Dear Diary (16) (Revised)
wulijohyunjae | July 24, 2010 | 7:00 amI first saw the news article on a Korean website at 8:15 a.m. SCREAM!!!!! I blinked several times — to make sure I was seeing right. Maybe there’s something wrong with the translation. No! Key words “expose muscular upper torso” were still there, whichever way they’re translated. I took a deep breath to calm myself. I put it aside for the greater part of the morning. I didn’t want to deal with it.
By mid-afternoon, the “news” was already published in every JHJ website in Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan…..including the KOW! I held off for as long as I could. I finally had to translate the piece into English – for publication the next day. We’re all dying for news of JHJ – but NOT for this kind of news!
This is Andrea! This is Han Young-Woo! This is Seo Dong! Surely he does not have to do this? or does he? In all the big-budget and high-profile Korean movies I’ve seen in the last few years (movies [contemporary or costume] that are shown at various prestigious film festivals all over the world), the actors and actresses have to (almost without exception) strip and perform the sex act (like in a porn movie.) It is true that some scripts require these sex scenes, but does the act have to be performed in its entirety (leaving nothing to the imagination)? And not once, but sometimes several times. Someone tells me that’s what the Korean movie-going public expects from its actors. If that is true, I hope JHJ never acts in a Korean movie again.
The news says this is a “surprise move” on JHJ’s part. Well, it is certainly a surprise to me. JHJ has always 惜肉如金 (Chinese idiom that translates roughly as “cherishes his flesh like gold”.) He has never shown much flesh in his works – I think those scenes can be counted on the fingers of one hand. The ones that immediately come to mind are — the morning after in “Only You”, the scene in bed in “Joy of Love”, and those of JHJ in swimming trunks in “That’s Good” when he still hasn’t lost his baby fat (10 years ago!)
If you think I’m over-reacting when others are salivating, let me tell you the reaction of other like-minded fans. I talked to two and exchanged e-mails with one (all from different parts of the world) — one was shocked, one sighed, and one cried. And I read a funny comment on a Japanese website – “So shocked! my cell phone fell down the toilet!” As for me, after the initial shock wore off, a deep sadness settled in. I trust JHJ enough to believe he’s not doing this photo shoot for that men’s magazine just to show off his newly scultped body. It must have been a business decision necessitated by the entertainment world reality. It is not enough to be a good actor. You have to make a splash.
(At the request of EVER which relayed SNH’s request, we have deleted the article “Actor JHJ” and all mention of its contents. Our original instinct was right — it was something private and should not be made into news.)
Why should JHJ suddenly take it into his head to appear in a men’s magazine? Last year when those JHJ souvenirs went on sale, we asked the Japan Official Fan Club rep why the belt (because it’s so expensive and few people wear belts), and she said Mr. L’s friend had a factory which manufactured them! We felt then that it was a nonsensical business decision. Maybe this time it’s Mr. K’s magazine, who knows? In any case, the Chinese expression: 人在江湖，身不由己 comes to mind. (Translation: When you are in the world at large, you are in the grip of forces beyond your control.)
So, we can now look forward to seeing some flesh in August. Please, please, please, please, please — let the photos be in good taste!
If you don’t know what I’m raving about, please see yesterday’s post “Farewell is the beginning of meeting again”.
(Credit: Photos from Param of CarpeDiemJAPAN. Thanks!)
WuliJHJ, you forgot the scene in Scandal with Lee Mi Sook, and the one in Gumiho where he was in the police station’s locker room (he was changing clothes hence the show of flesh). But those scenes were necessary, part of the natural flow of the story. The men’s health photo spread came out of nowhere – I was blindsided. It is a disruption, a major upheaval in my JHJ world. But I have always said that JHJ fans should allow him to “grow”, if he feels that this move is ncesarry for his “growth” then so be it. I am still not happy about it (I have stopped crying about it, at least), but I can live with it. I hope the photos will be in good taste too.
prissymom, I stand corrected. It’s just that every time I think about JHJ, I always see him with clothes on.
wuliJHJ, reasons I remember those scenes are (1) the scene in Scandal is my fave, not because JHJ showed some flesh, but because of his brilliant acting. No dialogue whatsoever and yet he was able to convey all the things that the character was feeling in that scene; (2) picture of JHJ with his top off in Gumiho is almost always posted on his soompi thread. Like you said, it is rare for JHJ to show flesh, so photos of the rare times that he did gets posted every once in a while in his soompi thread.
When I think of JHJ, I also see him clothed, that’s why news of him posing with his upper body exposed discombobulated me too much!
prissymom, we firmly believe JHJ will not do anything that will make his fans ashamed of him.
Don’t miss “First Love”. The scene in the oldest version of “First Love” (I find it in a chinese website, not in the chinese DVD I bought) is very lovely. JHJ showed his flesh in a healthy way.
I strongly agree that we have to allow JHJ to grow up and we have to trust JHJ’s decision.
However, I hope JHJ’s management company really treasures JHJ as a long-term partner.
The style of James Bond (the oldest one) is good. He looks like a gentleman, but he also has very good figure and muscle.
Ladies…What is wrong with the magazine pictures above? They have beautiful bodies! Now If JHJ can show us a body like that with his face, WOW !
i agree that the photos in the magazine above were done in good taste–no malice at all. i have seen pics of good korean actors with their upper torso exposed and the reaction i felt was that of admiration of how great the Creator made the human body…i guess because the ones i saw were done in good taste.. so i guess that’s what we should pray for–because there’s no need for a great and much-loved actor like JHJ to do smut–and i believe that he is wise enough not to do it.
michelle, do you mean after Han Young-Woo and the girl get all soaked in the rain on the beach? I only remember JHJ with his wet shirt clinging to his body (so sexy!) The James Bond comparison is interesting – JHJ once said he’d like to act in a Bond-type movie.
usa4jhj, nothing wrong with those magazine covers – just hope JHJ’s is done in good taste and style. Don’t know what the guy in the bottom right photo is showing. Is he a star?
wulijohyunjae,
Yes, I mean the part after Han Young-Woo and the girl get all soaked in the rain on the beach.
“Because of the rain, JHJ put off his wet shirt in the hut. When the girl falls asleep, JHJ kisses her lightly. In a second, the girl wakes up. JHJ becomes shy and runs out. He pours cold water to cool down himself. “
michelle, thanks for reminding me of that scene which is very innocent and sweet. Is JHJ naked from the waist up? How come I don’t remember that? I must watch FL again.
All of you, what’s up for JHJ, what kind of Man magazine and when, which photos? I confused. KOW did not explain anymore.
Thank you everyone for sharing your thoughts on this issue. Your opinions helped me look at this thing in a better light.
I guess part of the reason I reacted negatively to this issue is the reaction of some fans in other websites. WuliJHJ used the right word in saying some fans were “salivating” at the thought of JHJ exposing his mascular upper torso in a men’s health magazine. I didn’t expect such a reaction from JHJ fans. I expected them to treat JHJ with more respect, and not as some piece of meat to “salivate” over.
But here in this website the comments are more subdued and more respectful of JHJ. Looking at the covers posted by wuliJHJ, I realize that there is indeed nothing wrong with those photos. WuliJHJ is right when she said that JHJ will not do something to make his fans ashamed of him, and blesstim is right when she said JHJ is wise enough to know not to do “smut”.
Because of the comments here I think I will be more comfortable when JHJ’s pictures come out in the Men’s Health Magazine in August.
Thank you Prissymom I think Men’s Health Magazine is a normal magazine not for Gay, right. Before your latest reply I try to read and read many times I understand this post and you Prissymom confirm my perception. If not Gay magazine of course I support you JHJ.
Some magazines are for men and some magazine are for women. We read “Sisters”, “Ladies”,etc. It doesn’t mean that we are lesbians (女同性戀). It just means that the contents of the magazines are more suitable for females.
Reading all the comments after his announcement to pose in the magazine, I think JHJ is very smart in his decision because good or bad he got people’s reactions and attentions. He put it on notice that HE IS BACK! It’s another side of him that people have not seen and maybe he didn’t even know existed until now.
usa4jhj, you are the smartest of us all! You are right, of course. JHJ is back with a BANG!
Clarification — we don’t know yet which men’s magazine JHJ will appear in, just that it will be Korean. The photo above is a sample.
And of course we will be getting the magazine. Who’s interested? Write to us: jhjfans@gmail.com
oopppss, sorry for the wrong assumption about the magazine.