Moonbeam

Thanks

It’s not even that she’s a bad actress, I don’t think she is, but I just can’t enjoy her characters and acting (I also feel like she might have been typecasted a bit, so it is the script), I don’t think I ever really did (even in the older dramas). Maybe she’s just not my style?
But if she got a fresh type of role, something new for her, I might enjoy it.

You mentioned Lee Jae Wook, as an example of a different situation, but he was in the same situation like CYW here: he starred in Alchemy of Souls, which got super popular and his career was elevated to new heights (both him and CYW already starred in different projects, so it wasn’t their first “big/main role” but they got a noticeable boost after that one particular drama), and depending on what kind of news source you use or what kind of dramas you watch, you could also say that “he was/is everywhere” all off a sudden. If someone is Lee Jae Wook’s fan, they’re only going to be happy because of his popularity, but if someone is a casual watcher they might be surprised with the “sudden surge of popularity”, it is the same for Choo Young Woo.

And his (CYW) career overall is pretty steady, he didn’t star in that many dramas but he was able to get main roles in almost all of them, and he played against other poplar actors (maybe not superstar level but still known, like Seol In Ah - and it was after Business Proposal success -, Red Velvet’s Joy, finally Im Ji Yeon) so he’d “blow up” sooner or later anyway.

[Wait, now that I look at it, I’d say that Lee Jae Wook’s “blow up” was even more sudden than his, based on that he got less main roles before starring in Alchemy of Souls, so I guess you could say that CYW’s upbringing (that his parents used to be a part of the industry) or his university (he seems to have gone to a one nationally regarded as good - I am not suggesting that he had gotten there by using connections, but that acting students from the more popular or known universities likely might be presented with more opportunities during their studies) might have helped him get to do auditions or get these roles (it’s not like it had to be like that though, don’t know him, I obviously can’t know what exactly happened in his private life in the past, but it could have been, I guess).
No matter the case, personally he had proven himself to me so far (he did well in all of the dramas of his, and I find him to be a good actor).
Both Choo Young Woo and Lee Jae Wook seem to be good actors.]

And yeah, The Trauma Code was that popular.
I guess romance kdramas are usually more widely talked about, as it is the most popular and widely spread genre, and what you hear about new or ongoing projects also depends on what you usually watch and in what environment you find yourself (among other people who watch similar genres as you, or who watch different things etc.), so the information is filtered one way or another (kind of an information/filter bubble - and it happens to all of us), so one might not hear as much about a drama even if it is very popular, if it is not what they’re usually interested in.
I guess It didn’t have as much press on it (as LR), but it did really well on streaming services and was widely popular as it aired too.

Moving on, is seems Ju Ji Hoon was already pretty popular (he was handsome - it does play a part in SK - already was a model, his debut role was a main role and he also started his musical career) and then he had the drug scandal in 2009.
He got suspended from KBS, MBC etc. one suspension was lifted in 2013, the rest in 2019.
In that time his career was put mostly on hold, so his comeback was actually quite long/slow.
More minor drug related scandals aren’t usually a complete “death sentence” to a career in SK (from what I observed) but it takes quite a long time and more careful approach to revive such career - and he’s also a man, so I guess (like is usually is in South Korea) it was easier for him to come back than if he was a woman (and his scandal/crime wasn’t that extremely serious from what I read, and it was a one time offense (he didn’t do anything like that again after) so it probably contributes to the fact that he could come back).

But he starred in some series and movies in the meantime (2013-2019), was nominated for and even won some awards (look up his Wikipedia page if don’t know and you’re curious) so I’d say his comeback was pretty steady.
In 2019 he starred in a main role in Kingdom, which got popular and I’d say it was his “big comeback” (he still isn’t starring - from what I see - in any original KBS etc dramas, and he’s doing Netflix, Disney+ etc projects so you can’t really say that he’s totally unaffected by his past now - unless he got the offers and just doesn’t want to lol, but I digress).
So when doing The Trauma Code he was already a rather established and popular actor (maybe not that much internationally but in SK) in the industry.

All in all, Choo Young Woo’s breakthrough in the industry isn’t as sudden as it may seem (although his recent considerable surge in popularity is pretty quick, I feel like every actor got that one or couple of dramas or movies that more or less suddenly mark a new level of fame for them) you might have not interacted with much information about him before and that’s why it seems sudden now (it’d be like that for me with Byeon Woo Seok, I first noticed him only in 2023’s drama Strong Girl Namsoon and then I came across the side of internet where he got much publicity for movie 20th Century Girl, and then he starred in LR and suddenly “he’s everywhere” and it was a bit weird too then).

Anyway, I am sorry for such a long answer, I might have gotten a bit carried away. I hope there aren’t any mistakes and that I was able to convey my thoughts into words well though.

And there’s as many photoshoots where they have a different style than they usually wear, even if just slightly.
This discussion is pointless, that’s it from me.

What is this drama about? Is it a short length series (a couple minutes per episode and many episodes)?

Teaser with english subs https://youtu.be/8VdJi4N0Mbk?si=KSXycmPsmqupvZb8

I think it’s set in the 1940s?

I don’t think he has deep connections, his family seems to be quite well off and his parents used to do modeling, so I guess he received good education in the acting department but besides that… he didn’t start with a big project or anything like that, so I wouldn’t guess that he has big connections.
The last four dramas that he starred in were very popular though, especially Trauma Code Heroes on Call - that’s completely different genre that LR of course, but the popularity is comparable - and in it and in The Tale of Lady Ok and Mercy for None he was able to play alongside well established and known actors, so that definitely might have “given him a boost” and some experience, he also won couple of awards and he’s objectively a decent actor (and in my opinion, which I’d argue is "right", he’s a good actor) so it’s pretty normal that he’s getting offered roles or has an opportunity to choose and audition for multiple projects right now.

Byeon Woo Seok does have a very anticipated drama with IU as his female lead coming next year, as well as a main role in the live action of an extremely popular manhwa and anime, that literally swept awards this year so I’d say that he’s as busy, less but bigger projects.
Why would you compare them tho?

Thanks! I’ll correct it, I must have written that out of habit (the actor here has a double o and I was fixated on that) and I didn’t notice.

Because that usually the case? And it’s a photo from a photoshoot, so he’s styled by a stylist, hairstylist and makeup artist.

obviously it’s just styled like this for the photo.

I have a rather hard time enjoying Kim So Hyun in dramas, but the plot seems interesting and I like Choo Young Woo, so I hope this time will be different (if they decide to accept those roles ofc).

Ah! I think I’ve heard of it too.
Thank you.

What other drama?

I think they’d just use CGI like usually.

It’s explained well in the discussion segment of this drama (under recommendations)

Does she have a new photo on here? She changed her make up style? I didn’t recognize her at all… 😅

I feel it’s like… like in the movie, after the fact he regretted that he didn’t let the brothers switch their strings, but if he let them he would have later regretted that he did that too. It’s just how human nature is like, I guess.
It’s a tough situation, as you said “gray” there’s really no good solution.

Anyway, the other Navy captain (Lee MinKi) was especially moving/heartbreaking since we can see that he has a wife, and later there’s even photograph of his child, and yet he was so strong and disciplined and sacrificed himself. (Generally, I cried at the submarine scenes, best scenes in the movie…)

From what I understand they all went to the separate smaller chamber of the submarine and had the oxygen pumped out for the rest of the crew (they willingly went to suffocate in an extra room - they mention the name of that part of the submarine in the movie, firstly the officials said that a wall of that room collapsed and that’s why that part of the crew died (which raised suspicion, as to why would so many people go to that one room all at once etc.), but they just wanted to cover up what actually happened on the submarine - so that the remaining crew can survive off of the oxygen they still had until the rescuers came.)

Also I’m pretty sure that if they just exited the ship their bodies would be crushed or they’d suffer fatal internal damage etc due to pressure at that many meters under water and the difference with the pressure inside the ship (also if they made an opening in the ship, that part would have been crushed kinda like a can as well and could endanger the rest of the crew).

I might be wrong though, idk.

All the stuff happening in the submarine, so so emotional and stimulating scenes, really good (but stressful, or moving or sad…). The Captain saying that no soldier that came back, came back whole - that line stuck with me. And Lee Jong Suk having that breakdown/sociopathic awakening in front of the doctor.