Jo Hyun Jae

Jo Hyun-Jae’s two-part short drama “Star’s Echo” will be released on DVD in Japan on Dec.15, 2010.  This is a 2004 joint production between Korea’s MBC and Japan’s Fuji TV and stars JHJ and Noriko Nagagoshi. 

We used to have the complete “Star’s Echo” on our blog, but when I checked just now, I discovered it is no longer available — “This clip has been blocked in your region.”  Copyright rules are being enforced most rigorously of late.

So you’ll have to buy the DVD, available soon from amazon.co.jp.  Problem is: the Japanese version will probably not have English subtitles.

Please check out our other posts on “Star’s Echo” under Category: JHJ drama “Star’s Echo”.

The following is a write-up of JHJ in “Star’s Echo” on POP ASIA No.49 (Jan.2004):

(Credit: http://hyunjaelove.jp.  Thanks!)

The day after Jo Hyun-Jae’s discharge in June, EVER organized a trip to Buyeo for overseas fans.  One of the highlights of the day was a visit to the Tree of Love in “Seo Dong Yo” where Seo Dong and Princess Shinhwa meet several times in the course of the drama.  Of course in the light of day and without the lovers, the tree does not look half as romantic as it does in these photos and the video.  Still, it is a precious experience which I shall always cherish.

Although you said you would wait for me, I never thought you would wait this long.

After my mother died, when my heart was a void, I met you Princess for the first time.  The moment I saw you, my heart suddenly lit up.

And then in the ten years following, not only did I not accomplish anything, I was even lost.  And just when I was full of despair, I met you Princess again.  The moment I saw you, my heart filled with hope.  Because there was hope, I found myself again.

I understand this is all because of you, Princess.  But I disobeyed your wishes and returned here, and then I tried to avoid you.  During this process when I tried very hard to find myself again, you were always by my side — to help me, enlighten me, recognize me, and even use respectul forms of speech to me.

All that time, all those places, you are always by my side, so I will not evade anymore.  I have been thinking about you, Princess, and I do not wish to evade anymore.

 (Credit: http://hyunjaelove.jp; www.johyunjae.hk.  Thanks!)

Japanese fans are finding more and more coverage of Jo Hyun-Jae’s Japan fan meetings in various Japanese magazines.

Korean Wave 42 (September)

Eul (October)

Koreal (November)

Haru*hana

(Credit: ahiru of http://hyunjaelove.jp; http:club.brokore.com/sodonyo; www.johyunjae.hk.  Thanks!)

A penny for your thoughts

To those JHJ fans who like my fairy tale — many thanks!

To those JHJ fans who think they know what I’m writing about — well, great minds think alike (or fools seldom differ!)

To those JHJ fans who e-mailed us and wanted to get to the bottom of this – there’s nothing more!  There never was anything in the first place!  Just something I wrote on a lazy, hazy Californian afternoon — wishful thinking on the romantic part of me.

It’s not something I know that you don’t know.  I never pretended to be the fly on the wall.  I am not privy to the secrets of JHJ’s personal life.  I don’t want to be accused of starting a rumour.  Everything I know about JHJ I’ve shared with you on this blog.

But I can tell you how the story germinates.  Those of you who have faithfully followed my account of the recent Japan fan meetings may remember we missed JHJ twice at our hotel – by minutes.  The second time my travel companion and good friend B came into our room, she looked like she was going to murder someone!  “He just went out – for a drink – and I missed him by seconds!”  I said nonchalantly (not really thinking because I was working on our blog): “Maybe he’s going to meet someone.”  And then we both looked at one another and screamed at the same time: “She’s here?!!!!”  But of course!  She’s here to do a show with three other boys.  We checked, and sure enough, the cities and dates matched (just one day apart)!

I’ve been spinning this story in my mind for a long time, ever since I worked on that news about the “gang” visiting him at his camp last year.  Her name came first among the list of SDY alumni.  Now this is strange, I thought, Koreans set great store by rank and status and age.  She is hot, but the princess is a bigger star, and all the others are older and more established.  How come her name heads the list?  And all the Korean news agencies put her name first.  Do they know something I don’t?

Then the detective in me started to do a little investigative reporting.  I checked the dates of his leaves and discovered they coincided with some event/incident about her – which probably means nothing at all.  It’s just that when you’re operating an one-actor blog and that actor is very low-profile, you have to entertain yourself and your readers.  So I amuse myself looking for little clues and comparing notes with B.

They’re very discreet and there’s nothing to feed my fantasy until that funeral.  I’ve looked at every video available on the net (but I’ve only used those of him on our blog) and I scrutinized every star who attended.  I noticed they did not enter the funeral home together but they actually arrived one minute apart (she entering by another way.)  Coincidence? 

Then in Japan we were having so much fun and it filled my heart to see him looking so well that my imagination started working again.  As soon as we saw him at the second fan meeting, we knew he’s not had enough sleep the night before – understandably.  We smiled at each other knowingly, like conspirators sharing a great secret (when in fact we’re just two silly fans getting giddy with euphoria.)

We got home after the fan meetings but he didn’t.  What was he doing there those few days?  Unaccounted for, so it’s a free for all!  And then there was that rumour about him being spotted holding hands with a woman which the OJFC took the trouble to deny (that’s how I knew.)  Aha!  More fodder!

Love me, love my dog.  I also pay attention to news of her.  She’s off somewhere next month, so he will be alone — working on his new drama, I hope.  On a day when I was hard-pressed for a post for our blog, I decided to put pen to paper and do a little creative writing which is exactly what “A fairy tale” is, folks, honest to God! 

And ha! this is another post!

P.S.  If JHJ still doesn’t announce his new drama, I just might write a script for him!  555

Here’s how the Japanese celebrate 100 days after Jo Hyun-Jae’s discharge. 

I wrote this in advance because I’d be incommunicado for the next 20 hours or so.  As I’m flying back to JHJ’s part of the world, I’m hoping SNH will not choose this moment to release their big news on JHJ’s comeback drama.  If their announcement should be so untimely, please forgive us for relaying it to you late.

Look at the photo above.  Look closely.  That is taken at the meet-the-press session before the Tokyo fan meeting on August 22.

Someone wondered if JHJ had work done on his face!  My reply: “Surely people go under the knife to look better, not to look worse!”  JHJ is certainly not looking his best in these press photos — all the photos from various news agencies which are all taken at the same time.  His face is puffy — whenever he is nervous or not at ease, his face tends to blow up which makes him look round-faced.  And he has bags under his eyes — from lack of sleep.  He could not have had much sleep the night before after flying from Osaka to Tokyo late at night.

And in the morning he had to have his hair straightened.  His hair was slightly permed and combed up at the Osaka fan meeting, remember?  On the Official Japan Fan Club website, their Japanese staff wrote something about JHJ’s hair in his diary which caused a furore a little while ago.  He said JHJ had “hair extensions” for the Tokyo fan meeting!  I knew that was nonsense the moment I read it.  Time simply did not allow that.  I have a friend who’s had hair extensions (from short to long hair) and it took 6 – 7 hours at the hairstylist’s.  Even if JHJ did not sleep, he did not have that time because that morning he had to meet the press and then to practise at rehearsal before the fan meeting.

Later it transpires “hair extensions” actually means “pulling the hair long”, i.e. straightening the hair.  But so many Japanese fans left messages and got very worked up about the whole thing.  If they had only used their eyes (if not their brains), they would have seen that it’s not that difficult changing the hairstyle from this (left) to that (right).

And JHJ’s face resumed its natural shape as soon as he walked on stage.  The tumultuous reception he got from his fans must have boosted his confidence, and he was soon smiling and looking his usual handsome self.  A pity those press photos taken earlier got splashed all over the place.

The OJFC Administrator left a message the other day – full of sound and fury (you know what comes after, right? if you know your Shakespeare) - and the only thing that is remotely interesting is about JHJ’s skin.  He/She says everybody marvels at how fine JHJ’s skin is.  They’re all speculating how he could keep his skin in such good condition since he’s only had two facials since his discharge.  And the conclusion?  Good genes!  We’ve known that all along!  So what’s new?

It’s a long and rambling message but there’s not much to it.  When translating from Japanese and Korean, I’m always afraid I’ve left out something.  How come 10 sentences in Japanese and Korean end up as 3 sentences in English?  It’s because Korean and Japanese have so many polite expressions that it takes them a long time to get to the heart of the matter.

I remember in June at JHJ’s discharge, the Master of a Korean fan site was trying to tell me something and she enlisted the help of our translator.  Actually her English was not bad but she had to communicate a delicate matter, so she wanted to make sure I understood her completely.  The two of them talked for 5 or 6 minutes, then our translator said “Wait a minute” to me.  They went back to conversing for another 10 minutes while I started to worry something disastrous must have happened to JHJ.  Finally after another 5 minutes or so, our translator said a dozen words in Chinese to me.  “That’s it?”  I was incredulous!  My reaction: “Wonderful! Now everybody’s happy!”  Now it’s the Korean’s turn to look perplexed.  Obviously my reaction was understated.  So I added: “I am very happy. No problem at all.”  She looked more reassured.  For the next half hour we sat and drank juice and talked in English (and we covered a lot of ground.)

That is why I have never understood how JHJ could be so sparse with words.  After you have subtracted all the polite expressions, what is left?  When I read the JFM MC said JHJ gave her a one-word answer (“Meat”) when she asked him what he had in Osaka the day before, I laughed out loud.  I’m positive JHJ said at least 6 – 8 words, but the key word was “Meat”.  Maybe JHJ will feel more at home in English!

The OJFC has organized some kind of competition to celebrate “100 days of JHJ’s discharge”.  I calculated that to be today, September 27, but I can’t vouch for my maths.  The Japanese love to celebrate 100 days of everything – lovers celebrate 100 days of their relationship, 100 days on a new job, 100 days of a new life (baby), etc.  Another 100 days and JHJ should be busy filming his new drama/movie.

And I’d also like to remind you to e-mail your entries to our competition “Wanna win some JHJ souvenirs?” (Please see Category: Announcement.)  Deadline: Oct.1.

This is one of our favourite MVs of late.  It highlights the “action” side of JHJ and the music perfectly complements the action.  Enjoy!

(Credit: http://cafe.daum.net/nowguswo. Thanks!)

KBOOM Nov. issue

Korean TV Series, Vol.39, Mook 21 (Oct.10) has a SPECIAL INTERVIEW on JHJ. 

(Credit: First two from http://club.brokore.com/sodonyo; last one from CarpeDiemJAPAN; www.johyunjae.com.  Thanks!)

Still no news from JHJ on his comeback drama.  Why are we still here?  Why haven’t we gone on to greener pastures?  The answer may lie in prissymom’s article here. 

Since becoming a JHJ fan, JE NE SAIS QUOI has become my favourite French phrase.

JE NE SAIS QUOI, pronounced as [zhuh nuh se kwa], literally means “I know not what” or “I don’t know what” in English. Such a mundane meaning for a chic-sounding phrase! But don’t belittle this French phrase, because the French use it figuratively to describe someone or something, well, indescribable.

Here are several meanings of the phrase I found online:

From the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: A quality or attribute that is difficult to describe or express.

From the Collins English Dictionary: An indefinable quality, especially of personality.

From the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: Something indescribable; something that cannot be adequately described or expressed.

From the Random House Dictionary: An indefinable, elusive quality, especially a pleasing one.

Lastly, from the American Heritage New Dictionary: That little something; an intangible quality that eludes description.

In short JE NE SAIS QUOI is that quality that JHJ has that made viewers and Kdrama watchers in general, and JHJ fans in particular …..

….. sit up and take notice of the relative unknown that JHJ was when he appeared as the Crown Prince in “Dae Mang” (Great Ambition). His indefinable quality made his star shine in that drama, despite being in the presence of stars bigger than him.

….. empathize with the young conflicted priest Andrea in “Love Letter”. To this day, people are still one in saying that only JHJ could have played Andrea.

…… take umbrage that Oh Hee-soo (Jo Ahn) could not return Han Young-woo’s (JHJ) love for her in “First Love”. So unbelievable! How can she not love him? He is so handsome, so pure, so loving, and so true! How can she not notice him? How dare she?

….. feel cheated that there is no clear ending for Ji Heon-woo (Song Hye-gyo) and Jung Eun-sup (Jo Hyun Jae) in “Sunshine”. Up to this day I still encounter JHJ fans who would ask if Heon-woo and Eun-sup ended up together. No matter how one answers this question, a debate will surely ensue. Of course, most viewers wanted Heon-woo to end up with Eun-sup.

….. feel Kang Min-woo’s despair at losing the woman he loves in “Forbidden Love”.

…..fall in love and swoon over Han Yi-joon in “Only You”, shockful of hair and colourful wardrobe, notwithstanding.

….. feel every pain that Jang went through just to claim his rightful position in his Kingdom in “Seo Dong Yo”. Feel happy for him as his and Princess Sun-hwa’s love finally found fulfilment. And then break our hearts again when he smiled that bittersweet smile as the drama ended.

….. be enamored with Han Soo-hyun despite his miserly, stingy ways in “3 Dads/1 Mom”.

….. stay loyal and devoted to him despite JHJ’s almost reclusive behaviour! Other actors are so busy posting news and pictures about themselves (yes, they do the twitting and blogging in their twitter accounts and mini-homepage by themselves) on an almost daily basis, while JHJ fans have to go months with nary a word from him. Not even a “Hi”!

….. want to protect him from the big bad wolves that abound in the K-entertainment world, even if we know that he is old enough and tough enough to take care of himself.

Well, whatever you want to call this elusive, indescribable, indefinable quality – charm ….charisma….. X-factor…. certain something.… or yes, JE NE SAIS QUOI, one thing I am sure of: JHJ has it in abundance.

(Credit: Photo from Gra.  Thanks!)

This is a supplement to our September 3 post “JHJ on Mnet news report” under Category: JHJ Fan Meetings.  This video is longer and more comprehensive.

For what that Japanese fan said to JHJ, please see our August 25 post “Words he said to us” under Category: JHJ Fan Meetings.

What JHJ said in the video:

When I was in the military, what I cherished most was the opportunity to contemplate.  This is said with gratitude from the bottom of my heart.

Seeing you all like this after two years makes me feel very honoured and very happy.

I wish to thank you all once again on this special occasion.

I firmly believe we will meet again.

Thank you again.  Thank you!

(Credit: http://club.brokore.com/sodonyo; www.johyunjae.hk. Thanks!)