a pretty man is a little predictable. He says he does not want to be bound to a specific character type. And yet he has played a pretty man before, in "You're Beautiful," "Mary Stayed Out All Night," and "Love Rain." What's different about his "Pretty Man" character? "Many people the character matches me perfectly, and I think so too," said Jang Geun Suk. "But, since I have to put on ten different characters meeting ten different women, the acting isn't exactly easy. I'm not afraid of failure. But I'm not obsessed with the thought that I have to make the drama succeed, either. If I was, I'd stay holed up in my house all the time." In the past he has said that he wants to try playing a darker, character perhaps a vampire or a murderer, but when he read the comic book that the drama is based on, it seemed like a challenge and he thought the role would be fun. He also wanted to appeal to his Korean fan base. "As I've become more popular around Asia, it's gotten harder to choose pieces," said Jang. "While just doing concerts and performances in other countries, I thought I might be forgotten in Korea, so I decided on 'Pretty Man.'" He still wants to play different characters and confirm his position as a genuine actor. "I thought that through this drama, I could turn my cons into my pros. The Jang Geun Suk that people know in Japan and China is outspoken and outgoing, but my image in Korea seems to be seen as sometimes over-the-top." He saw the role of Dokgo Mate as a way for his Korean fans to see him as outspoken and outgoing. "Through 'Pretty Man,' I want to start over as a genuine actor," he said. source: kdramastars
Pretty Man is getting ready to premiere this week, and has released posters and more stills. The 16-episode romantic comedy stars Jang Geun-seok (Love Rain) as the prettiest man who ever was, and IU (You’re the Best, Lee Soon-shin) as the Plain Jane who loves him from afar. Jang Geun-seok plays a man who discovered as early as kindergarten that he was prettier than most and could get special treatment because of it. During his school years he never once had to bring a lunch to school, and now only has to glance at designer things in stores before women throw presents his way. Uh… we’re supposed to like him, right? Han Chae-young (Ad Genius Lee Tae-baek) is the rich, glamorous, successful woman he wants, but for reasons unknown, she makes a game of “training” him and tells him to conquer ten of the most eligible bachelorettes in the city first. I’m trying to wrap my head around the thinking behind that, but in any case she seems like she wants to possess him like a toy. Still don’t know how the other women figure into it, but I think I’ll just let the drama tell me, in case I’m straining to see a logic that doesn’t exist in the first place. IU plays the average girl who has had a one-sided crush on Pretty Man since junior high, and Lee Jang-woo (Oh Ja-ryung Is Coming) is the nice guy who ends up falling for her. On paper, I’m all for the nice guy over the one who thinks it’s a good thing to be professionally pretty to get things for free, but I’m sure the point of the drama will be how the bad boy really has a heart of gold on the inside and falls for the sweet average girl, right? Right? Pretty Man premieres Wednesday on KBS. And in case you haven’t seen it, the second teaser is below. Via Enews24 credit: dramabeans
More photos from Pretty Man, this time from the drama proper as well as its poster shoots. I must say, while the story still seems riddled with question marks, the pictures do look super cute, featuring our lead couple played by Jang Geun-seok and IU. (I don’t understand in what universe she could be considered completely and utterly ordinary-looking, but I suppose it’s fiction for a reason.) And this is a shallow point, but I know I am not the only one rejoicing at the new haircut for Jang Geun-seok. Huzzah for sharpness and sleekness and change! I don’t actually dislike the long wavy shampoo-commercial tresses on him—it’s just that he’s had the same look for so long that I missed how it was back in the day when he was rocking a new style for every project. (Or week to week, as in the case of You’re Beautiful where he went through hairstyle concepts on a regular basis.) The scene on the bus pictured directly below actually comes from a flashback segment (which explains the hairdo change), when middle schooler Kim Bo-tong (IU) first sees the high schooler oppa and is smitten with adolescent puppy love, kicking off a one-sided crush to span the next decade. Oh, honey. I feel for you, even though I know you’ll get your man at the end of 16 episodes. Hopefully sooner, to make up for all that lost time pining. But first, she’ll have to compete with all the top-tier successful ladies he’ll be romancing before he sees the light and falls for her back. Fingers crossed that the process makes sense and all that. With the director of Flower Boy Next Door and Flower Boy Ramyun Shop onboard, I’m hoping for fun, zippy things to come. Pretty Man will air on KBS following Secret and premieres on November 20. Via Osen credit: dramabeans