Casting for the big upcoming rom-com manga adaptation Playful Kiss (aka Mischievous Kiss) has been a hot topic for the past few weeks–will the male lead go to Kim Hyun Joong? The production house that cast him in Boys Before Flowers is casting this show too… Or maybe the uber-popular Jung Yong Hwa from You’re Beautiful? Despite recent reports, Lee Min Ho’s name has been officially dropped as a possibility, his management saying that while it’s true he was offered the role, he’s decided on another project.

Kim Hyun Joong’s first official step with new management company Keyeast is a special program airing on Japanese cable TV: Everything About Kim Hyun Joong aims to reintroduce the star and groom him for Hallyu superstardom.

What do you think of the new poster for Athena? The IRIS spinoff is currently filming in Italy and will start broadcasting this November on Mondays and Tuesdays. Does the new poster say “IRIS-style thriller” or “campy spy action” to you?

So Ji Sub’s raw emotion at Park Yong Ha’s funeral has been widely covered, and a new bit of information was leaked to the press: it turns out that So generously paid for the entire service. When asked about it, he confirmed that the cost had come out of his own pocket, but added “I am curious of how this fact got revealed to the public because only me, Park Yong-Ha’s parents, and my manager knew about this…. I don’t want any further media coverage on this. I just did what I was supposed to do.”

Jung Yong Hwa is going to need some strong time management skills. It’s been reported that the CN Blue leader’s been offered 5 new drama roles (including perhaps Playful Kiss), along with parts in films and musicals. On top of that, he’s appearing on We Got Married and of course touring with his band. His managers say that he’ll decide on his next role sometime later this year.

Finally, now you can replicate the Netflix cue of Koo Hye Seon as the Boys Over Flowers actress reveals her top five Julia Roberts movies.

Continue Reading

Category: News | Tags: Athena, Athena: Goddess of War, Boys Before Flowers, Everything About Kim Hyun Joong, IRIS, Julia Roberts, Jung Yong Hwa, Kim Hyun Joong, Koo Hye Seon, Lee Min Ho, Mischievous Kiss, Park Yong Ha, Playful Kiss, So Ji Sub, You're Beautiful

The companion to Kdrama’s Ten Up-and-Coming Leading Men, here are the leading ladies who made a splash in 2009 and seem destined for greater careers.

Continue Reading

Category: Korean Drama Recommended Reading | Tags: Actors, Boys Before Flowers, Boys Over Flowers, Cain and Abel, Coffee Prince, East of Eden, Honey Lee, Im Joo Eun, IRIS, Kdrama, Kim So Yeon, Kingdom of the Wind, Korean, Lee Min Jung, Lee Yeon Hee, Moon Chae Won, Moon Geun Young, Painter of the Wind, Park Shin Hye, Pasta, sageuk, Sea God, Shining Inheritance, Smile You, Soul, Stairway to Heaven, You're Beautiful

Lee Byung Hun

Billed as a kind of Fab Four of Korean drama, Song Seung Hun (East of Eden), Jang Dong Gun (All About Eve), and Won Bin (Friends) landed in Japan for a huge Tokyo Dome-sized event called Hallyu Four of a Kind. The fourth member of the event, Lee Byung Hun, was wrapping up his hit IRIS, and probably dealing with problems back home…

Lee Byung Hun is currently involved in a bizarre scandal involving his ex-girlfriend. Shortly after they broke up, he started getting threatening phone calls from a man demanding the equivalent of 1.7 million dollars or else, and his ex recently sued him for “illegal gambling” and defamation. Against the wishes of his management, he’s blogged about the whole mess! UPDATE: Lee Byung Hun’s ex has given an interview–translation here!

On a lighter note, Lee Jun Ki (Iljimae) has recorded a video Christmas message for his fans, and you can see the video right here.

Lee Min Ho (Boys Over Flowers) traveled to Taiwan to meet fans, but even before he had left the airport an overanxious fan had pinched his ass! Later, Lee talked about his next move–he’s deciding between 3 potential roles for 2010 (he hinted that he’d love to do IRIS 2…), and would like to play a “cheerful and fun” character.

As previously reported, Joo Ji Hoon (Goong) will enter mandatory military service soon, and now the date has been set: February 2010.

Kim Bum brought his Boys Over Flowers pinstripe suit to a fan meeting in Japan, and a few new plot details on his next drama, The Woman Who Still Wants to Marry, emerged here. And you can see all the images from the sweet calendar he made with Kim So Eun (Gourmet, IRIS) right here!

Continue Reading

Category: News | Tags: All About Eve, Boys Before Flowers, Boys Over Flowers, Cha Ye Ryun, East of Eden, Fever Watch, Goong, Gourmet, Han Hye Jin, Iljimae, Jang Dong Gun, Joo Ji Hoon, Kim Bum, Kim Hyun Joong, Kim So Eun, Korean, Lee Byung Hun, Lee Jun Ki, Lee Min Ho, Song Seung Hun, Star's Lover, Won Bin

Not in any particular order, but I tried to stick mostly to actors who have been active recently – i.e. Lee Min Ho is not here because he has been mystifyingly quiet ever since his Boys Over Flowers role (though finally there have been recent rumors of an upcoming project). Continue Reading to learn more about these ten up-and-coming leading men of the Kdrama scene.

Continue Reading

Category: Korean Drama | Tags: Angel's Temptation, Bae Soo Bin, Bisang, Boys Before Flowers, Boys Over Flowers, Cain and Abel, Chae Seung Won, Chuno, Dream, Into the Gunfire, Jang Geun Seuk, Jung Il-woo, Jung Joon Ho, Kim Bum, Lee Seung Gi, Oh Ji Ho, Park Hae Jin, Queen of Housewives, Take Care of the Young Lady, Yoon Sang Hyun, You're Beautiful

If you liked So Ji Sub (pictured) in Cain and Abel, you can catch him again in the upcoming war drama Road Number One. Described here as a Korean Band of Brothers, the drama begins filming in January. With Kim Jin Min (Bittersweet Life, Time Between Dog and Wolf) at the helm, we’re excited for this drama airing late next spring.

Ahn Hye Kyung (I Really Really Like You) and Haha really really broke up after five years together. She admitted as much when she announced on the show Star Couple that she’d really really like to marry a guy with a stable income–you know, like a teacher, or a public worker…guess Haha was watching!

Here’s a quick rundown of some Hong Kong flicks to watch for in the Chinese New Year, including Wu Chun in in the martial arts film 14 Blades, and the return of the Shaw Brothers studio!

Continue Reading

Category: News | Tags: Ahn Hye Kyung, Boys Before Flowers, Boys Over Flowers, Coffee Prince, Fever Watch, Friend Our Legend, Hong Kong, Hyun Bin, I Really Really Like You, Kim Ah Joong, Kim Hyun Joong, Kim Jin Min, Korean, Lee Seung Ki, So Ji Sub, Wu Chun, Yoon Eun Hye