By Jae-Ha Kim
Kocowa.com
September 16, 2020
It always helps to have a huge star in your K-Drama. Even when Kim Soo-Hyun made cameo appearances in “Hotel del Luna” and “Crash Landing on You,” news outlets covered it, because everything he does is news. When he starred in “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” — his first post-military series — all his fans were tuned in to watch, as well as curious lookyloos, who wondered what the fuss was all about. The end result was a hit series driven by Kim’s undeniable star power.
But … It’s a myth that you have to have big-name celebrities starring in your projects to guarantee a hit. Look at some of the most popular Western shows of the past, like “Friends,” “Game of Thrones” or “The Walking Dead. ” Those series made stars out of the actors, rather than vice versa.
Then you have a Korean series like “Once Again,” which did incredibly well with viewers, with a cast that was well known, but not in the realm of superstars. K-Drama fans, especially those based outside of South Korea, recognized many of the faces (like Lee Jeong-Eun from “Parasite”), but may not have been able to place the names with the faces. Still, the show was a bonafide hit. Its lowest nationwide rating in South Korea was 19.4%, according to AGB Nielsen. Their highest was 37%. These are huge numbers, especially for a series that wasn’t overly promoted.
The series wasn’t without controversy, though. Part of the storyline revolved around a trio of women who had previously worked at an illicit noraebang. When they open their small kimbap cafe, they use tricks from their previous trade to imply that you’ll get more than just food at their restaurant. One netizen went so far as to voice her concerns on the official website of the South Korean presidential office. Other viewers complained to the network, KBS, which issued an official apology and promised to air an edited version of the episode for any future reruns.
For those of you wanting to see more of the “Once Again” cast members’ work, here are some recommendations:
LEE SANG-YEOB: “Good Casting,” “While You Were Sleeping,” “The Master of Revenge”
LEE JEONG-EUN: “My Strange Hero,” “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo,” “While You Were Sleeping,” “Fight for My Way,” “My Lovely Girl,” “Cunning Single Lady,” “Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop”
CHON HO-JIN: “My Golden Life”
LEE MIN-JUNG: “Big,” “Come Back Alive,” “Cunning Single Lady,” “Midas,” “Fate and Fury,” “All About My Romance”
Two popular actors who make guest appearances in this K-Drama are Lee Sung-Kyung (“It’s Okay, That’s Love,” “Weighlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo,” “Dr. Romantic 2”) and Kang Chan-Hee — better known to S59 fans as Chani (“Sky Castle,” “Signal,” “To the Beautiful You,” “Listen to My Heart,” “The Innocent Man”).
As you can see in the video footage above, they made the most of their work on the K-Drama and fit in well with the set cast.
