that's nothing a little makeup won't fix I'm sure. I haven't seen him in anything other than Family Outing, so I can't be a judge on his acting...

No matter what, I'm watching (as long as Cha Seung Won is in it)! Mmmm, bias.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Or he could be innocent and nice - some nerdy computer tech or something. Just because previous boybander played an assassin, doesn't mean this one has to :)

CSW = mmmmm.

[hollyxu.livejournal.com]

We differ in our evaluation of LJA's acting abilities, and that's okay, but what really gets my goat is that the commenters seem to have no opinions of their own, and if someone does speak up and disagree with JB, they're pretty much jumped on.

I mean, you get your trolls, and then you get people who just want to cast a dissenting vote.

Personally, my stance is that I haven't seen it yet, so I'm not going to judge people's acting abilities until I actually, you know, watch the damned show.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I think any popular site becomes a hive mind after a while - which is a pity.

I think KHJ is lackluster as an actor but I am also pretty sure he will have amsall role to bring in teenyboppers but not actually make him act.

Re: LJA. I fully acknowledge she may have been awful in her two contemporary dramas (haven't watched them as neither was my thing) but I thought she was fierce as Sujini. Maybe romcoms are just not her bag?

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Hee! Please don't hit me - I went and I had a look at the post in dramabeans and of course, the drama is totally undeserved,

BUT it so reminded me of some of your "OMPH! This drama is ruined for me because X is in it" posts that I giggled.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Have I really done those posts? *is honestly puzzled*

But I think even at my most OTT, I wouldn't complain about a small role - if they cast e.g. Jang Nara as a female lead in a drama I was otherwise interested in, it may give me pause and cause consternation (though I'd probably still check it out and hope she'd be good. Case in point, not a Su Ae fan but will still watch Athena. And she is the lead) but no matter how much I disliked someone if they were in a small role in an otherwise appealing drama, I wouldn't care one bit.

[prdarkstar.livejournal.com]

TOP has acted before but yeah, he's not very expressive which is why this role in Iris worked for him.

I think people are just whining for the hell of it. But hey, there are times when people dislike someone so much that they can't bare to put up with them, even if their role is small.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I think people are just whining for the hell of it. But hey, there are times when people dislike someone so much that they can't bare to put up with them, even if their role is small.

That's so odd to me - I don't think I have a single actor I dislike this much.

[yunhalove.livejournal.com]

There might still be hope! Jihoo might have been as awkward as hell, but if the role's anything like Vick's (little to no emotion, mysterious) he might be able to pull it off.

Example of HJ (and fellow SS501 members) being assassins in one of their mvs. Warning- lots of hurt comfort and stockholm syndrome:

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, nifty vid!

Yeah, if they write him a small limited role, he'll be OK.

[yunhalove.livejournal.com]

I don't think HJ's a better actor than TOP, though. TOP can cry and scream and and rage relatively believably, and pull off both shy and suave as well, at least in the dramas/movies I've seen him in. Hyunjoong seems to be a lot more limited in his acting scope in comparison, and it's harder for him to pull those scenes off (ex, rain scene in BOF had me cringing).

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I've only seen him in IRIS where I was not impressed but thought they wrote the role very well around his limitations. He could be better elsewhere though - I've only seen him in that one thing.

[moraitika1.livejournal.com]

Kim Hyun Joong and Jung Yong-hwa(You're Beautiful) for me are on the same scale but with both of them I suffer from Secondary Male Lead Syndrome not too much talent but they make me stick with their drama(I'm not SS501 or CNblue fan)-ermm I even can't understand their music, however as newbie actors I liked them both very much-both have different personalities than their char
dunno maybe the both roles have smth of I'm a good guy who " doesn't know exactly what to do with the girl to make her love me" though both are best friends you can have in the world and kinda cold both... I just loved their little expressiveness ... aa and I wished that each one to get the girl-never happened- but if you let one of them to kiss the girl like Lee Min Ho did with Sohn Ye Jin both idols would be really dead

Han Jung-Soo (Prosecutor Princess, Chuno) was a boybander too-he looks better now-so c'mon ppl we should give them a chance
TOP-he's all looks and lots of teen fans-but I liked him in IRIS-teen fans aren't a sure success in ratings
LJA: I just saw Beethoven Virus and the whole drama was a total bore for me...however I managed to finish it(as usually I loved the Second Lead Jang Geun-seok wich didn't impressed me much in YAB-God his real life fashion taste MUST change)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yup yup yup.

I didn't know HJS was a boybander!

[moraitika1.livejournal.com]

from http://koreandiorama.wordpress.com/2010/05/09/a-former-boyband-http://dangermousie.livejournal.com/1893438.htmlmember/

have you noticed that except Lee Min Ho(he's not extremely bad either) many kactors could pull off a successful singing career?KNG could earn a living with his flute and I love his voice timbre,Jang Geun Seuk is quite good,Kim Bum is really good-first time I thought he is a boybander,Lee Jun Ki is making a living from it... and so on
and surprise Lee Byung Hun breakdancing :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbFXfiHxYc8
he is a singer too

qed

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

OMG that poster OMG OMG