Ok, good thinking! I like that you’re thinking ahead and making sure you have an escape route in case you get caught.
Hahaha! *Remembers Ha Suk Jin’s ‘highest quality’ mantra* He was so hilarious (but still a jerk) that I wanted to punch him in the face for being a jerk! HAHA

I didn’t see your post , too many noti 😆

*withdraws the 10 kernels*
Free popcorn!!? *dances around in joy*

Your master is getting old, child…
I have a weak memory…
I shall write this down so I don’t forget!

*writes down that hagsaeng will pay for everything I need*

I don’t know what posts I’m missing either! Too many notifications like you said…

Glad many people have called them out on their behaviour. I’m just following your course of action and ignore their trollish comments.

Don’t waste words 😄

Honestly, if I am a LJK/MCW/SHJ fan, I will actually rant more, LOL. I’d be so incensed that the show wasted their talents.

I’ve read one very insightful comment on Soompi which I’m going to mention in my own comment later. The original poster says that he feels the drama is doing a disservice to LJK by reducing him to an ‘eye candy’. He says that this makes fans happy, but leaves non-fans frustrated, because the drama instead of investing in building tension and substance is too concerned about selecting angles to make the actors look good.
That comment hits the nail on the head for me.

Pardon my poor memory, got to ask – are you LJK’s fan?

I wonder how more reasonable minded fans of LJK think of this drama and his role in it.

As you know, I am not his fan but I happened to watch his dramas like Two Weeks, tried and gave up The Scholar Who Walks The Night, tried and also gave up Moon Lovers and finally this. Someone commented in Ratings thread that LJK has not been getting hits and I have a theory. However, I think no one will like to read it, LOL. Since it’s just me hypothesizing, I better shut up.

No I’m not a LJK fan. Feel free to shoot me your theory. I’m all ears.

As you know I lurk on soompi and get to observe some interesting things about kdramas, actors and their fans. I can’t remember which thread was it but somehow I read LJK’s thread and saw some pics posted in there. My impression of him is that 1) he is very conscious of his looks 2) he is devoted to his fans and they adore him.

1) I look at his selfies and go 😲. Maybe all artistes are like that? I prefer those whose instagrams are about other things and selfies are not so ‘posed’ for a lack of a better word. Funny, weird faces or ugly ones even.
It appears to me that after Moon Lovers which he happened to lose weight, he seems to like being ‘skinny’. It has reached the ‘unhealthy’ range. He must look skeletal in person. All this for a chiseled or sharp chin? There are many photos where you can admire his ‘work of art’ chin. Maybe I don’t understand the Korean psyche about beauty.

2) Well, it’s very nice that to have a celeb who is grateful for his fans and nice to them, there are drawbacks as well. He appears to listen to them and also provide a lot of fanservice. One thing about fans, especially fanatical ones, they can’t give you an objective view. Everything you do will be perfect and awesome. An artiste who only listens to his fans or give them what they want won’t progress much.
Do you remember his recent dating ‘scandal’? I think the reason for his controversial behavior on the variety show with Park Min Young is that he was trying to please his fans and viewers. People loved it so much until the truth came out.

My theory is that Lee Jun Ki is offered roles in which the character is a misunderstood/tragic hero, killer looks amplified, lots of emotional scenes and lots of fanservice too. It appeals to him and they sell it to him. Overlooked are the overall quality of writing, other characters and so forth.

Someone told me that LJK will have his CM role written such that he will shine. I was skeptical because I knew it was a team and moreover you have SHJ and MCW, quite heavyweights. However, I am beginning to see signs of it. Hyun Joon seems smarter than genius boy, first to realize almost everything, lots of suave action – physically taking down criminals, cool biker, charming magician and has children eating out of his hand. The rest of the team are redundant. Maybe they will shine later but I think the window of opportunity had came and gone. We should have at least seen nice decent glimpses by now.

You know what, I can’t agree with you more. I hope I won’t inadvertently offend any LJK fans by my personal observations that I’m going to write here, but yes, I do think that he’s conscious of his looks. To be fair to him, many other K-actors are also conscious of their looks and how they look on screen. I originally like Lee Jong-Suk in IHYV (actually I noticed that in IHYV too, and it built up over time) but got turned off from him for that very reason in a couple of his subsequent dramas, the breaking point being W: Two worlds. That said, I still believe that actors have the chance to shine and forget about the camera if they are allowed and encouraged to do so, and I will continue to give actors the chance in their new dramas, and will only come to my conclusion if I see no difference in their approach.
Now when it comes to looks, it actually often becomes very obvious to me when an actor tries to look good or cool on screen. Slight tilt of the head, a slight lift at the corner of the mouth for that arrogant but attractive smirk, eyes looking down to project a sense of superiority and control, body perfectly straight and posture mimicking a catwalk fashion model. That’s what I often refer to as their attempt to ‘look cool’ in front of the camera. Or the overly angsty or arrogant look. I’ve noticed many of those in CM, not only donned by LJK himself, but also Go Yoon (the actor who plays the supposed genius Lee Han) in many scenes. Usually I don’t have a problem with that. It’s just a minor pet peeve of mine but as long as the story progresses nicely and other characters are not overshadowed, I’m in for the ride and won’t voice my complaints! However if the show sacrifices its quality for fan services, I would be among the first to lament because I’m not watching a drama to gush about certain actors. If I want to admire their beauty that much I’d rather buy 360 posters of them taken at 360 different angles, put them on the walls in my room and look at them all day.
Now that you mention it, it also dawns on me the type of characters LJK might be drawn to. Looking at his past works, yes, there’s a clear pattern that he’s been going for the tragic hero path no matter what the genres. While I understand that those characters appeal to a certain number of viewers, I would appreciate more variety. Though I’m not a fan of Joo Won nor like him in every single of his works, I appreciate his roles in Gaksital and Good Doctor. They might not have been played to perfection but they allowed me to see the guy pushing himself to different limits. Same goes for Jo Seung-Woo and his very different roles in The Classic, Marathon and then FOS. The thing I appreciate about them in those works is that they are not concerned about being ‘swoon-worthy’. Strangely when an actor is made to look swoon-worthy, either by writing, directing or acting, that often turns me off.

Actually when the news of K-CM first came out that featured LJK accepting the offer, I was expecting something along the line of Two Weeks. There were heavy stock expressions in that drama too, but I liked it nonetheless because no one was elevated at the expense of anyone else, or at least that’s how I feel. I actually got excited and curious when @kiara said that episode 3 of CM, based on the original ‘Derailed’ episode, would be Lee Han’s character playfield, only to be disappointed because the self-proclaimed genius has been doing nothing but citing trivias easily found on the Internet and gushing over the star of the show that is Hyun Joon. It’s very disappointing for a drama that is supposed to be about a team and teamwork.

” If I want to admire their beauty that much I’d rather buy 360 posters of them taken at 360 different angles, put them on the walls in my room and look at them all day.”
LoooooL!!! It’s past midnight here, I almost burst out laughing.

It’s true that most actors are narcissistic to a certain extent. Eh…can you imagine how many people will be upset if I use such words? I don’t blame them for taking care of their looks because that’s their asset. Their livelihood depends on it. However, I dislike actors who are conscious of how they look on screen. It interferes with their acting. I can actually tell when an actor does that but you are even more observant than me. I didn’t notice in detail those stuff that LJK and Go Yoon did.

What struck me was that LJK’s acting in some scenes were weirdly out of place. For example, in ep 3. He was to disguise as some expert and enter the train. He looked like a model on a catwalk walking towards the train with a swagger. Yes, it delighted his fans and it was a visual treat I suppose but it was so unbelievable and made the thing a farce.

Same with his interaction with the children on the show. I dunno how to describe but there’s something about it that doesn’t fit the show. Too cheery? Too artificial? Neither did I like the way he was impressed with MCW’s tackle. For that, all it takes is a small smile. Less is more but it doesn’t happen often with him.

” Strangely when an actor is made to look swoon-worthy, either by writing, directing or acting, that often turns me off.”
Same for me! That’s why I don’t like LMH. Eh…hope he’s not your bias 😜
Already most actors are good looking and has charisma. Emphasizing on swoon worthiness so blatantly has it place only in comedies where it’s fodder for laughs. In romance of course, there might be some of these moments but it must be approached carefully or all you get is over the top cheesiness. Yuks!

I have no reference to the original CM but even I can see that other members of the team are overshadowed by Hyun Joo and it’s the writing. It spoils the enjoyment because they just look dumb and useless.

Hero centric dramas are common. However, LJK must know that writers who elevate a character in the manner we discussed, cannot produce good quality dramas.
He chooses tragic heroes so that viewers can empathize with the character and he can showcase his famous emotional acting. That was the case with Wang So. I just found it so incredible that they had to make him such a pitiful character. Sorry to say this but every time I look at the faded scar, I can’t help but giggle. Because they made such a big fuss about it. Moon Lovers was another case where the writer gave lots of fanservice and manufactured all the unnecessary angst. I think the pattern was the same in SWWTN. I didn’t finish but some clips had me splitting my sides in laughter. Again, laughing for the wrong reason.

Going to bed, it’s almost 2am, ha. Chat again tmrw, goodnight 😴

Nite nite, sleep tight and don’t let that overly cheesy looks haunt you in your dreams XD (j/k)
A disclaimer: I don’t consider many actors my bias, and very often I would like them after certain dramas but in a new one if they are not up to par, my admiration is back to square one. No offence taken if you criticise those that I like.
Some that I don’t fall under their charms: Seo In-Guk, Lee Jong-Suk, Lee Jun-Ki, Lee Min-Ho, Jang Geun-Suk, Kim Soo Hyun, Jung Il-Woo and perhaps a few more but those are whom I can recall immediately off the top of my head.
I think I like Yeo Jin-Goo (but not in Reunited World – I just can’t connect with anyone in that drama, sadly), Kim Yoo-Jung (but not very much in Moonlight), Kim So-Hyun (but not very much in Ruler). Now I’m under the charms of Jo Seung-Woo and Bae Doo-Na. Well, actually the majority of the cast in FoS tbh. Having said that, I won’t get hurt if you don’t think highly of any actors or actresses that I like, so never be afraid of stepping on my toes. I might sound aggressive in my comments but I know better than to take criticism personally. It’s a part of my job, actually, to deal with criticism, and I know that my favourite actor being criticised won’t make me less worthy of a person. I don’t usually identify with an actor that much 😉

“Some that I don’t fall under their charms: Seo In-Guk, Lee Jong-Suk, Lee Jun-Ki, Lee Min-Ho, Jang Geun-Suk, Kim Soo Hyun, Jung Il-Woo and perhaps a few more but those are whom I can recall immediately off the top of my head.
I think I like Yeo Jin-Goo (but not in Reunited World – I just can’t connect with anyone in that drama, sadly), Kim Yoo-Jung (but not very much in Moonlight), Kim So-Hyun (but not very much in Ruler).”

My list looks pretty much like yours although I am more neutral towards LJS and SIG. Their acting is a hit and miss for me. However, definitely I don’t get charmed.
I like Yeo Jin Goo and was gushing about him. I do think he’s awfully talented but there are parts in Reunited World which IMO, made him lose some points in terms of acting.

It’s natural to have some knee jerk reaction when you read a negative comment about someone you like. It doesn’t make me react enough to comment though because first, I am quite aware of the weaknesses in the actors I like. No one is above criticism. Even if he/she is a great actor, there’s personal preference. Everything is so subjective. At the very most, you might want to reply “I don’t agree. I think rather than overacting, he is emoting very well” blah blah blah.
Those fans who cannot take criticism as if they are the ones being insulted are too obsessed.
Maybe because I always feel that I don’t know an actor personally, I don’t feel that kind of attachment to them. I fangirl for fun. For example, Ha Suk Jin. I don’t want to know what’s he really like in real life, LOL. Maybe he’s very smart,maybe he’s a playboy…well who really knows? I don’t even think he’s a very fantastic actor. He’s good in some things though.

I might say I’m a fan of certain actresses but it’s more like my way of saying that I like them :D. It’s not like I’m a die-hard fan or anything. If I see their names pop up I’ll likely check out a drama for them because knowing that they did well in a certain role in the past evokes a sense of ‘trust’, so to speak. However if the story doesn’t click I’ll just move on.
She hasn’t impressed me in CM, sadly. The three veteran actors’ acting feels very cookie-cutterish. I expected more from them tbh.

Same with me. I can’t call myself a fan and won’t watch a drama for even my fave.

For MCW, I think she’s limited by how her role is written. I am into ep 3 and so far, there’s hardly any development or action from her character. I am most frustrated with SJH but again, I think it’s the writing and directing.

You’re right, maybe I’ve been too harsh. The writing and directing take the majority of the blame. When three leads who are generally considered strong actors act in somewhat similar manners it makes you question the director’s approach.
Actually I can sit through CM with SJH, LJK and MCW, but everyone else feels so out of place. Even the villains are sometimes comical it takes the tension away from the story.

Yes, it’s still ongoing. Oh, I’ve watched the first episode a few years ago but I think it’s safe to suggest the first episode. 😂 Although you might see how outdated it is because if I remember correctly the first episode aired around 2005.