By Jae-Ha Kim
Kocowa.com
November 21, 2019
If you’re like me, you may feel a tinge of sadness after your favorite K-Drama airs its last episode. One of the ways I deal with this is by checking out other dramas starring some of the actors I fell in love with.
This series within a manhwa setting touted some of today’s most popular young stars, including SF9‘s Rowoon and “SKY Castle” actress Kim Hye-yoon.
Where to see Rowoon: The 6-foot-3-inch actor had a secondary role in 2018’s “Where Stars Land,” portraying Chae Soo-bin’s loyal best friend. He was charming and added fresh charm to his co-starring role and won a Best Actor nomination at the 2018 SBS Drama Awards. Fans may also see him on Episode 163 of “The King of Mask Singer.”
Where to see Kim Hye-yoon: The petite actress made a huge splash in “SKY Castle,” which tackled the lengths that well-to-do South Korean parents will go to for their children’s education. Playing the smartest girl in her class who was determined to get into medical school, Kim was a tour de force. She had a small role as a member of a veteran actress’s beauty entourage in 2018’s “Come and Hug Me.”
“Melting Me Softly”
It seems like just a minute ago that Ji Chang-Wook was released from mandatory military duty. But now, “Melting Me Softly” — his first post-Army K-Drama (co-starring Won Jin-ah) — has already ended. The good news is he’s already in discussions for his next projects. And you can catch up on (or re-watch) some of his most popular K-Dramas.
Where to see Ji Chang-Wook: The veteran actor has so many K-Dramas to choose from, but I’ll highlight two here. Now that you’ve finished watching his post-military series, get caught up with “Suspicious Partner,” which was his last K-Drama prior to entering the Army. He portrays an attorney who mentors (and then falls in love with) his underling (wonderfully played be Nam Ji-Hyun), who is accused of killing her ex-boyfriend. Then there’s “Healer, which made Ji an international star. He played a skillful night courier, who would do just about anything (except murder) for money. He discovers the secret to his childhood when he is hired to find out more information about a tabloid journalist (portrayed by Park Min-Young), who he may or may not fall in love with… Ha! He falls in love with her!
“When the Camellia Blooms”
The ratings for this KBS2 series was sky high and it’s easy to understand why. It starred the incomparable Gong Hyo-Jin as single mom, who is the target of a serial killer. It had a supporting cast of quirky characters that were lovable oddballs. And her love interest was Kang Ha-Neul, a police officer who’s a bit of a country bumpkin, but also a surprisingly good investigator.
Where to see Gong Hyo-Jin: “Master’s Sun,” “The Producers,” “The Greatest Love,” “Pasta” … the list is endless. But if I have to pick just one, I’d choose “It’s Okay, That’s Love” in a hearbeat. The cast — which also included Lee Kwang-Soo and EXO‘s Do Kyung-Soo (also known as D.O.) — was spectacular. I was blown away at how this series tackled not only complicated relationships, but how it handled the nuances of mental illness. Gong was exceptional as a psychiatrist who helped Jo In-Sung overcome his childhood traumas that manifested in his everyday adult life.
Where to see Kang Ha-Neul: One of his most famous roles is as the 8th prince in “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo.” The actor finished his mandatory military duty in May 2019 and “When the Camellia Blooms” was his first post-Army series. He has a knack for comedy but is just as good at drama. You can see him in “The Heirs,” “Angel Eyes” and “To the Beautiful You.”
Be sure to follow @GoAwayWithJae, where I tweet about all things Korean.🇰🇷
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