Dear Diary (17) (Revised)
wulijohyunjae | July 30, 2010 | 7:00 am 
I was exchanging notes with the Master of a major JHJ website who confided she found it harder now running her site than when JHJ was in the army. At least during those two lean years she could use materials about military life, but now those are irrelevant. The Master of another website confidently predicts news of JHJ’s comeback drama will be announced in July and he will visit her country this year. Everybody expects JHJ news will be all over the air once he is discharged, but if they know JHJ at all, they should not be fuelling their own fantasies.
Every day on the KOW I see entries like “Good Morning, JHJ!”, “Signing in”, “Have a good weekend, JHJ!” from the same old people. Of course they have every right to leave such messages — it’s a free-for-all on the KOW. My own habit is: first check FROM HYUNJAE – nothing! (not that I expect anything), then NOTICE (nothing!) and NEWS (if anything, a day later than everybody, and only in Korean), PHOTOS (nothing!), TO HYUNJAE (“Good morning”, etc.), ONLY FAN (“Signing in”, etc.) Original high hopes of KOW are again a figment of our imagination.
And I see all these speculations about JHJ’s comeback drama in practically all websites. One goes as far as writing scripts for him — so many unpublished writers among JHJ fans! What is the point of opining he should be in this drama or that drama? (as if we have any say!) Some people are seriously delusional about their influence. Who knows more about choosing scripts than JHJ and his manager? If there has been no announcement so far, it is because a decision has not been made. Period.
JHJ fans come and go. Someone who has been a fan since 2005 told me she woke up one morning in May and the passion was gone. She could not even work herself up about his discharge. I suspect the girl’s in love! She must have found a boyfriend! I’m sad JHJ has lost a diehard fan, but then I see all these new names on other websites, and even in ours. Well, you win some, you lose some. Good thing most JHJ fans stay forever. (Depends on how you define “forever”!)
P.S. From the Japan Official Fan Club website – Administrator’s message on July 29 (translated from Japanese):
JHJ has started his singing practice in preparation for the Japan Fan Meetings in August. The music director said: “Everything is going very smoothly – JHJ is much better than expected.” In spite of the two-year blank period, JHJ should have no problem picking up where he left off. What will JHJ be singing for us? We’re looking forward with great anticipation!
Joo Ji-Hoon and Lee Jun-Ki starred in a musical in the military when they became entertainment soldiers. Now if our JHJ were to become an entertainment soldier, surely he would be the star of a musical too. But instead he persisted in being a dog soldier! With his looks…..that is something difficult to understand!
(Credit: Poster designed by prissymom of wulijohyunjae; 2nd poster - from Dramabeans – supplied by prissymom; P.S. from http://jo-hyunjae.com. Thanks!)
JHJ has more diehard fans than other actors in Korea. JHJ was also very surprised when he was discharged from the army on June 19. I treasure JHJ as a family member, a friend and an actor.
michelle, you put it so well! Most JHJ fans see him as more than an actor – a friend, a family member, and not just as an idol.
JHJ is really not your run-of-the-mill actor. Most SK actors, after being away from the limelight for 2 years, would go back to doing the rounds of the various celebrity shows doing inane stuff and spouting inane pronouncements just to be seen and heard.
But not JHJ! After more than a month of being discharged he is still not making an appearance. And we’re still more than 20 days away to his first official public appearance. But the thing that really amazes me is that JHJ fans instead of getting fed up with JHJ are now even more desperate to see him and to hear every tidbit of news about him!
So JHJ is spending his time in the studio! I love the way he does his own thing and goes his own way — it’s called “My Way”!
I can’t imagine JHJ in a musical — maybe pre-2005, but not now! BTW, love the poster! We are all bounty hunters now? Thanks, prissymom!
WuliJHJ, thank you for the news!
I am just so glad that JHJ didn’t become an entertainment soldier, because then he didn’t have to join an SK Army-sponsored musical. I have seen the poster for the Lee Jun-ki and Joo Ji-hoon Army musical, they don’t look like themselves at all!!! You judge for yourselves. (Please see poster above.)
Thanks, prissymom! JJH and LJK look like twins (with their heavy make-up) in that poster of the musical. Or is that how they look now (after only a few months)?
“With his looks…..that is something difficult to understand!”
What does this sentence mean?
michelle, the Japan OFC Admininstrator finds it inexplicable that JHJ should choose to be an ordinary soldier rather than an entertainment soldier since he is so good-looking. She has expressed what most people feel, but then JHJ never does what most people do — that’s what makes him unique!
Ruby, thank you for your kind words. I am glad you like the poster, I enjoyed making it.
WuliJHJ, I haven’t seen a photo of JJH in the Army so I don’t know what he looks like now. I have seen a picture of LJK, I think it was taken after the Basic Training. He looked sickly pale and seemed to have lost a lot of weight. In fact if the title of the article didn’t have his name I wouldn’t have known that the guy in the picture was LJK!
It is really amzing how JHJ retained his good looks despite the buzz cut and the gruelling routine of an ordinary soldier (compared to entertainment soldiers). I think more than JHJ’s good genes, it is his positive attitude towards service to his country and life in general that he was able to retain his good looks throughout the 2 years in the army.
Looking forward to some major news in regards to his comeback and hope it will be soon.