Sageuk Lover

loved MCW in Princess Man. I also like Painter of the Wind and Innocent Man too.

The chemistry of the two lead actors are so surreal. Just check the lying in the couch together scene, they did so well together (made me really smile). Only two things, the actors are really madly in love with each other or they are really super expert in making extraordinary chemistry for their characters. They must win best couple awards, please dramagods and awards gods.

he really does, I can't really believe he's older than Hyun Bin (who has an adult feel). I feel like if he stand next to the young actors in Extraordinary You, they would just look the same age.

His profile picture, he looks so young, incredible really. I always assumed he was born in 1984 (I knew he can't be born in the late 1980s because I knew he was famous in the 2000s even if I havent watched him), but wow he was born in April 1982! He'a actually older than Hyun Bin who was born September 1982 (and even Kim Jong UN of North Korea it's really weird) but it doesn't really feel that way, he has that youthful vibe with him.

My first Lee Joon Gi drama after ignoring 11 1/2 years ignoring Iljimae (because its actors were slowly introduced to me for the last 11 1/2 years). What a great actor, he must win Daesang award for his performance. Also him and Moon Chae Won must win best couple. It would be so sad if LJG and MCW didn't win best couple especially since MCW always win best couple in her best dramas before (Painter of the Wind, Princess Man, Innocent Man, Good Doctor).

he deserves Daesang and he and MCW deserves best couple, period.

Super duper late in stanning this great actor (it took me 11 1/2 years before I started watching him). Similar to Yeo Jin Goo when it comes to child actors. Here's my long story before I discovered him. Around late 2008 or early 2009, I watched the kdrama Painter of the Wind which made me discover Moon Chae Won (FOE costar), Kim Yoo Jung (she's child Han Hyo Joo in Iljimae), as well as rediscovering and admiring more of Bae Soo Bin and Moon Geun Young. Since watching that drama and searching credits of actors including Kim Yoo Jung, I've always seen Iljimae posters and even saw reviews of the drama but for some reason ignored it. The ignoring of that drama continued when I discovered Han Hyo Joo (Iljimae costar) in 2009 or 2010 and also Park Shi Hoo (Iljimae costar) in 2011 or 2012. In 2012, I was curious about Arang and the Magistrate (because Shin Min Ah's playing a ghost character which reminds me of GF Gumiho) but didn't watch it. After a break from Kdramas, I returned in 2015 when I watched in succession My Love From the Star, Tree with Deep Roots, Moon Embracing the Sun, Rooftop Prince, Grudge the Revolt of Gumiho, then Missing You. Thus discovering child actor Yeo Jin Goo (child LJG in Iljimae). After that, I watched the child actor parts in Iljimae, then watched the ending due to curiosity, as well as some romantic scenes with Han Hyo Joo and Lee Young Ah. I even listened to the OSTs of Iljimae. I liked him in the scenes of him I've watched (but still didn't feel compelled to watch the whole drama). Now 2020, my old favorite from Painter of the Wind Moon Chae Won is back with a drama with good reviews Flower of Evil, and now this 2020 drama become actually my first Lee Joon Gi drama. And what can I say, he's really amazing and his acting in the drama is really superb, I've now become a fan (this is saying a lot because I find it often hard to like a trending male actor, except Song Joong Ki). I love the way he portrays the complicated Do Hyun Su. His crying is also really, really good. And his chemistry with Moon Chae Won is really the best (I know MCW is chemistry Queen but his acting also did a lot for their chemistry too). I know IONTBO, TKEM, and CLOY are more popular dramas, but Lee Joon Gi MUST WIN DAESANG in any award show before this year ends and LJG AND MCW MUST WIN BEST COUPLE. After Flower of Evil, I'm super overdue to watch his 2008 drama that brought him top excellence awards Iljimae (especially with the way I'm slowly introduced to some of its actors in the last 11 1/2 years before finally being introduced to its lead actor) and then King and the Clown and Arang and the Magistrate too.

better than Song Joong Ki? Has he done a scene where he was able to shine as an actor despite the fact that the ones acting against him are all movie veterans (like Baek Yoon Shik and Han Suk Kyu)? Watch Tree with Deep Roots ep 2 and 9, and you'll see for yourself how good SJK was there and think of KDY can do a performance as good as that (I also believe SJK's age there is clost to KDY age now).
There'a a young actor (Lee Tae Ri) that I'm a fan of and i really wanted to get a main role, but I'm not gonna compare him with great lead actors like SJK.

Thanks for reminding me of Kim Seo Hyung. I can't forget her performance in 2009's Temptation of Wife.

Finally, someone who have the same opinion as me. I don't really understand her Daesang in My Love from the Star, it seemed to me an average romcom (maybe some sad scenes) performance. The one that shined for me in that drama the most was Shin Sung Rok the villain. Maybe if she didn't get the daesang I might not dislike her as much, but because she did win (especially considering the ones who lost best actor awards in previous years such as Han Suk Kyu for Tree with Deep Roots in 2012) I just find her a bit unlikeable. I don't hate the actress, it's just I don't see anything special in her performance, I also saw some clips from her movie with Kim Soo Hyun, I dont find it amazing either. (Maybe it's just me though, I have so much respect for actresses that did lead roles in historical dramas like Ha Ji Won and Moon Chae Won because I find it a more difficult genre, that's why I find some romcom actresses unlikeable).

MCW is so underrated, 100% believe. Her early 2010's performances were so good. If she had been born a man i'm 100% sure she would have Kim Soo Hyun's popularity, but alas Kdramas are biased towards male leads.
I respect your opinion on Ha Ji Won, but I believe if you get to watch Hwang Jin Yi and Empress Ki, you'll understand why a lot of people love her (I understand if you dont watch it though, I'm also not interested in watching some other recommended dramas).

Princess Man (it's the other couple pic with her on the main post), Innocent Man (with Song Joong Ki) are also great works by Moon Chae Won (she really also shines in both works there). If you dont like historical dramas, you can just fast forward to Moon chae Won scenes in Princess Man. You should also at least try Painter of the Wind 2008, she's only a supporting character but her loveline with Moon Geun Young is interesting also there (they won best couple awards there too, among the people they beat are Lee Joon Gi himself and Han Hyo Joo for Iljimae).

Hi! Sorry for the long comment, but I really appreciate your post (especially on my faves). Ha Ji Won, Moon Chae Won, Kim So Hyun, and Go Hyun Jung are my faves in your list. I don't always watch their works, but the ones I've seen always stay with me and are unforgettable.
1. Ha Ji Won is my top favorite actress. She always choose strong female roles and it really suits her. She's so versatile, she can do really well in sageuk and action, not a lot of actresses with her level of fame can do it. In Hwang Jini and Empress Ki, she showed all her talents (dancing, martial arts) and she was able to play her tragic love stories really well. The other drama of hers I really love was 2003's Damo, I love her strength as a police woman and loved her chemistry with her master their best. She's also enjoyable in Secret Garden as well as movies Haeundae and 100 Days Mr Arrogant, but the sageuks previously mentioned are still my faves of hers.
2. Moon Chae Won is also really good. I love the way she acts and especially the way she cries. I don't know, there's really something about her that makes you really ship with anyone she was paired with (whether girl or boy), she's such a chemistry queen. I don't usually ship same sex couples, but I really loved her chemistry with Moon Geun Young in Painter of the Wind (even if I prefer MGY's character with the male lead). Princess Man was my most favorite OTP of hers for years, but I think Flower of Evil chemistry might beat that. I also love her acting with Song Joong Ki in Innocent Man. I also have a thing for actresses that played the 'evil' second female lead because they tend to be disliked by fans (MCW did in Brilliant Legacy and she was so good there, I actually disliked the OTP being together), and I'm so happy she succeeded as a female lead now.
3. Kim So Hyun is an extremely talented girl since she's a child. Loved her and Kim Yoo Jung equally, but I find So Hyun just a little bit more talented than KYJ. She was so effective as a villain in both Rooftop Prince and Moon Embracing the Sun. Like I said, I really have a thing for girls that played 'evil' second female leads, which is perhaps why I find her Moon Sun character pitiful, even if she was an effective villain. I'm so glad for Missing You drama 2012-2013, where she at last got to pair up with Yeo Jin Goo, show how effective she can be as a lead and melodrama actress, it's the project that lead her for getting more positive roles that helped her become a lead actress today.
4. Go Hyun Jung is someone I've only seen in Queen Seon Deok, but her acting is way too convincing that most of my favorite scenes in the drama include her. She was a compelling villain and she really drives you into her character. Even if it was a villainous character, she was able to make people at least understand where her character is coming from with her actions. Combined with her great acting and the writers' ideas of the character, Lady Mishil has become one of the most characters in Kdrama.
Aside from the four above, I also liked Park Soo Ae, I've seen her in Emperor of the Sea 2004 and she had good chemistry with both Choi Soo Jong and Song Il Gook, though I don't love her the way I love the four mentioned above. I've heard great things about Gong Hyo Jin and Lee Bo Young, I might watch them if I find a work interesting. I love IU's singing of Queen Seon Deok osts, that's all I can say about her now. I'm not really familiar with Lee Yoo Ri (so no comment about her). The only one I quite disliked is Jun Ji Hyun, she seemed okay in My Love from the Stars, but I really don't think it's Daesang worthy (that's why I find her a bit overrated and I cant watch her other works because of it, I'm so sorry).
Thanks so much for your post, I really appreciate it, especially your reviews on Go Hyun Jung, Ha Ji Won, Moon Chae Won, and Kim So Hyun <3

Absolutely. No hate for her personally, but I really can't stand her performance, her sageuk speech is so boring too. All the child actresses here are better than her, especially Kim Yoo Jung and Kim So Hyun. Also if you've seen Moon Chae Won or even Han Hyo Joo's sageuks (most recent successful sageuks done before this series was aired), you're not simply gonna like the female lead's performance here. In my opinion, she should not have accepted this role, especially with Kim Yoo Jung as child actress (KYJ did a similar role in 2010's Grudge the Revolt of Gumiho which had her amazing performance, the adult Yeon Woo actress here should have been prepared for criticisms if she knew KYJ'S performance from her 2010 show). The adult male leads are not even my faves, but at least they were bearable and most people like them too (so I did not mention alternatives for them). My fave for the adult actors is the adult Queen Bokyung.

My impression of him is he's always the unkind dad to Moon Chae Won characters (Princess Man, Innocent Man)

She and Park Hae Jin have the sweetest romance in Famous Chil Princesses

Mydramalist, please change the lead roles order. I know he's the most popular in the cast, but Lee Seung Gi should not be placed as the main character. The main characters here are (in order): second sister, third sister, fourth sister, first sister, parents, third sister's love interest, second sister's love interest, only then Lee seung gi follows (I hate popularity). My favorite character here is Park Hae Jin and Lee Tae Ran's character, Lee Seung gi's character is annoying.

Gosh, I wanted him to reunite with her in a drama so bad. I like Ji Jin Hee but Bae Soo Bin would have really been great as King Sukjong since he already played a king in Painter of the Wind, had chemistry with Han Hyo Joo in Shining Inheritance, and even played in a revenge drama with Lee So Yeon who was Jang Ok Jung here.

Your opinion on second lead actresses are so right. I hate that they're written that way that they have to be evil if they can't get their man. That's why I always love and always remember the second lea d actresses specially since no one cares or remember them. Moon Chae Won here, young actress Kim So Hyun in Moon Embracing the Sun, Kim Min Seo also in Moon Embracing the Sun, and Han Eun Jung in Full House. And I'm always happy and supportive when they actually got popular themselves (Moon Chae Won and Kim So Hyun).

Song Joong Ki and Yoo Ah In are the highlight in this drama.