sunny4ever

One take-away for me after viewing the Baeksang is this. Comedy as an art form instead of an orphan child of Art is rarely recognized in the Film and Drama industry in general worldwide and in South Korea specifically. Therefore, Joo Ji-hoon winning the Best Actor category at the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards (2025) in an Action Comedy was a shock for me. Many Comedies before have failed to get the call, notably Song Joong-ki for Vincenzo in 2022. I think Comedy is a high art form, which is not achievable by many people. Dramatic actors and Comedy actors try to stay in their lane. It is not an easy feat for an actor to switch back and forth between drama and comedy or vice versa.

I don’t know what was a bigger shock. That a great dramatic actor like Joo Ji-hoon could find his footing in the world of comedy or that the Baeksang Arts Awards recognized that the acting skill set level needed to pull it off was a great feat. Kudos to Joo Ji-hoon for crossing the boundaries of drama to comedy and being great at it. Who knew?

Joo Ji-hoon put out two stellar roll-all-over-the-floor Comedies this Baeksang Arts Award Year 2024-2025. They were ‘Love Your Enemy’ (2024) and ‘The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call’ (2025). In the same period, Joo Ji-hoon put out two great dramatic dramas, Blood Free (2024) and Light Shop (2024). This proved to me that Joo Ji-hoon’s crossover was not just a fluke. I did not pick Joo Ji-hoon to win in the Best Actor category with a Comedy Action Drama, because I did not think that it was possible for him to win. Comedy is always invited to the dance, but always asked to be a wall flowers. I am truly glad that someone in the High Tower is finally waking up. Congratulations to Joo Ji-hoon and may this not be a one-and-done for rewarding comedy at the Baeksang.