Jo Hyun Jae

I was at a turning point of my life, living by myself (away from my family) for the first time, maybe for a year or two.  I have always wanted to experience this in life.  But leaving home for the first time made me a little anxious.  Perhaps it is because of this that someone like me who has never been a star-chaser has done something I have never done before.  For the whole of November, sleeping 4 -5 hours each night, I finished watching (almost non-stop) his “Love Letter”, “Only You”, “Seo Dong Yo”, “Sunshine”.  I even read all the news about him, old and new, on the websites.  But I am certain this is not a flash in the pan.  I hope to watch forever how he will travel down that road he has chosen.

When I saw “3Dads/1Mom” for the first time in Suzhou, I was not thunderstruck.  Yea, handsome guy, but a miser, someone who pursues a rich girl for money’s sake is not exactly my cup of tea.  After watching a few more episodes, I began to feel there’s something special behind the role.  The tenderness in his eyes when he sees Na-Young washing his father’s feet, the tears of joy in his eyes when he recovers Ha-Seon in the supermarket — all these make me feel there is another side to him.  Lastly, in that scene when he is gazing at the stars with Na-Young and gives her a little kiss, suddenly I want to know — Who is he?

So I started on “Love Letter”.  I have never seen anyone so pure, so real, so much so that one can’t help but share in his joy and sorrow, laughter and tears.  “Like jade” flashes across my mind.  I feel this is more appropriate than “pure cotton”.  He is warm, clear, smooth as jade.  Even in “Only You” when he is being unreasonable you can still feel his kindness.  But at the same time, in his eyes full of love on his tender face, I feel a kind of strength; I see someone who is true to his own world.

After I read about his experience in his youth, I understand why his handsome face exudes such strength.  The more serene he appears, the more I realize the pain and pressure he has experienced.  At such a young age, how does he manage to falteringly, stubbornly find his own path?  After the worst is over, how does he manage to keep that bright, pure smile?  They say the hardest stones become jade.  In his heart of hearts, he must have the firmness of stone.  Perhaps that is why he can give such a convincing performance as Seo Dong who succeeds after trials and tribulations.   Maybe that is why he says in an interview in Thailand that gratitude is the greatest virtue.  Maybe that is why we often see him so serene, so subdued, submerged in his own world.

When as a movie star he conveys to us his handsomest, tenderest, most charming side, I would rather appreciate him as a man who has the qualities of jade.   Actually I am very worried: he may not be suited to the complex entertainment world.  But I believe that since he has chosen this road, he will silently, steadily walk down it.

Isn’t his name “Jae”?  Very similar to “jade”, right?

(Translated from the Chinese article written by minayellow on BaiduJHJ.com)

(Photo courtesy of johyunjae.cn.  The Chinese words on the right say: “The sky is so blue. The trees are so green.  Life can be so peaceful and beautiful.”  Thanks!)

On Saturday morning (a few days ago) I turned on my computer to check my e-mails and to check on our blog before I left for the airport.  First e-mail was from my blog partner M, screaming bloody murder: “I can’t log in!  Our account is LOCKED!  Someone tried to hack into our account at 3 a.m.!”  No time to do anything, but at least I could see our blog.

On Sunday morning I tried to access http:jo-hyun-jae.com at the hotel and couldn’t see our blog!  Instead I saw this: “You must login to view this site.”  What the heck!

What’s happening?

After this Sherlock Holmes finished her investigation, here is her report:

For some time now, we have felt the need of a backup system for our blog.  My recurring nightmare is: What if we wake up one morning and find our blog gone?!

Another thing is: For the last two months our web host has been prompting us to upgrade to a newer version.  To upgrade or not to upgrade — that is the question.

We decided to seek the advice of our computer consultant Peter, the one who helped us move from google.blogspot in May.

Just as computers seem to have a mind of their own, computer experts do not operate like normal people.  My e-mails went unanswered.

Just before I left, I wrote again and threatened to look him up.

I think that’s enough to goad him into action.  He must still remember the 3-hour tutorial he gave me on how to use our new blog in May and how slow I was in the uptake.

In any case, I guess he tried to work on our blog the night (actually the wee hours of the morning) before I got to Hong Kong.  BUT he forgot his username; he must have thought it was the usual ADMINISTRATOR.  So he must have tried using various passwords until too many failed attempts resulted in our account being LOCKED!  We had to request a new password so we could log in our blog again.

Then Peter sent me this e-mail: “I forgot my username and password.”  I wrote back: “Your username is XXXXXX, but I don’t know your password.”  His username must have triggered memory of his password, because next thing he UPGRADED our blog to the latest version which included a new feature called ABSOLUTE PRIVACY.

ABSOLUTE PRIVACY means you have to LOG IN to see our blog.  Before it was open to all, and you only need to LOG IN if you want to leave a comment.

Once we understood what ABSOLUTE PRIVACY meant, we DEACTIVATED this feature.  Once again our blog is open to all and any who like Jo Hyun-Jae.

Next thing we suddenly saw a lot of UNAPPROVED USERS.  What are these?

Now before the upgrade, if you REGISTER, you become a SUBSCRIBER and you can leave comments.

So my nasty, suspicious mind thought: “Does this mean these people use fake e-mail addresses?  That’s why they are UNAPPROVED USERS and not SUBSCRIBERS.  How can so many JHJ fans be so devious?”

It took a day for M and me to catch on (from opposite sides of the world.)  The upgraded system requires the ADMINISTRATOR of the blog to APPROVE the new users before they can become SUBSCRIBERS.

As soon as we realized this, we immediately changed all their status to SUBSCRIBERS.

We apologize to our readers if you’re unable to access our blog for a day or two.  Both M and I are travelling (separately – in different time zones!), and we don’t quite know how to cope with these unexpected happenings, not being terribly computer savvy.  We’re not trying to be exclusive.  We have no intention to keep anybody out.  We want as many people as possible to know about JHJ.

Now I understand why old people don’t like change.  Change is upsetting; change is unsettling; change takes time to get used to.  Just when we were getting used to google.blogspot, we had to change web host because google.blogspot is blocked in the country where I am based.  And just when we were feeling comfortable with the new blog, we had to upgrade which resulted in temporary disorientation.

Now things are back to normal.  Feel free to leave comments here or write us at jhjfans@gmail.com.

Beautiful images…..lovely music.  Enjoy!

There’s a close up of Jo Hyun-Jae’s BIG beautiful eyes that takes my breath away.  Not many actors can bear such close scrutiny, believe me.

(Credit for video: name at end of video.  Thanks!)

Thinking of you

Hope today’s
a good day for you
and that tomorrow’s
even better!

In the cards that we sent to Jo Hyun-Jae, we never say  “I love you” or that kind of thing.  We just let him know he is in our thoughts and wish him well.

“The green-eyed monster” is of course JEALOUSY, if you know your Shakespeare (from “Othello”.)  In a Q & A when asked what book that he has read most impressed him, Jo Hyun-Jae answered: “The 4 great tragedies of Shakespeare” (of which “Othello” is one.)

I have been brooding on this topic for some time, not sure if I should write about it.  This is not kiss-and-tell and I am not naming any names.  If you recognize yourself in it, perhaps the problem is more universal than I thought.

Call me naive, but I’ve always felt that if you like a certain actor, it is between you and the actor.  It is nobody else’s business, not even your husband’s.  Being a fan means you buy his DVDs or CDs, watch his dramas, listen to his music, search for news of him on the internet, occasionally attend some fan meetings, and, if you’re lucky, maybe you can even make a friend or two.  Perfectly harmless activities, right?

Wrong!  According to some husbands.  Last year when we were placing orders for Jo Hyun-Jae’s 2009 calendars on the web, I read about some fans who were worried about what their husbands would think.  Many wrote they could only buy the desk calendar which could be hidden but not the wall calendar which was too big.  I remember thinking: What is there to hide?  What kind of husband would be jealous of some Korean actor whom his wife will probably never see?  Are there really so many insecure men in this great country of ours?

One fan in particular caught my attention.  She was equally proficient in both English and Chinese, and she appeared to be a bright and spirited young lady who was totally devoted to JHJ (in a sensible way.)  She was one of the earliest contributors to our blog.  She was also very active on other websites.  And then about four months ago she just disappeared altogether, vanished without a trace.  I remember thinking: How strange!  There could only be two likelihoods: either she has given up on JHJ or something terrible happened to her.  Now you don’t just fall out of love with someone like that, so I worry that she may be in trouble.  No news of her at all until recently when I heard from another source that something terrible has indeed happened to her.

Her husband discovered her “obsession” with JHJ and treated the whole thing like an affair.  Having an affair with JHJ?  How ridiculous!  He was so jealous he reacted like a cuckolded husband.  He checked out all the JHJ websites she frequented; he read all her e-mails, MSN, SKYPE, etc.  What an invasion of privacy!  I find this absolutely appalling!  And he forbids her to have anything to do with anyone who has anything to do with JHJ.  So her fellow fans cannot contact or communicate with her.

No, you are not reading the synopsis of a horror movie.  This happened right here and right now, among us, in the 9th year (or is it 10th?) of the 21st century.  Unbelievable, isn’t it?  A man who displays such irrational jealousy has to be basically insecure, probably has an inferiority complex too.  What he does not realize is the problem is not with JHJ or his wife, but with himself.  He should take a good hard look at himself in the mirror.  Jealousy is a most unattractive trait in a person, especially a man.  It does not mean he loves his wife; it simply means he is afraid of losing her to someone better.

Jealousy manifests itself in many forms.  Here is another true story.  Jealousy in women is more horrible than in men because women are more spiteful.  Many JHJ fans have taken to learning Korean because of him.  One fan in particular is very serious in her studies, devoting 5 hours a day to this foreign language.  She has been writing to JHJ – in Korean – every week since he entered the army in August 2008.  Last month she came home from work and saw a large brown envelope with her Korean name on it.  It contained an AUTOGRAPHED mousepad addressed to her and sent to her by JHJ!  She was so happy she posted it on a website and wrote about her joy and surprise.  Next thing she was attacked right and left; she became a target of other jealous fans (one in particular) who are green with envy.  Why are you singled out to receive this favour from JHJ?  Who do you think you are?  So many people work so hard on his behalf and never receive anything; what makes you so special?  So now you think you can flaunt about this? blah, blah, blah!!!

Before this fan told me about her distressing experience, she asked me how I would feel if I knew someone has an autograph of JHJ.  I said I would feel very happy for the lucky fan.  For myself, I won’t ask JHJ for an autograph even if I have an opportunity.  I don’t need anything from him.  I am content to watch him from a distance.  I have been writing him every week for the last year – in English (alas!)  I don’t know whether he understands what I write, or even reads what I write.  But it doesn’t matter.  I just want him to know he is in our hearts and we are here waiting for him.  It must get lonely in the barracks sometimes, so just knowing he is not forgotten (in spite of the dearth of news) must mean something to him.

If this lucky fan had chosen our blog to share her experience (but she wan’t aware of our existence then), she would have been given star treatment.  This unsolicited autograph shows: 1) JHJ does read his fan mail; 2) he cares about his fans; and 3) he is a polite and grateful person.  We know all this already, but this is further proof of the kind of artist and man that he is.  Now don’t go overwhelm JHJ with letters and expect him to send you something in return.  We should not expect or demand anything from him.

My Japanese friend once told me: “The world of JHJ is very complex.”  I didn’t give it much thought then, but now I wonder why this is so.  JHJ is a simple person (in the best sense of the word, meaning “straightforward, uncomplicated, unpretentious”), and liking him is a simple matter of taste.  Why do some people have to complicate and distort things?  Why do people have to play games?  I’ve always thought JHJ fans are, on the whole, older, more matured, better educated, more refined, more balanced, more sensible than the run-of-the-mill fans, but now I am not so sure.  I suppose it all boils down to the individual — the sort of person that you are.  I am happy to say the JHJ fans that I associate with (very few) are all like me (all nice people, Ha!Ha!) but someone tells me the other day I’m the exception rather than the rule.  If this is true (and I hope it isn’t), then sad day for JHJ!  And sad day for humanity!

(P.S. When I was looking for a photo for this post, I told my researcher [AKA M, my blog partner, as if we could afford a researcher!] I wanted a JHJ photo that would say to all the jealous husbands out there: “Look……and despair!”  She was convinced the one on the right would do the trick.  That half-smile!  Irresistible!)

(Credit: photos courtesy of EVERjohyunjae.co.kr.  Thanks!)

Our readers have been asking for “Seo Dong Yo”.

This song “Love over a thousand years” ( 千年的愛 박완규 – 천년의 사랑 ) appears in one of Park Wan-Kyu’s albums which has been in the best-seller charts for 8 years.  This song brings back all the nostalgia for the love between Seo Dong and Princess Shin-Hwa.  If it makes you miss JHJ all the more, well, watch “Seo Dong Yo” again.

Love over a thousand years

I  can’t just let you go like this
Even though I pray earnestly all night
If I cannot love you, then take me away with you.

(Repeat)

Even if Heaven pretends not to know and betrays my wish
Let my undying love that is like fire
Burn forever in my heart.

All that time when you have to suppress your tears because of me
How much pain have you suffered?
I will not forget you even after a thousand years – because I’ve loved you.

Jo Hyun-Jae plays the part of Ihyonje in “That’s Good”, the drama that is considered the stepping stone for young actors. It is 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), from 2001.11.19 – 2002.3.15.

This video is not of any one episode but an assortment of the scenes that JHJ appears in.  He is one of an ensemble cast and there is not much opportunity for acting.  In one segment, however, there is an Andre Kim character that is very funny.  Even his clothes look like Andre Kim’s.

Watching this 2001 work makes you realize how JHJ has improved and matured over the years.  Two years later in “Love Letter” he is already an accomplished actor.  And he has not looked back since.

(Credit: Param of CarpeDiemJAPAN.  Thanks!)

I watched “Star’s Echo” online after I’d exhausted all Jo Hyun-Jae’s dramas (those that can be bought.)  I don’t like watching anything on the computer; it’s very hard on my eyes.  But in this case it could not be helped.

“Star’s Echo” (2004) is a joint Korean-Japanese production between MBC and Fuji TV, the third collaboration by South Korean and Japanese television companies, after “Friends” in 2001 and “Passing Rain” in 2002.

The story is centred on the relationship between a musically gifted South Korean man Sung-Jae (played by Jo Hyun-Jae) and a Japanese woman Misaki (Noriko Nakagoshi) and how he helps her overcome her guilt and grief and how she encourages him to pursue his song-writing career.

The broad outlines of the story are pretty promising, but the execution of the plot leaves something to be desired.  Part 1 which lays the groundwork of the story and establishes the relationships of the characters is a little loose, especially the part concerning the JHJ character Sung-Jae.  His family is facing financial ruin; his father is thrown into jail; he has to resort to all sorts of means to make money, even selling pirated discs (CDs?)  His relationship with his girlfriend Ji-Young (played by Lee Da-Hae) is precarious and she finally jilts him.  All these are barely touched on; there are no developments or dramatic scenes.

Part 2 flows more smoothly, since all the other threads are more or less wrapped up and it concentrates more on the central relationship which has begun to unravel.  There are not many opportunities for JHJ to act.  The script jumps from one short scene to another.  This has nothing to do with the length of the drama.  Remember “The Joy of Love”?  In 10 minutes that director is able to delineate relationship in a few deft touches.  Maybe it is the editing in “Star’s Echo” — definitely not its strong point.  But JHJ shows in a few short sequences that he can be an action star, notably in a scene when he jumps from one rooftop to another and in another scene when he is shooting hoops (playing basketball.)

JHJ looks good in this two-hour (two-part) drama; in fact, he looks better than his female co-star Noriko Nakagoshi (NN).  I think casting her is a mistake.  The one word I would use to describe her is “cold”.  There is no chemistry between them, and it has nothing to do with different nationalities.  That JHJ and NN both speak in their respective native language, Korean and Japanese, most of the time does not help either.  Don’t get me wrong: NN gives an adequate performance; it’s just Misaki’s relationship with Sung-Jae is not terribly moving or memorable.

They get off on the wrong foot.  Their first meeting is a collision, literally.  He picks up the necklace that she drops and gives it to his girlfriend.  He tries to kiss her after a night out and is rebuffed.  Later when he tells her: “I think I’ve fallen in love with you”, I feel like laughing.  I’m sorry, but it’s really funny the way he says it.   And how come Sung-Jae who lives in a roof-top apartment never locks his door which allows the two women to go in and out at will, resulting in a plot-twisting misunderstanding.

I don’t recognize Lee Da-Hae (as JHJ’s Korean girlfriend) at all, even though I quite like her in “My Girl”.  She is not as pretty here, and she has only one facial expression — a scowl.  I do recognize Lee Jun-Ki and it is appropriate he has a bit part here as the boyfriend of a colleague of Misaki’s.  And now both Lees are big stars in Korea.

But I do like the ending of “Star’s Echo”.  I always like happy endings, so rare in JHJ dramas.   I like JHJ in a brown jacket, wearing a beige scarf and carrying a knapsack.  I like the way he walks on the snow to Misaki’s parents’ ranch.  I like the subdued reunion between the lovers — nothing passionate or dramatic, just quiet gratification and shy smiles.  JHJ’s eyes can smile and sparkle!

And I like the title “Star’s Echo”, explained in Part 2 as electronically generated sound made by stars, like some kind of Morse code, which inspires Sung-Jae to start writing music again.  Misaki loves to look at stars, so much so that Sung-Jae has to tell her (in the best-acted scene in the whole drama) that people and stars are different — stars are stationary but people can change.  The drama ends with the two of them gazing at the heavens, trying to pick out the “cowboy” star and the “weaver” star.  Misaki says it’s a Japanese myth and Sung-Jae says it’s Korean.  Sorry, folks!  This tragic story of the lovers, the cowboy and the weaver, who can only meet once a year is an ancient Chinese legend.  (Period)

(Credit: Photos courtesy of CarpeDiemJAPAN.  Thanks!)

I’ve watched a lot of Korean dramas ever since they first became popular in China in 2003.  I couldn’t even remember some of their titles.  I have a fertile imagination and an ultra-reality attitude.  I also have unique criteria and preference for actors.  But I do not have strict standards for my favourites.  20-something girls chasing after idols is understandable.  Someone like me, no longer in the first flush of youth, doing something like this can only be described as naive and meaningless.  In 2008 when the tide of Korean dramas was receding, I then chose to pursue it, all because I got to know a man called Jo Hyun-Jae.  Just seeing his face for the first time made me think of him day and night.

Good looks is the best weapon of the male lead in Korean dramas.  Jo Hyun-Jae’s good looks is the kind that is incomparable, flawless, and nonpareil.  I am very critical the way I look at people.  I can see through the packaged looks of so-called handsome guys.  What is unusual about JHJ is: What my eyes see are a perfect face and perfect profile, and what my heart feels are his gentleness and tenderness.

I like to see him in formal suits — very smart and dapper.  I like to see him in casual wear — very stylish and sharp.  I like the big watches he always wears on his wrist.  I like the way he wears dress shoes with casual trousers.  I can ignore a lot of handsome men, but I cannot remain unmoved by someone as suffocatingly handsome and as innately sexy as you.

Sometimes I wonder: You do not come from a rich family.  How come you have an aristocratic air that is obviously in-born?  You are Seo Dong: you and the part have become one.  If one goes to a country without any understanding of its customs and culture, one can only get a cursory experience.  If one understands an actor’s special qualities and then watches his works, one will feel doubly moved by something beyond the TV screen.

How far is Korea from me?  What is the distance between you and me?  I don’t care about any of this.  I see all these acting and posturing among TV actors, all these rehashing of roles and manufacturing of news — they leave no room for the imagination.  I sit here on a sunny afternoon, listening to light music, thinking of you, fantasizing about our encounter — romance foretold in an earlier life.

I’ve always hoped you would say more, do more, outside of the TV screen, but you only leave us a few words.  The only exception is on the “Only You” TV Special.  (Please see our 4/21/09 post “‘Only You’ TV Special”.)   I’ve just finished watching “Only You” and was frantically searching for your videos on the internet, trying to find an outlet for my emotions outside of the drama.  Thank God for the genuine and adorable you!  I cannot explain; I can only let my imagination run wild.  I can only say this to you: “No matter how good anyone else is, I never want to wake up from my love for you.”

Every drama of yours has its memorable elements.  In “Love Letter” your clear eyes (clear as water) somehow remind me of the “little dragon lady” in the tombs — totally out of this world.  (Editor’s note: The reference is to the heroine of a popular Chinese novel who is a master in martial arts but who lives in a tomb.)  Sister Esther says in LL: “In this world there is no one who is so suitably dressed in a priest’s robes as well as ordinary clothes.”  Without the priest’s black robes, in an ordinary blue sweater, in that scene by the seaside, your beauty is shockingly breathtaking.  In the drama, your lover is by your side one moment; next moment you are divided by eternity.  One line from the drama says it all: “Next time we see each other, we must be blessed.”

“Sunshine” is a drama that I like very much.  Many people cannot accept the ending, but what I want to say is this: Ji Yeon-Woo who is struggling at the poverty line and Jung  Eun-Sup who is born with a silver spoon in his mouth — both have a seed of pain planted in their hearts, but are afraid to touch it.  They meet and fall in love — let the seeds germinate and grow, see what comes out, so they can eradicate it.  Min-Ho says: “I can accept Yeon-Woo’s past.”  And Eu-Sup plans for Yeon-Woo’s future.  Both are equally qualified to love Yeon-Woo.  Compared to the brave Cinderella Cha Eun-Jae in “Only You”, I like Yeon-Woo more — strong on the outside, soft on the inside.

There are certain scenes in “Sunshine” that deeply impress me:

1.  Eun-Sup holding Yeon-Woo’s hands to teach her how to make a cake

2.  Eun-Sup arranging Yeon-Woo’s hair to put on the violet hairclip

3.  Eun-Sup standing closely behind Yeon-Woo to help her get something from a high cupboard

4.  Eun-Sup standing not far from Yeon-Woo singing to her over a cell phone

5.  Eun-Sup holding Yeon-Woo in his arms and telling her he shouldn’t have let her wait too long

There is a slight scent of warm love in the air.  The scene of that kiss in the guest house is perfectly prepped — the two of them sitting against the wall under the window; ES slowly draws nearer to YW;  YW retreats a little; ES doesn’t give up; uses his injured hand to touch YW’s face; YW does not resist; ES closes his eyes and moves nearer to YW’s lips but touches her nose instead; YW shivers a little but does not move away; ES’s kiss is so tender, so protective!

I’m very glad Song Hye-Kyo is the female lead in “Sunshine”.  She is a good actress and always plays the lead.  The development of the plot and the ending are beyond the actors’ and viewers’ control, but we did agonize, laugh, are sad and happy with the actors, and this is enough.

2009 has quietly arrived; it’s a little closer to our reunion.  Tonight is so cold.  Is it snowing in Seoul?  JHJ, do you feel blessed?  Do you feel the love of your fans?  Time passes; life is flat and ordinary.  I let myself into the surreal world of the TV screen.  Because I got to know you, I’ve shed a lot of happy and impassioned tears.  This world that we live in is still bitterly cold, but at least I can cherish your ice-melting looks.

(Translated from the Chinese article by 阁楼汀雨 published in baiduJHJ.com and edited by wulijohyunjae.)

(Credit for photos: 1st photo – param of carpediemJapan.   “Sunshine” photo from blog.naver.com.  Thanks!)

Have you ever seen anyone who looks so beautiful while crying?  Makes you want to hug him and tell him everything is OK.

We apologize for the quality of this video which seems a little misty in parts.  Perhaps that is what it’s like seeing the world through tears.

(Credit: Hiro of johyunjae.co.kr.  Thanks!)