i liked him in Coffee Prince & just hope he makes another drama -- he's cute & very charming! aja

Love this guy in Coffee Prince, I'm going to watch Kingdom of The Wind for sure.

Not sure how he's a newbie... he was in 2002's Ruler of Your Own World (which I finally watched a few weeks ago). was a nice surprise to recognize him in that. Well I guess 6 years is still a newbie in comparison to veterans who've been around 20 years or more.

in dalja's spring? someone jog my memory for me?

"Okay, now I have a reason to watch KotW."

Kim Jae-wook has a small role as one of Moo Hyul's rival-turned-ally. He kinda looks silly with the fake(?) beard (really, can he actually grow facial hair? I wonder!), but he provides a lot of the funny bits.

mmm.... haejangguk.......I wonder where he gets the coagulating blood cakes from.

gamjatang > haejangguk for hangovers.

I hope they keep his character gay in Antique Bakery. It should be very interesting.

Antique Bakery is a quite entertaining "gay" manga. I wonder how he pulls the character. hehe

Huh, I didn't know he was friends with Joo Ji-hoon. Nice to know!

Anyone knows anything about Antique Bakery? I checked IMDB and DramaWiki, but no luck so far. Regular Wiki says, "Korean live-action movie

Directed by Min Gyu Dong, the movie will star (amongst others) Joo Ji Hoon (Goong/Princess Hours and The Devil) as the owner Jin Hyuk and Kim Jae Wok (Coffee Prince) as the genius patissier Son Woo. The movie is due for release on the 2nd of October 2008."

But that's pretty much all.

@Sere,

Antique was actually made into a J-drama (starring JE MAN Taki, who resembles Orlando Bloom) a long, long time ago. This is probably more a K-movie remake of the J-drama than the original shonen-ai. Ahhh, shonen ai . . .

http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Antique

(Kim Jae Wok and Jo Ji Hoon would be awesome in a remake of Gravitation BTW. Unfortunately, they'd be dead when their military service comes up!)

@Belleza. Thanks, I'm half-thinking of adding the drama to my list. *g* I'll ask one of my friends who's into Jdramas more than me about it, but I was talking about the Kmovie. I couldn't find info about that. I know about the manga, too.

Uh, I kind of never read Gravitation. Should I fix that?

BTW, the Korean military service confuses the hell out of me. I only know that actors (no matter the age) vanish for 2 years sometimes. I'm ignorant like that *headdesk*

What role did he play in Ruler of Your Own World? I watched it more than 4 years ago...

I remember him in Dalja's Spring. Hard not to, as nozomi05 said.

Glad he made time for his fans. I hope he continues to get many good roles.

"I’ll ask one of my friends who’s into Jdramas more than me about it, but I was talking about the Kmovie."

I personally like these J-K crossover projects, even if the connection is very loose. Especially My Boss My Hero. Hilarious K-movie. Hilarious J-drama. Nobody does Sexy (Dumb) Beast like Tomoya Nagase! *sigh!*

"Uh, I kind of never read Gravitation. Should I fix that? "

I haven't really read it, but I think Gravitation is everybody's first boy's love comic. (Unless you consider Furaba shonen ai.) Actually, I think many of the manhwas that do well at Borders involve boy's love. Huh.

"BTW, the Korean military service confuses the hell out of me. I only know that actors (no matter the age) vanish for 2 years sometimes. "

Yeah, it's a tough transition for most popular actors (especially Lee Jung Ki, who is probably the hottest Korean actor in Asia right now.) Though I think the effect will be felt much more in K-pop. You have members of Shinhwa enlisting. Rain will probably make some kind of announcement next year.

What the military service does, though, is create turnover among the male stars, marking new generations of K-drama fans. So, for example, you have Lee Jung Ki, Jo Ji Hoon, Hyun Bin, etc. Within 2 years, they will be gone. That makes room for Jang Geun Seuk, Ki Bum, and the other actors to become main leads and vy for awards.

Somehow I was never "captured" by his "beauty" when I watched Coffee Prince, but now I've taken such a liking to him. I can never resist pretty boy, even if it takes me awhile to realize he is one. O_o;

November 13? I thought it was October. Too long a wait. I really want to see it.

What's "kimchi chigae" and "haejangguk” look like?

i love him already..i like the long hair...:D

#Belleza:

"I personally like these J-K crossover projects, even if the connection is very loose. Especially My Boss My Hero. Hilarious K-movie. Hilarious J-drama. Nobody does Sexy (Dumb) Beast like Tomoya Nagase! *sigh!*"

I've watched dramas for only a few months. I need to catch up on a gazillion things. *adds more dramas to the ever growing list* *headdesk*

Re: Gravitation and manhwas. Oh boy's love is a thing of beauty, imho. So touching and heartbreaking and angsty and *good*, *sighs*

Re: military service. But they do come back, eventually, right? They go back to acting or singing, I suppose? What I don't understand is...why do they wait so long? I mean, it's like they wait till they're at the peak of their success and then they have to go and serve. Which I totally understand...the serving one's nation and all that. Here...well, when the military service was mandatory for all guys (not anymore. Now they're all professional volunteer troops), they had to enlist at 18-19, right after high school. True, some of them were allowed to enlist later, after they graduated from Uni, but it was not the norm. Anywya, my point? If actors/singers go off while popular, aren't they afraid to lose their fans or their popularity once they come back?

Gah, I already miss Gong Yoo. Lee Jung Ki made me *cry* in the King and the clown and I never cry while watching movies. *sighs* It's unfair. Just when I start knowing the actors, their dramas, get their names right etc they are snatched by the military. *pouts* Plus, the new actors are not from my generation and...well, I feel ancient. *thinks* Wait, Lee Sun Gyun, he has served already, right? Right? *bites nails*

OT: I keep mistyping your name, you know? I keep writing "Bellezza", which means "beauty" in my language. Hee

Being a fan of Joo Ji-hoon, I've been on the lookout for "Antique" for quite some time now, considering this was the only project he took on after "The Devil". Here's the movie trailer folks!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ6sfmhikJ4

I'm really looking forward to this movie, even though I wasn't a huge fan of the J-drama version, or man-love for that matter :P

Man, I'm hoping some fan will release some video of this event. Especially when he sings...I'm extra curious. Thanks.

"somehow I can’t picture either KJW or JJH in a pink bunny suit, or, oh god, cross-dressing."

Oh JJH was made for the pink bunny suit. (Actually I have this weird fantasy of crossing the boys of Coffee Prince with Azumanga Diaoh, but I have to be REAL drunk to talk about that one . . . )

@Sere,

"Oh boy’s love is a thing of beauty, imho."

Yup yup yup. Less macho "Who IS da masta?!?" sageuk posturing. More "you are my clown, my concubine, my everything!! " sageuk boy's love!! :D

"Now they’re all professional volunteer troops), they had to enlist at 18-19, right after high school. "

Are you Italian or Israeli, Sere?

"If actors/singers go off while popular, aren’t they afraid to lose their fans or their popularity once they come back?"

Yeah, it's a persistent problem nowadays, but if you try to duck out of military service (after all, what gives the right of IDOLS to duck out?), the backlash can seriously damage your career. That happened to Song Seung Heon, and I have friends who still associate him more as a draft dodger than a former idol. Whatever the case -- OMG -- he looks SO SO SO FINE in Episode 11 of East of Eden. He finally gets to clean up and don a suit, and damn it's just impossible to not take your eyes off him. Wow. Wowowowowowowow!!! :D

As a result, most actors wait until their late 20s (which itself is mentally and physically harder on them) to enlist, and their management does a good job of mantaining PR with the fans, so that they don't drop off the face of the earth.

"Wait, Lee Sun Gyun, he has served already, right? Right? *bites nails*"

Mm hmm!! I think he already took care of it before he started his movie career.

"*sighs* It’s unfair. Just when I start knowing the actors, their dramas, get their names right etc they are snatched by the military."

Yeah, I went through that with So Ji Sub. He was always a favorite of mine (mostly for his lighter, comedy stuff), but then when he did MiSa, I had a "OMG not since Brando!!" reaction. (I get the ONSB reaction once every few years. Like when I watched Heath in Brokeback Mountain. Sigh . . .) It's been 4 years. 4 very, very, very long years.

For me, Gong Yoo's performance in Coffee Prince wasn't the essence of what I loved about Gong Yoo (not in the way his confused teenager role was in Hello My Teacher.) Coffee Prince doesn't really show his considerable gifts as a comic performer. When he's allowed to "turn it on", he is HILARIOUS. BUT, that performance summarized to the Gong Yoo uninitiated about the qualities that I've always loved about his work. His generous chemistry with female leads, how he gives his whole body and all this comfortable space for his female partners. In that sense, he does for women what Gong Hyo Jin does for her male partners. Always real, always comfortable. His ability to reflect the post-adolescent garden state of mind without turning emo or self-absorbed (hello Binnie!!) In that sense, it felt gratifying to see him finally break through into that visibility. And in that mind, it was also gratifying that he was able to achieve this before he went into the service.

I guess that's true with So Ji Sub too. For many SJS fans, his Moo Hyuk will be the role that he is most identified with. After many years kinda living in the shadows of his famous friends, he finally became the talk. And it seems like, from the success of the movies and commercial bits, people can't wait for his return either.

"OT: I keep mistyping your name, you know? I keep writing “Bellezza”, which means “beauty” in my language. Hee"

TRUTH! BEAUTY! FREEDOM! LOVE! (Haha, yeah, "Belleza" is a song by J-rock act Fake.)

@hsinya: Thank youuuuuu! That was awesome. I can't *wait* to see this movie now.

Joo Ji Hoon's French made me LOL! *g*

And btw, the French guy? I've seen him somewhere! *thinks* Parfume's ad? Gah. I'm going to find out. Also, I'll spread the word about the movie. *g*

@Sere: I actually did a random search on IMDb after I saw the trailer a couple days ago, and the only information they had on actors was the French guy, lol. His name is Andy Gillet ( http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2150475/ ). Hope that helps!

Actually, I thought KJW's "C'est vrai?" was pretty accurate, but we'll have to watch the movie to find out more XD

@Sere: You're welcome! :D I actually did a randome search on IMDb after I saw the movie, and the only information they had on the actors in the movie was the French guy, whose name is Andy Gillet. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2150475/

Anyway, I though KJW's "C'est vrai?" sounded pretty accurate, but we'll have to watch the movie to find out more XD

@Belleza

*cracks knuckles* This might be long, but I'll *try* to keep it short. Keyword: try.

Easy things first: I'm Italian. *g*

"More “you are my clown, my concubine, my everything!! ” sageuk boy’s love!!"
I'm not much into sageuk (maybe because I can't fully grasp the historical background), but boy's love is boy's love. Which is to say a good thing. *g* And I know what you meant wasn't about sageuk at all, but about love. *nods* I'm all for it. For any kind of it, any form.

"he looks SO SO SO FINE in Episode 11 of East of Eden."
Gah, why did you tell me? WHY? I was half-thinking of dropping that drama cos I have too many shows to watch, but gah. Now I'm all intrigued again. And it's all your fault! :p Also, woohooo his birthyear is 1976. Older than me, then. Good! With dramas actors, I can't always tell the age and I'd like to avoid perving on a younger guy. ;)

Re: Lee Sun Gyun. Thank God! *sighs with relief*

As for Gong Yoo, I totally agree with you. I really appreciated all the little details, a longing glance here, a shy or bold or sly smile there and the way he seemed so comfortable with YEH. He...they made my heart beat faster. You know, to this day, I don't know if I liked CP so much because that was my first drama (lucky, wasn't I?), because of their great perfomarnces, because of the script or what. I just love it. Anyway, I think the beach scene, when he covers her up, then curls around her and almost hold her hand...and the shining eyes! GAH, that pretty much undid me. Broke me. It was sooo touching. He was *great*! Of course, there are several more instances of my love for his performance, but thtat one stands out. I *really* can't wait for him to come back and resume his work.

"TRUTH! BEAUTY! FREEDOM! LOVE! (Haha, yeah, “Belleza” is a song by J-rock act Fake.)"
LOL. I had no idea about the song. I'llh ave to find it. ;)

Ps: do you have a blog?

@Belleza
Since we are touching on the topic of MT here, I was wondering if you knew whether Kang Ji Hwan already served? He should have already given his age right?
He's on par with GY on my list of favs... especially cuz of they both share the ability to carry their female leads ^^

"ONSB!" lol... totally agree..

As for Kim Jae Wook, he's a pretty boy alright... wonder if he's going to keep riding the effeminate image or try to ditch that image at some point.

Gah, that movie trailer was awesome! Now I can't wait for Antique Bakery to come out! *nosebleed*

Hi dramabeans, haven't rant/rave (mostly rave) for a long time. Thanks for introducing another fantastic drama in Love & Marriage after Coffee Prince, although I don't think there will be another drama where your blog caused such a feverish following. Anyway, I digress...

I love Kim Jae Wook's look for the pure fact that he looks like my all time fav Jap actor, Naohito Fujiki. Coincidentally, he was in the Jdrama-Antique Bakery, he is also an actor/singer. Maybe that's why KJW's popularity hit off so quickly...Naohito is famous in Japan.

In many ways, I am disapointed with Jdrama 'cos they are still stuck on old formulas and where have all the cute guys gone? They should take a cue from Kdramas and they keep coming up with gorgeous young actors. The Japs are still counting on Takuya Kimura from SMAP (who is ancient by entertainment industry) to prop drama ratings :P Arrgh..the Japs don't get it even even though the Koreans are borrowing alot of storylines from Japanese mangas/dramas (e.g. Antique Bakery!)

Anyway, thanks for your hard work. Viva La Dramabeans!

"I love Kim Jae Wook’s look for the pure fact that he looks like my all time fav Jap actor, Naohito Fujiki."

You know, I didn't think there was a resemblance but I looked again. If KJK wore his hair the same way, there would definitely be something there!

I remember getting into a big Pi vs. Naohito (yay!!) argument last spring over Proposal Daisakusen. Ahh, good times.

"In many ways, I am disapointed with Jdrama ‘cos they are still stuck on old formulas and where have all the cute guys gone? "

Entire cast of Gokusen 3 struck out for you? Me too. ;)

"They should take a cue from Kdramas and they keep coming up with gorgeous young actors. "

Actually I would argue the problem with J-drama is they alienate the older (25+) audience by constantly promoting teenage idols and early-20-something who aren't ready to carry shows.

"The Japs are still counting on Takuya Kimura from SMAP (who is ancient by entertainment industry) to prop drama ratings"

I think the way J-drama has overcourted the teenage audience and alienated the older viewers is exactly why K-dramas have had some success in Japan. Kimura's last show Change still did terrific numbers, but the fact that it didn't land first in its season feels like an end of an era. I just don't see anybody from NeWs or Kat-tun being able to deliver a speech like Kimura did in the last episode of Change.

"Since we are touching on the topic of MT here, I was wondering if you knew whether Kang Ji Hwan already served? He should have already given his age right?"

KJH's already served. (Dramabeans confirmed it in the newest KJH thread.) KJH started out in theater,and was a popular theatre/musical theatre actor when he switched over to TV. As a result, he probably served the military sometime before college or just after. I think most actors still do that.

@sere,

"Gah, why did you tell me? WHY? I was half-thinking of dropping that drama cos I have too many shows to watch, but gah. "

AND Song Seung Heon and Lee Dae Hae have hot chemistry (they finally meet in episode 11.) It's fire. How do I know? Because they decide to pull in "I am Sorry For Love You"/"Snow Queen"-style musical themes in their scenes together. So it MUST be good. ;)

"You know, to this day, I don’t know if I liked CP so much because that was my first drama (lucky, wasn’t I?), because of their great perfomarnces, because of the script or what."

My favorite couple of 2007 was actually Hae Sung/Yoo Joo. I could really relate to them, the arguments they had, the little jokes they shared, just everything. I also loved Gong Yoo's character too, really the character apart from the romantic situation. He's a little depressed. He's comfortable with his life and friends, but he feels he has no real direction. Feels he has no real connection. Nothing scares him; therefore nothing motivates him. His relationship with his parents are still complicated, but mostly they're okay. He still loves the things he loved as a kid. He doesn't really relate to the things he's doing in adulthood. He thinks about old loves mostly out of habit. He's approaching 30. He feels barely alive. He's approaching 30. Then he meets Eun Chan. He was living in the garden state, and then he followed her out of it.

This explains why he spoke very well Japanese in Coffee Prince, with no accents and such.. I was surprised.. but that was because he was in Japan for a while.

I thought his role in Kingdom of the WInd a bit hilarious.. but its still good.

@hsinya
Thank you! *huggles* Your google-fu is awesome!

@Belleza

"remember getting into a big Pi vs. Naohito (yay!!) argument last spring over Proposal Daisakusen. Ahh, good times."

And so Naohito was your fave? I don't have a crush on Yama, but I was absolutely smitten with Akira, his character in Nobuta. *g* And btw, have you watched the special?

i really-really like u...........kim jae wook...........fighting!!!!!!

i like his character very2 much in coffee prince. he's sooo cooll

i love u kim jae wook ur so... cool n hot muach muach.... ur awesome .....

you are an amizig guy we love yuoooooooooooooooooooooooo tooooooooo much and we waiting alot of work from you dont let us wait so much we hope you alwaye succed sarang hamida sara ...abeer from Saudi Arabia
and thankyou for made this subject...