The other night, while having Korean dinner with a group of very nice chingus, our topic of K dramas and actors somehow turned to reasons why we don’t watch certain dramas, even though the reviews may have been good.
Of course some of the more common reasons would be a)we can’t stand the actor/ actress, b)>we don’t like the storyline, c)we hate the ending etc.
For me, one of the reason why a drama may put me off would be bad hair. I kid you not.
Jo Hyun Jae in ‘Only You’ is a very strong case in point. I’ve heard the drama isn’t too bad and I do like Jo Hyun Jae.. but.. but…aigoo.. the hair…the hair. It’s no wonder that the disc is still languishing in my cupboard somewhere.
Jo Hyun Jae- ‘Only You’Most guys do not look good with wavy hair, worse still if they’re permed way too wavy. I call them the ajuma hairstyle.
These actors have hairstylists to pamper them and create that look that will make women like us go weak-in-the-knees and oooh-in-the-mouth. But when I look at them in these dramas, I get a-pain-in-the-head and urgh-in-the-mouth instead.
Lee Wan- ‘Let’s Go to the Beach’OK, maybe Lee Wan’s hairstyle isn’t that bad but when he stands next to the sharp-looking Jun Jin…there just isn’t any fight. And all I want to do is to grab a pair of scissors and trim off the wavy bits.
Cha Tae Hyun- ‘I Came in Search of Flower’I’m not sure, maybe Cha Tae Hyun’s character in this drama requires him to look a little nerdy but does it have to be that nerdy? It makes his already roundish face even rounder. Sigh.. Now don’t get me wrong. I’ve glanced through a couple of episodes and it’s actually rather interesting. (Shirley from soompi will tell you that it’s a great drama). And it’s definitely not a reflection on his acting. But it’s kind of difficult to start a drama when the actor doesn’t get you hyperventilating. (hey! I’m shallow…I admit).
Lee Jun Jin- ‘9 End 2 Outs’This is a wavy-spiky combination hairstyle and I’m afraid the 2-in-1 formula just doesn’t work. Really. The drama though, I’ve heard, is rather funny…but err…neither the actor nor the actress are inspiring to me and his hairstyle has pushed the ‘must watch’ factor further down the list…so it will have to wait.
Jae Hee- ‘Witch Yoo Hee’I fell in love with him watching
‘3-Iron’ and I fell out of love watching
‘Witch Yoo Hee’… What on earth was the hairstylist thinking of?
Ji Hyun Woo- ‘Merry Daegu Attack Defense Battle’Now I know this drama is supposed to be silly (actually the storyline is silly…and I don’t mean in a ha-ha kind of silly) and his character nutty..but why, oh why…this ‘bombed’ hair style?
So Ji Sub- ‘I’m Sorry I Love You’Now before all the So Ji Sub fans kill me…I will say that he’s one great actor and he looks really good in the later part of the drama. It’s just the beginning part when he was in Australia with the Afro hairstyle that was just so-not-becoming. But I guess the hairstyle does suit the character so I can’t really complain. Actually. I can…and I just did…hehehe!
What’s just as bad as wavy, permed ajuma hairstyle? Slicked, combed-back, gelled hair. Every time I see such a hairstyle, I think of slimy salesmen.
Jang Dong Gun- ‘All About Eve’
Lee Byung Hun- ‘Beautiful Days’Two of my favourite classic dramas and as I’ve mentioned on my earlier post, Lee Byung Hun was to die for with his unbuttoned shirt, tinted hair and that air of arrogance. But his hair went downhill (or should it be uphill?) after he got married to Choi Ji Woo in the drama (was the PD trying to tell us something?)
And Jang Dong Gun was ultra cute in the first few episodes before he became the boss of the TV station and started looking ajusshi. By the way, when I was glancing through the drama earlier…gosh…Chae Rim and Kim Jun Eun could not have looked more different from their recent appearances in ‘Dalja’s Spring‘ and ‘Lovers’.
Lee Jun Ki- ‘Time of Dog & Wolf’Wendy said that “at least Joon Gi wears ear-rings” when I complained about the slicked, gelled, combed back hairstyle. I must admit, it made him look less like a salesman but I still hate it. Luckily I was only tortured with this look for about 3 episodes before the hairstylist realised her error. And oh..if you have yet to start watching his drama, you really should start.
Thankfully, Bae Yong Joon’s hairstyle has never caused me to have heart attack so far….except one time.
Bae Yong Joon- ‘April Snow’ Korea premiereWhy?
And please, before you people start pelting me with bad eggs and tomatoes for talking bad about your favourite actor, let me just say once again that there is nothing wrong with their acting and more often than not, they look absolutely droolicious.
I guess occasionally, even actors have bad hair days like us. hehe!
A little bit about Jang Hyuk dancing in Singapore
There hasn’t been much news about him. I heard it was mainly indoor filming these 2 weeks, though someone did managed to catch him filming at Mount Faber.
On Sunday, I got a call from my chingu about their filming site and I was curious enough to go down and kaypoh abit. Even though I know there wouldn’t be much chance to see him as it was indoor filming. This friend managed to see him arrived by car before disappearing. And this same friend also managed to see him in the gym the other day. But that’s another story in my next post. ^^
Where were they filming? hehe! Inside one of Singapore’s historical building- the Old Supreme Court.
What was Jang Hyuk doing inside? hehe! Dancing away.
This week there should be more outdoor filiming…so everyone, do keep your eyes open. ^^
i always visit ur blog but kinddda shy 2 leave a comment :p…
ahgh! me 2 i hate that hair of YJ! 🙁
but u know, i saw a side view picture in that event and it was really really really nice.
what do u think her sylist was thinking when he made that!?!?!?!?
and me 2 i didnt fancy that hair stlye of sjs
mymy
Hi Tiff,
Oh, I thought the hair style of So Ji sup was great. Well, I don’t talk about Cha, he’s not good looking and not my taste anyway.
I think Singaporeans are more conservative to Men’s hair style. ^^
In the street and on TV almost every guys have same hair style in Singapore, no hair gel, no perm, no dye.
I like men with curly hair, sleek come-back, quirky hair style like sky blue colored hair. haha.
And I love men with earing in suit. so cool~!
Korean guys put more effort to their appreance than Singaporean guys, maybe that’s why Korean do make mistakes more haha.
Anyway the one thing is for sure, even in bad hair they are so gorgeous, sigh.
ps. Can I meet you someday, before I go back to Korea? I really want to . ^^
hehe! mymy….so you’re a silent visitor. Yes, from certain angle, BYJ looks ok in that hairstyle.. but it is still not my favourite.
Hi Han..
I like SJS’s look in Misa..but only in the later part of the drama..when he’s back in Korea. Don’t really like Afro hairstyle lah.
I like wavy hair but I cannot stand over-permed hair. And guys with earrings can look cool but they must be able to carry it off or they will end up looking err…off. Lee Jun Ki looks cool and Shin Sung Ruk looks cool with earrings in Heyna.
I do agree though, the Korean guys are more adventurous. haha! I think SG guys will be so heart broken to hear this. But then, even the Korean women dressed up more than SG women. ^^
Yes, yes…we must meet up before you go back Korea. When are you leaving? I’ll drop you a line in the next few days.
Hi Tiffany,
Yes, I agree with you. Jo Hyun Jae does not look good with this hair style, but he’s still cute though. I have to watch “Love Letters” of him.
I’ve just finished “Memories of the beautiful days”, Mr. LBH is quite charming, but he does not attract me that much, may be because of too much unnecessary cryings of CJW. That really turned me off. Now I understand a lot of my friends don’t like CJW, for me she is terrible in this drama. She was so perfect in WS, I love her in WS. But when I watched “Stairway to Heaven” I cannot stand it and did not watch it anymore after 4 episodes. But at that time, I thought because of those 2 awful actors (especially her brother) and terrible sister of her, she even looked like them to me. But I’m afraid I have to agree with my friends, she looked and acted awful in Beautiful Days.
For Mr. LBH, he’s OK, may be because of his hairstyle. Both hairstyles are not to my taste. especially the highlight and too much hair on the face. Hee .. now you can tell, how old fashioned ajuma I am. Sounds like SG men are my type of men ^^
“I’m sorry I love you” is my first encounter with SJS, and my first impression on him with that Afro hairstyle … almost made me stop watching it. But the little actress is so cute, that’s why I kept on watching and I like him on later episodes. Now he is my 3rd. favorite K actor.
And here comes my BIGGEST FEAR, which haunted me lately …..
I heard that YJ likes “Prison Break” very much. And now I’ve been hearing his next drama he will be a government agent like “Jack Bouer of 24” my one and only favorite american TV show.
And it’s been quite a while YJ has long hair, I’m sure he is tired of his long hair. So he might choose to be like the character from his favorite show (Prison Break) and shave his hair like him to act in that drama.
This is my biggest fear. My world will fall apart if he changes his hairstyle like that.
The first thing which caught my eyes is his long hair in WS.
That hair style of the main lead in Prison Break might be today’s fashion, but that’s the one hairstyle I cannot stand/tolerate AT ALL.
I am praying very very hard that YJ will style his hair like in AS.
Please forgive my long comment.
Yee… CJW wasn’t that bad in BD… I could still stand her maybe because of LBH. ^^
In SWTH…sigh…all that wailing… Btw, that step sister you hated so much? She became well known after that with the drama, Love Story in Harvard with Kim rae Won. Kim Tae Hee was ok in that drama.
SJS had absolutely no effect on me other than the fact I rather enjoyed MISA. And yes, I like Im So Jong alot too.
As for BYJ, if he does do something like Prison Break, I don’t think he will shave his hair lah. It may be similar to a image to his once abandoned drama, SWAT.
Mind you. my husband shaves his head and I think he looks cool.
So maybe BYJ could look cool too? haha!
Oops .. I am so sorry if I offend you and your hubby =.=
Please Forgive this old fashioned/out of date ajuma with big mouth.
When I saw that bad hair day subject, I just jumped in with my fear, which been haunting me lately without thinking anything. Please disregard my 2 cents, OK ??
Actually shaved hairstyle is today’s fashion, a lot of people like it.
Haha! Yee…don’t worry…you didn’t offend me at all.
Hubby just gave decided that it’s better to shave his head than to have a few strands of hair sticking out. It took me awhile to get used to it as well but I’m now used to it and think he looks cool.
Poor Yee…you’re going to be holding your breath until he decides what he’s going to do with his hair, aren’t you? ^^
Relax…if it will does happen…I’m afraid there won’t be much we can do about it. : )
actually i didn’t think that ‘egg tart’ hairdo of YJ was all that bad… in fact, i thought it was better than that ajumma hairstyle he sported for a looooong time during the image days :p
… hehe, me like SJS in almost any hairstyle! funny… coz alot of the hairdstyles that he’s sported, i really wouldn’t like on any other men… but SJS has got a ‘character’ face, so he can carry off alot of looks, weird or otherwise. i’ve always thought he’s the ugly-beautiful type… if you know what i mean, and i meant that in a good way 🙂
…. gotta agree with tiff here, i absolutely love LBH in BD! and i didn’t think CJW was all that bad in there… she was far worse in STTH, or maybe i’d gotten tired of all the crying by then since i’d watched BD first :p
yee… don’t worry la, you didn’t say anything offensive at all. we’re all entitled to our opinions and your choice of words was not even offensive or all that negative. am sure tiff wouldn’t mind you sharing your honest-est feelings here.
p.s. mmm… i’ve met tiff’s hubby, and he does look cool! and i’d bet he feels cooler too, what with the sweltering weather we have here!
and… me too don’t think wuri yong joon would do a prison break on us :p
Thank you girls. You are sooooo nice.
huh? prison break hair? no pls! no!!!!!!!!!!
*MYMY PRAYING*
bb…I agree…if an actor has a ‘character’ face, he can carry off any hairstyle. I think also something to do with confidence.
But SJS still has no effect on me…zilch… strange isn’t it? I know of many BYJ fans who are also fans of SJS. ^^
I’ll be glad when I finally see TWSSG, never mind what he is going to do next.
haha! Looks like the thought of BYJ shaving his head is making everyone really nervous.
Hi Tiffany
I agree totally with the HAIR thing. The only reason I put off watching korean dramas until much, much later when I finally watched Stairways to Heaven was the strange hairstyles of the male leads. Did you notice that the actor in “Only You” had many tight close-ups showing only his forehead but not the whole head? I guess the director probably also realised, but alas too late, of the strange hairdo and thus had to resort to using some filming techniques to minimise the “damage”. If not for Kwang Sang Woo’s passable hairstyle in Stairways I would not have started on k-dramas. The male-leads of K dramas in the late 90s, which I happened to catch glimpses of in passing, nearly all have strange fringes.
Strange isn’t it?
Regards
xing-xing
hi xing xing
I actually didn’t really care too much for KSW’s hairstyle in SWTH. It was passable. I like BYJ’s hairstyle as Joon Sang more then his character as Ming Hyeong. ^^
But you are right, I think they tend to become more adventurous nowdays, and experiement more with different styles. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s just that there’s bound to be some disasters when they try something different.