How To Survive a Drama Dry Spell
First let us ponder what an ‘idol’ is. With this I head to the dictionary which defines an idol as “a person or thing that is greatly admired, loved or revered." I regard idols as those who do a number of things, such as act, present and sing. It’s when they try to branch out that the trouble starts.
Idol dramas tend to give me the shivers. When a drama has selected an idol rather than a fully fledged actor/actress for their drama, it can go for the good or the bad. After watching my fair share of idol dramas I have compiled a stand out list of just a few performances under "the good," "the bad" and "the meh" from Korean, Japanese and Taiwanese dramas.
"The Good"
Matsumoto Jun
Step up Matsumoto Jun. His performance in Hana Yori Dango as the hot headed Domoji was what impressed me the most. His acting skills have been widely debated. He took the character Domoji and, rather than make him look like a stalking lunatic, he made us see Domoji differently, showing how the character's life experiences had made him this way. Some may say that he over acted in this drama, but Domoji needs that little bit of craziness. Then there are his solid performances in Gokusen and Kimi wa Petto which are nice to have in the bag. A quick count and I see he’s had 8 leading roles since HYD so it looks like he has impressed.
Eric Mun
Next is Eric Mun. I wish I could say I have seen more of this guy's dramas but I haven’t. I have seen him in Que Sera Sera and the mess that was Myung Wol The Spy. I first saw his acting chops in Que Sera Sera and wow, that dude can emote! The scene before ‘that’ ending for episode 9 where he is sat at the bar and the sheer emotion and self torment pouring out from Tae Joo definitely proved he could give a character depth. He especially didn't hold back. He was superb throughout the drama, which takes me onto the sole reason I persevered with Myung Wol The Spy. Talk about carrying a drama!
Sulli
The first lady on my list is Sulli from f(x). This was a tough one as she has been acting from a young age, but I think she is a viable member of my list as she is a member of idol group f(x). Her first big role was from this year’s hit and miss drama To The Beautiful You. I can’t say I loved the drama. On some occasions I had to pause the video and take a few deep breaths, however I think that for her first big lead role Sulli did incredibly well. Some found her character annoying and more naive than a 4 year old, but that was more the writing than Sulli herself. She managed to take a frustrating character and just about make her likable and cute. For that, I commend her.
Now onto the middle ground. These are the performances where I didn't really find something to put me on either side of the see-saw.
"The Meh"
Suzy
The first "Meh" on this list is Bae Suzy from girl group Miss A. Her performance in Dream High split my opinion. In some episodes her comic timing of the almost robotic personality that Hye-mi had was perfect. Some episodes she had me thinking maybe, it was a role that suited her well. In some episodes it was as if she had developed the emotional range of a rock. But credit where credit's due: I did come round to Hye-Mi towards the end of the series as she had added spunk to her character, and never gave up.
Siwon
Don’t get me wrong. I love Choi Siwon from Super Junior, but I’m not sold on Choi Siwon the actor. However I do believe this may be because the only drama of his I have seen was the weak and fluffy Oh! My Lady. To be honest the only person who stood out this drama at all was the adorable Ye Eun. So I have placed Siwon in my See-saw category as I have yet to see more of his acting. Who knows? When I finally get round to watching King of Dramas, which looks incredibly fun, he may finally make that jump.
Rainie Yang
My first Taiwanese idol to be featured is Rainie Yang. I have seen Rainie in many roles. All of these seem to take the same trajectory of girl meets boy, and the usual push and pull ensues until it turns into love. The one a little different is her character Jiang Xiaohua in Miss No Good where she goes out of her comfort zone to play a quirky character, but even then I think it’s just her hair. She does however always seem to have a good onscreen chemistry with her male leads and gives her characters a good sense of fun. I have not seen Wishing For Happiness which looks different from her previous roles, so watch this space.
Finally we have our not so ugly, but maybe a refresher in Acting 101 would be good.
"The Bad"
Kim Hyun Joong
Kim Hyun Joong had two good opportunities to impress with his acting, but unfortunately the characters were not roles he could really go to town on. Yoon Ji Hoo in Boys Over Flowers needed to be reserved, quietly quirky, and confident with an edge of humour, but his performance felt rather flat. You have a better chance of winning the lottery than seeing him crack more than a tiny smile. Sound familiar? Baek Seung Jo in Playful Kiss was pretty much identical but more harsh. I do think he improved but was still lacking that leading man "spark." However the coolness was what the character called for. So not to fan the type-cast flames, but he needs something different next.
Yonghwa
Jung Yong-hwa first appeared alongside the powerhouse that is Jang Geun Suk and the adorable Jeremy (played by Lee Hong Ki) so he had the bar set high for him in You’re Beautiful. I never really believed Yong-Hwa’s character had a chance against Hwang Tae Kyung in winning Go Mi Nam /Go Mi Nyu. Don’t get me wrong; he brought the pretty, however his character lacked second lead pull, that feeling that makes you want to jump off the OTP ship and embrace second lead syndrome. Shin Woo was so laid back about his feelings for Mi Nam/Mi Nyu that he was almost horizontal. He took the lead in Heartstrings as Lee Shin and showed some improvement, as Lee seemed to be more conflicted. Maybe he needs to take a role outside of his comfort zone to flex his acting chops.
Changmin
Choi Kang Chang Min (Max) in Paradise Farm. What can I say other than it was a bit of a car crash. It was Max’s first lead role and it didn't start well. The drama’s plot didn't help however. For a first attempt in lead role you would hope for a strong performance, not the weak and stiff attempt that it was. In Athena I preferred his portrayal of spy/prodigy Choi Tae Hyun but maybe it's because unlike in Paradise Farm, he wasn't carrying the already flagging drama after episode 1 on pure star power alone.
"Special Mention"
Rain and Ariel Lin
Rain and Ariel Lin are one of a kind. They are the two of the biggest and successful crossovers I know off. It couldn't be an idol list without them. Rain started in Sang Doo! Let’s Go to School, but his big break came in his fantastic portrayal of Lee Young-Jae as a stubborn but loyal idol in Full House. This drama blew up with very high ratings and is a staple to have in your Romantic Comedy drama list. He then followed it up with the strong performance in A love to Kill a year later.
To me It Started With A Kiss will always be Ariel’s first big role. Love Contract was before, but I think she started her run of strong acting after ISWAK with a character that could have been so easy to hate. Yuan Xiang Qin’s endless devotion pushed me to the brink, but Ariel managed to keep her from pushing me off the edge. She then went on to make some very good dramas, the stand out being In Time With You.
