BDLight

Kim Hye Soo was another level. The only person that can play the role without doubt is Jun Ji Hyun. Perhaps also Son Ye Jin or Lee Hanui (but they will be less convincing). And if I might add as an odd horse: Ji Sung. Oppppppppppppaaaaa!!!!!!!

You are talking about "forced impossible", but saving your loved ones qualifies in my book as what you termed "forced impossible". Hence, going on your knees yourself is justified. Moreso than when your company is going bankrupt. What I am trying to say is, is that when you go down following a person's command, you are by definition the lesser in the hierarchical structure. Like a dog is to its owner. If you go down on your knees yourself, you do not face the type same type of humiliation, because you are doing it out of free will. Basically PSRY acted as a dog to save his love... I guess you are not Asian, but as an Asian going down on your knees is one of the lowest you can go. It makes it even more degrading when it is forced. Going down out of free will like Jang is like a person giving his apologies without being sincerely sorry or crying crocodile tears. So in my book, PSRY received the real pummeling in his pride and Jang less so. As an anology, why do you think the samurai/Japanese soldiers commit seppuku after losing? - It is to avoid getting captured or facing the humiliation to get controlled by your enemy. Going down on your knees yourself is what I would call "seppuku-light", but following the command of Jang is like getting captured and trialed by your enemy. I hope it makes a little bit more sense, but if you do not agree... that is fine, everyone is entitled to its own opinion

Yeah, LMH is not the most versatile actor. In fact, I would rather qualify him as an average actor based on his previous roles. It would be suicide for him to expand his range into territorities that he will certainly fail. Imagine him playing a role where he is unemployed and lives in a semi-basement - a bit like Song Kang Ho in Parasite... Not going to work. I applaud LMH because unlike many other people in Kdrama, he knows his weaknesses. He picks his roles well, which allows me to enjoy most of his dramas.

I agree with you in a certain way, but rather than LDH I would cast Jun Ji Hyun. She has the acting chops and the wackiness to make these kind of roles natural. I think she can also rock the fashion style. She set the example for "nutjob"-roles with My Sassy Girl, My Love From The Star and Legend of The Blue Sea. Son Ye Jin is a good second with CLOY, but not as good as the OG. But KHS is on par with Son Ye Jin and a massive improvement over Song Hye Kyo, who was supposed to be the original FL, but then declined. SHK probably understood that she is not really the type to play characters that are "tto-rai", but more in vulnerable, queenlike roles.

Well strict... rather easy... Just check how many recent shows have a rating above 8.7 in comparison with old shows. It is true though that MDL is rather harsh for actors that are not idols or actors such as PSJ, SJK, LMH or LJS. But come on, a show such as Vagabond gets 8.5 on this website. That is undeniably generous, right?

It is gaesori in a sense, because with PSRY they were not lenient and that guy spent his time studying the whole prison library...

I think it would be better if they would swap both kneeling scenes. In other words, PSRY should drop down on his knees himself rather than letting Jang force him to go down on his knees. At the end of the day, he adhered to an order of Jang like a soldier would listen to his commander. This gives the impression that he let his beliefs and morals go. The other scene where Jang went down on his knees had the opposite effect. If PSRY would force him down on his knees, then it felt as if Jang received a serious trample. These are just my two cents.

If age is a problem, they should cast an older actor such as Lee Byung Hun, Lee Jung Jae or Jung Woo Sung - she is at that level of fame. In terms of star power and acting ability KHS is still one notch above JJH. Although JJH is a very respected actor as well - especially in comparison to someone like LDH. Please take no offence with my last statement as it is a fact and not intended to diss LDH. But I just wanted to put everything in perspective :D Think about it, she has mad chemistry with a much younger lead, without making me feel awkward or dirty (unlike shows such as Encounter or Something In The Rain). That says a lot about her acting abilities (and of course of JJH's).

I am happy that you have so much faith in Lee Da Hee, but I am not aware that you know the status of Kim Hye Soo as an actress. She is a Chungmuro-legend. This sounds a bit as if you are saying as: "Al Pacino is not a bad actor, but I rather have Channing Tatum playing the ML". I do no think that LDH will be able to act on the level of KHS. LDH is immensely popular in the West because of Running Man and Queendom, but she has never been in a main role in a drama (only second leads), let alone in a blockbuster movie. I am not sure she is able to carry this drama...