Happy Birthday Yoon Kye Sang ^^

Yoon Kye Sang



Name: 윤계상 / Yoon Kye Sang (Yun Kyae Sang)
Profession: Actor and singer
Birthdate: 1978-Dec-20
Height: 182cm
Weight: 62kg
Star sign: Sagittarius
Blood type: O
Talent agency: Mynameiskorea



TV Series

Road Number One (MBC, 2010)
Triple (MBC, 2009)
Who Are You? (MBC, 2008)
Crazy For You (SBS, 2007)
Banjun Drama (SBS, 2004)
She Is Nineteen (SBS, 2004)



Movies

A Little Closer (2010)
The Executioner (2009)
Beastie Boys/The Moonlight of Seoul (2007)
Six Years in Love (2007)
Flying Boys (2004)

My Princess releases teaser poster photos

Aw, now that’s adorable, no? Not only does Kim Tae-hee play a rags-to-riches Cinderella type of character in MBC’s My Princess, she’s pretty much dressed AS Cinderella, with that ballroom gown and sparkly tiara. Well, seeing as the drama is basically a modern-day fairy tale, why not go full-out for the princess motif, right? Although I’m confused as to why the princess is holding balloons and posing against a fake castle backdrop, like she’s a cast member in Disneyland’s Main Street parade.



In these stills, Kim Tae-hee’s character Lee Seol, an ordinary university student, poses with Park Hae-young (Song Seung-heon), the sole heir to a chaebol corporation who is also a foreign diplomat.






Kim Tae-hee’s no stranger to the trendy rom-com, though it’s been years since she’s done one (2004′s Love Story In Harvard), while this is Song’s first rom-com drama ever. I’m hoping that the woodenness I’ve come to expect from him in his dramatic and action roles is less of an issue in a light-hearted comedic drama. If anything, the two make a pretty gorgeous pair. Yay for eye candy!



The drama premieres on January 5.

Lee Seung-gi nominated for SBS MC Daesang

Looks like puppy’s having a good year. Triple threat singer/actor/MC Lee Seung-gi (My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho, Brilliant Legacy) is playing with the big boys now?he’s been nominated for SBS’ MC Daesang, up against veteran heavyweights Kang Ho-dong, Yoo Jae-suk, and Lee Gyung-gyu. There’s not so much a chance in hell that he’ll win, but that’s not the point, as being nominated with these guys is pretty much the highlight for such a relative newbie like him.






I say relative, of course, because compared to these comedians (all three come from the gagman-to-MC camp), 23-year old Lee Seung-gi is just a kid. Lee Gyung-gyu debuted before Seung-gi was even born; Kang Ho-dong debuted in 1988, Yoo Jae-suk shortly after in 1991. But despite his greenness, there’s something about Seung-gi that almost everyone universally acknowledges: what Koreans would call MC-chaejil, meaning he was born to do this.



He has this disarming way of making everybody love him, which isn’t so hard to believe since he’s everything from the Nation’s Little Brother to Korean moms’ number one pick for a son-in-law. He and Kang Ho-dong have fantastic chemistry as an odd couple, on both Strong Heart and KBS’ 1 Night 2 Days, and frankly, theirs is my favorite tv bromance, because it’s real, and completely adorkable.



I think what makes him good is that he’s natural in front of the camera and doesn’t shy away from being himself, which is dorky and funny and naive. But his success as an MC has everything to do with Kang Ho-dong, who isn’t afraid to look bad while making Seung-gi look good. Together they have this great comic timing that makes them click.



I have no doubt that the real battle for the award will be between Kang Ho-dong and Yoo Jae-suk, as they are both at the top of their game and always neck-and-neck for the year-end MC awards. But it’s nice to see Seung-gi coming up in the world.



Lee Seung-gi and Kang Ho-dong (bottom right) are both nominated for Strong Heart (and Kang Ho-dong also for Star King); Yoo Jae-suk (top right) for Running Man; and Lee Gyung-gyu (top left) for Star Junior. The SBS Awards will air December 30.



Via Newsis



News Source - http://dramabeans.com

Shin Mina holds her first ever fanmeeting

It’s hard to believe that someone as high-profile and well-known as Shin Mina has never held a fanmeeting before — even if it usually is the men who get all the big fan events — but it’s true. Ten years after her debut, Shin is just now holding her first fanmeeting, which is no doubt spurred largely by her renewed popularity after starring in this year’s hit fantasy romantic-comedy My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho.



Shin has ten films and five dramas to her resume — which include projects like Devil, Go Go 70s, The Naked Kitchen, and A Love to Kill — so she’s already established herself over the past decade. Plus she has all those CFs to her name. But Gumiho did introduce her to a new kind of popularity and earned her much love for her adorable portrayal of an otherworldly heroine.



The fanmeeting will feature all the usual activities, which naturally includes a performance by the star; she has sung on several soundtracks before, including Gumiho, as well as with rock band Loveholics. The event takes place this Saturday, the 11th, at Seoul’s Sogang University.



Via OSEN



News Source - http://dramabeans.com

Episode 6 of Mary Stayed Out All Night postponed

Two major events have taken television programming priority in Korea, resulting in the pre-emption of a number of regularly scheduled shows this week. Included in the bunch is Mary Stayed Out All Night — so, no recap today.



First off, the recent North Korean bombardment on a South Korean island has sparked international outrage and concern, and has been the subject of special news reports on all three broadcasters. On top of that, there’s also the 2010 Asia Games in Guangzhou, China, which will continue through the end of this week, closing on Saturday, November 27.



Thus we’ll have to wait another week for Episode 6 of Mary Stayed Out All Night, originally scheduled to air today, November 23. SBS pre-empted variety show Strong Heart, although it did air a new episode of Giant (which was on at a later hour), while MBC pre-empted episodes of daily sitcom All My Love and daily drama Stormy Lovers.



As for the attack: On the 23rd, North Korea fired onto Yeonpyeong Island, located just south of the maritime border with a civilian population of about 1,600 and a military presence of 1,000. Two South Korean marines were killed, while 16 soldiers and 3 civilians were injured. This act of aggression comes eight months after the sinking of the South Korean Cheonan ship that killed 46 sailors. Read more in the following articles (in English) from Joongang Daily, Reuters, and New York Times.



Via Arts News



News Source - http://dramabeans.com

Park Shin-hye to star in Taiwanese drama

Park Shin-hye (You’re Beautiful, Cyrano Dating Agency) has been busy crossing borders for her latest drama project, a Taiwanese drama adaptation of Japanese manga series Hayate the Combat Butler. Just what exactly is a combat butler? I don’t know, but I can imagine that it’d be handy to have one around. And really, what kind of butler would you be if you weren’t combat-ready?



Taiwanese idol star George Hu (pictured below) will be playing said combat butler, a young man saddled with so much family debt that he has to start taking odd jobs just to make ends meet. Park will play a chaebol, one who is particularly in danger all the time from thugs who want to kidnap and ransom her for her family’s fortune. She hires him as a butler, but I guess circumstances make it so that he really ends up being more like a bodyguard than a butler.






Sigh. Now I just want to rewatch Sandglass and swoon over Lee Jung-jae.



I’m interested to know if Park will be speaking Taiwanese, (which doesn’t seem likely) or just speaking Korean (which means half of the drama will be subtitled for its own domestic audience). I’m supposing the latter, unless everybody’s speaking English, in which case I boycott. Either way, the premise sounds cute as far as the characters go, but I see a lot of damsel-in-distress-saving about to happen, which I’m not so much a fan of. Could potentially be an international hit, if it can manage to grab both country’s audiences.



Filming began last month, and Park will remain in Taiwan until the end of the year wrapping up the series. The drama plans to premiere in Taiwan early next year.

Sungkyunkwan ends on a high, Giant approaches 30%

It may have not enjoyed a ratings bonanza, but KBS’s Sungkyunkwan Scandal has surely earned the designation of being a hot mania property (not unlike last year’s youth sensation You’re Beautiful), and the fusion-historical-romantic-comedy series ended with a 12.8% rating on Tuesday.



It’s not a spectacular number, but a solid one that managed to double the drama’s premiere ratings of 6.3%. For a while there it looked as though Sungkyunkwan would find itself stuck in single-digit territory, sandwiched between two heavy hitters (MBC’s Dong Yi, SBS’s Giant), but the finale of the former allowed this little gem to crack into double-digits.


I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say this, but [NOT-REALLY-A-SPOILER ALERT] the drama ended happily with its 20th episode, and thankfully, none of our Joseon Quartet were sacrificed in the process. (You didn’t really think they kill off show-stealer Moon Jae-shin, right?) [/SPOILER]



Meanwhile, Giant stopped just short of breaking the 30% mark with a 29.8%, while Queen of Reversals stayed solidly at 11%. The latter had been hoping for a much stronger run than it’s had thus far, given Queen of Housewives’ runaway success last year, but despite sharing a similarly cute, fast-paced vibe, Reversals hasn’t managed to tap into that special somethin’ to propel it to the same heights. (Although the most obvious answer might be the simplest: There’s no Tae-bong!)

Stills from Sungkyunkwan’s last shoots

Stills for the last shoot (sob!) are out for Sungkyunkwan Scandal, which airs its final two episodes today and tomorrow. (Beware of photo spoilers, in case you’re keeping yourself away from hints about unaired stuff — they aren’t too spoilery, but they do show upcoming scenes.)



The drama’s PD, Kim Young-sung, expressed his sadness about the drama’s upcoming end, and said that the entire cast is fatigued from all the work, but also sad that the drama will soon be over.






For those of you who’ll also be sad to see an end to this adorable show and its adorable quartet, hopefully its replacement series, Mary Stayed Out All Night, will fill that drama-shaped void in your Mondays and Tuesdays. It premieres next week.

Jang Geun-seok sings on Mary OST

It’s no surprise that Jang Geun-seok will be contributing to the OST of his new drama Mary Stayed Out All Night, since he’s sung for multiple roles in the past. Most notably, he sung several tracks for You’re Beautiful as the leader of its pop-idol band A.N.Jell.



What IS a surprise is the perplexing title of his first song, which was just released today (listen below): “‘부탁해, My Bus!” which translates roughly to… “Please, My Bus” or “I Leave My Bus In Your Care.”



The question then becomes: In what the hell kinda context does that make sense anyway?






Girlfriday: I know! He’s late for band rehearsal and needs the bus to come on time.
Javabeans: Or maybe he’s leaving his precious babies instruments on the bus and is begging it to take care of them.
Girlfriday: What kind of so-called genius musician leaves his instruments on the bus?
Javabeans: The kind who is just popping out for a quickie fake-marriage ceremony while his buddies set up the concert?
Girlfriday: What if it’s like Speed and he’s driving the bus with a bomb on it, and he’s sweet-talking the bus to please take care, my life is in your hands. Hey, it could happen.
Javabeans: Is Keanu on that bus? ‘Cause maybe then he’s saying please, Keanu, take care of my bus.
Girlfriday: Maybe he’s being detained, and he’s begging them to let him go, because his bus is here.
Javabeans: You mean like, “Please, don’t you see! It’s my bus!”
Girlfriday: But with an Oliver Twist accent: “Please, suh, I must catch me bus!”
Javabeans: Okay, you’re losing it. Maybe the lyrics will help!




The lyrics:



부탁해, My Bus!



Like crazy Just Run, Run, Run, Running, Go, Go 부탁해, My Bus! To the Stage.
My Heart is Beat, Beat, Beat, Beating. Boom, Boom.
심장까지 들려오는 Hurricane Sound
높이 Jump, Jump, Jump, 파란 하늘 위로
멀리 Quick, Quick, Quick 달려가는거야, Start! You and I



날이 선 머리끝, 흐린 Telepathy, 날 조이는 꿈, Im crazy now
달콤한 Jasmine 향, 또 반복되는 Stress, I want to be free
꿈의 Paradise! OH~ 그 곳으로 갈테야 My friend
Dont think Just run! OH~ 꿈꾸는 나의 바다로
Like crazy Just Run, Run, Run, Running, Go, Go 부탁해, My Bus! To the Stage.



My Heart is Beat, Beat, Beat, Beating. Boom, Boom.
심장까지 들려오는 Hurricane Sound
높이 Jump, Jump, Jump, 파란 하늘 위로
멀리 Quick, Quick, Quick 달려가는거야, Start! You and I
Never to fall down!
지독한 연기, 늘 멍한 Television, 날 깨우는 Noise, Im tired now.



쓰디쓴 혀끝과 또 꿈틀대는 Strain, I want to be free.
꿈의 Blue Sky! OH~ 그곳으로 갈테야 My friend
새처럼 Fly to the sky, 너의 날개를 타고
Like crazy Just Run, Run, Run, Running, Go, Go 부탁해 My Bus! To the Stage.



My Heart is Beat, Beat, Beat, Beating. Boom, Boom.
심장까지 들려오는 Hurricane Sound
높이 Jump, Jump, Jump, 파란 하늘 위로
멀리 Quick, Quick, Quick 달려가는거야, Just Run, Run, Run!
Never to fall down!
부탁해, My Bus!
Never to fall down!
부탁해, My Bus!

Did Rain steal Lee Min-ho’s thunder?

It was big news when Lee Min-ho was cast as a womanizing PI in the kdrama adaptation of the famous manga and anime series City Hunter, which was hugely popular in the 1980s. So what has the production team suddenly worried?



Apparently, it’s the similarity of City Hunter’s distinctive Ryo Saeba character to Rain‘s lead character in currently airing drama Runaway Plan B, as well as the storylines of the two projects. When Runaway premiered, a lot of viewers noted the familiarity of Rain’s Ji-woo to the well-known City Hunter hero, with his detective occupation, incorrigible flirting with pretty women, and chic urban style.



The similarity itself isn’t the only issue, though; what makes things stickier is that Runaway, which got off to such a strong ratings start, has nearly halved its audience at the midway point. If it had continued to be a hit, perhaps there’d be less worry — just as one vampire/zombie hit is sure to spawn dozens of imitators — but with the first one faring poorly, there’s concern that the second would meet a similar fate.



There have even been rumors that the production is reconsidering its direction with City Hunter, and is waiting things out before making a final decision. Currently, the series is being planned for an early 2011 broadcast on SBS.



It’s an interesting dilemma. On one hand, there are tons of dramas out there with similar topics that get produced all the time, and sometimes it’s just a matter of certain trends emerging at once. For a while we had a spate of legal and medical dramas, which have since faded. Then you had 2009 as the year of the (failed) sports drama, focusing on everything from boxing to soccer to golf to figure skating. Heck, there were even two versions of Iljimae.



On the other hand, you can see where there is concern that the first drama will steal the thunder from all those that follow — remember Cinderella Man‘s lawsuit with Fashion King, or Style versus Magazine Allo? And even though MBC’s Return of Iljimae was vastly superior to SBS’s Iljimae in writing, directing, and acting, SBS purposely hurried their production in order to scoop MBC, aired first, and brought in the bigger ratings. (They also had the bigger star — Lee Jun-ki — which certainly helped.)



So, you can see the reason for concern. Lee Min-ho was a great “get” for this role despite his youth (at 23, he really is too young to play Ryo, imo), but now there’s a likelihood that everything he does would be compared to Rain’s performance — either he’d be called a copycat, or fall short of the comparison.



Still, Lee is taking an optimistic line, and on October 26 a rep from his management stated, “The character Kang Jin that Lee Min-ho will be playing is different from the original character in a number of aspects, and the script has not yet come out. I think you’ll find that Kang Jin is a fresher and more three-dimensional character than expected. These days, Lee Min-ho is busy preparing to express that character. Please don’t worry and look forward to Lee’s Kang Jin.”



As for me? I’ll be watching both!



Via Hankook Ilbo, TV Report



News Source - http://dramabeans.com

Kim Hyun-joong and Yoon Eun-hye for Basic House

“Hmm, what do I love more? My girlfriend? Or GUMBALLS! But that’s an easy question. I only have one girlfriend, but a meeellion gumballs. Clearly gumballs win. Let me count the ways…”



“Oh no, I’m running late for my date! OH LOOK, CAMERA!”



“Which one of us is the cardboard cutout?”



Her: “Uh, I’m not stealing anything. Certainly not candy from a baby.”



Him: “Shh! Jsst smile and keep walking.”




Him: “Woohoo! I bet I can fit all these gumballs into my mouth!”



Her: “I wish you loved me half as much as you love your gumballs.”



Him: “You’re just jealous because you don’t have any.”



Her: “I don’t have a fanny pack either. I THINK I WIN.”

Official posters released for Mary Stayed Out All Night

Posters are out for Mary Stayed Out All Night, which premieres in two weeks. Frankly, I think the fan-made versions are much cuter, and more creative. But I think the main lesson to take away from this is: WTF are you wearing, boys? (I have the feeling that’s going to be a recurring refrain with this drama.) Mary Stayed Out All Night, which puts Mary in a contract marriage two times over, premieres on November 8.

And here’s the preview, in case you haven’t seen it:

Kim Soo-hyun signs on as Dream High’s lead

Kim Soo-hyun is the first cast member to be confirmed for KBS’s upcoming Dream High, and although I wasn’t interested at all in Yonsama’s pet project, with such a talented rising young actor attached, it has shot up considerably on my radar.



Set in an arts high school and centering around students with musical and dance talents, the drama has attracted a lot of speculation about the idol stars who are sure to be cast, particularly with the kpop connection. (The KBS drama is a joint venture between Bae Yong-joon and pop producer Park Jin-young.)



You may have heard earlier this week that 2PM’s Taecyeon (who made his acting debut in Cinderella’s Sister) and T-ara’s Eun-jung (of drama Coffee House) were said to have been cast. However, producers have refuted those rumors, stating that they are only two possible contenders out of a pool of idol stars but that “they are not under any special consideration. Casting is not yet decided.”



Aside from Kim, that is. He’ll play a character named Song Sam-dong, whose childhood dream was to own his own farm. However, after falling head over heels for the female lead, he follows her to the arts high school, where he discovers his own hidden talent for music and begins his path to becoming a star.



According to a representative with the drama, they’d kept their eye on Kim Soo-hyun early on after he’d made a splash with several noteworthy performances — he made quite an impression playing the young Go Soo role in the SBS melodrama Will It Snow For Christmas?, drew more praise in the heartfelt short drama Father’s House, and again in SBS’s Giant. The rep said, “He has natural acting skills and a musical sensibility, and we look forward to seeing good things from him in the drama.”



The show seemed to hit a few setbacks in its pre-production stages that delayed its plans — I’ve been hearing about this series for ages but never with any movement — but it looks like they’re getting going now. I suppose it’s no surprise that Kim has been cast, since he’s managed by Yonsama’s own company, but even without the connection he’s a solid pick with impressive acting chops and wonderful intensity. Definitely one to watch!



Dream High is scheduled for a January 3 premiere and a 16-episode run.



Via Sports Chosun, Star News



News Source - http://dramabeans.com

Sungkyunkwan producers would also like an extension

With its adorable and heartwarming storylines, not to mention engaging cast, Sungkyunkwan Scandal has attracted a mighty fanbase that belies its modest ratings numbers (although those have been steadily climbing as well). As a result, it has been flooded with fan requests for extensions, and even despite it being late in the game (with only this week and next week remaining), producers have also spoken up to say that they’d be eager for one as well.



First off, the caveat: Don’t get your hopes up. We can hope, but I don’t think an extension is forthcoming with the obstacles it would have to overcome in a very short period of time.



With that said…






To compare the fan fervor of Sungkyunkwan Scandal to other popular dramas, the source article compares the online activity from the first 16 episodes (which is what Sungkyunkwan had aired as of the article’s publish date) of various dramas. Sungkyunkwan’s official homepage message board has more than 120,000 messages posted by fans, which is triple the response of Chuno, four times as many as Baker King Kim Tak-gu, and twice as many as IRIS.



Additionally, the drama’s board at popular portal DC Inside has 160,000 messages. It is DC Inside’s second-most-active drama board, next to uber-hit Boys Before Flowers.



It’s interesting to note that those other dramas all hit 30% ratings (with Baker King topping 40%), while Sungkyunkwan started off at a modest 6.3% and has steadily risen to its highest number last Tuesday, 14.3%. (It was aided by the departure of long-running Dong Yi.)



The fans who are eager for more of their drama crack point out that the love story between Yoon-hee (Park Min-young) and Sun-joon (Micky Yoochun), with only three episodes left after today’s broadcast.



The CEO of production house Lemon Rain, Kim Dong-rae, said, “It’s a story that can easily be extended, by ten episodes or any number. Even in this situation, we could add another four. We’d like to do it, if only the actors would agree, but it’s difficult because if the production period goes on for longer than planned, it interferes with their schedules.” He added that it’s disappointing to end it this way.



What would he like to do in the hypothetical situation of an extension?



Kim said, “We would be able to get deeper into the emotions of Moon Jae-shin (Yoo Ah-in), and expand on Lee Sun-joon and Kim Yoon-hee’s story. Aside from the love story, there’s a lot of plot about the academic angle. There’s so many good stories to tell that I’m sure we could really make a great drama, but realistic conditions aren’t supportive.”



The difference between extending a drama like Dong Yi and Sungkyunkwan Scandal is because the former is longer-running, has sufficient time to establish its presence, and consequently draws in enough advertising money that the stations are eager to capitalize upon. Miniseries, however (20 episodes or less), often find themselves hurting financially with extensions, and production companies are less likely to move forward with them. (Plus, despite the show’s online popularity, mid-teen ratings are usually not considered high enough to be worth the broadcaster’s while.)



This is why it’s unusual for Sungkyunkwan’s producers to be so willing to take that financial risk, and to declare themselves ready to forge forward with full confidence.



The sticking point remains the cast, and in particular lead actor Micky Yoochun, who is about to embark on an Asian tour with his pop group JYJ. Initially the drama was scheduled to conclude filming at the end of September, but that has already been pushed back once and conflicted with his schedule.



A few more statistics that attest to the drama’s popularity (as if we didn’t already know): The OST has sold over 120,000 albums, and the episodes have been seen online from KBS’s homepage 190,000 times (compared with Chuno’s 150,000 and Baker King’s 130,000).



Via Yonhap News



News Source - http://dramabeans.com