"I was just optimistic that it would get better. "

I totally understand since I thought that too (but I'm the one who must finish what has been started, so I ended up watch up to the last one - staying up til 3 am trying to finish the series with red eyes and a load of tissues comforting me by my side. I actually liked the drama once I finished it because I ended up watching it again :O ) You think it's gonna get better -the couples end up together! But oh noes! Her she loses sight! But she gets them back from her brother... who dies. Than when all is well she gets cancer! Than she dies TT____TT

"you know running after the bus in was it Hugo Boss suit?."

Watching that made me all giddy inside when I watched that scene XD (Every time there was happy moment, I couldn't laugh well because my nose was plugged.)
But, as hard as it is to imagine looking at him now, KSW used to look gooooood. The time when his hair was short.. er (or well... not permed.) and wearing suits... and... it was nice ^^ To put simply, KSW was better off masculine. Now he's gotten a bit femmy.

"I do not understand why she was chosen for this leading role when she was not even an actress"

Actually, Yoona was first in 9 Ends 2 Out. She played the creepy fan of the baseball dude.

But than she got lead in You Are My Destiny which had good ratings and she also one several awards including best new actress. Therefore, along with her immense popularity as part of SNSD, it's no surprise that she was able to get another leading role. It's just the age gap thats awkward which I dont understand why she was picked (she's 18/19 >:O playing the love interest of an ajusshi! Makes the guy look like a cradle robber... because no matter how hard Yoona dresses older, she still looks young and KSW still looks old... er.)

For all intents and purposes, Yoona is really a young actress who happens to sing and dance in her girl group. She lacks the emotional experience to execute a lot of situations (and she's still too green do lead work), but the basic training is there. I actually think she's technically more "there" than Lee Yeon Hee or Go Ara.

"Could anyone really unseat the Philosopher King? I think it would be impossible…"

True, there is only one Philosopher King. But, Kwon Sang Woo is Nippon Elvis. When he winks, a panty from a 60-year old grandma announces itself at his feet. To the Hallyu eye, what is Kwon Sang Woo? He's petulant brat, casual bastard, a sneer and a wink. He's also a born-again Catholic, God-fearing, honest, more afraid that he is letting on. He's the joker and the drunk romantic. He's always saying sorry. He siezes the frame of a camera with a raffish elegance that perfectly complements the extended collars and whiskey in his hand. Then he gives up that power, not knowing what to do with it. He's a beautiful loser. Kwon Sang Woo makes you laugh, because he doesn't want you to look too closely. Get too close; he becomes his rage. Go too far away; he'll mope like a little boy. Nobody else makes misoygny as sexy as he does. And nobody is funnier. No other Hallyu star seems as close to being a parody of his beautifully mean days as he. He is Nippon Elvis and he needs to leave Vegas.

Having said all that, I'm still going to see Cinderella Man. I really, really enjoyed the first half of Bad/Cruel/Mistaken/Screwed-Up/Wretched Love, what with its love of Terminator 2, The Grudge, and Fried Chicken. He did Stairway to Heaven, but with Bad Love, he truly achieved Highway to Hell. When I watched Stairway to Heaven, I'd frequently call my brother to act out scenes. And who can forget that scene, where Nippon Elvis stands by his white piano on a beach and intones the most Zen line in all of K-drama: "Maybe, he loved her more. But I did not love her less." (Even Philosopher King doesn't understand WTH that means LOL :D )

All I know is, when Kwon Sang Woo finally rests on that fateful day, they will play that gloriously cheesy version of Ave Maria. And, in that moment, people will dream of white pianos on beaches and K-drama plots that make no sense. Elvis has left the building.

I personally enjoy the drama. Kwon Sang Woo's acting is solid and despite the fact that the main actress looks really forced in the romantic scenes, I think the drama is a good one. About Kwon Sang Woon's joke, well if it's a joke, why taking it seriously? who cares?

^Belleza....y...brought...up...the...white...piano.....scene

I rem I always do my dishes (most dreaded chore) while watching...and I broke my fav mug watching that scene coz I'm laughing too hard..

the slowmo...starting fr a soft back shot...whilst oppa was turning, a hint of a tear in his eyes for 10 full sec till he faced us full frontal and uttered those words... priceless and bestest comedic scene ever.

"priceless and bestest comedic scene ever."

Oh I know. I'm not kidding when I agree that it's the BESTEST EVAR!!! :D :D :D

Quote the Analects of Confucius, it's "da bomb azz mo fo sheet."

(no really, Stairway to Heaven is like the Pulp Fiction of melodrama to me. It's best enjoyed when you're retelling your friends individual sequences.)

The discussion of KSW's dramas made me laugh so hard. =D

I only liked KSW in Dating Now. He was adorable in that drama. Regarding his joke, well, he really sounded desperate.

Babe..belleza..you're wild hilariously..I dropped my panty too LOL so hard..He's not Elvis..Jang Hyuk was!..Man..i'm cruel but my best mate ..i mean like she's closed to him and have met him several time..Hahaha!.. seriously this man looks so good in person. Sang Woo broke millions of hearts when they (girls, wives, boys..) found out about he had knocked up STY....My favourite one is still 'Make It Big'...

I tried watching Cinderella Man. Couldn't finish even one episode -__- The script is just bad. Very uninteresting/boring/slow pace story... IMO. Besides I don't like Yoona (but I like SNSD :P ). I reckon the role doesn't suit him at all. He needs to play an arrogant rich bastard who falls in love with a poor woman. Hahahaha. It's just my preference.

i tink CM nice lorr.
i juz dunno why rating so low.

a story sadder than saness

^....bwahahaha

Sad Love Song was the beginning of the end for me. Bad Love was the death knell.

Just because a script is delivered on time doesn't mean it's good, though I don't think he's begging. Lots of actors promise to do silly stuff to get higher ratings, even if their shows are #1. Just happens that CM isn't doing that well.

the setting dongdaemun market attracts me because i want to see what it looks like. and i always like fashion themed show. i just wish they have better plot and better lead actor
im not saying ksw isnt a heart throb (because to me he never is), but the character need someone bit younger

based on what belleza's comments, i think i like KSW's sense of humour and straight forwardness
@city hall scripwriter's comments, what a cocky lady. her 13.9% for 1st ep is not that magnificent as she said

@ mookie - Apr 29, 2009 at 11:56 pm

“o my nycgirl, you must be my lost twin…. I can totally picture u rolling eyes with me laboring thro StH, AiMH, LSiH.”

Is your blood type B? And do you have a strange weakness for all things Christopher Walkin? If yes you just might be. I feel like I’m becoming like the Simon Cowell of kdramas. I need a Susan Boyle to stoke my fire and have faith in humanity every once in a while. It has been some time since a gem came along.

@Belleza
“He did Stairway to Heaven, but with Bad Love, he truly achieved Highway to Hell.”

LOL. Ever thought of being a film critic? You could make a grown man cry.

aww Kwon Sang-wooo... I'd watch your drama if I could.

I feel bad for him. He's practically begging for viewers to tune in. But there are too many good dramas right now to give "Cinderella Man" a chance. Sorry KSW~!!

I don't think the drama is that bad.... He just has bad luck :( poor KSW!

I don't think it's bad luck, imo when it's this calculated a move it's more 'hard' work than luck that has got him in this spot. The drama is not bad, it's just un-fresh. KSW is more of a cliche king than The Hallyu thing. Cliches are comforting though, it's extremely predictable. You can tell down to the nanoseconds when he's going to cry and how many tears will be rendered. Seriously, I do think he and his handlers have a very lazy and dated taste in scripts....imo they r looking into how many minutes of guaranteed fanservice. More than 3, Kwon is in. They figure if KSW can become Hallyu god with a morbid comedy blatantly faking as a melo (and everybody is buying), he is really god and can do no harm.. it'll even make him grander if he keeps working w/ even more outrageous scripts and rise above it with his 6 pecs, which is actually true in his case.

@nycgirl lol I'm not Type B and who doesnt have a thing for Christopher Walken (Capt Koons and THE watch)? It was also Resurrection that got me, I went on to check out what's the big deal that killed it in ratings (mnikss), and now I'll go and check out City Hall though Suna's 'Night' was a snoozefest for me.

I watched the first episode of "That Fool" (Six Months) last night and it was very entertaining! I had high hopes for that drama and was looking forward to its premier! And it did not disappoint me one bit! I love both leads and I'm so excited & can't wait to watch the second episode! That is the feeling I DIDN'T get from watching "Cinderella Man" It was so boring and I couldn't even bring myself to watch the second episode. Sorry KSW.

^ I am watching Babo now, half way in...I'm sold. This is fabulously done cliches. Hwang Jung Min is my boy-Samsoon/ yummyDensha. I'm already falling head over heels. KAJ is fine too even though her nose reminds me of pinocchio's.

Actually, the two big dramas of 2008 and 2009, East of Eden and BOF, started off with the same 'unimpressive' ratings and we all know how the rest turned out. City Hall just premiered and it's already in the double digits. I'm definitely not a fan of City's writer, On Air was a snoozefest and Lovers was good until it became melodramatically unbearable 2/3rds of the way through, but Cha Seung Won and Kim Sun Ah have undeniable chemistry, plus their coupling/interactions are freakin hilarious from what I've watched of the first two episodes. City's writer may be off-puttingly arrogant, but I kind of think she's entitled to be. I mean most of her drama series have been ratings super-hits...and that's a pretty impressive track record, imho, so a little arrogance isn't unwarranted on her part.

It must suck to arrogant and for everyone to notice :]

Kwon Sang Woo introduced me to K-dramas with his Stairways to Heaven and I think not only me but the people in our country learned about K-dramas because of Kwon Sang Woo and his Stairways to Heaven, we will never forget his name 'Cholo' (the name we uses here in our country when they translated/subbed it in Tagalog). He will always be our one and only 'Cholo'. Have always supported his projects though I must admit some of them dissapoints me like Bad Love, but still I endured the 20hrs of it coz of him. Have seen the first 3eps of Cinderella Man and have enjoyed it, like the story, like the 2 actors, though must admit that am not that keen about the 2 leading ladies but Yoon-ah's acting have improved a bit compared to her You Are My Destiny's days. Am sad to see that some people already calling him an ahjusshi just becoz he got married, but still he is one 'yummy' ahjusshi for me!! Maybe this is the reason why most Korean actors/actresses (esp actors) were not yet married eventhough they've past the age 30 and the reason why you can't find articles about their lovelife?? maybe the Korean viewers like their idol to be always single and only for themselves ha?? Sort of feel sad for them too that their sacrificing their lovelife for the their career, I am for one would be happy to see them married and happy and having children, like to see the next generation of the likes of Ji Sub, Jun Ki and BYJ!!

yoona is actually the biggest reason why i cannot continue watching this drama... even though i love KSW (and co-star, Song Chang Ui is a cutie too)... i'm sick of SNSD polluting the airwaves, to be honest. i can only tolerate any of them in small doses.

just the suggestion of an snsd cameo is SUCH a turn-off! i've said it before ... i've never liked ksw, and yoona can't act her way out of a paper bag. song chang eui was the only draw here for me, but unfortunately ... it's not enough to make me want to tune in to this drama.

sorry, but i also think that the crew members have their own MP3 players by now. it's like offering to buy them handphones. XD

I honestly love Kwon Sang Woo, his acting is just stellar, and he is the best!
I dont understand how people can dislike this drama, it is totally engaging me non-stop and I cant wait for the upcoming episodes to be aired!
Haha, and funny thing is, my family, who usually doesnt like to watch korean dramas, actually loved Bad Love. His acting is just fantastic!
Guys, trust me, this show is a must watch!
Enjoy!

The point of watching dramas should be about the plot and the acting! So people please, regardless of whether Yoona is in it, and SNSD whatsoever, she has been doing a good job so far! So give her some credit! And I think people are just criticizing KSW after he got married. they are just jealous. he still rocks no matter what. best actor ever.

I have watched 2 epis of CM. My take is that his real life personality is way, way bigger than his reel life characters. I do respect him as an actor. But that arrogance and cockiness is peeping through any character that he plays and my respect for him as an actor is slowly waning. My fear is that the ratings will go downhill from here.

ehhh...
I'm not a big fan of KSW. Stairway to Heaven was a bit boring and his acting was okay, but after that I just didn't feel like watching his other dramas
but the main reason that I didn't watch CM was because I heard Yoona was going to be there...truthfully -_-;
I saw her in You Are My Destiny and she has pretty bad acting. the reason I watched that drama (not the whole thing) was only because I thought the plot was interesting, although it took sooo looong for it all to unfold -_-;
but yea...I really didn't like Yoona's acting so I didn't even bother to watch CM

and yes KSW sounds quite desperate for viewers....although I guess any actor/actress would be when their ratings are so low and the hype for the drama was pretty high

Can you blame him for appearing desperate? He knows he is no spring chicken, and he is up against evergreens like Hwang Jung-min, as well as upstarts like Kim Bum and Lee Min-ho.

I've never watched Stairway to Heaven (I've heard it's his best work to date) and don't think I can bare the melodrama and sad ending. Which is why I still rank Bad Love as one of my faves, even though many ppl think it stinks. We have had enough melodramas with sad endings and Bad Love was refreshing, despite what antis say.

I agree with Belleza who said viewers subconsciously lose interest because he is now married. I don't agree with those who say he is morphing into an ajusshi, he is still charming, even though he speaks with a slight lisp and says dumbass things that shoot himself in the foot sometimes. That's endearing, isnt it?

If Kwon Sang-woo is an ajusshi, wldnt that make Kang Ji-hwan one too? The latter is only a yr younger

I am eagerly anticipating this drama to hit Singapore shores. I'm even willing to give Yoona (cant stand SNSD) a chance before I judge.

Excuse me, fraulein, but what does age have to do with whether a drama is popular or not? Jang Dong Gun is OLDER than Kwon Sang Woo but he manages to draw in hordes of people. Song Seung Heon is the SAME AGE as KWS and yet his drama "EOE" managed to stay within the high 20% viewership. Aside from blaming script writers, wouldn't you say part of its demise is that perhaps he chose the wrong drama to participate in? I mean, the age difference between Yoona and KSW CANNOT be missed. And just because people don't like "Bad Love" doesn't make them "antis". Just as YOU have a valid reason for liking the drama, others have just as a valid reason NOT to like it.

It's interesting that aside from "Stairway to Heaven", NONE of his movies OR dramas fared well after that. And this was BEFORE he got married. He's prone to saying the wrong things at the wrong time and perhaps part of the reason why viewers are disenchanted with him has less to do with his "marriage" than with his lips. He's offended a lot of people, whether intentional or not, and so has his wife. KSW was recently on the MBC variety show "The Knee Guru" and he's said that he was "misunderstood" when he said certain things and people took it the wrong way. And his BFF friend SSH came by, worried again that KSW might say something else that would offend people. You'd think that if your own best friend is worried about you saying the wrong things, he'd THINK a little more before he speaks?

As omo stated here:
"...My take is that his real life personality is way, way bigger than his reel life characters. I do respect him as an actor. But that arrogance and cockiness is peeping through any character that he plays and my respect for him as an actor is slowly waning..."

This is one of the reasons why KSW is not as popular. Instead of worrying about how he can IMPROVE as an actor, he has the nerve to blame other people for the low ratings and box office numbers. Heck, if he wants to give SNSD MP3s (because we all know they can't afford one, right? And everyone else in Korea who are breaking their backs working in the fields from sun up to sun down are wealthy as heck) why not go the whole way and tell viewers that he'll buy an MP3 player for EVERY PERSON WHO has a ratings box in their home! That's a shoo-in for increasing viewer ratings, wouldn't it? I have not seen KSW improve as an actor at all over the years and the time where he's relying on his "hot body" to do a lot of the acting for him has passed. As someone said, there are ever a growing number of young male actors jostling for that top spot as the main leading actor and if KSW is to compete with them, he needs to make sure that HIS OWN acting is better than anyone else's FIRST: When that happens, people will most likely acknowledge him for the work he's doing, REGARDLESS of whether he's married or not.

I am amaze that how many comments about CM and KSW...if I am him I would be very happy...like or dislike, he is in our thoughts, enough so that we spent time to express them. Mr. KSW, not too worried...you can't win us all...this is a real world . Though I want to thank for your efforts, keep up your passion for acting...you will be back again because if you are good, you are good.

And Mr. KSW, you do have enough credit for us to remember you...

its so boring no coment

The more i watch the more i dislike Yoona , the way she acts in talking , crying ,expressing her feelings very unattractive , not real , I wish the actress LDH ( in my girl ) could replace her so the drama more interesting , more fun to watch .

i don't think that KSW lost his touch...i consider him as one versatile actor..you can put him in a drama, comedy or action or perhaps any genre..the problem is, he was expected to place himself on top of the list of A-list actors all over again. I notice that KSW has to start again to prove to the industry and the public, what an amazing actor he is...it's not about the popularity list anymore, but the acting/performance that counts. KSW needs a breakthrough drama ..just like SSH in East of Eden. SSH..really did transformed into one amazing actor in that drama..never mind if he's a hallyu star or not, he was trully the heart of the drama. SJS, has always been consistent with his acting..and remained remarkable in Cain and Abel. I wish that he, KSW, would really look for scripts/dramas that brings out his best..and i'm still waiting for that..watching Cinderella Man was indeed confusing and boring...it was pretty good at the first few episodes, then it became flat towards the end....i wish him luck, even though i find his married life very fishy..

whew...

belleza and doris ng pinas,
your comments gave me goosebumps. im also a kwon sang woo fan. i liked him since stairway to heaven. i believe he one great actor..

@doris ng pinas, yeah, he will always be our one and only CHOLO!!!!!

Agree with Kate 09 , Yoona makes it worse .

Spark67,

U missed my point. I am not against older actors. As a matter of fact, I count Jang Dong-gun, Ahn Sung-ki (did i spell it correctly), Hwang Jung-min and Lee Byung-hun as good actors.

I stand corrected on the " antis' point.

Cruel Love was the drama that introduced me to KSW. I've never watched STH and I don't think I will. And I am struggling to get thru Cinderella Man because the plot is weak and there is zero chemistry between his character and Yoona
The draw for me was the Dongdaemun setting and KSW. I'll try to finish it . By the end of this year. hahaha

Like some of you, I agree he could have done better with his choices. Maybe, he will be in with a chance for IRIS 2. It is big scale enough and suits his image, his management company will approve because it is a pan Asian project with wide reach.

I can hear LBH fans getting up in arms.....

The drama is a bore not minding that the actor KSW did his best. But he was over acting his role especially the comedic aspect. Perhaps the second lead lady should have been his lead, that may have brought out his character better. All the same it is an effort