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omonatheydid
These actors… who rose to superstardom after playing a breakthrough role
“Want to become a star? Then use them as benchmarks.” Situations of “overnight fame” do exist in the world of showbiz. A common way to describe them is, “stars who have awaken from a deep sleep.” Although they may have experienced obstacles and hardship during their newcomer days, but they become top stars after one drama project.
Every cycle of 3-5 years, a drama star will emerge and leave the nation’s viewers in awe. From Cha In Pyo in 1994’s ‘Love In Your Embrace’, Ahn Jae Wook in 1997’s ‘Star In My Heart’, Won Bin in 2000’s ‘Autumn In My Heart’ to Eric in 2004’s ‘Phoenix’ and Lee Minho in this year’s ‘Boys Before Flowers’ - they are the best examples. Let’s take a look at the styles of these 5 men who rose to ‘overnight fame’ with just one drama, and who have caused a drama syndrome, capturing the hearts of female viewers.
Good Looks, Wealth, Power… The Terrius-type Heir
Besides having a handsome appearance, in dramas it’s rare to find any “half-baked” lead characters. Even though it may be a new actor trying to make his name, he would be playing a character with the following qualities:
Firstly he must be wealthy. It’s not enough to be just a ‘regular’ rich man’s son. Cha In Pyo played the heir to a large department store, while Ahn Jae Wook played a top singer and the son of a general. Won Bin was the heir to a hotel conglomerate, while Eric was the son to the president of a large corporation. Recently the scale of things got even bigger with Lee Minho’s ‘Gu Joonpyo’ character as the heir to the world’s 2nd largest conglomerate Shinhwa.
In terms of their personalities, they have to be “bad boys” with a cold exterior. Cha In Pyo was lacking in many ways, and his caustic words often embarrassed people. Lee Minho, like Won Bin before him, has the idea that money can buy even love. However, it’s different when it comes to the women they love. They make all preparations before confessing their love, and the details are all necessary. The female protagonists will always show dislike or indifference, but will eventually discover their true feelings after ‘dramatic’ events.
On the other hand, the female protagonists share common traits too. Shin Ae Ra in ‘Love In Your Embrace’, Choi Jin Shil in ‘Star In My Heart’, Song Hye Gyo in ‘Autumn In My Heart’, and Gu Hye Sun in ‘Boys Before Flowers’ all come from poor families. Although Lee Eun Joo in ‘Phoenix’ started off as a rich girl, she ended up poor after a sudden incident. All of their characters tend to be naive and cheerful.
To summarize, all of the male protagonists are like Terrius from ‘Candy Candy’ or Edward (Richard Gere) from the movie ‘Pretty Woman’. In Guiyeoni’s hit Internet novels, the male protagonists always possess four basic characteristics: handsome, rich, good at fighting, and a good listener. Drama critic Lee Mun Won said, “In Korean dramas that target the sensitivity of teenage girls, Terrius is the type of character that transcends time.”
A Shift from The Outsider to The Realist
Change comes with the passing of time. Stars like these have to be good at mushy confessions or gestures of love. Cha In Pyo has been the best in this area, overwhelming Korean viewers for playing the saxophone and waving his index finger from side to side. Other than that we have classic lines that still remain popular such as the following:
“사랑해, 죽을 때까지” [Saranghae, chugeul ddaekkaji]
(I’ll love you until the moment I die) - Ahn Jae Wook’s Kang Min Hee in ‘Star In My Heart’
“얼마면 돼? 얼마면 널 살 수 있어?” [Eolma myeon dwae? Eolma myeon neol sal su isseo?]
(How much will it take? How much can I buy you for?) - Won Bin’s Han Tae Seok in ‘Autumn In My Heart’
“타는 냄새 안 나요? 내 마음이 타는 냄새” [T'a neun naemsae annayo? Nae ma-eumi t'a neun naemsae]
(Do you smell something burning? It’s the smell of my heart burning) - Eric’s Seo Jung Min in ‘Phoenix’
Compared to them, Lee Minho’s Gu Joonpyo comes across as being more realistic. He says, “I’m handsome, tall, smart and rich. Can anyone not like me?”
Instead, it seems that it’s his rival in love Yoon Ji Hoo (played by Kim Hyunjoong) who churns out these dreamy lines, “I’m Geum Jandi’s honorary firefighter who protects her”, “Why didn’t I like a kid like you instead?”
Economic views have changed too. There was a strong tendency towards personalities like 20th century icon James Dean, the strong-minded and rebellious outsider . Ahn Jae Wook and Won Bin went against their famililes’ wishes time and again. Despite being rich, they despised the idea of money taking priority over everything else. Instead, for love, they chose to give up everything without a second thought. Cha In Pyo’s motorcycle became a symbol of his style.
However, it seems that the concept of “weathering the storm together” is gaining popularity, the idea of sharing everything and not abandoning each other. Lee Minho’s Gu Joonpyo said, “Do you know how many families of the Shinhwa employees I have to be responsible for?”, and eventually separated with female lead Geum Jandi temporarily. Instead, it’s Kim Hyunjoong’s Yoon Ji Hoo who possesses Terrius-like qualities and even has a motorcycle to boot. Drama critic Prof Yoon Seok Jin said, “Rather than the type of character who believes that love conquers all, for the more independent women of today, they’d prefer a Terrius who is more attuned to reality.”
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Date: 2009-03-31 11:05 pm (UTC)I miss him a lot too.
Let's have date nights where we watch Coffee Prince together on dramafever (I have invites) and chat about how beautiful he is on IM.
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Date: 2009-04-01 03:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-31 11:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-31 11:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-31 11:50 pm (UTC)I didn't actually count it btw, it's from a fansite loloh also just heard this, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE46NCw85JI. i'm too lazy to make a post out of it, do you want to work your magic? lol
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Date: 2009-03-31 11:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-01 07:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-31 10:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-31 11:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-31 11:46 pm (UTC)I was all wtf when I seen it!
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Date: 2009-03-31 11:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-31 11:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-01 01:01 am (UTC)I loled.
He says, “I’m handsome, tall, smart and rich. Can anyone not like me?”
:) bb keeps it real.
Unfortunately, some men who watch these dramas get cynical and say, "Girls only go for the jerks, not the nice guys." Ladies, what say you?
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Date: 2009-04-01 07:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-02 07:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-01 01:38 am (UTC)I loled at the Eric pic. 타는 냄새 안 나요? oh good times.
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Date: 2009-04-01 07:13 pm (UTC)