Kim Yoo-jung replaced on Secret Door

112 November 1, 2014November 1, 2014

by girlfriday

girlfriday: Uh… so apparently Secret Door is suddenly replacing Kim Yoo-jung with… Yoon So-hee (Marriage Not Dating, Let’s Eat)???

javabeans: What! Why? That’s the stupidest thing. The articles are saying that this is a “baton pass” between child role to adult, but my bullshit meter is flying up to 11, for so many reasons. First of all, the role was described from the outset as just being Kim Yoo-jung’s, from start to finish.

girlfriday: Right? They went on and on about how she’s all grown up now and she’s getting her first big-time lead role.

javabeans: Do you think this was a last-minute thing due to (a lack of) viewer response? Because nobody is buying the romance, and yet, you can’t exactly sizzle it up any more than what it is right now (a very pure attraction based on righteous ideals) because of the actors’ ages. While the characters are only a few years apart in age, the actor gap is a little uncomfortable — he’s thirty, she’s fifteen.

girlfriday: It HAS to be, because the actress change at this point in the game makes no sense otherwise, not that it even makes a whole lot of sense in this light either.

javabeans: This just strikes me as fishy because the producers spent so much time before the show assuring us that the age gap didn’t matter and Kim Yoo-jung was debuting in her first non-child role. And if you switch her out for someone barely a few years older saying that Kim’s “child part” is over, then you obviously lied.

girlfriday: It’s so ass backwards because they spent so much time and effort trying to make Kim Yoo-jung and Lee Je-hoon’s pure idealistic relationship believable, at the expense of developing his relationship with his wife Princess Hyegyeong until much later in the story. Plus, if you were planning this from the get-go, then why wouldn’t you have cast a high-profile actress from the start?? I’m trying to wrap my head around it, but it seems dumb to me.

javabeans: I feel like it HAS to be a last-ditch effort to either salvage the role or minimize it, just because of the (upside-down) order/logic of the decision. Why would you replace Kim Yoo-jung with someone unknown? Either Kim Yoo-jung’s character should have been a few years older (actresses play older all the time), or cast the other chick from the start.

girlfriday: That’s what i don’t understand. Yoon So-hee is an unknown rookie with just a few projects under her belt, and really, onscreen she doesn’t seem that much older either.

javabeans: I guess Yoon So-hee seems like she could play the character more “mature” — in that she would be less innocent? Kim Yoo-jung has the wide-eyed purity that just makes her seem actually younger than her years, whereas I kind of wanted to slap Yoon So-hee every time her Hyun-hee character was onscreen in Marriage Not Dating. Although… I guess making Ji-dam unlikable isn’t exactly the way to save her.

girlfriday: I would be angry if they rewrote the whole character all of a sudden. I will admit that Ji-dam doesn’t really do it for me in her current incarnation, so in that sense, changes aren’t necessarily all bad. It’s just… this is not a change I get.

javabeans: Right, I actually think swapping the actress might be good if you’re trying to build up the Sun-Ji-dam loveline again, which has been nonexistent because it didn’t seem to be working, and viewers weren’t buying it. And Kim Yoo-jung just doesn’t do much against Park Eun-bin’s intensity. What confuses me is the WAY they’re doing it, and also, the person they cast. Will she actually be better? Erm.

girlfriday: I already feel like Ji-dam is less interesting than Hyegyeong, and I’m concerned that’ll only increase. Which would be fine if the show would just focus on Sun and Hyegyeong, like they SHOULD. Ahem.

javabeans: I wish the drama would focus on Sun’s relationships with Hyegyeong and Yeongjo, which are fascinating on their own merits, but if you’re going to shove a loveline down my throat I should at least believe it. Or feel like THEY believe it. You know, I would really have preferred someone like Yoon Jin-yi. She has that innocence that could carry over from Kim Yoo-jung, and the sprightly energy, but can also emote and be more intense. Or even Jung So-min or Kim So-eun (yes I know she’s busy, this is fantasy casting!).

girlfriday: They would’ve been great. Maybe they actually couldn’t get them because this was clearly some sort of mid-season freakout and replacement that was unplanned.

javabeans: Because who announces sudden mid-drama switches on a Saturday morning? On the other hand, signing on a newbie actress at this late stage might indicate that Ji-dam is taking a backseat now. In that case, I can see why you wouldn’t get a higher-profile actress, if they’re just going to be background wallpaper.

girlfriday: That might actually be better storywise, though in that case I would’ve preferred them to at least give Kim Yoo-jung her due and fast-forward and kill Ji-dam off while she played her. Why not make a dramatic exit out of it, instead of confusing people?

javabeans: God I know. Ji-dam really didn’t do much for me alive, but she could have really done something in her death.

girlfriday: Right? Heung-bok 2.0! And then Sun goes mad from the heartbreak!

javabeans: We should just write Secret Door fanfic, which is all dark and angsty and heartbreaking.

girlfriday: I think they just call that history.

Via Osen

112

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51 mangoness

November 2, 2014 at 10:48 AM

It does not bother me with the replacement, i have enjoyed Yoon So Hee previous roles and think she can do good in this as well. Or atleast i hope so ^^

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52 diri66

November 2, 2014 at 11:46 AM

Okay, so it's maybe only me but I was not really counting on a Ji-dam-Sun loveline.

Because the drama had a different approach on Sun's character I was not sure how much they would keep from the let's say real history and I sort of liked that there was no love story between them. I think there were some affectionate looks/gazing from both sides but I feel like both Ji-dam's and Sun's character is too considerate of others (Hyegyeong) to make a step towards one another. So I am not expecting anything and I do not think that they had bad chemistry. But maybe I was not paying attention because I was preoccupied with Lee Je-hoon's hotness??

Also, maybe Kim Yoo-jung had to drop the drama due to scheduling conflict?

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53 HitomieSR

November 2, 2014 at 12:26 PM

I was expecting this .. since the Story is about Prince Sado there had to come a timejump (in one of the Episodes they talked about him beeing 20) but he died at the age of 27 .. so they need to come up with a 7 years time jump and as much as I like KYJ she can not make it up ... I don´t expect a Loveline more a let´s be friends who understand each other ... after all she´s just a fictionary Chara to create a plot for a reason to set up the Prince. And the Prince wasn´t set up for a Love but political issues (here the document about the past) .. for all who drop the Drama because KYJ is out .. *goodbye* .. I watch this Drama because of the mystery and hardships of the prince and not for a loveline or one actress .. for me I really like the Story and the plot they came up to create a reason for a set up. perhaps for some there´s no need or they can´t understand .. but I believe the next steps are kinda clear .. some will dye and that´s for sure Ji Dams father who published the book .. the prince will blame himself and let the "document" be to not bring more sorrow .. at least for some time .. until (Ji Dam some years later) will bring it up again to revenge her father .. so we get the timejump and the bad boys can set up the prince because of her ..

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54 Rahiyah

November 2, 2014 at 2:09 PM

I'm speechless and disappointed. I was really excited for her advancing her career and what a great show for this to be her first adult role. I'm wondering if she requested to leave the show due to all the negative comments about the age gap between the actors or was it the production team decision. Final words: Not Happy :(

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55 sophia

November 2, 2014 at 9:30 PM

hmm. So it's obviously their choice because theyre trying to salvage the situation somehow, but I hope they realize that kim yoojung has a pretty strong fanbase (me included lol) and that's going to affect their ratings as well. They might be (definitely) shooting themselves in the foot...

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56 dtdt

November 2, 2014 at 11:44 PM

I think the actress's manager wants to pull her out. It is such a waste to have her in this TV series and only shows up little bit here and there per ep. And good luck to them, only 2 women in the story and one is ok, now the new one normally acts the naïve girl or a flirting type of girl play the smart role?

I do not think the age gap is the matter. The prince is 20 and she can act 15 fine. For ancient story, normally, romance is very light in holding or something not so seriously so she can act fine. I like the romance of the young girl and the old guy in Man from the star.

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57 dtdt

November 2, 2014 at 11:45 PM

Let put them back again in another story please

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58 seasonic

November 11, 2014 at 12:27 PM

I think the creators of this show should have never cast Kim Yoo-jung. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan but the fact is she is still a kid and far too innocent. They should have cast an older actress from the beginning.

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59 Anony

November 30, 2014 at 2:22 AM

Soooo disappointed. I watched thia bcoz of her and waiting for her comeback, yet this kind of twist then why the picture if her in most of the cover. My interest in drama suddenly drop to zero. The prince and KYJ has chemistry but now the adult version, i dont think so....

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60 Wheng

February 25, 2015 at 11:39 PM

I decided to watch this drama because Kim Yoo Jung and I’m so disappointed she replaced by someone else…. I have nothing against Yoon So-hee she has her own potential as well.
Why and Why she’s out of the scene just like that and whatever the reason is Why did u casting her as female lead role in first place? and replaced her out of the blue … Why???? I’m not continue watching this drama since she was replaced…

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61 Wheng

February 25, 2015 at 11:41 PM

I decided to watch this drama because Kim Yoo Jung and I’m so disappointed she replaced by someone else…. I have nothing against Yoon So-hee she has her own potential as well.

Why and Why she’s out of the scene just like that and whatever the reason is Why did u casting her as female lead role in first place? and replaced her out of the blue … Why????

I’m not continue watching this drama since she was replaced…

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62 IMastonished

December 31, 2015 at 5:25 PM

Kim Yoo-jung
This young women has more star power than any child actress since Shirley Temple and Natalie Wood (look it up grasshopper). She has incredible timing, expressive eyes and you can see the characters thoughts go across her face (the mark of a true artist). Her voice has a tone of sincerity, which is so rare in child actors or actors period. When she starts up the story (Dong YI) (Moon Embraces the Sun) she holds the interest of the viewer and gives the other characters time to build there persona and lay in the back story.
I have been an art educator for most of my life and I recommend working plays and live theater while she gets her feet under her as a grown up leading lady. Also, she needs some time to sink her teeth into theatrical literature and to find her own voice. Too much quality here to waste time on poorly written scripts. She has the potential for a knock out of the park role like Olivia Hussy's Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet (1968).........Yes, I have been a Drama addict for a long, long time and I know what I am looking at when I see it.

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63 Derin may

May 23, 2016 at 9:47 AM

I'm totally against this , KYJ was totally great in the drama , since they are replacing her I think I'll have to drop that drama I was really only watching it for KYJ

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64 Derin may

May 23, 2016 at 9:52 AM

Buh KYJ don't let your guard down , show them what it takes to be a star , FIGHTING !!!!

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65 Ajusshi

June 7, 2017 at 6:57 PM

More bitchyness

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