Jo Hyun Jae

JHJ in “Golden Pond”

1998 First appeared on CATV as a member of ‘Guardian’
2000 Drinks commercial
2000 Chewing gum commercial
2000 SBS “KAIST”: Episodes 75-77 as Dong (2000.8.13 – 8.27)
2001 SBS Weekend drama “Father and Sons” as Zondu (2001.7.21 – 10.28)
2001 SBS “That’s Good”: Episodes 1-66 as Ihyonje(2001.11.19 – 2002.3.15)

Let us review Jo Hyun Jae’s first baby steps into the Korean entertainment world.

1998: JHJ first emerged on the Korean entertainment scene as a member of the boy band Guardian and appeared three times on CATV. Due to problems with the production company, the group disbanded soon after they released their first album. (Please see our 6/16/09 post “JHJ in Guardian”.)

2000: JHJ was discovered by talent scouts while practising in a boxing arena. He first appeared in a drinks commercial and then in a chewing gum commercial. After that commercial aired, his looks and deportment became the talk of the town. This resulted in his landing the role in Episode 75 of “KAIST”. (Please see our 6/17/09 post “JHJ’s early works (1)”.)

Unfortunately the reviews were unfavourable, so JHJ was relegated to a supporting role and disappeared altogether after two episodes. He was not adequately prepared, acting for the first time and with no experience, and the script was receieved only a few days before shooting.

JHJ admitted his own inadequacy but refused to give up. In the following year, he practised acting and tried to learn from other actors. He passed the qualifying exam and enrolled in the Drama Department of Myonji University the following year and became a pupil of Professor Jan Mihie.

Summer of 2001: JHJ played the youngest son Zondu in “Father and Sons”. For the first time he was mentioned as a newcomer under the name LEE Hyun Jae. After this drama aired, he gained his first fans and his first fan website was established in Korea. (http://cafe.daum.net/hyunjaelove)

2001: JHJ played the part of Ihyonje in “That’s Good”, the drama that was considered the stepping stone for young actors. It was a considerable role, played for laughs. JHJ felt uncomfortable, like wearing someone else’s clothes. He decided to seriously learn acting skills. He was in the first 66 episodes of “That’s Good” (out of 74.)

2002: Then JHJ appeared for a few seconds in an unimportant role as an art teacher in the SBS Mid-Autumn special “Golden Pond.”

This was followed by a blank period of eight months.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

(Translated and adapted from CarpediemJapan)

Since the feedback has been quite positive, I’ll continue with my rundown of JHJ fans — those I’ve had the pleasure (or displeasure) of knowing.

“E” is the very first JHJ fan that I came into contact with, but I’ve never met her. In early 2008 I saw her design of the 2008 calendar in a Chinese JHJ website. The photo that she chose for the cover (JHJ’s Crencia photo) took my breath away. (See our 6/10/09 post “JHJ”s Crencia days” — first photo on left (black-and-white.) I e-mailed her and asked to buy the calendar. This is the first time I wrote to a stranger. She wrote back and attached a file (of the calendar) — free. I could not open the file and had to ask 4 different people on 3 continents before I could download it to a USB so I could make prints.

This is the start of a friendship that is as real as any in the flesh. Even though we are apart geographically, mentally and emotionally we are one — in our shared love of JHJ (who has the capacity to draw people together.) “E” is a woman of character — sensible and sensitive, warm-hearted and generous, creative and perceptive, a very talented artist with an eye for beauty (and young and beautiful too!) She also writes beautifully. She can see the essence of JHJ that even some enthusiastic fans miss, and she can express herself poetically but without any BS (Pardon my French!)

“E” has given me the most wonderful JHJ memento. On a boring day late last year, the doorbell rang and a courier delivered a package. I wasn’t expecting anything, so I opened the tightly packaged box with no expectations — and then I screamed in delight! I was staring at two big framed photos of JHJ and ME! Honest to God, yes, JHJ and me! If you’ve read my accounts of the Japan Fan Meetings in Osaka and Tokyo in June 2008, you’ll know I had the good fortune to sit next to JHJ in BOTH group photos. (See our 2/28/09 and 3/3/09 posts “Diary of a star-chaser, Parts 2 and 3.”) I had e-mailed the photos to “E” and she had cut out all the other fans and blown up JHJ and me, sitting side by side. These two photos are now among my most treasured possessions, so precious that I don’t even display them. I take them out every now and then and pore over them, reliving those few heavenly moments of close proximity to JHJ.

When I started this blog, I asked “E” to design the header. The result is what you see here. She also designed our “wulijohyunjae” name cards — another artistic creation. A pity we don’t have many occasions to distribute them (since we don’t socialize.) Not a day goes by that I’m not grateful to “E” for what she has done for us.

“F” is an enigma — she is many identities on many JHJ websites. How do I know they are the same person? Because of her “footprint”. She is obviously a very loyal JHJ fan. She takes the time and trouble to leave comments on several websites. She writes quite sensibly, most of the time. She talks very slowly and deliberately, and she has very definite ideas about everything JHJ. For example, she wonders if JHJ will get time off for good behaviour. I am a polite person, but at that I retort brusquely that JHJ is in the army, NOT in prison, and in the armed forces you serve your full term, unless you’re dishonourably discharged. She looks shocked, and then she comes up with something equally inane. “JHJ should learn Chinese in his spare time in the army.” I’m just beginning to feel a little sorry for being rude, but at that I blow up again: “If I were JHJ, the first foreign language I’d learn would be Japanese!” Anybody with any sense knows JHJ’s most loyal and devoted fans (outside of Korea) are the Japanese. They buy everything JHJ — all legal versions. Have you any idea how much “Seo Dong Yo” cost in Japan? Over US$800 for the full set! How many fans in other countries can afford to buy that? And of those who can afford, how many will actually buy the real thing?

I chide myself afterwards for being too harsh on “F”. Anyone who loves JHJ deserves my respect and tolerance. In her unique way, “F” is actually a great admirer of JHJ. She really exhibits a lot of love for the actor by the way she leaves her footprints all over the place. Maybe she is the greatest JHJ fan of us all, in any case, the most unlikely.

“G” is my favourite Japanese JHJ fan. I first met her a year ago at the Japan Fan Meeting, actually at Osaka’s Kansai Airport where she came to meet me and “A”. I felt she was really going out of her way to be nice to us, strangers she’s never met before, just because we’re JHJ fans. For the next four days she acted as our translator, for which I was most grateful. We kept in touch and we have become friends. She too has her own website dedicated to JHJ and she works tirelessly to keep it going. She uploads lots of photos and videos (her own creations) to her site. She and her good friend “H” make a great team, rather like M and me. “H” doesn’t speak much English (out of shyness, I guess), but she understands everything we say. “G” is more vivacious and outgoing, and “H” is more reserved and subdued. They are both bright and brainy (like so many JHJ fans), but “H” can come up with some brilliant ideas. “G” was teaching Japanese to foreigners last June and she had to find the perfect excuse to go to the fan meetings. “H” suggested she should say she had to attend a wedding as the “go-between”. In Japanese society, as in many Asian societies, the person who introduces the bride and groom is much revered and is accorded a place of honour at the wedding. When I heard this, I roared with laughter. Only ingenious JHJ fans could dream up such an excuse for an important cause — attending the fan meetings. “G” and “H” are also “fun” people — we had a very enjoyable time together at the JHJ photo exhibition in Osaka in February. (See our first posts in February “We spent Valentine’s Day with JHJ”.) “G” and “H” are embodiments of modern Japanese women — well-educated, well-travelled, cosmopolitan, intelligent, knowledgeable, efficient, sociable, but still retaining the traditional qualities of being ever so polite, gracious, elegant, and considerate. It is really a pleasure to know them.

I think it is wonderful that people of different nationalities can come together because of a common interest. JHJ is the most effective “ice-breaker” — once we start gabbling about him, all inhibitions disappear, all divisions break down, all differences melt away. Don’t you think our JHJ will make a great goodwill ambassador?

As my title says, it takes all sorts to make JHJ’s world. Somehow he attracts all kinds of fans — from the not-so-young to the not-so-old, from the smartest to the dumbest, from the sophisticated to the naive, from the intellectual to the mentally-challenged, from the witty to the humourless, from the selfless to the self-centred, from the extrovert to the introvert, from the visionary to the dreamer, from the sublime to the ridiculous (which just about sums it up.) He has this universal appeal and he inspires deep-seated affection and undying devotion in one and all.

(MAY BE CONTINUED)

 

 Finally tomorrow I’ll be joining the army.

We wish JHJ well in his final year in the military. We pray that North Korea will behave, or at least not be allowed to misbehave. May there be peace on earth!

Competition

On the flight from the West to the East recently, I saw a Korean movie “The Naked Kitchen”. It’s very contemporary, very avant-garde, about a bold topic I’ve not seen explored in Asian cinema — a woman caught between two men, well, nothing unusual there, but this young woman wants BOTH men. One is her husband of a year and the other a stranger who turns out to be her husband’s partner in a new business venture. On their first anniversary, she meets this stranger in an art venue and sort of “makes out” with him. (They kiss and I’m not sure what happens afterwards, but the film synopsis says they make love!) I’ve not seen the actress before (Sin Min-Ah), but she’s very pretty and cute in an impish sort of way, great legs too. But what I really want to write about are the two actors who play the husband (Kim Tae-Woo) and the lover (Joo Ji-Hoon*). I thought I didn’t know them, even though the lover looks familiar, but as it turns out, he’s the one who plays the Crown Prince in “Princess Hours”. He looks much better in this movie than in the drama. These two actors are not my type at all, even though they are both tall and lean. But I could see a lot of fans being attracted to them, and other Korean actors like them. My point is — Jo Hyun-Jae has competition! Every day so many new faces appear on the Korean entertainment scene — all gorgeous hunks! Fans are fickle. JHJ has been in the army for almost a year. If after his discharge in June 2010, he does not make a great drama, he could easily be forgotten. So please, Mr. Manager, you need to get a good script and a good role for your superstar. *** JHJ’s comeback must make a big splash! We are all waiting with bated breath.

(* Joo Ji-Hoon is currently being prosecuted for drug posssession, so his career may be over.)

H1N1

The world is under the grip of the H1N1 virus right now, but the response to this flu pandemic is radically different in the west and in the east. On my way to Los Angeles last month, I stopped over in Hong Kong for a few days. Every newspaper headline screamed: “Swine flu”. (That’s before pigs were vindicated.) All TV news were dominated by the dreary topic. When I got to the U.S.A., supposed to be one of the worst hit countries, there was hardly any mention of H1N1 at all. So I enjoyed three weeks of peace and quiet. But once I was back in Hong Kong, it’s H1N1 all over again, every moment of every day. I see so many people wearing face masks. Why go out at all if you’re so scared? Do these people know every year tens of thousands of people all over the world die from the flu — the old kinds? It’s just that this one is new. And it’s highly curable, if caught early. If you want to be safe, stay home and watch JHJ dramas.

North Korea

The U.N. has imposed tough new sanctions on North Korea to curb its nuclear ambitions, and N. Korea has declared that any aggressive act like “stop and search” of its ships would be construed as an act of war. This is really worrying. Even if Jo Hyun-Jae is not serving in the S. Korean military, it would still be worrying. Technically speaking, N. and S. Korea are still in a state of war. They only signed an armistice, a temporary truce, on 7/27/1953. (N. Korea has since unilaterally withdrawn from this armistice on 5/27/09.) I’m not really worried that war will break out. (Heaven forbid!) Kim Jong Il is playing a dangerous game, but all this sabre rattling is just to get President Obama’s attention. But I’m afraid Kim could accidentally go over the edge. After all, I live pretty close to Pyongyang. I pray for peace every night. I pray to God to keep JHJ safe. God bless us all! (This is Elena’s line!)

*** Let’s take a poll here on what kind of drama/film you would like to see JHJ in when he resumes his acting career after June 19, 2010:

1. Romantic drama (like “Only you”)
2. Romantic comedy (like “3 Dads/1 Mom”)
3. Action/romance/mystery (like “Forbidden Love”)
4. Historical drama (like “Seo Dong Yo”)
5. Thriller (like “G.P.506″)
6. Tragedy
7. Any other suggestions?

This “Father and Sons” MV is created by cafe.daum.net/nowguswo and edited by kk who set it to the Cantonese song “Every step of the way” by the Hong Kong singer Lui Fong. We have translated the lyrics which seem to mirror Jo Hyun-Jae’s early life.

Every step of the way

Forget about yesterday’s loss and troubles
Go right on, every step of the way
Forget not the lessons of failure
Never give up, keep on dreaming

Today I’m racing time and speeding up
Cheers by my side lead the way
Dashing in the wind, under the over-arching sky
How high is the sky! I can touch it with both hands
If I fall, I’ll rise up and challenge it again
How fierce is the wind! I’d rather be the grass
That grows faraway, every step of the way

How deep is the sea, but it cannot submerge this lonely isle
Mountain beyond mountain, all built with two hands
How many more days in this life, but I’d rather get up early
And finish every step of the way in my life.

(Thank you, Carpediem and kk!)

In his first ever appearance in KAIST (1999), in the story “145 km. Love” Jo Hyun-Jae plays a university student who is carrying on a long-distance relationship with his girlfriend who lives 145 km. away. The setting for KAIST* is a university in Dae Jeon. His girlfriend is in Seoul, and for love he has to commute between Dae Jeon and Seoul on a motorcycle. JHJ plays this role of the young man who is caught between his studies and love with such charm that he impresses and attracts the general audience and wins his first fans. The rest, as they say, is history.

The video (18:32 minutes, in two parts) is in Korean and there are no subtitles. But we manage to get the drift of the story, as we’re sure you can too, smart JHJ fans that we are! JHJ’s acting skills may be a little green, but just watching him makes your heart ache. His features are so fine and his expressions are so sincere and innocent. And the 19-year-old JHJ on a motorcycle cuts such a dashing figure! Only complaint — the actress who plays his love interest is so much older and is no match for him in looks (problem with casting.) There is another girl, though, his fellow university student, younger, prettier — if this were a full-length drama, we know exactly how the plot will develop. Anyway, enjoy the video!

Editor’s note: KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) is a research university located in Daedeok Science Town, Daejeon, in South Korea. KAIST was established in 1971 as the nation’s leading science and technology institution and is considered the MIT of South Korea.

(Credit for video: http://cafe.daum.net/kkkjin0202)

Here I am, sitting in a plane that has been sitting on the tarmac for the last four hours. The captain has just announced that we’ve been given the take-off time of 5:20 p.m. — 5 1/2 hours after the scheduled departure time of 11:50 a.m. This delay is due to weather conditions at our destination — thunder and heavy rain. And our flight is only three hours.

So what have I been doing all this time? I read an English newspaper and two Chinese newspapers, the latest issues of TIME and NEWSWEEK (cover to cover), and FORTUNE and FORBES. I had my lunch. I wrote an article for our blog. And now I’m brainstorming.

What am I going to do when I return to my base and I can’t access our blog? I’ve already lingered in the U.S.A. and Hong Kong for as long as I could. My husband might divorce me for desertion if I still don’t return.

I’ve been praying for the last month, ever since google.blogspot was first blocked on May 15. I’ve been hoping that after June 4, the ban would be lifted. But June 4 has come and gone, and the ban is still in force. They say maybe after October 1. God! That’s the end of our blog!

I’ve been working very hard for the past couple of weeks, saving enough drafts to last till my blog partner M returns from Alaska in early July. Good thing we can keep in touch by e-mail and, hopefully, SKYPE.

Why are we doing this? Why are we stressed out when M is on vacation and I’m supposed to have retired. Why do we have self-imposed deadlines and writer’s block? Why am I writing this when most of my fellow passengers are sleeping?

A flight attendant just asks me if I’m a writer. Silly girl! A professional writer would be using a laptop and not be scribbling longhand. My answer? “Eh, freelance, sort of.” Ha! Ha!

Yes, why are we keeping our blog going in the face of such difficulties? Not for fame or fortune. Maybe you can become famous hanging on the coattails of a star, but just as JHJ is so low-key, we prefer to remain anonymous. There are expenses but no income.

We hope we are providing a service to JHJ fans. We hope we are one step ahead of them with his news. We hope when they miss him, they can come to our blog and commune with like-minded people. We hope to keep his fans for him, or maybe even gain some new fans. Out of sight, out of mind. We want to keep him in sight of everybody.

And we love JHJ. He deserves our support. He’s an “endangered species” in the entertainment industry. You don’t find actors like him anymore — professional, talented, conscientious, dedicated, hardworking, unassuming, modest, not to mention incredibly handsome (but not self-consciously so.) You don’t find people like him anymore — filial son, good brother, loyal friend, and great role model for the young. Someone like JHJ who gives us so much joy and inspiration is worthy of our respect and affection.

He’s worth it.

P.S. The caucasian man sitting next to me has just disembarked. (I didn’t know you could do that.) He’s taking tomorrow’s flight, since he’s already missed his meeting. More people are getting off. I’ve called my husband six times — every time the captain makes an announcement — another delay. The burly man sitting in front of me is giving a pretty, young flight attendant a hard time. If he doesn’t stop within ten seconds, I’m going to kick his a__ (the back of his seat, I mean.)

Our aircraft is being towed. Finally we’ll be taking off! — almost six hours after we first embarked and twice the flight time.

P.P.S. I left for the airport at 8:30 a.m. this morning. I arrived at my destination at 8:30 p.m. — on a 3-hour flight. This is called 21st century travel. Marco Polo could have done better.

And we’re not allowed to disembark till 9 p.m. because health officials came on board and checked everyone’s temperature (thanks to H1N1.) If you display any flu symptons, you’ll be quarrantined.

P.P.P.S. If M can post this, that means White Horse, Yukon has wifi. Thank God!

You do know Jo Hyun-Jae was a singer before he was an actor, don’t you? Rather, he was a member of a boy band called “Guardian” when he was 18. The group obviously didn’t do very well because it soon disbanded. We think their manager chose the wrong lead singer! But then if “Guardian” had made it big, we would not have the actor Jo Hyun-Jae.

This 1998 video is a great discovery and shows a very young, very sweet JHJ who sings pretty well, to our biased ears. He looks even better (definitely shouldn’t be dancing at the back!) It’s fun watching the boys going through their motions.

This is the “white” video; there’s another “black” version (the boys dressed in black.) We’ll see if we can locate that.

(Photos courtesy of Param of carpediemJapan. Thanks!)

The first hour is devoted to the Korea Fan Meeting which was held in Seoul on July 19, 2008. This DVD brings back all the happy memories of the occasion. The English subtitles are not at all bad, although there are a few typos (which we edited). Below are extracts:

First Jo Hyun-Jae read a letter to his fans:

“Hello, I’m Jo Hyun Jae. How are you all doing? First of all, I’m really happy to meet you by writing this letter in person, and I hope you know that I always want to meet you. Most of all, I couldn’t leave out you, my precious fans, who always [stay by] my side. I really appreciated that you always cheer me up and give me great feedback after monitoring the programs I appear in. Thanks to all of you, I am now here as an actor, Jo Hyun-Jae, and I will likely become a more developed actor in the future. I feel I cannot thank you enough. It is now summer, the season of passion, so I hope a lot of good things and fortunate things will happen with a great joy just like this beautiful summer. I will continously do my best in order to show you my effort and goodness. Thank you so much.”

After singing one of the songs from his forthcoming CD “Next to you like the wind”, JHJ opened some gifts from fans. He then answered 5 questions submitted by fans:

5.Q. You were immersed in a character of a drama. Have you ever lived like this really?
A. In the drama “Three Dads One Mom” , I didn’t know it at first, but I was immersed in a unique character, then my way of talking was changed like this, and my speaking becomes much faster than normal.

4.Q.What about acting…?(characters that you wanted and so on….)
A. I love all my characters, but I want to be a hero in a drama, like a superhero in a Hollywood film.
Q.Is there any film that brought you to think like that?
A.Several….I watched “Hancock” before. It was really an attractive character, so someday I want to get such a role.
(Editor’s note: “Hancock” is a 2008 American comedy-drama starring Will Smith as a vigilante superhero.)

3. Q. What is your behavior normally?Do you sleep much?
A. I used to sleep[for] quite a long time. Probably 11 to 12 hours.
Q. How about drinking capacity?
A. Depends on the situation. Sometimes I drink a bottle and half of Soju, but I drink more when I stay longer. When I feel relaxed, I drink more. My favorite drink is Soju.
Q. What is your particular habits on drinking?
A. Hum…For me, it’s a little bit different from others. Normally people are changed after drinking….but not for me. It’s not an absolute rule, is it? When I drink, my [tongue] just trips…that’s all.

2. Q.How do you frankly feel about being recruited? You are joining the army as a general soldier, not as an entertainment soldier. Why?
A. Because I belong to the service on active duty, 2nd class because I’m under the standard weight.
Q. Is there anything you want to do before joining the army?
A. I want to spend more time with my family, friends and so on, including having a trip.
Q. Trips to where?
A. I would like to go to local places as much as possible……I would like to go there alone.
Q. Where is your most memorable place?
A. I like to go hiking, so I want to go to where Seodongyo was shot where I used to hike at that time.
Q. It is typical for men to drink with friends. How about you?
A. Yes…I want to do that too.
Q. Don’t you want to go on an overseas trip?
A. I’d like to do much, but I can’t do that because of unfinished army service. So I said I wanted to travel around the country.

1. Q. Who is your most memorable fan?
A. I can remember each person. Japanese Fan Meeting is also the same…especially all of them with bright smile on their faces come to my mind. Above all, I thank my fans who directly came to the film shooting site. I couldn’t even say hello because of too busy shooting schedule. I was really thankful for their visits when I realized their existence at the site after the location was completed. I miss them too much.
Q. Do you have any different feelings between overseas fan meeting and Korean fan meeting?
A. Korean fans have been with me for a long time and always encouraged me [and are] behind me with cheers. Korean fans are like my family….Some fans take care of me just like they are my mom….Comparatively Korean fans are [usually] quieter. But overseas fans are much more wildly excited at me, probably because they have not enough chances to meet me.
MC: Korean fans, be more wild!

There are some more questions and JHJ sings three more songs, during one of which, “Lucky”, he forgets some of the lyrics and smiles in embarrassment, And when he sings “Like the wind by your side” again, he chokes with emotions while his fans scream encouragement. I remember this touching scene so well — this DVD is worth collecting just for this alone.

If you want to share in the rest of the DVD, including the Thai Fan Meeting in August, we still have a very limited quantity. E-mail us at jhjfans@gmail.com.

Hyun-Jae, I happen to know you through a Korean drama, so I looked for all your TV dramas that I could get hold of. I am not a TV fan; it’s all because of you. When I watch the characters you play, I often forget it’s only TV. I feel that’s the real you.

There are many teary scenes in “Love Letter”, but I did not shed tears, except once. That’s when the mother you never know asks to meet you. You who grow up in a Catholic orphanage put on with great care the sweater given to you by someone you call “Auntie” and stand waiting outside the door in the cold. Those little gestures of yours touching the sweater and looking at your watch gives me a lump in my throat. Actually to you she is a stranger you’ve only met once. What are you looking for? That moment wrings my heart. Sitting in front of my computer in the office, tears run uncontrollably down my face. When you discover that sleepless night that she is your mother, you squat on the street with another orphan Eun-Ha and you embrace in the cold, like two little lonely creatures, abandoned by this world.

I’ve been to your fan sites. I know you had a hard time growing up. But you’re like Andrea. All that suffering, all that pain did not affect your inner qualities, could not change your positive attitude to life. How can you possess such an angelic face and smile? I cannot see the ravages of time on your face. Is it because you possess an equally noble heart?

And then I saw your historical drama “Seo Dong Yo”. I was very surprised that someone as young as you could play so convincingly the title character from a child to a king, all his transformation through different phases of life. Only seasoned actors are capable of that. But you did it. Is it because of your unusual personal experiences?

In the drama, during the ten years after your friend died, you’re saddled with guilt, but you persevere in trying to gain acceptance by members of Taehaksa in spite of repeated rejection, repudiation, being framed, and constant beatings and scoldings.

You meet the Princess again whom you haven’t seen in ten years, and in a half-coma you take her to be your deceased mother. You say: “Mother, it’s my fault. I’m tired. Take me with you.” Such a painful, lonely confession! Is it inspired by your own suffering and loneliness? After you recover from your illness, you see the Princess and I see you smile for the first time in ten years. How can I describe how that smile touches me? So radiant as if this world never had any pain or darkness! Do you hide all your sufferings and present a brave face to those who love you?

We come to this world alone. We spend our lives searching — for our emotions, for meaning in life, for our companions. But Heaven does not grant this blessing to everyone. That’s why I feel we are all loners in this world. We try to find deliverance. In “Love Letter”, your favourite book is a fairy tale. God finally lets down a rope for those who have suffered a great deal and bring them to heaven. We’re all searching for that rope. When at first you feel helpless and hopeless, I don’t know if you believe in the existence of this rope.

But you have brought a character to life and let me believe in the existence of this rope, that we are not actually solitary units. Heaven will tell you everything exists, if only in an imaginary world on the screen. And you, you exist in the flesh, don’t you? What does it matter what methods are used? All the good things that come with you are presents from Heaven. Thank you, Jo Hyun-Jae!

(Credit: www.myblog.yahoo.com by daisy, posted on johyunjaechina.com by mcc. Original in Chinese.)