It's not just about whether a role "suits" an actor. An actor's job is to make the audience believe that the role belongs to them, and that's exactly what Nam Jun is doing brilliantly here.
Of course, there are times when an actor doesn't deliver their best performance. Many factors can contribute to that. But when the same issue keeps repeating across projects, and fans constantly defend it by saying, "The role didn't suit them" or "It was a miscast," it starts sounding more like an excuse than a valid explanation.
An actor can be ineffective in one or two roles—that happens to everyone. But if they struggle in role after role, or keep playing similar characters with the same performance and image every time, that's a sign of limited versatility. At some point, the problem is no longer the role; it's the actor's inability to fully embody and elevate the character.
That's what separates a truly skilled actor from an average one.
Almost everyone in Korea sees her that way. She's very loved and respected as a celebrity there, and much of that…
Why wouldn't I reply to you? After reading your nonsensical takes, I've somehow grown attached to you. At this point, our crying baby clearly still has a lot to learn about how the world works. 🤪
Honestly, this is way too entertaining. The more nonsense you write, the more attached I get. So if you don't want to keep seeing me around, you'd better block me, because I don't think I'm going anywhere anytime soon. ❤️🤪
The way Heo Nam Jun talks about IU tells you everything about the level of respect and admiration she has in the…
Almost everyone in Korea sees her that way. She's very loved and respected as a celebrity there, and much of that comes from her music career. By all accounts, she is a genuinely nice person too. Her popularity and influence are undeniable.
That said, I don't think popularity should shield her acting from criticism. In PC, her performance was overly exaggerated, caricature-like, and below average. What's disappointing is that, after such a long acting career, she still seems to have a very limited range and often falls back on the same type of performance. At this stage of her career, I would expect more versatility and growth as an actress.
Considering the fees she reportedly commands for acting projects, I also think it's fair for viewers to expect a higher level of skill and consistency. When an actor is being paid at that level, it's reasonable to expect performances that justify that investment.
What a crime KYJ's performance didn't get her nominated for a Baeksang... I'm in shock
Don’t worry, she’ll probably get one at the Blue Dragon Series Awards. As for the Baeksang Arts Awards, they’ve always been pretty hit-or-miss with their choices. Sometimes they genuinely award the right actors, but other times they make really questionable decisions — like giving Best Actress (Film) to Moon Ga-young for Once We Were Us. She’s definitely a decent actress, and I’ve watched Once We Were Us, but that performance honestly didn’t feel winner-worthy at all. But that’s just how award shows can be sometimes.
That show is not even 20% of what this show is offering. The leads’ acting here clearly says, “we are actual…
I wish you had explained that more clearly in your comment😄.
Also wanted to say this- I remember watching a Korean video discussing PC and one Korean commenter said that foreigners really have no right to casually judge Korean audience reactions to a historical controversy that is so closely tied to Korean history and sentiments, not theirs. Honestly, I can understand that perspective because people outside Korea may not fully grasp the historical, emotional, and patriotic weight certain issues carry for Koreans themselves.
I also personally feel that if the situation escalated to the point where the main leads had to publicly apologize ( even if the apology was partly motivated by PR and image management) — then it clearly was not considered a minor issue domestically. At the same time, it was probably one of the smartest decisions their companies could have made, because the apology noticeably shifted much of the conversation from criticism to sympathy toward them, even to the extent of overshadowing a large part of the acting controversy associated with the leads, especially among international audiences.
As foreigners, I don’t think we can completely judge the intensity of the backlash when we probably do not fully understand the deeper historical sentiments connected to it.
As for My Royal Nemesis, since it seems to focus more on the personal lives and relationships of the three Joseon characters rather than the heavily political aspects of Joseon history, I personally do not think it will create that kind of controversy — but obviously we will have to see how the show progresses.
Prayers up that netizens do not give Royal Nemesis the Perfect Crown treatment. I am really enjoying the show
That show is not even 20% of what this show is offering. The leads’ acting here clearly says, “we are actual actors,” not people doing actor cosplay like the leads in PC. The writing is much better, the direction is stronger, and most importantly, the chemistry between the leads is genuinely full of sparks. In PC, it honestly felt like two people trying very hard to act in love rather than naturally making you believe it.
Netizens usually know when a story and its actors truly connect with the audience. I clearly remember WLGYT, My Mister, and IU’s performances in them receiving genuine praise and love simply because all of it was that good. The same goes for BWS in Lovely Runner — even if most people praised the character more than the acting itself, his performance there was still much better compared to how he acted in PC. It was netizens themselves who made him and Lovely Runner popular and successful overnight.
Even in PC itself, Gong Seung Yeon received a lot of love from netizens simply because her performance was genuinely good. That’s why I think the treatment actors and dramas receive from the general netizens depends mostly on how convincingly they showcase their work, not just on superficial hype.
As for hardcore fans and haters, they always exist at two extremes — either excessive love or excessive hate. But neither side can truly overshadow the opinion of the majority of general viewers and netizens.
At this point, it feels like many people are trying to paint PC as a victim of netizens’ opinions, when in reality, most viewers are simply pointing out flaws that genuinely exist in the drama.
FL is so underrated. i think shez the one carrying this drama. i simply luv her and her outrageous reactions.…
In MDL, I’ve noticed that a lot of actors and actresses get labeled as “underrated” simply because some viewers haven’t seen them in cheesy romance dramas. But in reality, many of these actors are already highly respected and in demand in their own countries.
At the end of the day, no matter how internationally popular you are, if people in your own country don’t care about you as an actor, your career usually won’t last long.
As for our FL, she is actually a very well-known actress in Korea. She’s not underrated even slightly, and almost everyone watching this drama — or even those who have watched her previous dramas — has always praised her acting performances. Just check the internet; the praise is everywhere and in every possible language. So I honestly don’t know where the idea that she’s underrated came from.
That said, she’s definitely not overrated either, unlike some others out there.
was her acting also criticized ?what people said about they chemistry ?(people doubts their chemistry before the…
The majority of people, including critics and the press, have criticised both the leads’ acting and their chemistry, along with the shallow writing and poor direction. In their home country, the criticism has been on a higher level, considering the budget and hype the drama came with — expectations were sky high, but unfortunately, it turned out to be a very mediocre drama. The one actor who was constantly praised for her acting was Gong Seung-yeon, both internationally and in South Korea.
Fans of the leads are doing their best to defend their acting skills everywhere by blaming everything on the writer and director, which no doubt had issues. But then you also have GSY in the same drama who proved her acting skills, even though her character was also not that well written. It really comes down to who put in the effort and who didn’t.
At the end of the day, it feels like some people are focusing more on visuals than performance — but if it’s just about aesthetics, then Instagram already exists. There’s no need to justify a ₩30 billion production on that basis alone. Standards for K-drama acting are really going downhill day by day.
But let’s see if these lead actors redeem themselves in their upcoming projects and don’t rely only on visual aesthetics to carry themselves, especially the male lead cuz in this drama acting wise he was the weakest link.
I’m genuinely baffled by these casting choices. Moon Ga-young has noticeably declined as an actor since *Tempted*. I still don’t know where all the potential she showed back then went, because now she feels more like a commercial model posing in front of the camera rather than actually inhabiting her characters. She can’t rely on striking poses and pretty shots for a character like SuA, IYKYK.
Choi Woo-shik is completely miscast as Ui-hyeon. Anyone who has read the manhwa will immediately understand why this just doesn’t work.
And Haesu—my boy 🥹—arguably the most layered and complex character in the entire story, reduced to casting that lacks the experience and gravitas the role demands.
As if that weren’t enough, compressing this story into just 12 episodes (assuming that’s the final call) feels almost disrespectful to the source material. This narrative clearly needs at least 16–20 episodes to breathe and land properly.
Overall, the production decisions are not just questionable—they’re genuinely mind-boggling.
He may not be a “pretty boy” or have the idol look but I think he has a very handsome and appealing face.
The so-called idol look / “pretty boys” are mass-produced in Korea—same hairstyles, same styling, overly white-washed visuals, extremely edited photoshoots, no uniqueness whatsoever. Most of them look alike and can barely act.
ABY, on the other hand, is one of those rare male actors in Korea—especially in the drama world—who embraces his age and natural features. He stands out because his looks are natural, distinctive, and globally appealing. His proportions are chef’s kiss 😍. And most importantly, he can actually act—he doesn’t rely just on surface-level appeal, unlike others.
Btw, you must have watched lovely runner with your eyes closed. You all this exaggerated acting is pure acting.…
Are you done? After calling everyone else wrong for questioning his acting skills — even though everyone stated their views as personal opinions — your responses got way too personal, exaggerated, and honestly show how obsessed you are with him. I get it: you’re head over heels, blind in love, totally worshipping him — fine, do your thing. But whether you like it or not, I’ll say it again and again — he is a below-average actor, and his co-stars (most of the previous ones) are the ones who actually carried him. If his acting is 30 percent of the show, his co-stars are pulling 70 percent.
IU will probably be doing the same in this drama; the acting load will mostly fall on her. There’s a very solid reason he was paired with a good actor like IU— even though I have my issues with her sticking to the same genres, she is still 100 times better actor than him and can fill the gaps in his skills, just like his other co-stars did.
Blind fans like you are exactly why so many K-drama actors never improve. Lee Min-ho, Cha Eun-woo, BWS, etc. — they all fall into the same “famous but under-skilled” category.
And let me make this crystal clear — BWS became famous after "LR", but it was never because of his acting skills. It was for other obvious reasons (apparently women in the audience love raising men on pedestals, even the ones who don’t deserve it (btw, there are plenty of them); I wish they would show that same energy toward female actors as well 😔).
And just because someone points out his lack of skill doesn’t mean they hate him — it means they’re neutral and practical. I have no time to hate on him or anyone in general, so get off your high horse.
I’m done arguing with you. From your tone and language, it’s clear you have no idea what a truly skilled and a well-rounded actor is — so live in your hypothetical world, good for you.
Finally, make sure you read this and get agitated again 😛, because I’m planning to block you after that only — or, you can be free to block me first.✌️
Looking at the trailer:-FL asks for ML's help-ML says no at first but agrees later on-ML, FL and SML work together…
I don’t think she’ll have a crush on SML. This is a Hong Sisters drama, and their storytelling is usually very straightforward when it comes to romance. Second leads are there to create moments of tension or emotional contrast, but the core love story is never in doubt. From the very beginning, it’s clear that the main leads are emotionally locked in with each other, and that dynamic doesn’t really waver
I would like to share my opinion too, his acting in strong girl nam soon is really strong, in fact the best than…
I’ve watched Strong Girl Nam-soon as well and sorry to say this but his performance was one of the weakest villain/antagonist performances I’ve ever seen in K-drama land. If that counts as “strong” then I’m not sure where our standards for acting are going.
The intensity, grit, and underlying tension that usually define a strong antagonist felt lacking and never really showed in his screen presence or acting. I agree that the drama in general did not have much substance and was all over the place, but his character was the only one that was written relatively well compared to the others. That’s why I was expecting a stronger and better character portrayal—something he didn’t deliver.
And this is just not me most of the general audience and even critics have pointed that out.
If a lot of people like you in a drama, it's obviously not just because of your looks; people must have liked…
Sorry, this one is a little long.
I never talked about *Lovely Runner* or its success—that was never the point. The statement was simple: BWS fits certain types of characters and is limited as an actor. As you said, he perfectly fits *20th Century Girl* and *Lovely Runner*. He shines in roles where he plays the “perfect guy—the green flag” type, an image women admire, which is why it works so well.
Fitting a role means the casting was right—not that the actor elevated it, at least in those two cases. I also firmly believe Sunjae’s and Woon-ho's characters resonated with the audience roughly 70% due to writing and story structure, and 30% due to BWS’s acting.
Lastly, I’m not saying he’s bad; he just shines brightest when he has a strong team around him—good writing, talented co-actors, and solid production all help elevate his performance. That’s a limitation, not an insult—and it’s fair to point out without turning it into blind praise.
(P.S- please don't say all actors need those things cuz there are plenty of actors around the world who have made their name without that kind of support, 80 percent based on their skills✌️).
1
Of course, there are times when an actor doesn't deliver their best performance. Many factors can contribute to that. But when the same issue keeps repeating across projects, and fans constantly defend it by saying, "The role didn't suit them" or "It was a miscast," it starts sounding more like an excuse than a valid explanation.
An actor can be ineffective in one or two roles—that happens to everyone. But if they struggle in role after role, or keep playing similar characters with the same performance and image every time, that's a sign of limited versatility. At some point, the problem is no longer the role; it's the actor's inability to fully embody and elevate the character.
That's what separates a truly skilled actor from an average one.
I mean praying to God and all. 😘😘😘❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Honestly, this is way too entertaining. The more nonsense you write, the more attached I get. So if you don't want to keep seeing me around, you'd better block me, because I don't think I'm going anywhere anytime soon. ❤️🤪
That said, I don't think popularity should shield her acting from criticism. In PC, her performance was overly exaggerated, caricature-like, and below average. What's disappointing is that, after such a long acting career, she still seems to have a very limited range and often falls back on the same type of performance. At this stage of her career, I would expect more versatility and growth as an actress.
Considering the fees she reportedly commands for acting projects, I also think it's fair for viewers to expect a higher level of skill and consistency. When an actor is being paid at that level, it's reasonable to expect performances that justify that investment.
Also wanted to say this- I remember watching a Korean video discussing PC and one Korean commenter said that foreigners really have no right to casually judge Korean audience reactions to a historical controversy that is so closely tied to Korean history and sentiments, not theirs. Honestly, I can understand that perspective because people outside Korea may not fully grasp the historical, emotional, and patriotic weight certain issues carry for Koreans themselves.
I also personally feel that if the situation escalated to the point where the main leads had to publicly apologize ( even if the apology was partly motivated by PR and image management) — then it clearly was not considered a minor issue domestically. At the same time, it was probably one of the smartest decisions their companies could have made, because the apology noticeably shifted much of the conversation from criticism to sympathy toward them, even to the extent of overshadowing a large part of the acting controversy associated with the leads, especially among international audiences.
As foreigners, I don’t think we can completely judge the intensity of the backlash when we probably do not fully understand the deeper historical sentiments connected to it.
As for My Royal Nemesis, since it seems to focus more on the personal lives and relationships of the three Joseon characters rather than the heavily political aspects of Joseon history, I personally do not think it will create that kind of controversy — but obviously we will have to see how the show progresses.
Netizens usually know when a story and its actors truly connect with the audience. I clearly remember WLGYT, My Mister, and IU’s performances in them receiving genuine praise and love simply because all of it was that good. The same goes for BWS in Lovely Runner — even if most people praised the character more than the acting itself, his performance there was still much better compared to how he acted in PC. It was netizens themselves who made him and Lovely Runner popular and successful overnight.
Even in PC itself, Gong Seung Yeon received a lot of love from netizens simply because her performance was genuinely good. That’s why I think the treatment actors and dramas receive from the general netizens depends mostly on how convincingly they showcase their work, not just on superficial hype.
As for hardcore fans and haters, they always exist at two extremes — either excessive love or excessive hate. But neither side can truly overshadow the opinion of the majority of general viewers and netizens.
At this point, it feels like many people are trying to paint PC as a victim of netizens’ opinions, when in reality, most viewers are simply pointing out flaws that genuinely exist in the drama.
At the end of the day, no matter how internationally popular you are, if people in your own country don’t care about you as an actor, your career usually won’t last long.
As for our FL, she is actually a very well-known actress in Korea. She’s not underrated even slightly, and almost everyone watching this drama — or even those who have watched her previous dramas — has always praised her acting performances. Just check the internet; the praise is everywhere and in every possible language. So I honestly don’t know where the idea that she’s underrated came from.
That said, she’s definitely not overrated either, unlike some others out
there.
Fans of the leads are doing their best to defend their acting skills everywhere by blaming everything on the writer and director, which no doubt had issues. But then you also have GSY in the same drama who proved her acting skills, even though her character was also not that well written. It really comes down to who put in the effort and who didn’t.
At the end of the day, it feels like some people are focusing more on visuals than performance — but if it’s just about aesthetics, then Instagram already exists. There’s no need to justify a ₩30 billion production on that basis alone. Standards for K-drama acting are really going downhill day by day.
But let’s see if these lead actors redeem themselves in their upcoming projects and don’t rely only on visual aesthetics to carry themselves, especially the male lead cuz in this drama acting wise he was the weakest link.
Moon Ga-young has noticeably declined as an actor since *Tempted*. I still don’t know where all the potential she showed back then went, because now she feels more like a commercial model posing in front of the camera rather than actually inhabiting her characters. She can’t rely on striking poses and pretty shots for a character like SuA, IYKYK.
Choi Woo-shik is completely miscast as Ui-hyeon. Anyone who has read the manhwa will immediately understand why this just doesn’t work.
And Haesu—my boy 🥹—arguably the most layered and complex character in the entire story, reduced to casting that lacks the experience and gravitas the role demands.
As if that weren’t enough, compressing this story into just 12 episodes (assuming that’s the final call) feels almost disrespectful to the source material. This narrative clearly needs at least 16–20 episodes to breathe and land properly.
Overall, the production decisions are not just questionable—they’re genuinely mind-boggling.
ABY, on the other hand, is one of those rare male actors in Korea—especially in the drama world—who embraces his age and natural features. He stands out because his looks are natural, distinctive, and globally appealing. His proportions are chef’s kiss 😍. And most importantly, he can actually act—he doesn’t rely just on surface-level appeal, unlike others.
IU will probably be doing the same in this drama; the acting load will mostly fall on her. There’s a very solid reason he was paired with a good actor like IU— even though I have my issues with her sticking to the same genres, she is still 100 times better actor than him and can fill the gaps in his skills, just like his other co-stars did.
Blind fans like you are exactly why so many K-drama actors never improve. Lee Min-ho, Cha Eun-woo, BWS, etc. — they all fall into the same “famous but under-skilled” category.
And let me make this crystal clear — BWS became famous after "LR", but it was never because of his acting skills. It was for other obvious reasons (apparently women in the audience love raising men on pedestals, even the ones who don’t deserve it (btw, there are plenty of them); I wish they would show that same energy toward female actors as well 😔).
And just because someone points out his lack of skill doesn’t mean they hate him — it means they’re neutral and practical. I have no time to hate on him or anyone in general, so get off your high horse.
I’m done arguing with you. From your tone and language, it’s clear you have no idea what a truly skilled and a well-rounded actor is — so live in your hypothetical world, good for you.
Finally, make sure you read this and get agitated again 😛, because I’m planning to block you after that only — or, you can be free to block me first.✌️
The intensity, grit, and underlying tension that usually define a strong antagonist felt lacking and never really showed in his screen presence or acting. I agree that the drama in general did not have much substance and was all over the place, but his character was the only one that was written relatively well compared to the others. That’s why I was expecting a stronger and better character portrayal—something he didn’t deliver.
And this is just not me most of the general audience and even critics have pointed that out.
I never talked about *Lovely Runner* or its success—that was never the point. The statement was simple: BWS fits certain types of characters and is limited as an actor. As you said, he perfectly fits *20th Century Girl* and *Lovely Runner*. He shines in roles where he plays the “perfect guy—the green flag” type, an image women admire, which is why it works so well.
Fitting a role means the casting was right—not that the actor elevated it, at least in those two cases. I also firmly believe Sunjae’s and Woon-ho's characters resonated with the audience roughly 70% due to writing and story structure, and 30% due to BWS’s acting.
Lastly, I’m not saying he’s bad; he just shines brightest when he has a strong team around him—good writing, talented co-actors, and solid production all help elevate his performance. That’s a limitation, not an insult—and it’s fair to point out without turning it into blind praise.
(P.S- please don't say all actors need those things cuz there are plenty of actors around the world who have made their name without that kind of support, 80 percent based on their skills✌️).