Jo Hyun Jae

2011.03.04        Korea Star Daily (English translation by wulijohyunjae)

The main actors’ birthdays in the new SBS Wed./Thu. drama “49 Days” have become an interesting topic.

“49 Days” which will air on March 16, following “Sign”, is about a girl who falls into a coma after a traffic accident and needs three people to shed genuine tears for her in order to be revived.

The birthdays of four of the principal actors in “49 Days” fall on the 9th of the month in which they were born.  This seems related to the title of the drama – “49 Days” – and has aroused a lot of interest.

Lee Yo-Won was born on 80.04.09 — 4 and 9 — hitting the jackpot 100%!  Jo Hyun-Jae’s birthday is 80.05.09, Bae Soo-Bin’s is 76.12.09, and Jung Il-Woo’s is 87.09.09.

Even more of a coincidence, these four actors have all been in historical dramas prior to taking part in “49 Days”.

Netizens expressed views such as “This kind of coincidence is really difficult to come by” and “Their being in the same drama is really a stroke of fate.”

(Credit: “49 Days” poster designed by prissymom of wulijohyunjae; www.sbs.co.kr;  www.koreastardaily.com; www.johyunjae.hk.  Thanks!)

“First Love” was first broadcast in 2003.  Seven years later in 2010, what does the cast look like now?

Left to right: Shin Sung-Woo (Professor); Jo An (college student); Kim Ji-Soo (Dean’s daughter); JHJ (college student); Ryu Soo-Young (other Professor)

Shin Sung-Woo then and at age 42.  Couldn’t understand how Jo An could choose him over JHJ in the drama then; even harder to understand now. 

Kim Ji-Soo at Pusan International Film Festival – still looking good at age 37 (but somehow a little different from her old FL photo — more Caucasian?)

Ryu Soo-Young receiving his Honorary Police Officer badge on Oct.26 – KJS should have chosen him rather than SSW in “First Love”.  He’s only a year older than JHJ but looks like his uncle.

The young ones in “First Love”.  JHJ only has a supporting role in this drama, and he doesn’t get the girl who is in love with her married professor.

We’re speechless when we see this photo spread of Jo An (now aged 28) in a Korean newspaper on Oct.29.  What on earth did she do to herself during these 7 years?

And this is Han Young-Woo 7 years on – JHJ at Seoul Fashion Week on Oct.22.  Our JHJ still looks better than everybody else, even though he is not in form and out of sorts. 

(Credit: http://blog.naver.com; www.johyunjae.hk; photos from the internet.  Thanks!)

Whose bike is this?

Oh! It’s Han Young-Woo’s in “First Love”.

How many NGs does it take to shoot this scene?  How many falls does our JHJ have to endure?  Well, this is showbiz!

We absolutely love these scenes of a very young and impulsive Han Young-Woo.

(Credit: http://hyunjaelove.jp; http://gall.dcinside.com; http://blog.naver.com; http://cafe.daum.net/hyunjae35; www.johyunjae.hk.  Thanks!) 

This “First Love” MV is set to a familiar tune — “Moon River”.  Jo Hyun-Jae is a dreammaker and certainly no heartbreaker, not even in his dramas.  Oh, maybe in that scene in “Only You” — the morning after their one-night stand when Han Yee-Jun leaves Eun-Jae under the misunderstanding that she already has a boyfriend.  And maybe again in the same drama when he leaves his fiancee stranded at their engagement reception. What is it about Han Yee-Jun that makes so many women swoon over him?  Han Young-Woo in “First Love” is so sweet and yet the women walk all over him.

(Credit: hiro of EVERjohyunjae.co.kr. Thanks!)

This is how “First Love” ends — Han Young-Woo meets his first love again and resolves to take care of her and her child (by another man.)   Some viewers think this ending is positive but we don’t like it one bit.  Why does the JHJ character always have to end up with someone else’s kid?  (in “3 Dads/1 Mom” too.)  

In this video, Han Young-Woo asks the little girl to take his last name — Han XX instead of Lee XX and be his daughter.  He is very happy to be photographing the girl (and her mother) and keeps saying how beautiful she is.

When Han Young-Woo is walking along that tree-lined path (by himself), he stops under a tree and says to himself:

After taking the big roundabout, I’m back to square one.  Actually I’m not sure whether this is a beginning or an end.  No matter what, I can start all over again from here, or end here.  I have to choose………

And so Han Young-Woo chooses to accept his first love’s child.  But does she accept him?  Anyway, the last scene shows the three of them walking along that tree-lined road, walking away from the camera.  (Sigh!)  There’s a whole forest out there, kid!

P.S.  I recently saw a photo of Jo An who looks very different from her character in “First Love”.  Jo An is not bad looking, even though she is no great beauty, but she now looks Caucasian — weird!  Someone tells me cosmetic surgery is a continuous process, an obsession — once you start, you have to keep tinkering with this and that until even your mother can’t recognize you.

(Credit: MV by johyunjae.hk; photos from CarpeDiemJAPAN. Thanks!)

Another original work by Coffee who is going from strength to strength, this time inspired by Jo Hyun-Jae’s “First Love”.  Video and photos are all her creations.

JHJ’s Han Young-Woo is everybody’s favourite, even though the drama itself may not be.  JHJ looks very fresh and youthful in “First Love”, especially since he is responsible for his own wardrobe (as he reveals in an interview.)  (Please see our Feb.27, 2010 post “Man of style” under Category “JHJ interview”.) 

(Credit: Coffee of johyunjae.hk. Thanks!)

I must confess I have not watched the entire drama, only the Jo Hyun-Jae parts in “First Love”.  I know what the story is about, which is why I don’t want to view it in its entirety.

Practically my whole working life is spent in an academic environment.  People outside of the “ivory tower” have no idea of the intricacies and intrigues in such a rarefied atmosphere.  One of the things that is not uncommon is a romantic relationship between a professor/lecturer and a student, more often than not, between a male professor and a female student.  Sometimes it’s the professor abusing his position of authority, but if you think the student is always a victim, you are gravely mistaken.  I’ve seen a 20-something girl seducing her professor — and succeeding in breaking up a marriage.

Call me old-fashioned, but I do not like to see a married professor committing adultery with his student. (one of the reasons I do not want to watch the whole of “First Love”.)   And it makes me very mad that the girl (Oh Hee-Soo played by Jo An) only has eyes for the professor (played by Shin Sung Woo) and does not seem to be aware of the existence of our JHJ (as Han Young-Woo.)  She simply takes him for granted.  This is an old Korean drama (SBS 2003), so why doesn’t it follow the traditional format?  I mean it usually starts with the characters as children, and if A and B are a pair, then there is no chance at all for whoever comes into their lives later as adults.  Why is it the girl here treats Young-Woo as her younger brother? (even though she does look older.) She has eyes but she doesn’t see.

“First Love” opens and ends with JHJ’s Han Young-Woo.  JHJ with a camera around his neck looks very dashing as a photographer.  I like the way JHJ looks in “First Love” — his tousled hair, his casual clothes, his youthfulness, his freshness.  Another young man, but a very different young man from Andrea in “Love Letter”.  JHJ’s Andrea is a classic — no one else can play Andrea so movingly, so convincingly, and oh! so sweetly.  And this is the first time he plays the lead in a drama.

Han Young-Woo in “First Love” is no less sweet, no less tender, but he is more grounded.  He tries to pursue his goal; he chases after his childhood sweetheart.  But she never takes him seriously and considers him her kid brother.  Instead, she falls for her married professor.  I find the tangled business tedious, even sordid.  I have no sympathy for this kind of extra-marital relationship (having seen too much of it in real life.)  And his wife isn’t at all bad either, in fact, too good for him.

However good Young-Woo is to her, Hee-Soo has no place in her heart for him.  Somehow Young-Woo’s attitude to Hee-Soo brings to mind a novella I read many years ago — Somerset Maugham’s “Of Human Bondage “.  The protagonist is obsessed with a girl and would do anything for her, however badly she behaves to him.  Young-Woo is fixated on Hee-Soo, however she treats him.

Some viewers see the ending of “First Love” as hopeful and heart-warming.  It is implied that Young-Woo will wait patiently for Hee-Soo to get over her dead lover, and he has accepted her child.  I don’t like it at all.  Hee-Soo has wasted Young-Woo’s early life; she will squander the best years of his life.  There’s a whole forest out there, kid!  Don’t bind yourself to one tree.

Five years later, JHJ is doing it again! — in “3 Dads/1 Mom”.  Korean scriptwriters must think men love women with other men’s children.  I think Soo-Hyun is wasting his time with Na-Young.  What’s wrong with the rich girl?  She’s younger, prettier, richer, better educated, and she loves him!  What more can a man want?

I don’t like the casting in “First Love”.  Whose first love?  The girl’s?  She can’t carry the drama.  Jo An (who plays Hee-Soo) has no charisma.  Young-Woo’s?  Then why is JHJ the #2 male actor?  I don’t think there is any chemistry between JHJ and Jo An.  JHJ’s youthfulness makes her look maternal.  Worse still, she looks…….common.  All JHJ’s co-stars hit the big time after working with him, except this one, and there’s a reason for it.

“First Love” is made after “Love Letter”, even though both are released in 2003.  Why does JHJ have to play a supporting role in “First Love” when he is already the lead in “Love Letter”?  Maybe he committed to this project before he made it big in “Love Letter”.  In any case, whoever has the misfortune to play lead male to JHJ is asking for trouble.  Just consider the case of Rye Seung Bum who is totally eclipsed in  “Sunshine”.

I’m satiated with Korean drama — they follow more or less the same formula.  The actors change, it is true, but it is like playing musical chairs.  The actors who play the parents are always the same “old” people (“old” in the sense of  “same”, not  “aged”, because the women especially refuse to look “old”.)  The last time I watch a non-JHJ drama which has something new is “My name is Kim Sam Soon”.

No, “First Love” is not my first love.  Except for JHJ, everything in it is tired and tedious.  Even the title — why does it have to have the same title as Bae Yong-Jun’s drama?  When I asked for “First Love”, I was given Bae’s drama, which was why I had to watch 4 dreadful episodes before concluding I’ve been taken for a ride (and it’s very long, so it’s expensive!)  I did check before I bought it; I didn’t see JHJ’s name, but I didn’t see his name on “Great Ambition” (Dae Mang) either.  If Korean scriptwriters don’t come up with something new, I’ll have to re-watch JHJ’s dramas over and over again, at least until he resumes his acting career after June 2010.

(Here are some NG scenes from “First Love” — for your amusement.)

(Credit for B & W photo: http://blog.naver.com and for video: EVERjohyunjae.  Thanks!)

(Guess what my first love is.)

I’ve read that some fans don’t like “First Love” very much because of its plot. The Jo Hyun-Jae character, Han Young Woo, is a young man who falls in love with a girl, Oh Hee Soo, who grows up with him. The girl, however, loves their professor, Shin Sung Woo,  who has married a woman he does not love.  Han Young Woo is not a winner in love, though the end of the drama hints that they might be together again, which I find hardly persuasive. The heroine is too blind to see such a good love beside her, and her choice is so incomprehensible. But let’s forget the disappointing plot and appreciate our JHJ’s brilliant performance in “First Love”.

The beginning of the drama is also the first appearance of  the JHJ character Han Young Woo who has just come back from abroad and run into his first love Oh Hee Soo in the subway. The close-up shot of Han Young Woois breathtakingly handsome. The gently wavy hair, fair-skinned face, straight nose, big and deep eyes, and gracefully curved mouth make him like a prince who has just walked out from some European fairy tale. When he accidentally sees his long-lost-contact first love rushing into the subway, his eyes flash with surprise, doubt, and joy. Then, immediately, he jumps into the subway too. Seeing Oh Hee Soo sitting there, Young Woo hesitates for a second, and then decides to go to her. When he reaches her, he does not know how to say hello to her. Fortunately, when the passenger sitting next to Hee Soo stands up to disembark, she looks up and sees Young Woo.

She cries out “Young Woo!” “Yeah!” the young man answers happily. Then they start to chat. It seems to me that Hee Soo does all the talking and Young Woo only answers “yeah” while looking at her all the time with a heart full of love and joy.

Then there is a flashback. Holding a camera in his hands, Young Woo is waiting for Hee Soo on campus. Set against the blurred green background,  what appears on the screen is a handsome boy full of hope for love. This long-distance shot is the favorite of many fans. The beauty of Young Woo is different from that of Andrea in “Love Letter”.  Andrea is like an angel, holy and pure. Young Woo is like spring breeze, fresh and vigorous. Who wouldn’t love to see such a delicate beauty? Then during their conversation, Hee Soo says she has met a handsome man in the classroom. Young Woo blurts out: “Can he be handsomer than me?!” So cute the way he expresses his jealousy!

Though Hee Soo falls in love with someone else, Young Woo’s love affair is not all that miserable. In fact there are a lot of sweet scenes which I enjoy watching very much. Take a few  examples. When Young Woo accompanies Hee Soo back to the dorm, on the way they talk and laugh as if they were sweet lovers. Hee Soo even leans against Young Woo’s shoulder while laughing.  Young Woo’s face looks so joyful, as if he is on top of the world.

In another scene on a sunny day, Hee Soo is sitting on the grass and Young Woo is lying on the grass with his head resting Hee Soo’s thigh. That’s definitely a position only lovers would indulge in. Young Woo seems contented and the two look very harmonious. Who wouldn’t be jealous of their carefree love?

Also I remember the scene when it is raining hard and Young Woo cannot see Hee Soo in the classroom. He looks around, much worried. Then the girl appears. All of a sudden, a radiant smile breaks out on his face, like a flower blossoming. Familiar, isn’t it? Yeah, JHJ’s signature smile. I love it. Very enchanting!

This is something  that our JHJ makes “First Love” special. The loser in love does not seem miserable. On the contrary, he brings pleasure to the audience and makes them recall memories of sweet young love.

Though tacit most of the time, Young Woo’s love is by no means timid. Waiting for Hee Soo at her dorm, Young Hee sees their professor drive Hee Soo home, and is shocked to witness Hee Soo hugging the professor before getting off the car! (Yes, she takes the initiative, not the professor.)  Pain, puzzlement, disappointment, and anger pour out of Young Woo’s eyes. He has to flee to avoid losing control of himself in front of Hee Soo, after answering her question of what he is doing there. ( What a fool she is!  Is Young Woo standing there watching the stars? Of course he is there waiting for HER!) Yet, when Young Woo meets the professor at the traffic light, he purposely refuses to say hello to him and rides his bicycle quickly past him. Without a single word, Young Woo expresses his attitude and position from the beginning. The meanings in those big beautiful eyes are powerful enough to make the man feel guilty. Ever since then, whenever he faces the professor, challenge and dissatisfaction show through his eyes which announce his love and firm will to defend his love.

Here comes one of my favorite scenes. The two young people share a room in a B&B. Gazing at Hee Soo who is asleep, Young Woo’s handsome face gets closer and closer to his lover’s face. Suddenly, she awakes and opens her eyes. After momentarily at a loss, he gives her a quick kiss on the lips. I didn’t expect that! I thought he would stand up and pretend nothing has happened. But he kisses her even though he is caught in the act! Isn’t that brave?

Another thing in “First Love” that impresses me is JHJ or Han Young Woo demonstrating a mischievous and childish side. He would deliberately pretend to be an awkward bicycle rider when he finds that passersby are laughing at him because of  the sign on his bicycle which reads “New driver. Be careful!”  which is actually made for Hee Soo who has only learnt to ride recently. He would also do meaningless things like breaking the professor’s works into pieces and damaging his car by scratching the surface with a knife in order to vent his anger and pain. These make Han Yonug Woo a far cry from  Andrea. However, Young Woo is as attractive as Andrea, just in different ways. JHJ has made both of them convincing and attractive. He has made the No.2 male character the No. 1 glamorous role in the whole drama. No wonder he won the 2003 SBS BEST NEW ACTOR award for his performance in “First Love”.