So most of you know me as a total Gong Yoo fangirl by now, and while the Gong Yoo love is still firmly in place, I do also have a lot of love for Jang Hyuk.
In fact, Jang Hyuk holds a pretty special place in my heart.
I once was a pretty big Park Shi Hoo fangirl, and Jang Hyuk was the one who managed to unseat my Park Shi Hoo love and get me to cast aside my Park Shi Hoo fangirl loyalties, which were, once upon a time, pretty strong.
Once I discovered Jang Hyuk, I was pretty fixated and proceeded to spend the next 7 months of my life spazzing over him. Until Gong Yoo showed up on my screen and stole my heart.
It’s little surprise, then, that my second k-love confession post is about fabulous, delicious Jang Hyuk. ♥
Come squee, ogle and swoon with me ^^
FIRST ENCOUNTER: TREE WITH DEEP ROOTS
It was February 2012, and I’d heard so much good buzz in the dramaverse about Tree With Deep Roots that I decided that I should check it out, even though it didn’t sound like my kind of show at the time.
I loved Tree, and while I didn’t fall for Jang Hyuk right away, I was very, very impressed with him.
I found him completely committed to the role and I believed him every second of the way.
I loved his onscreen intensity, which you can see just from these couple of screencaps:
Yes, there was a brief shirtless scene, but it did nothing for me, and I was more taken with Jang Hyuk’s delivery.
I didn’t think his delivery was as nuanced as it could have been, but what Jang Hyuk lacked in nuance, he totally made up for with his magnetic screen presence, oodles of badass charisma, and a complete commitment to the role that was devoid of vanity.
I was never tempted to think that this was Jang Hyuk in character; I was instead led to accept, without doubt, that he was the character. Which is a type of brilliance all its own.
I promptly added Jang Hyuk to my list of actors to watch, and decided that I would check out Chuno sometime, just to see him.
FALLING HARD: CHUNO
After some time, I did get around to checking out Chuno, spurred in part by DNoella’s glowing review at KDramaGuk.
Edit: You can also check out my more recently written Chuno review here.
Despite the dusty, rough surroundings that had initially turned me off the idea of Chuno, I found that it really was beautifully shot, and absolutely lived up to the reputation of being glorious.
The cinematography was glorious, yes, but really, so was Jang Hyuk in it.
Jang Hyuk in all his swaggering, magnificent glory, combined with gorgeously shot cinematography? Definitely worth watching in HD 😉
In terms of my enjoyment of Chuno, let’s just say that I basically ate up Jang Hyuk’s presence onscreen. I found him so lovely to watch that he made up for anything else that may not quite have made the mark.
For a good chunk of the time in Chuno, Jang Hyuk walks around either shirtless or almost shirtless. And I found him mesmerizing and completely hawt.
Just take a look at these screencaps:
SAFETY WARNING:
Hot, hawt man ahead. May cause spontaneous combustion, ovary explosion or related affliction. View with care!
Oh. My. Word.
That muscle definition. Those pecs. That badass smirk.
Such a sizzling hot man. Rawr.
I couldn’t take my eyes off him; I was completely mesmerized.
But wait. There’s more.
Jang Hyuk is knee-bucklingly – and I mean knee-bucklingly – sexy when he moves.
First, the swagger. It is seriously one of the sexiest things about him.
He has a loose-limbed way of walking that oozes cool, and yet amid the looseness of the swagger, his muscles have a definition that usually only comes with flexing.
It makes it seem like he’s so ripped that he doesn’t need to flex to achieve drool-worthy definition. It’s there even while he’s swaggering languidly. Yum.
Second, the badass, badass fight moves.
Jang Hyuk has a black belt in Jeet Kune Do, and it totally shows. He is completely at ease kicking ass, and you just have to see it for yourself to appreciate what I’m saying.
Check out this (non-spoilery) Jang Hyuk cut of Chuno, in all his kickass, swaggering glory:
Swooonn~~ THUNK.
SO. BADASS.
While the story in Chuno faltered in places, the beautiful cinematography, the lovely music, and most of all, Jang Hyuk’s swaggering, intense, manly, swoon-inducing onscreen presence sustained me through the show.
Gorgeous, gorgeous manly man whom I found so beautifully intense. Umfft. ♥
AN EXTENDED JANG HYUK KICK
Clearly, Jang Hyuk had captured my attention Good. And. Proper. I soon went on a Jang Hyuk kick, trawling the net for information, photos and other Jang Hyuk tidbits.
Here’s a rundown of my discoveries.
Five Senses of Eros
I discovered that Jang Hyuk had acted in Five Senses of Eros, which I’d watched long ago before I’d known who he was. I decided to re-watch it just to see him again.
It made a big difference to the watching experience, I have to say.
I hadn’t thought much of His Concern, the story in which he’d acted, coz it was a short story of a man who meets a woman on a train. It’s very introspective, with a lot of voice-over by his character to show us what he’s thinking the whole time.
On the re-watch, I found it much more amusing than before, coz this time I already had a Serious Appreciation of his hotness. To see such a hot man puzzling over how to approach a woman that he finds attractive, and bumbling over his words was rather cute.
Context is always everything.
I also found that Jang Hyuk was not just a good fighter, but a good kisser too. And quite hot, even without his mane of glory.
Those kisses – and Jang Hyuk – had me breathless.
So. Very. Sensuous.
Swoon~~
Dance of the Dragon
You know, as a focused k-fangirl, I don’t really keep tabs on my local entertainment industry. So imagine my complete surprise when I checked Jang Hyuk’s filmography, only to find that he’d acted in a Singapore-Korean collaboration, titled Dance of the Dragon. I was like, Wha?
I hadn’t even heard of the movie when it came out in Singapore. Yes, that’s how detached I am from the local entertainment scene.
But I looked for and watched Dance of the Dragon, all so I could see Jang Hyuk.
Jang Hyuk playing a dancer who tries to learn to be a fighter?
I found that really amusing, coz in reality, it was the other way around. In Real Life, Jang Hyuk’s a fighter who had to learn how to dance for this movie XD
Ironically, this meant that he had to look like a beginner in martial arts when he’s actually very good at it, and look proficient at dancing when dancing was the thing that was really new to him.
It was a little odd seeing him dance, but he really did well, I must say. He was often called on to dance, but imperfectly for the most part, and he would have to emote from a wide range in the process.
Here’s a quick peek, both at the dancing and the martial arts bits:
The film wasn’t an action show nor quite a dance show. It was a character showcase, and I thought Jang Hyuk did beautifully, with not much dialogue written for him.
That was my favorite thing about that film: Jang Hyuk’s portrayal of his character.
He was able to convey a lot about his character without having to say much, and I loved that.
I also stumbled on a tidbit one day while surfing for something else, that some fangirls had even seen him eating at a food court in Singapore while he was here filming the movie.
They reported how focused he’d been during filming (they’d signed up as extras), how devoid of star airs he’d been, and also how frustrated he had been with himself while trying to master the dance moves he was supposed to execute.
Aw. Love the fact that he’s down-to-earth and doesn’t have star airs. ♥
Robber
Another discovery I made is that Jang Hyuk starred in a 2008 drama titled Robber or Robbers. Although I’d already started watching dramas in 2008, I’d never heard of this drama.
Even though this drama didn’t get a lot of attention and was more of a melo than a rom-com, Jang Hyuk’s character was supposed to be suave and cool and I definitely wanted to see that.
So I checked out Robber, and was rewarded with more Jang Hyuk hotness. Even when the scene wasn’t supposed to showcase his hotness, I found myself swooning at him and practically wanting to jump him 😛
Memorably, there was a scene where he got to showcase the ridiculously difficult one-thumb pushup.
Yes, you read that right. One-thumb pushup. And he even did several for the camera.
My word. Isn’t it just crazy badass that he can actually do that?!
Of course, when he wasn’t doing crazy badass things like that, he was also very appealing:
Roguish and caddish, yet sometimes thoughtful and pensive. The eye candy was quite good in Robber.
Nowhere near Chuno standards, to be sure, but not too bad at all, especially for a Jang Hyuk-hungry fangirl.
Thank You
Still strong on my Jang Hyuk kick, I next checked out Thank You, where Jang Hyuk plays a badass rogue doctor.
So cool. And so hot.
First of all, he cleans up quite nicely:
Then he’s the kind of badass rogue doctor who stitches himself up:
And then there are the shirtless scenes:
So. Delicious.
Plus, he got to be both badass:
And romantic:
I was completely smitten.
Photos
Of course, while all this drama-watching went on, I also amassed quite a lovely collection of photos of this lovely, delicious hunk of a man.
And I found some lovely gems, to be sure.
First of all, let’s look at the shirtless ones, coz I know we’re all looking forward to those 😉
Here we go, oodles of shirtless Jang Hyuk for you:
What did I tell ya?
Jang Hyuk is ripped, sculpted and tantalizingly delicious, isn’t he?
Swoonn~~
But again, in case you might be thinking that I only appreciate a half-nekkid Jang Hyuk, let me share some yummy clothed Jang Hyuk with you.
Here he is, all casually yummy:
Umft! So delicious!
And then here he is, being all badass in general:
Mmm. Yes, do rip your shirt off, Jang Hyuk sshi ^^
But wait. We’re not done with the goodies just yet!
Here he is, all nicely cleaned up:
And then here he is, wonderfully lovely and pensive:
By this time, it was September 2012, and I had started to watch Big.
Most of y’all know what happened when that happened.. I was completely charmed and mesmerized by Gong Yoo.
Still. Just because I’ve decided that Gong Yoo is my big k-love, doesn’t mean I don’t have room for Jang Hyuk.
I mean, not only is he a full-on, everything-into-the-role, no-vanity intense kind of actor, he’s also smoking hot and completely swoon-worthy, with sexy, manly charisma just oozing out of him.
I mean, seriously. Take a look at him:
LJHLKZJHGKLJ ZDHGLKJ DFHLZGKIHKJLKSDJBLKAEH IWUHT IAHGLASJK
I have no words.
Judging from the way you drool over Jang Hyuk, I am a bit stunned that you haven’t watched Beautiful Mind (or you have watched but have not written a review, perhaps?). He is a different kind of lead there. An almost antagonist one, if I may say so. But the way he fleshed out the character… oh my… another shades of JH just opened for all the world to see, not the HAWT-hotness of bodily sexiness, but more of the sexiness of a beautiful mind trapped in the facade of… ah, I shall stop here… I won’t spoil it out for you. You just have to discover by yourself. haha.
As for the story itself, well… the way you appreciate Secret Love Affairs just convinced me that you will love BM as well. Bad ratings in Korean, but appreciated overseas indeed. The cruel 2-episodes cut from the original 16 episodes ignited a “violent” reactions from international fans, though to no avail (indeed). But the cut did not do any harm to the overall quality of the story, except a bit of a rushed-ending feeling toward the last two episodes, and that is how I believe in the integrity of the story. The writer also wrote Sungkyungkwan Scandal so, interestingly, you can also find similar issues that she presented in these two totally different drama. She is great!
I shall stop now. And wait patiently for your review on BM.
ps: oh, I hate JH hair in BM. it looks ridiculous. Miraculously, he is still as handsome as ever!
I have to admit, I haven’t gotten around to Beautiful Mind yet 😛 I don’t have much appetite for medical themed shows, and at the time, I was more curious about Doctors (ha, bad decision), and didn’t get to Beautiful Mind in the end. It’s still on my list though, and it’s good to know that you think I’ll like it! 🙂
@kfangurl I hope you feel like watching Beautiful Mind one day. You know I’ve watched Jang Hyuk in everything and I LOVE him but I don’t love all his works. In fact, I’ve been somewhat disappointed or annoyed with most of his works after Fated to love you but, Beautiful Mind had me falling back again with his acting skills. But it’s not all just him, that drama has flaws but it’s so full of heart. It’s really special. I hope you get into it (I know its not for everyone). Here is me hoping Hyukie manages to get another character that touches me the way Lee Young Oh did (and Lee Gun and Lee Daegil) Beautiful Mind is definitely among his best works imo.
Wow, that’s high praise coming from you, DF – I’m intrigued to hear that you consider Beautiful Mind to be one of his best works! I’ll definitely keep that in mind, and check it out sometime. I feel like Dae Gil will always be my favorite role of his, and while BM is very different from Chuno, I’m definitely keen to see him at his best! 🙂
@kfangurl Yes my dear, you know? Lately I have a hard recommending things. I feel hesitant and somewhat responsible if the person ends up not seeing what I found appealing 😬 Like, I have friends who ask me good introductions to kdrama and I draw a blank. But, I feel, that if you “are in the right mood or mindset” Beautiful Mind can be very enjoyable to you. I don’t know, just test it out whenever you feel like watching a human drama, not a “romance” (although the odd Wifi couple turned out to work well despite the fact that I did not see it at all at the beginning) The actors are all good but I honestly feel the merit of this one is on the writer. Especially in the way his/her characters interacted. Lee Young Oh was great not only in Jang Hyuk’s interpretation but I really liked and felt for the teenage boy who played him in the flashbacks. That’s why I feel like the writer deserves all the kudos because he made me love his characters (I’m not sure if its a male or female writer) but yeah. Btw not that anyone is asking but I would not recommend Gaekju or Voice. Not even SoGC (despite it being enjoyable at the beginning) at least not for Jang Hyuk’s sake. Voice was “thrilling” and I liked most cases but meh, no character development for the leads. It seems I’m all about the characters. I can forgive huge plot holes and production mistakes if you give characters with depth.
Ah @Drama Fan, you mentioned the Wifi couple, and that makes me missed them sooooo much! They are odd, indeed, but so very beautifully odd, that you smile every time they were on-screen together (pssssst… I am trying to seduce @kfangurl harder into watching BM sooner than possible here hahaha)
And yes, I agree with you 1000% about the writer being the greatest factor this drama had. I believe it is a female writer, Kim Tae-hee, and she wrote Sungkyungkwan scandal as well. I even found similarities in the topics that she had chosen to tell in both drama, despite the different time setting, such as inequality between the rich and the poor and its effect on people’s life, and also the moral duties of those exercising power. The male leads in both drama also share similar characters, as they both are good-hearted men, righteous, rational, and both are even shaken by love from the most unlikely women. I know it sound like the usual male lead, but in the hand of Jang Hyuk (and Park Yoo Chun), they become alive and exceptional. And the female leads in both drama are strong women, capable of speaking their mind, smart, and are not afraid to show their love and hold on to it without making them clingy. And more importantly, both are not damsel-in-distress kind of female lead that I despised so much!
So, yeah dear @kfangurl, listen to @Drama Fan here and watch BM hehehe
Lol. Thanks for the gentle encouragement, Widya! I must say that I’m intrigued that the same writer who wrote SKKS also wrote BM! On the surface, those look like completely different shows, but you’ve been so helpful to point out the similarities in themes, thanks for that! I’ll keep that in mind when I do get around to BM! 🙂
Oh, I do get what you mean, DF! Once you recommend something to someone, you feel rather responsible for whether or not they actually have a good time of the watch. If they love it, it’s all good, but if they don’t love it, you feel like you wasted their time, and that sucks.
Thanks for the thoughtful rec on BM.. having it framed properly really helps me to manage my expectations, and that, I’ve found, is pretty key in whether I end up enjoying a show. I’m putting it on the list for when the mood for a human drama strikes! 🙂
Hihi, are u from Singapore ?
I get swept in a torrent while watching Jang Hyuk on screen in most of scenes..
Hee. Swept up in a torrent sounds about right – Jang Hyuk does have that kind of compelling charisma. ❤
Reblogged this on asamisamasupersmex.
Bless you generous fellow fan! <3
Aw, I’m glad you enjoyed this post, Will! 🙂 Jang Hyuk deserves the love.. <3
Hey KFangurl! I had to come back to ur page to re-ogle JH and his massive swaggeristic hawt self. But also…to let u know that JH is holding a fan meeting here in Tokyo in June!!! Ur not gonna be here in June, by chance are ya??
In June!! Gah, sadly, I will be traveling for work for almost the whole month, and it won’t be to Japan. :/ But, you should totally go! I mean, you’d understand everything & be able to make friends with fellow fans.. 2 things which I couldn’t quite do at the GY Tokyo fanmeet! 😛
Hey Kfangurl, happy new year!! Hope this message finds you well~ I know this comes very very late…but I ended up going to the JH fan meeting in Tokyo in June ’16!!! JH was just as amazing as I had imagined he would be and then some. He opened up with a song (which honestly, he isn’t much of a singer, but who cares when he can act his ass off and look like that;)) We all got to take a one on one photo with him, and he was the most generous and kind man ever with his manly self~anyway, I meant to post this much earlier but it took me a minute to get to~sorry about that!! I cannot get enough of this man!!!
Happy new year, Yuri!! YAY that you got to attend a Jang Hyuk fanmeet!! And WOW. It’s very rare (to my understanding anyway) that you get to take one-on-one photos with the celeb. I can’t believe you got to take a picture with him! That’s so cool! 😄 Happy for ya!
Where can I download Robber 720p version, thanks!!!
Hm, that’s a tough one, Xia Yu. Most places don’t offer HD downloads, and for an old show like this, most torrent sites wouldn’t have it either. Your best bet is probably this one. They usually open for membership around festive seasons, so you could try popping in maybe around Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s. Hope that helps! 🙂
Thank you! I enjoy all that you write about this actor, I admired him a lot, for me he is perfect , his face, body, hands, voice, eyes, mouth, etc etc.
I’m glad you enjoyed this post, Icela! 🙂 Jang Hyuk is fabulous, and deserves as much love as he gets – and then some. I find he’s awesome in pretty much any role that he takes. Of course, I have a super soft spot for Dae Gil, who’s my favorite JH character of all time <3
Hi I am late but still want to share my JH addiction here. I only discovered him recently when I read a news article that he was being offered a role in Innskeeper. So I thought his name sounded familiar and I remembered someone commenting he is a hot guy. Then I decided to watch Chuno, which was on my to-watch list for a long time but I just didnt get down to it coz I googled a few screencaps and am not so attracted to men with long curly hair.
But wow, what happened next was history. After starting Chuno I was completely mersmerized by Jang Hyuk’s hotness. I am not really a shirtless fan in the past but I dunno why I was just so captivated by him in Chuno. He was just so HAWWT… After that I went to google everything about him, so I watched TWDR (which he was awesome), and then Thank You (love him!), THe Flu (so herioic!), IRIS-2 (great action but awful hair), The Client (superb)… Didnt really like him in FTLY coz I am not a comedy fan. Tried hard with Tazza and managed to finish it (sort of).. Tried Midas (but just cannot get past ep 3).. Then I discoverd Shine or go crazy and fell all over in love with him again. Aagh the list just goes on..
Anyway I am now a true blue JH fan, falling head over heels in love with him. I love him in Healing Camp and Running Man. Not really a fan of Real Man though keke.. Am now looking forward to Gaekju and Inside or Outside.. cannot wait!!
Aw, yay for more Jang Hyuk love in the house! I must say you have an excellent eye for men – AND talent! 😉 Jang Hyuk is fab, and I LOVED him in Chuno. I personally think that’s his most iconic role to date. He acted so well as Dae Gil, and made Dae Gil such a charismatic, sexy, unforgettable character <3 If you're able to get past the comedy in FTLY, there are some lovely quieter moments in the later stretch 🙂 And yes, I'm looking forward to his next role too! <3
Even though he is charming make you made or drive you crazy. Kfangirl I must say your writing about him will make anyone to fall for him.OMG! Do I swoon too Hehe
Tee hee. Thank you, Uma! 😀 I’m so glad you enjoyed this post! I’m also kinda proud to say that a couple of readers have told me that it was this very post that first made them fall for Jang Hyuk! I feel so happy, like I’ve helped to increase his fandom by just a little bit more. The man deserves the lurve <3
See I told you reading your blog will make them fall in love that’s what happened! !
Credit to Jang Hyuk for being so awesome and fantastic and schmexy.. all I had to do was tell it like it is! ^^v
OMG – I can’t believe I am doing this since I am so not the profile of whatever I imagine a Jang Hyuk fan should be. But this guy is unbelievable. I am totally smitten and find myself watching him endlessly wherever I can. I think he is one of the most handsomest, sexy, manly men I have ever encountered on screen. My first experience was with “Fated to Love You” on Netflix in the States. Talk about what a perfect romantic hero should be – he rivals “Pride & Prejudice”‘s Mr. Darcy. He is sexier than Mr. Darcy by virtue of his sinewy, hyper charged body. This guy swaggers with a machismo that is unparalleled. He reeks confidence and energy and you know at the core he is the kind of guy that knows how to hold a baby. The only negative – and I don’t even care – is that he smokes. I had problems finding a negative. Omg – is this guy hot. And yes I devoured “Chuno” and will do so once again if it ever reappears on Netflix where the HD can kick in. I also replay the Eros stuff endlessly but only because I wish I was the gal in bed afterwards where she wondrously exclaims on his beauty. Oh yeah. I would so be there. And of course I have melted at that “Iris2” out take. I think he is a supremely talented actor that should be winning Academy Awards and total international recognition.
Tee hee. Join the rest of us spazzing, drooling Jang Hyuk fans, Nathalie!! 😀 He really is amazing, isn’t he?? I’ve seen a good bunch of his stuff so far, and I still love him best in Chuno. I feel like it’s his most iconic work to date. But that doesn’t mean I don’t think he’s excellent in other shows. I also really enjoyed him in Tree With Deep Roots, which is a fascinating take on history and how hangul came about, to boot. At the moment, I’m thoroughly enjoying him in Shine or Go Crazy. His role in SoGC feels like a great mix of the best of Fated to Love You campy, mixed with some Chuno-esque Dae Gil badassery. LOVE. Do check it out, I believe you won’t be disappointed! 🙂
hahahah very very good review!! thank you.. as for me, i just found him out of my boredom and decided to watch online “fated to love you” and yeapp, fell in love instantly to his smirking badass smile LOL.. but I was intrigued to watch his kisses in that movie thinking oh how come this sexy fellow don’t have killer kisses?? then i started to search him and found the-oh-wow-kisses of him at “the innocent thing” hahaha.. then, as usual, i roam around the internet to read things about him then i found it in your blog (again)..
Ooh, welcome to the world of Jang Hyuk awesome, Paramita!! 😀 How cute, that you just stumbled on him, just like that! Isn’t he wonderful? If you were looking for some sexy kissing action, did you check out the link to the deleted bed scene in Iris 2 that I posted up above? I replayed that multiple times, I must admit!
What other shows of his have you checked out, Paramita? I’m currently enjoying him very much in Shine or Go Crazy. So strong, so badass, and so sexy <3
Oh…btw, I want to also let you know, in your many photos of Jang you posted here to this posting, you missed ONE pic of him. I found some pics of Mr. Jang at the airport too. (airport fashion) 😉 Omg, you’ll love him in the pic I have. @@@@@ 😉 <3
Link here: http://www.bntnews.co.uk/images/news/2013/3cdphawe6o3f67yu02urruvr2ae94wnv.jpg
/Users/cherilynkawana/Desktop/3cdphawe6o3f67yu02urruvr2ae94wnv.jpg
OMG. I was just like you when I first noticed Jang Hyuk…watching him in ‘Tree With Deep Roots’ K-drama. At the time, I’d NO idea ‘who’ he was, and just started watching the drama itself and get a feel of what it was about. The storyline to the drama, intrigued me greatly because I always love watching period/historical types, whether it’d be J-dramas or K-dramas. (I’m American Japanese)
I also grew up watching martial arts on TV when I was a young girl with my father, and was mesmerized by the intenseness of the sport. (just watching it; whether it be on-screen or Live, in person in demonstrations, exhibitions, etc.) And for me, I love and appreciate any kind of martial arts; Chinese WuShu/Shaolin, Japanese Samurai sword-fighting and Ninjitsu, and now Korean martial arts as well. You name it, I love watching it. Somehow, I felt martial arts was always in my blood (the love for the sport); dunno why. lol I wished ’til this day, I knew a martial art, but it’s too late because of my age. (mid-40s) 🙁
Well, after watching ‘Tree With Deep Roots’ further, and then seeing Jang Hyuk come along on my flat-screen, doing some martial art skills here n’there, and coupled with sword fighting, I became mesmerized by his strong, on-screen presence and intriguing character he played. So much so, that even my husband became attentive and interested in watching it with me. O.@ How ya like that! And it’s not that often a K-drama can do that to him. 😉 My hubby even COMPLIMENTED, I’ve finally became attracted to a Korean actor that didn’t look ‘typical/pretty-boyish’. lol (so my hubby says about my Kpop biased-group I’m into: TVXQ; only the 2) (aka Tohoshinki/Dong Bang Shin Ki) He doesn’t mind TVXQ either but, just ‘saying’. lol I remember him CLEARLY telling me that, and I’ll NEVER forget it. 😉 <3 (thank you, hubby! haha) (and, thank YOU, Mr. Jang) 😉
Jang's charisma, swagger-charm, and OH-SO-SEXYness-of-a-HOT-bod…dang, baby's got me HOOKED! lol (blush) 😉 But the part in 'Tree With Deep Roots' where I became even more captured by his captivating aura, was when he was sort-of caught with that woman out in the woods at night while making a campfire. Only then, had Jang caught me hook, line & sinker for GOOD. 😉 Actually, I take that back. lol He already caught me from the very beginning of the drama, when he narrated the part on how to kill the King by figuring out a strategic, technical, and mathematical way of infiltrating the Palace, late at night. From the very beginning of Episode 1, he'd caught my eye already…and my heart. <3
Now, I've still YET to watch 'Chuo'. (sigh) 🙁 Don't know why. I never get to finish watching any dramas much, to tell you the truth. Dramas are like books for me. I'll start watching a drama and end up not finishing it, only to stop mid-way and watch something else. 🙁 I know, I know. IT'S JANG HYUK for goodness sake, right! (baka…lol) But, that's me. I guess, whenever I saw the screenshots to 'Chuo', it always looked too manly for me to want to watch. And you'd think Japanese movies such as 'Shinobi: Heart Under Blade' or any of Jet Li's movies such as 'Hero', isn't too manly enough for me. hahaha
But what K-movie REALLY caught my attention (and eye), is desperately wanting to see 'Dance of the Dragon'. (omg) I know in your blog here to Jang, you mentioned it was rather boring or kind-of slow-moving n'such. Not much to it. But for me, right NOW…I don't care whether it IS boring or not. I just have this 'feeling' as though it's so romantic with an even kind-of sensuality to it, somehow. I don't know why, but I have this 6th sense-feeling like that about it. I've read all kinds of reviews about this movie, and even seen the screenshots on Google. I STILL want to watch it anyway, just to satisfy my 'desired-self'. haha
I'm always having a vast, sensual imagination (if you will), especially when it comes to my favorite Kpop-bias idol or even w/Jang Hyuk…one of my favorite K-drama actors. I can't explain it but, I just imagine myself as that woman he's dancing with. (blush again) Told you I have a way with them like that. 😉 <3 Just as much as I want to replace BoA with myself, and replace Derek Hough with U-Know Yunho (from TVXQ) in my mind to 'Make Your Move' movie. 😉 Btw, on a quick, side-unrelated note, in the movie "Make Your Move", U-Know (my bias and love) actually did a cameo dance-part in it. (bar/club-scene) Yunho did a dance choreo to that part. <3 (his solo song, 'Off Road' – SuriSuri Korean ver cd album as well as the English ver song to 'Off Road' in "Make Your Move" OST cd album)
I've written long enough…about enough as a BOOK already. lol (clears throat) 😛 So sorry! I get carried away, even with Jang. <3 Oh! I 'randomly' found your blog here via Google Search, in searching for the movie, 'Dance of the Dragon'. The movie title just 'popped' up in my brain suddenly. I think Jang is telepathically telling me something, indirectly. (Jang whispers in my ear: '…finish watching my drama, Reiko…') hahahaha He just (out of nowhere), suddenly popped up in my memory! Maybe I'm indirectly 'missing watching him', I dunno? 😀 (awwww)
Hey there reikoyun! Welcome to the blog! 🙂 Yes, Jang Hyuk is definitely not of the flower boy persuasion – he’s the manly-man type, and that suits me just fine! 😉
I LOVE Jang Hyuk in Chuno, and I honestly find it’s his most iconic role to date. I find him even more magnificent in Chuno than even in Tree With Deep Roots. So if you enjoyed him in Tree, I am so sure that you’d be impressed with him in Chuno. Also, Chuno is no more male-centric than Tree, so if you enjoyed Tree, I’m pretty confident that you’ll do just fine with Chuno. Give it a chance (in HD!), you might just find yourself loving it! 😉
Have you watched Dance of the Dragon yet? I’m curious to know how you liked it. I thought Jang Hyuk did well, despite the story itself having some rather glaring flaws.
Also, thanks for the airport pic – he does look great. Down-to-earth, with just a bit of quirk in the fedora. Very much his kind of style, I think! 🙂
Because of you, I have now one other complete filmography to watch . I have “Fated To Love You” on my computer so I think it’s going to be the first one I’ll watch (even though I’m quite sceptical about it…I don’t think it’ll really interest me…but jang hyuk + choi jin hyuk…let’s say the casting is not the nastiest kind^^). “Thank You” will probably be the next one since I’ve heard lots of good about it. I’m already impatient to see a news mentioning his comeback in dramaland (I know, I know he barely finished “Fated To Love You” and I’m already asking for a new one… what can I say?^^). I’m pretty sure you’ve watched the Running Man with him as a guest but if not…well now you know XD That was epic^^
Lol. Jang Hyuk is an excellent actor, so it’s not a bad idea to check out his other works 🙂
Even though FTLY was incredibly campy, Jang Hyuk delivered the emotional beats with so much feeling that he sometimes made me cry. Hopefully that helps pique your interest in FTLY. It’s not perfect, but it’s worth checking out. Thank You is very good, I really liked that one.
As for asking for more Jang Hyuk, his drama short “Old Goodbye” with Jang Na Ra will air in November. Plus he’s reportedly considering a sageuk next. “Shine or Go Crazy.” Which sounds like a decidedly strange title for a sageuk. But whatever. Titles change all the time, so this might too.
I think I did see him in Running Man.. He was pretty awesome, if memory serves. 🙂
I’ve just found out about JH when he was cast in FTLY. I was already smitten after the 1st episode so I looked him up and I found your article .. So I made the smart move of trying Chuno (in HD as you recommended), and then I satisfied my JH craving with Thank You and some of his other works .. Then things got worse after I saw him on variety shows. So basically, I don’t recall doing anything for the past month other than loving this guy.
Thank you very much ! If it weren’t for you, I could’ve missed out on all those abs and manes !
Let’s all keep rooting for JH oppa and enjoy Fated To Love You !
Tee hee! I love how thoroughly you’ve been immersing yourself in Jang Hyuk-ness lately, Noble_ood! XD Isn’t Chuno glorious?? That’s my favorite role of Jang Hyuk’s to date, even though I liked him in Thank You and Robber as well. It’s just that Daegil is just that hard to beat!
Really glad you’ve been enjoying JH in FTLY as well as his earlier works! Have you seen Tree With Deep Roots?? It’s excellently written, and even though JH doesn’t get a mane of glory, it’s an intriguing story and he delivers an excellent performance. Plus, the story is written around how Hangul came about, which I found fascinating. I think it’s a worthy addition to your recent Jang Hyuk kick 😉
No, I haven’t seen TWDR just yet. It’s definitely on my list now !
Chuno was so majestic and in a league of its own ! It truly exceeded KDrama standards .. I wasn’t too happy with the later episodes, but boy was it a performance of a lifetime from JH ! Such excellence and mastery on all levels.
Oh, and I can’t wait for you to start watching FTLY ! I get excited just thinking about other fans discovering it for the first time XD I hope though that after the 1st two episodes, you don’t binge-watch it, cause every single episode is a real gem, better enjoy each episode to the fullest before moving on to the next one. Looking forward to your review !
Yay that TWDR is now on your list! 😀 Even without a JH fascination, I enjoyed the show very well. I thought it was brilliantly written, using pieces of real history to make our story a plausibly overlooked portion of history that never made it to the history pages.
Chuno truly is in a league of its own. A masterpiece, despite its flaws. I didn’t like the later episodes much on my first watch, but appreciated them much more on my second watch. That really does say something about how thoughtfully written and executed it is, that it can grow on me and make more sense to me, the more I watch it! And absolutely, I do agree that this is JH’s most iconic performance to date. Not that he’s not excellent in everything else. More that Daegil is just that hard to beat!
Thanks for the tip on FTLY! I will definitely keep it in mind and not binge-watch it. I don’t often binge-watch, but sometimes I do give in when a show hooks me good. If it happens with FTLY, your advice will be what keeps me on the right side of sane 😉
Kfangurl!!!!!!! How have you been??? It’s been awhile, but I’m keeping up with your blog. Summer now over here in the states , that means keeping my little one busy, but still time to squeeze some Kdrama in:) . As you may already be aware of is that our sexy, hot Jang Hyuk has this sweet, cute, funny drama out called “Fated to love you” and can I say he does not disappoint again!!! He is just so awesome in it!! I’m like watching each episode with the biggest smile on my face!! I just love this guy!!! Jang Hyuk, Sarangeh !!!;)
Surusa!! 😀 Long time indeed! Glad that you’re still keeping up with drama, even while life is busy. I haven’t started on FTLY myself coz I’m planning to marathon it later, but I’ve been hearing lots of nice things about the show, and I’m so pleased that Jang Hyuk is getting some much-deserved attention. This k-love post has also started getting more popular of late, and that’s a great indication that he’s gaining new fans with this drama. Jang Hyuk-sshi fighting~!! 😀
Haha, I watched A Moment To Remember and for the first 20 minutes I thought I was watching Jang Hyuk but then I realised that it was Jung Woo Sung, hehe. They are both manly men… so I guess with me not knowing any better it’s easy to swap their identities. 🙂
To be honest I didn’t think much of JH, he was just another shirtless Korean actor. Shirtlessness doesn’t really excite me… generally speaking. I did watch or listen attentively to His Concern in Five Senses Of Eros and my opinion slowly started changing because his deep, rich voice. (And I adore a deep voice.) I was still on the fence but since this week I am spellbound Kfangirl!!! I’ve been watching Fated To Love You and I am hanging onto every word and every action. I don’t want to give any spoilers so I’ll be vague, there was a moment or a collection of moments in ep 2 where I just had to stop being stubborn and just add Jang Hyuk to my ever growing list of fine Korean loves.
Lol it’s so funny how you got Jang Hyuk and Jung Woo Sung mixed up, Muffin! XD Both extremely fine men, for sure 😉
Yay that you’ve come to see the Jang Hyuk appeal, Muffin!! 😀 Jang Hyuk does have a very nice voice – it’s very manly and strong, just like him, hee ^^ And I can imagine him being quite swoony in FTLY, when he’s not bringing the laughs. I’m planning to marathon this so I haven’t seen anything but little snippets and stills. So glad to hear that it’s showing him off to great effect and that there’s sumthin’ lovely to look forward to, and early in the series too! 😀
Oh and I finally went and saw the HAWT-As-F*** bed scene from Irirs 2. You’re right. Hot doesn’t even cover it. God I wish in that one instance I was Lee Da Hae. But nawww being her requires too much maintenance.
Lol sorry I meant Iris 2
Hee. I can see how much that deleted scene affected you, Julianne.. to the extent that your ability to type straight was compromised! XD
And yes, isn’t it just sizzling, off-the-charts HAWT??? I’ve watched and rewatched that scene multiple times, and I still melt into a puddle every time. I’m pretty sure LDH drew a lot of fangirl jealousy when that scene came out! Who wouldn’t want to be in her place, right? XD
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE Jang Hyuk. He’s definitely one of my favorites (along with Lee Jun Ki, Lee Min Ho, and Yoo Seung Ho…and more recently, Rain). He first caught my eye in IRIS 2, actually. I’d loved IRIS (purely for the OTP and the action scenes) so I had to check out IRIS 2. Honestly I was very disappointed and couldn’t get past the first episode. Despite that, Jang Hyuk managed to catch my attention within that one episode and I fell for him…HARD. I actually haven’t seem anything else of his yet except Tazza and honestly it was terrible; I didn’t get very far before I simply could not make myself watch anymore, even for Jang Hyuk. However, his acting in Tazza was fantastic as always…his acting always seems to get you emotionally deep in the gut despite any shortcomings of the drama itself.
While I haven’t watched Chuno yet, I definitely will after reading your review on it. I’d heard A LOT of fantastic things about Chuno, and I’d wanted to watch it for JH, but I couldn’t get over the fact that JH dies. However, your review convinced me that the bromance and the pure Jang hyuk-ness is well worth the pain (it also mildly irks me that he died for a girl who he didn’t even end up with…I know I’m a selfish and self-serving girl…but he deserves more…meh he doesn’t seem to be complaining so why should I…).
I also was recently re-watching some running man episodes and JH appeared a few times as guest (esp. ep 44-45). He’s pretty badass and adorable in reality TV as well; you should check it out (Hint/Spoiler: I definitely think he’s one of the rare ones to one-up Jong Kook (by the way they’re friends so the bromance is cute) without it seeming scripted).
Girl!!!! If you liked him in just one episode of Iris2 you most definitely should give him a chance in something else. A pity you didn’t like Tazza. I actually loved it but there are other choices. I’m not sure what kind of dramas are your preference but he has done a bit of everything. I hope you get into Chuno. The world needs more Jang Hyuk fans for sure 😋 I will always thank kfangurl for this post
And this post was my pleasure to write, chingu. I mean, ogling and spazzing over JH is no hardship, is it? 😉 LOL! XD
Julianne! YOU MUST, MUST WATCH CHUNO. 😀 If you enjoy Jang Hyuk, Chuno will help you to love him and enjoy him and appreciate him even more. Seriously. I honestly think Chuno is his most iconic work to date. I can never get enough of JH in Chuno. I’ve seen it twice, and was even more blown away on the 2nd watch. He is masterful in it.
And really, I don’t see his character as dying for the girl. Once you watch it, you would probably get a better idea of it. He basically chooses to die for his ideals and beliefs. It goes way beyond his feelings for one girl.
Thanks for the RM tip! I don’t follow RM very closely and only check out episodes selectively based on who’s guesting. I should definitely check out those eps! 🙂
I believe they have the RM episodes on DramaFever, although Jang Hyuk had a fever and was a bit too quite in it. Not as fun as in Real Man or Familiy Outing Dragon Brothers episode (that one is a must watch). I love what you say here about Chuno, I will quote you forever on this lol! People do get the impression it is about a man obsessing (my first impression during first eps of Chuno as well) but it turned out so much more than that.
What? Jang Hyuk had a fever on RM? And still managed to topple Kim Jong Guk? Wow. That’s really something! O.O! I still haven’t checked out the episode, but I will! I’m saving the links for a rainy day ^^
And yes, you can totally quote me on that. Too many people think Chuno is all about the romance and then get all disappointed and upset when the romance just doesn’t go the way they expect. It’s more about one (awesome) man’s journey of self-realization, and also, self-actualization. Bigger dreams and bigger things than romance 🙂
Yeah! You should definitely check out that RM episode. Back to Chuno, I’m actually almost done (on ep 22)…but I’m just so hesitant to actually finish it. I know it’s going to be a sad ending…and so I’ve been stalling. I actually got to ep 22 early to mid last week…but just sort of left it there. It’s definitely SO GOOD though. To me it’s THE BEST sageuk or fusion out there. I’m considering starting Tree with Deep Roots (?) but the thing is even though JH is starring…I don’t know if it’ll measure up to Chuno (obviously his acting will be more than fantastic…but the drama itself…).
On the other point, I see now that he wasn’t exactly dying for the girl. I think it’s a testament to his character that he still loves her though…enough to make her happy by letting her go. At the same time, I just don’t think they’re a good match…they don’t seem to have all that much chemistry. At least, from what I can see. Personally I think he deserved someone better. But I know there are lot of Lee Da Hae fans *cringe, don’t kill me*.
I’ve heard news, though, that he might do a korean remake of the taiwanese hit, Fated to Love You, with Jang Nara. If it happens, I’ll definitely be eager to watch it. I personally didn’t actually really enjoy FTLY (even though I’m a fan of Qiao En the actress). Since I love both JH and Jang Nara so much though, I’m hoping for something better. As long as JNara’s stylist doesn’t hate her as much as Qiao En’s stylist seemed to…man, how they managed to make Qiao En look so hideous for the first half of the drama is beyond me.
Hi Julianne, butting in to say, The Tree with deep roots is no Chuno, but the story is quite good. About the chemistry between JH and LDH, I actually loved it in Chuno even though they actually had few scenes together, but to me, they were intense. However, have you considered watching Robbers? They have really good chemistry in it and more scenes to actually show it 🙂 How cool that you gave Chuno a chance
I’ll definitely give Tree with deep roots a shot in the (near, maybe) future. About the chemistry, I do think it’s partially the character. LDH is a great actress from what I know, but just based on opinion, I didn’t particularly like her character. In Chuno, they seemed to be a pretty good couple in the flashbacks, but I think DaeGil really matured in a way that (I feel, at least) UnNyun maybe couldn’t really follow. So in the relationship after they meet again, I feel like DaeGil was always the one pushing it on and UnNyun sort of relied on her past emotions and understanding of DaeGil and not really the sort of different man he was after The Incident.
I will give Robber a shot though. I read the brief wiki page and it does look good.
I agree with this though. The characters were not compatible anymore, they had both changed, grown, in different maybe opposite directions. It’s like their adult “versions” were different people (although they weren’t and therefore there is still that strong connection or bond that was beyond reason and made both their hearts ache) but she ended up finding someone more compatible and moved on, and he didn’t, did he “love” her more? was he more “clingy”? was it his nature? whatever it was, it hurt like hell watching him (and I sob while I write this) Anyway in general I agree with your statement except I felt a chemistry (much stronger than between Unnyun and Taeha) which made the whole thing hurt more. And I’m also looking forward to his new drama with JN! They were so cute together in SSBG! 🙂
Totally agree. God UnNyun and TaeHa…they were very passive as a couple…It’s very fitting that they married before they truly “fell-in-love” because their relationship seems to very much be based on loyalty and respect, just very matrimonial in general. DaeGil was such a tragic character. I thought, though, that if he’d lived, he may have grown to really like SeolHwa. I thought it was nice that someone else was pining after him for a change. His parting scene with SeolHwa was very poignant and sweet…I love how his last comment hinted at what could have been if he didn’t die.
Seolhwa! yes yes yesssss. This would’ve been perfect. You know? as devastated as Daegil was after he saw Unnyun marrying Taeha, he was getting ready to leave and live with his friends. He was kicking Seolwha out lol but we know she would’ve tagged along anyway. People say that Daegil’s life without his Unyunn obsession was purposeless but he totally had a life, and friends. He could’ve conceivably overcome it, but then he was thrown back into Unnyun and Taeha’s world and that was indeed too hellish. On the other hand, there was that bonding with Taeha and reliving of his past ideals through Taeha which I totally loved.
Oh and one more thing. One of the things that I think is most painful in Chuno is the fact that the “present” Unyunn and Daegil did not have any kind of relationship, they didn’t even have a proper conversation! It was intense based on the way they looked at each other ( and I heard this was mostly actor’s and directors addition because many of those significant looks were not originally in the script) Their connection was based solely in the past and I don’t think Daegil pushed other than we “the audience” saw him suffer. But Unnyun wasn’t “seeing” that, so her hesitation towards fully accepting Taeha was based on the fact that she also loved Daegil or the “memory” of him. After all he meant a lot to her, not just because he was her past lover. A friend made a point that Daegil was the first one who allowed slave Unnyun to dream of a better life and a better world. She was where she was in a way because she dared to dream of freedom. And later in her life she finds Taeha who can help accomplish such ideal. I like that thought!
I actually really, really liked Tree with Deep Roots, Julianne! In fact, I enjoyed the show for the story more than for Jang Hyuk, since I watched it before I was swept off my feet by Dae Gil. It’s an excellent story, and so illuminating in terms of how Hangul came about. I love that they took real events and real people and worked with that and some dramatic license, to make this story. I would watch Tree again. I hope you decide to give it a try!
As for Dae Gil, I actually agree with you that I would’ve like to see someone else with Dae Gil. His chemistry with Eonnyeon was rooted in the past, and I didn’t actually feel their chemistry much in Chuno. I do agree with Drama Fan that their chemistry was more apparent in Robbers. If a romantic angle had to be in there, I would’ve liked to see Dae Gil with Seolhwa. Honestly, though, I felt happy with romance not being the point. I thought the show did well, in showing that there was more to life and to dreams than romance. That Dae Gil dedicated his life towards a bigger dream felt right to me. He’s too awesome of a character to be bound by dreams of romance. That he gave himself towards a bigger and better future world felt big enough and epic enough for that awesome of a character. At least, that’s my personal opinion 🙂
I haven’t seen the TW version of Fated to Love You, but I’m definitely interested in Jang Na Ra being cast opposite Jang Hyuk! I’ll be keeping an eye on that one! ^^
Thanks to kfangurl and Drama Fan for the suggestions. After Chuno, I’ll definitely be checking out TWDR sometime in the near future. No matter how good TWDR is though, I’m positive that Chuno will always have a special place in my heart. Forever.
As for Fated to Love You, well…I didn’t love it myself, so I don’t know if I would recommend it, but it’s a very popular TDrama and a LOT of people love it. It’s to Tdrama fans the way Boy over Flowers is to Kdrama fans. I’m with you on that: I’ll be watching out for any news on the Korean remake if Jang Hyuk and Jang Nara are part of it.
I feel like my love for Jang hyuk is like my love for Yoo Seung Ho. I love them both to death, but have only committed to one of their works (each) from start to finish. For Jang Hyuk it’s Chuno and for Yoo Seung Ho it’s Warrior Baek Dong Soo. I guess from both you can see that I love a good Sageuk/Fusion with plenty of action and plot…and usually I tend to fall for the tragic hero who always happens to have a sad ending…and is always misunderstood…LOL
…and never gets the girl. Forgot to add that one.
Answering on my phone, message got cut off. Anyway, my blog is stuckonhyuk.wordpress.com
OH MY GOD! Your blog is gorgeous!
Yay!!! Im glad you like it!
How could I not?! It’s literally completely dedicated to Jang Hyuk!
Oh yes, Chuno is my favorite Jang Hyuk drama hands down, and I’ve checked out a good number. I think Dae Gil is the most iconic role that Jang Hyuk’s ever played, and I’m not even sure he could top that himself. Dae Gil is just beyond awesome. Having said that, though, Tree is an excellent and very worthy watch, so do go for it! If you love a sageuk with plenty of action and plot, I think Tree will rise to the occasion nicely. 🙂
And, thanks for the context around Fated to Love You.. I enjoyed BOF on my first watch when it first aired, but I’ve since tried it again, and now find it excruciating, seriously. I will probably check out the K-version of FTLY when it comes out, mostly for the actors than anything else. Unless it garners a terrible reputation, in which case I might run in the other direction instead, LOL! XD
Since Jang Hyuk is not even 40 and he plans to continue acting and he tries to always play characters that are different from each other I can’t or rather don’t want to think that Daegil will be his best role. Fortunately he has had more than one height in his career with at least three series that have had more than 30% of ratings. Even among his fans, Daegil is not unanimously his most popular character or Chuno his most popular drama. Min Kiseo and Thank You are very popular among fans. Btw, this has given me an idea for the blog. I might finally try doing a poll 🙂 Daegil made an impact on me that will be hard to top character wise and acting wise (by any actor) but, in general I think Jang Hyuk’s best feature as an actor, which at least made some of us crazy is that he has had more than one interesting character to fall in love with whereas there are many actors who have only 1 or none. That he at least tries to vary his works and evoke different emotions. Many actors stick with “one persona” and stick with that through all their works, whatever genre they play. While he is not without flaw, and there are other good korean actors, to me JH is exceptional, not only in terms of talent but in terms of choices. Many times unpopular risky works but always different for him and therefore interesting for those of us who follow him. I am excited for FTLY because for any actor it would be a typical role, but for Jang Hyuk it will be fresh since he has never played a straightforward Prince Charming. The premise doesn’t excite me but seeing him try that seemingly “typical” role and seeing what he does with it, does excite me. I usually wait for people’s comments for dramas but this one I’m fully supporting even before it starts (although this makes me anxious and scared, if I could be rational about this I would lower my expectations but I can’t)
I totally agree! I love your comment! I’m also looking forward to ALL his future works. For me, Daegil will be especially special for me forever, but I’m sure I’ll love all his characters and everytime he acts.
I love this post. I’m making a post of my top 5 favorite ahjussis. Is it okay if I reuse some of these images?
Aw, thanks zhaoul! I’m glad you enjoyed the post! Yes, I’m fine with you reusing some of these images – I look forward to reading your post! *wonders about the other 4 ahjusshis* 😉
It’s posted now 🙂
Wow! Cool! I’ll pop on over to check it out real soon! ^^
Thanks!
Alright, first let me say I just LOVE LOVE Jang Hyuk. He caught my eye at first sight, I couldn’t get my eyes off him and just like you said “let’s just say that I basically ate up Jang Hyuk’s presence onscreen”.
Moving on to the deleted scene, I watched it and I have to say I didn’t find the words to describe how I felt. Let’s just say *My skin crawled due to a sudden rise in my body temperature which caused a shiver down my spine. Holly Mother, I couldn’t stop smiling and slapping myself while kicking and punching the sofa I was sitting on. I wanted to be in Lee Da Hae’s place, and I envied her so much !!!
Well, I could go on and on about how I reacted to the mesmerizing scene, but I don’t want to be boring, just felt the need to tell someone how I really felt
I’m crazy about Jang Hyuk <3
Oh, you are SO in good company, Bella!! I can just imagine you on your couch, just about ready to explode from the hawt – And believe me, even if the rest of us didn’t kick or punch the furniture WE were sitting on, I think we ALL know that “ready to explode from the hawt” feeling from watching that scene!! XD Such a mesmerizingly, delicious hawt man. You are DEFINITELY not alone!! I’ve seen that footage quite a few times now [ahem], and even so, he still completely takes my breath away in it! *fans self*
Are you all drooling over my Man Jang Hyuk!!! lol
Today I lived my kdrama fan fantasy. I found a Korean Restaurant here in Northern Virginia that looks like the ones in the drama series. You know the those food tents in the street?? even saw some of the patrons drinking out of a green bottle that looks like the Soju bottles !! I even thanked the waitress in Korean… LOL
Ooh, fun!! 😀 Imagine that, a pojangmacha in Northern Virginia!! Was this in a Korea Town or something? Right now I’m imagining a random pojangmacha just popping up out of nowhere, with nothing remotely Korean next to it, hee! Glad you had fun! ^^ And yes, we have been drooling over Jang Hyuk quite enthusiastically, coz, why not? ;D
Comment on kfangurl’s dream. I’M JEALOUS. Some girls started sharing their dreams with JH in my blog and I’m like huh? How come I have zero, nothing, nada to share? It always happens though! I never dream with the ones I want! Your little dream, beats all the rest of those poor girls dreams too. No one has gotten that close to him 😀 So, feel the collective jealousy, although you do deserve the nice dreams 😀 Its your reward for helping the world see the light about Chuno. So I’m more happy for you than jealous…(but there is some of that, I’m human)
Eep. *hides from the collective jealousy* [squeaks] May I remind us all, that dreams aren’t real & nothing ever actually happened between me and JH? 😛 And he doesn’t actually have a soft spot for me either.. My dreams are more of a manifestation of MY soft spot for HIM, AND my very fertile imagination, equally ignited by my Chuno rewatch! XD
This is why daydreams rawk though.. There’s no randomness to it. You can dream of who you want, when you want, however you want. And I have LOTS of those! ;D
Lol! I omitted words “No one in that group has gotten that close in their dreams” lol. Yeah, fear not! It’s friendly jealousy of your vivid imagination. We are not that crazy 😀
Phew. Thank you! [exhales in relief] Becoz my imagination is that fertile, I’ve always had long, detailed, extremely interesting dreams, ever since I was a kid.. It’s just in recent years that the dreams have taken on a k-flavor due to my, er, *strong interest* in kdramas ;D
Ok this thread of comments has me literally laughing out loud with complete fangirl delight!! DDee’s comment about torrenting “that shit” made me spit out my latte!!! Love it! Getting those 720p torrents have spoiled me completely. I am currently torrenting Warrior Baek Dong-soo in 1080p simply because I can and can only imagine how that YSH smolder is going to look in 1080. Can only imagine what it would do to Dae Gil?! And I don’t even want to go into what hi res does for Rain. I want to remain conscious for the remainder of the day!!! Chuno in HD is an absolute must. A MUST!!
LOL! Fresh fangirl squee is a lovely, wonderful, often hilarious thing, and I LOVE IT ^^ Also! Yes on the HD! Once you go HD, it’s really hard to go back!! Everything – particularly biceps, abs and all manner of sinew – in crisp, clean focus.. Mind-blowingly delish! So YES, Chuno in HD is the ONLY way to go! ;D
So something strange happened this weekend. I started to marathon Thank You for Gong Hyo Jin since I love her so (and I’m in the mood for a good melodrama), and boom, I came away totally seduced by Jang Hyuk. He’s the epitome of a man’s MAN. It wasn’t the most nuanced performance, but he was so intense as an angsty badass who also happens to be the hottest doctor a small town has ever seen that I totally bought it. And he can do vulnerability too! And his body is ridiculous. Just ridiculous! And for all the onscreen swag, in interviews he seems pretty soft spoken and serious, which makes it even bettaaaah! Ok, I’ll stop here and go back to nurturing my latest crush quietly… 😉
Squee!! You’ve discovered the Jang Hyuk awesome!! Which, YAY!! 😀 I have just one word for you, DDee: CHUNO. If you think his body in Thank You is ridiculous, just wait till you experience him in Chuno. It’s the Thank You awesome x100. I kid you not. He is SMOKING hot in Chuno, and his delivery is excellently nuanced too. It’s head and shoulders above his other roles that I’ve seen. Just freaking awesome!
And yes, he’s very much the serious family man in real life.. I caught a bit of his guest spot on Hwasin and his long-time bud said of him that Jang Hyuk’s only got 3 things on his mind: family, martial arts & acting. Which is quite a lovely contrast to all the onscreen badassery that he delivers ^^ A badass with heart. Awww.. ♥
Yeah I’m definitely primed for Chuno alright. I do expect that his raging sex appeal will reach out and slap me out of being fully immersed in the story though. Which may not be a bad thing if I get to bask in all his manly masculine manhoodednesss…GAHHH!! Must. Control. Self.
Oh I saw a clip of his stint on Real Man (by the way, the name of the show–could it BE MORE APT in describing JH??) where he’s doing the one finger push up thing too. Unreal.
Tee hee!! You are hilariously adorable in your fangirl gushing!! 😀 Yes, you will get a whopping heap of manly masculine manhoodedness in Chuno, and pretty much right away too!! On my first watch, I could hardly keep track of the story, I was so entranced by the raw sex appeal just DRIPPING with badassery and topped with a languid sneer. It was more of a jaw-meet-floor sort of a Thunk experience 😉
If you were knocked off your feet by JH in Thank You, I’d say you need to buckle yourself to your seat to watch Chuno.. The mane of glory and goatee become him SO well, as does the glorious tan. And we get oodles and oodles of shirtless in the first stretch, where he is just so delicious that you pretty much want to reach into your screen and touch him. Gah! Thunk.
PS. Have you checked out that deleted bed scene for Iris 2 that I posted up above? He is soooo hawt in that. Seriously.
Mmmmm mmmm… That mane of glory and five o’clock shadow really do look so good on him, more than any k-actor I can think of. I’d better start torrenting that shit now since JH deserves nothing but full HD. Curse my slow connection!!
I’m abit afraid to look at that bed scene to be honest. It might be too much for me to handle. It’s like, I’ll feel like I’m cheating on my better half.
Yes, Chuno HAS to be watched in HD – good call, DDee!! There is just no other way to watch it. It’s a complete waste of gorgeous if not watched in HD! Watch it as immersively as you possibly can, ie, with earphones or surround-sound, and on as large a screen as possible. I watched it on my Mac, and the colors were just flippin’ gorgeous!! And so was Jang Hyuk, of course! He was gorgeous AND hawt. ;D
As for the Iris 2 bed scene, it was made for a major network, so it’s not as, um, daring as it might be if it were cable or film. Jang Hyuk managed to sweep me completely off my feet in spite of that AND the awful helmet hair, so I’d say it’s definitely worth checking out! 😉
And yes, JH’s best look is the mane of glory with the goatee, imo. He just rocks it <3
Ok I managed to watch the Iris 2 bed scene despite the buggyness. HOLY MOTHER OF GOD. His back has mystical powers. It’s the sexiest back in the business. She looks like she can barely cope. But she held up well though. In her shoes, I’d go into cardiac arrest. Ah, at least it would be a good way to go–underneath JH.
PWAHAHA!! Your comment made me gurgle out loud, DDee!! XD I SO agree with you, about Jang Hyuk’s strong, sexy back. I am entranced and completely mesmerized by That Back each time I take a peek at that scene. So, SOOO gorgeous. And SOOO flippin’ hawt. He sends my imagination into heated overdrive in this scene, I tell ya. HEATED. Overdrive. *spazz*
Omggggg so, you won’t believe this but I had never watched this! last time I tried I couldn’t and then Gumi lied to me (we shall talk) saying that this was not too different from the original scene. But then I read about the mystical powers of the back and thought! Ok! No! I must try again and OMGoddddddddddd!!!!!!! Yes there is a difference Gumi!!!! There is a whole of a mystical, has a life of its own, sexy, sexy back of a difference! The back has accomplished the task of letting me see pass that haircut, that character and that series. That atrociousness of series was worth it just because of THIS scene.
And now how in the world will I be able to sleep? 😳😛😛
Bwahahaaa!!! XD I can’t believe you’ve only JUST watched that scene now, Drama Fan!!! Downside: maybe a bit of a sleepless night.. But Upside: An unexpected nugget of flat-out awesome and raw sexy from the possessor of That Back himself, with ample fodder for your imagination to kick into full fangirl gear! I mean, just imagine DAE GIL in that scene, with the mane of glory, the tan, the swagger and the smirk, combined with the sexy, sensuous moves and that glorious, muscled back??? THUNK.
I just woke up. I think the thunking knocked me unconscious. So that scene happened? I didn’t dream this? I’ll watch it again and imagine it’s Dae-Gil. You might not see me in a few weeks.
P.D Like, Unnyun’s decision would’ve been so much easier 😝
P.D 2 Did you ever watch this CF? I see him as a modern day Daegil http://youtu.be/kVmfsxaiiVg
Hee! Yes, that scene really happened!! And in my imagination, Dae Gil takes over and ups the hawt: rawr~~
Yes, I’ve seen that CF, and YES, modern day Dae Gil is the perfect description!! Btw, Drama Fan, I don’t know if you’ve read my scenario for the Chuno sequel in my head, but you can check it out here: http://thefangirlverdict.wordpress.com/2013/05/24/a-liebster-award-kinda/
I mention it earlier in the post, then flesh it out in the later part. AND, Lady G and I had a whale of a time adding more details to really make it come alive! I think you’d get a kick out of it. Just do a Find / Search for Dae Gil and it’ll get you to all the relevant bits! ^^
Yes indeed. I can understand why the scene was cut. He’s so damn hot in it that it would’ve given all the men in Korea performance anxiety. The ahjummas would’ve gone beserk. I blushed myself when watching it, and bit my nails, and clutched my chest. And it’s not even revealing. It’s just his BACK. Such is the power of Jang Hyuk, even his individual body parts are enough to drop panties!!
Oh yes indeed, you called it right, DDee.. On top of viewers going berserk, all the screens would’ve simultaneously melted – or combusted! – in Korea, methinks! My screen barely holds up with all the hot that he brings in that scene.. He’s GLORIOUS, and completely melt-into-a-puddle swoon-worthy. I absolutely cannot tear my eyes away from him in that scene. Who cares about That Hair when That Back is onscreen??? ;D
OMG you two….enough!! I’m dying over here!!! LOL!!!!! ^•~
LOL!! By “enough” you actually mean “moar,” right? ;D Coz there’s no end to the spazz when you put it in the context of That Scene. JH is bone-meltingly hot in there. As you know! ;D
As a matter of fact, I remember you couldn’t quite think straight too, when I unleashed it on you that first morning! [Ahem] ^.~
Touché. ^.^
Fond memories indeed! I remember you were ADORABLY undone by that scene!! ;D
I’m willing Jang Hyuk’s back to manifest itself (I mean, himself…Must. Not. Objectify.) in my dreams. For now, it’s only in my daydreams.
Giggle. Daydreams rawk too.. Plus you get to decide who shows up in your daydreams and how. In dreams, it’s a complete toss-up. Although, I WILL say that Jang Hyuk once showed up in my dreams and he was very shirtless, so That Back and all accompanying muscle came with. And he kissed me. A lot. Swooonn~~
Oh hells no. Now you’re just rubbing your magical ability to conjure naughty nighttime dreams in my face, aren’t you??! Hhhhmmpphh…
JEALOUS…
HAHA! I’m not rubbing it in, I promise! XD I’m just sharing the awesome ^^ And who knows, maybe you’ll soon have an even more, um, *intense* JH dream than I did? ;D
CHUNO, DDee. Your swoon towards this man is just going to outdo itself. I am SO sure of it!
Torrenting, torrenting…. 🙂
Ack, this is taking a while!! I think I’m just as impatient for you to see him in Chuno as you are – if not MORE impatient, that is! Coz I am so, SOOO sure you’ll be suitably blown away! C’mon, torrent! Hurryyy!! *bounces up and down impatiently*
FYI I’ve started on Chuno by the way. And the weird thing is my better half is watching w/ me, and I didn’t even suggest it. He’s a little taken aback by all the naked torsos on display. I on the other hand am not complaining AT ALL.
Eeee!! You’ve started!! How exciting!! 😀 And how cool, that your hubs is watching with you!
Uh-huh, there is a WHOLE lotta shirtless in the first third or so of the show, and it is GLORIOUS. I don’t know how *I’d* contain my swoon if I were watching all that hawt with a husband next to me XD
And isn’t Jang Hyuk’s hawtness just off the charts?? ;D
He’s developing an inferiority complex! But I’m more concerned about how long he’s gonna stick this one out, but says the drama’s like a classic HK flick so all good at the moment. I do wish JH would put on a shirt at some point coz it’s a very distracting! And Oh Ji Ho ain’t too shabby either. Man candy galore!
W-what?? You mean you actually WANT Jang Hyuk to put on a shirt?? Woah. That is SO not my experience with Chuno! XD I was all, Yeah baby, keep that shirt off.. Swoon~~
You will get your wish though, DDee.. The shirtless scenes stop once summer is over and the colder months force our boys to wear some layers over that glorious muscle. Will you then miss the glorious days of summer, I wonder? ;D Lol!
Yes I want him to because I can’t look anywhere else besides his chesticles. It’s too damn much to take. 😉
Aw, don’t fight it, DDee.. All that gorgeous muscle and sinew swaggering on your screen is precious swoony gold, I tell ya.. Soak in and glaze over if you need to, coz all that stored up swoon will tide you over when winter comes ;D
Ahem. More objectively speaking, Chuno IS a very solid show – and I’m not just talking about them pecs ^^
Bwaahaha! Well, the sausagefest is rather hard to ignore and it comes at you like WMD. It’s relentless. I admire the attention to detail–I noticed that JH’s chesticles looked a little sunburned which makes a lot of sense in the context of the show. Gotta love the HD!
WMD?!? Bwahahaa!! Very true, though.. Those glorious muscles effortlessly slay us all and leave us flat on the ground in their wake! XD
YES. Chuno in HD is just spectacular, and the attention to detail just ups the awesome. This is one show that one just HAS to experience in HD. Anything less than HD is practically a crime.
Hi DDee, have you seen ” Greatest love” with Gong Hyo jIn. Good one too. She currently stars in “Master’s Sun” awesome series.
Yes I have. She’s lovely in it, as always 🙂
I do love Gong Hyo Jin! She’s wonderfully natural & earthy.. LOVED her in Pasta, and also in Biscuit Teacher Star Candy.. I even watched Project 577 for her, even tho it didn’t feel like my usual kind of movie. I ended up really enjoying the docu-variety feel of it, plus, she’s just so LIKABLE! ❤
Kfangurl, check this out!!!
http://www.dramafever.com/news/jang-hyuk-rides-a-lion-for-cosmo/
That man is just gorgeous!!:)
Lol, I almost expected to see a real lion in the photo, from the title! XD
JH is one very fine man indeed.. I will confess, though, that I think he’s wayyy hotter in Chuno than in these pix! Have you seen Chuno, surusa?? Coz if you haven’t, JH will knock your socks off, I guarantee it! ;D
Hi Kfangurl, How could I not have seen Chuno!! He is the sexiest in that one. I had the biggest smile on my face throughout the whole series. cuz there was so much Eye Candy in that one.. lol I will watch it again soon:)
Right?!? He is SOOOO drool-worthy in Chuno. His charisma and swag knocked me right over, when I laid eyes on him in Chuno. Hands-down, my favorite role of his that I’ve seen to date!! <3
I felt the same way about The Cosmo photoshoot the results were more bizarre, hilarious, funny, random than sexy 😀 (I still laugh at him sitting on that plush lion, it is so WTF?) but I did find the behind the scenes sexy. Check the gifs I made of it http://dramafan33.tumblr.com/post/56756558275/jang-hyuk-cosmopolitan-august-2013. And if you like that, check the video too 🙂 It is not Chuno kind of sexy, but it has its own appeal. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKg0lkNKw40
Ooh.. Seeing Jang Hyuk in motion ALWAYS helps, so these were a step up from seeing the stills, for sure! ;D
i so loooove him too…
Yes, isn’t he just, FINE?? ❤ Yay for more JH love around here ^^
i fell inlove with him in thank you, and fell deeply in love with him in chuno! oh my i forgot i promised hyun bin i will be forever loyal to him…well i think he’ll understand..afterall jang hyuk is pretty much gorgeous…*wink
CHUNO. It’s hard to watch Chuno and NOT be blown away by Jang Hyuk, to be honest! ;D He had me slack-jawed and completely mesmerized within minutes of starting Chuno!
And aw, I bet you’ve got enough room for both Jang Hyuk and Hyun Bin in your fangirl heart ^^
i have this good habit of falling inlove with the male lead everytime i watch a drama, but now i just can’t get enough of him,i have watched almost all of his film and drama which really happens for the first time..i easily fell and forget as i watch a new one but heck i did not forget him that easy, it seems this is love, really!.. *blush
Yes, I’d say that’s a sign of a Serious k-love! ;D Like you, I do often crush on drama leads too.. It’s hard not to, when you get emotionally involved with the characters.. But it’s the Serious k-loves that continue to stick with you, long after the drama is over ^^
surely it was.. thanks for this wonderful post… 🙂
Aw, thanks! It makes me happy that you enjoyed it!! ^^
He’s been my fave since Success Story of a Bright Girl and I’ve watched that drama more than 100 times (only selected episodes). i even send some goodies during his military service thru acejanghyuk. Then comes Rain and I forgot Jang Hyuk but when I watched Chuno it bring back memories how I really like him. And when I’m watching episode 20 of Chuno and I said to myself that he’s so good that’s why he won every best actor awards in Korea in 2010.
Did someone say Rain!!?
Lol, Michele! Your Rain radar is always on full alert! ;D
katekate, allow me to introduce you to my friend Michele. You 2 will probably have lots to talk about, since you share a lot of love for Rain ^^
Absolutely agree with you, that Jang Hyuk deserved every accolade he received for Chuno. He was simply outstanding in it. The first time I watched Chuno, he just blew me away with his sexy swag. On my more recent 2nd watch, though, I came to really appreciate his brilliance as an actor. DEFINITELY one of the defining roles of his career, if not THE role 😀
…one of the KOREAN oPpas i like!….so sexy and handsome….
Yes, isn’t he? He’s one hawt man, that’s for sure!! ^^
Hi Drama Fan.” I’ve watched in so many movies and I always see the character, never the actor” 200% agree with you and that’s why I said he is with the likes of DDL. They get so into the character that you forget the actor. There are not that many actors that I go ga-ga over, but JH is definitely one of them:) I thought I liked Kwon Sang woo after seeing “stairways to heaven” but his acting is nothing compared to JH. no offense to KSW fans:)
I’m going to have to third that! JH is always so fully committed to the role that I completely believe that he IS the character. That’s one of my favorite things about him as an actor.
Also, I agree with you, Drama Fan.. I had issues with Dance of the Dragon on the whole too. I found the showdown with Jason Scott Lee’s character particularly underwhelming. But JH delivered excellently, and that’s what I enjoyed the most watching that movie. I thought he delivered a very sensitive performance. Completely stole the show, he did ^^
Kfangurl, need your help. looking for the movie “Dance of the dragon” can’t find it anywhere. any ideas?
thank you.
nvermind found it.
Looks like you found what you were looking for!! Hope you enjoy it, I thought JH did very nicely in Dance of the Dragon ^^
Hi kfangurl and surusa: I watched Windstruck on Youtube
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LAfJsFiAqwE
But where can I find Dance of the Dragons?
I torrented it myself, but if you’re looking to stream, I think the 3rd set of links here are still working: http://www.dramacrazy.net/korean-movie/dance-of-the-dragon-watch/
I’m not sure if surusa managed to find it elsewhere 🙂
found “windstruck” and ” dance of the dragon ” on http://www.koreanfan.com
Eventhough JH did not have much dialog in Dance of the dragon, his acting was still great. You would think he was a real dancer. That is what I call great acting. He is there with the likes of Daniel Day Lewis.
Hi: Thank you both. I watched it yesterday. While I had issues with some aspects of the movie, the plot etc I did appreciate JHs performance. Once again, he didn’t disappoint and played his part as best as possible. I actually thought the english would limit him but he managed to express Tae Kwon’s emotions without difficulty. And I loved seeing his dance moves 😉
A user named “Ender’s girl” wrote this on Soompi
“JH also reminds me of Ethan Hawke, one of my favorite (and his favorite, so he mentioned in one of his DotD interviews) actors–onscreen, both of them project the same quiet intensity and leashed sexuality that go STRAIGHT THROUGH THE ROOF! ”
I agree with this person so I saved the quote 😉 but now that you mention Daniel Day Lewis I can also see the similarity, specially when it comes to intense scenes (I remember having a crush with the younger DDL too, I guess I subconsciously equate intensity with sexiness 😉 )
I love the wide range of emotions that JH is capable of expressing and how he dials his own energy up and down depending on the character and situation. And he always does it in a way that seems effortless and natural. I’ve watched in so many movies and I always see the character, never the actor. The more roles Ive seen him play, the more I appreciate his versatility.
HI Kfan, thanks for the tips.
Finally finished “Tree with deep roots” Exceptional drama, it had everything that makes for a good drama. How many times can I say that JH is a great actor!! Highly recommend this drama.
Oh, I LOVE Tree!! It’s the show that made me sit up and take notice of JH! He is absolutely fantastic in Tree! And I thought the drama was so well-written too, weaving in real historical events, including the creation of Hangul. So fascinating!! A very, very worthy watch indeed. One day, I’m going to make time for a re-watch, and write a review! <3
Do you know of a site that I can watch “windstruck” Korean fan website doesn’t play it any longer. I need to start on Iris 2, but wonder if I should watch Iris first to understand the story. want to see Iris 2 mostly for JH. I’m sorry I’m such a Kdrama addict.. lol
I mostly don’t stream my content anymore, but if you’re looking to watch Windstruck streaming, you can try this link: http://www.gooddrama.net/korean-movie/windstruck-watch
Also, it’s not necessary to watch Iris in order to watch Iris 2. If you do want the context of Iris but don’t want to watch the entire drama, you can watch the Iris movie instead. I will say, though, that I have heard.. terrible things about Iris 2, frankly.. And I’m actually not going to watch it (save for the super hawt deleted bed scene in this post) coz I don’t want to see JH be in a bad drama >.<
Another excellent performance in Midas! Currently watching ” Tree with deep roots” again great acting by Jang Hyuk. I’m on episode 18 and the scenes where he cried so much was so heart wrenching. Can’t get enough of watching his work. I watched a few interviews of him on Youtube and he seems so much fun to hang out with, very cool guy.
I haven’t seen Midas myself, but I have to agree that he was fantastic in Tree! He’s just so fully committed to the role that you can’t look away! I’m planning to re-watch Tree sometime, to enjoy it all over again. 🙂
Hi Kfangurl, thanks for your reply. There are so many JH dramas and movies that I still need to see , so re watching the ones I have already seen will have to wait.. Lol. Question for you, which dramas do you prefer, the onces with the young adults or the older ones. the only young adult drama I watched was “boys over flowers” while I liked that one, I prefer the dramas with the older actors, maybe because of my age:). Have a great weekend!
That’s a great question, surusa! I think I enjoy ANY drama, really, as long as the story is robust and well-told. I’m no teenager myself, but there are a couple of teen / high school dramas that I count among my all-time favorites (tho BOF is not one of them! ^^). And definitely, I also have many favorites that fall into the non-teen, proper-adult category.
If you’re keen to check out a “young” drama that has (what I consider) universal appeal, you could consider checking out Shut Up Flower Boy Band, Dream High, or School 2013. I loved all 3, and it just happens that the characters are in high school 🙂
I LOVE him too–starting with Chuno and going back and forth between his older films and dramas and his recent ones. The man can do no wrong!
I don’t want to make this a spoiler, but he was so intense–and yes, sexy even– in his last scenes of episode 20 of Iris 2. I was crying while thinking about how fine this man really is. Afterward, I watched “Dance of the Dragon” just so that I could get a grip and stop thinking that JH was really Yu Gun.
He’ s every word you described him as–including his being a family man. I also read somewhere that in his spare time he has helped the ajummas separate their recyclables at a recycle center near where he lives. Awww.
In “Deep Rooted Tree” he made that supporting role his own. He is so committed to working hard in all of his roles. I look forward to seeing what he’s going to do next.
Thanks for making this website so pleasurable and an outlet for serious JH fans. I’ll visit it many times for sure.
In the words of Morris Day (from “Purple Rain”), JH could make a lollipop so happy. 🙂
Aw, he helps ajummas with their recyclables?? That is so sweet!! <3
And yes, he's so fully committed to every role, I can understand why you actually needed to watch him in a different role to remind yourself that he's not really the character! I thought his delivery in Dance of the Dragon was very nicely done.. So introspective & well-delivered, even with the minimal dialogue.
I'm so glad you enjoyed the post! Coming from a serious JH fan, I take that as a very solid compliment! ^^
Great page! I’m a big fan of Jang Hyuk. I finished watching Chuno a couple of days ago and now watching Midas. He is one of my favorite Korean actors. I think he such a versatile actor. When I watch Jang Hyuk in any drama or movie, I feel all the emotions of the characters that he is playing. He is such a natural. Beside being such a talented actor, he is good looking and sexy too. He got the whole package.
Yay for more Jang Hyuk love in the house! ;D
Yes, Jang Hyuk is so full-on into every role, isn’t he?? He never holds back, and is so committed to every role, yet he’s not vain in front of the camera. Plus, he manages to exude so much smoldering sexy while just doing his thing.. Love that effortless sort of feel to it. Even though I haven’t watched all his works yet, I still think Chuno is his most iconic role to date 🙂
Is he the same actor from Windstruck? By the way, do you watch korean movies too? My Sassy Girl is my fav of all time!
You’re right! He was in Windstruck. I haven’t seen that movie myself, since I watch way more kdrama than k-movies. Would you recommend it? I think I’ve seen My Sassy Girl, but it was so long ago that I don’t really remember much about it =X
If you haven’t seen Chuno, MelloYello, I highly recommend it as a vehicle to see Jang Hyuk at his best. He’s awesome in Chuno. Lots and LOTS of ogle-worthy moments, but also, his acting is excellent. And the cinematography is magnificent as well. You’ll be awed, I guarantee it! ^^
All i can say is JH’s girlfriend’s an EXTREMELY lucky woman!! 😉 i just got done watching “thank you”, i think it’s called. It was o.k but i definitely noticed him, lol. Definitely will be watching more stuff with him in it.
I have one word for you, Taigachibi: Chuno. ^^ There is no contest, if you’re looking for a chance to ogle – er, I mean, appreciate – Jang Hyuk! He’s so gloriously magnificent in it, that no words can fully prepare you for the badass awesome. You just have to see it for yourself, to really get it. And preferably on a very large screen, in HD 😉 Not only is there lots to ogle and swoon at, he totally kills it, acting-wise. Combined with the killer poetic cinematography, Chuno is completely spell-binding.
Also, it’s hard to imagine that someone who’s oozing badass, bad-boy sexy is actually married with 2 kids, but that’s what he is.. In my imagination though, he goes on dates with me, heh ;D
I love how you are hipnotizing people into watching Chuno 😀 Daegil is to date, my favorite kdrama character and Jang Hyuk was beyond amazing (and hot) in it. Its funny but despite the abs I didnt get too into it until episode 10, when Daegil starts showing his vulnerability. After that, I became increasingly mesmerized by that character (not so much with the whole series, although the OST is also the best in my opinion, and the cinematography spectacular) . Daegil haunted me months after I finished watching it. It doesn’t help that I watched it again, I often re watch scenes and I listen to the soundtrack all the time 😀 Yeah Im a bit obsessed.
HAHA! I’m so tickled that you said I’m hypnotizing people into watching Jang Hyuk in Chuno! XD I’m actively spreading the word of how awesome he is in Chuno (& he is indeed awesome, as you know!), and it’s Jang Hyuk who does the hypnotizing, once they click on episode 1, hee! ^^
I have to agree with your experience of Chuno, Drama Fan! I am also way more mesmerized by Dae Gil than by the story. And yes, the OST and the cinematography are 2 of the things that I really, really enjoy in Chuno! <3 <3 Now that I'm on a rewatch, I'm swooning and melting all over again. I have to agree that Jang Hyuk really brings it in every scene. Not just in terms of the action & badassery, but also in the quiet, nuanced emotional beats. So. Good. No wonder he won the Daesang for this! 😀
Ep 10 was off the hook, wasn’t it??? So many emotions coming from Dae Gil all in one episode! The end of the episode just blew me away. Cinematographically speaking, this drama is spectacular and the music if fantastic. But Jang Hyuk….just wow!
Ok, I totally need to hurry up and get to E10 on my rewatch! It’s been long enough that details are fuzzy and everything feels new again, but I so want to know what you and Drama Fan are raving about! I’m gonna get there – soonish! I finished E8 last night! Stayed up way too late to do it, but JH was awesome and it was worth it! ^^
hey…..I missed this post 🙂
The only thing I’ve seen Jang Hyuk in is his movie Please Teach Me English with Lee Na Young and he was cute in it..I didn’t know that he had this side in him as well !! Thanks for sharing 😉
Aw, really? I feel like you’re missing out, snow_white!! ;D He’s mesmerizing in Chuno. He’s gloriously, magnificently badass in it, with smirk & swagger to spare. & yet he still delivers fabulously in the more emotional beats. Seriously. If you watch Chuno, you’ll understand why I’m spazzing about him so ^^
So I keep having to wait to comment because I just can’t take all the hotness. Rawr. Also, I recognize Jang Hyuk but I don’t think I’ve seen him in anything. Maybe I just saw a poster for Tree with Deep Roots onec…anyways love this confession! So many great photos!!
LOL! I’m glad you enjoyed the photos, Eye Candy!! Honestly, though, he’s best appreciated in motion.. Those who’ve read this post and have proceeded to check him out in Chuno have been, shall we say, *well rewarded* with oodles of shmexy badass hotness 😉
So far, I know that Ahsoka got sucked into marathoning Chuno, and over on Twitter, I’ve been squeeing and swooning along with Michele as she watches him in glorious, swaggering action ;D I, too, have been sucked into a rewatch, coz the combination of screencapping him in Chuno for this post, plus all the squeeing here and on Twitter gave me a *huge* Jang Hyuk craving – and he is sizzlingly, spellbindingly hawt in Chuno ^^ In short, GO WATCH CHUNO, Eye Candy!! If not for the story, then for the, er, eye candy, heh! ;D
Hahaha! How can I resist that? But I’m caught. Do I watch Gaksital or Chuno first? T.T the decision! But I’m not gonna lie this intense eye candy is leading me towards Chuno also I’ll be watching with a friend who is relatively knew to kdramas and she’s a bigger fan with more attractive leads so maybe Chuno is the best bet…I just can’t decide >.<
Hmm.. Great question! Chuno & Gaksital are such different shows! I think Gaksital is better written overall, but it does have what some might consider disturbing content, like torture & such. On the other hand, Chuno has glorious execution and FAH-BU-LOUS eye candy, but has the relatively weaker script, I feel. So it depends on what your friend is more drawn to.. Would she dig Chuno even though the writing isn’t as strong as Gaksital? Gaksital’s ending is also more robust, in my opinion. So clearly, Chuno has its flaws, but I’m telling ya, the ogle quotient and the badass schmexy more than makes up for it! ^^ And of course, you must watch both shows at some point, Eye Candy!! You just have to!! 😀
Also! Eye Candy, did you see the additional bit that I added to the end of the post recently? The deleted bed scene from Iris 2? U hafta see it. See him in motion. I just about fell over from the sexy, I kid u not. 😉
I’ll go watch it right now! Okay, my guess is she’d go for Chuno more at first because she’s loving Iris despite the huge plot holes because the lead is so fine. But I plan to watch both! Just got to figure out the order. If only I could have clone who would do my work and then I could watch dramas whenever I wanted…
Ok, based on your friend’s happy response to Iris, then I’d say she’d probably enjoy Chuno more 😉 I mean, Joo Won & Park Ki Woong are fabulous in Gaksital, but they just don’t have the same machismo & badass swag that just oooozes out of Jang Hyuk in Chuno.. I think your choice here is made! ;D
Also, how did you find the Iris 2 bed scene??? HAWT, right?? I thunked right to the floor. Seriously. <3
Jang Hyuk is such a great actor — he delivered so, so well in TwDR. Have you seen “Searching for the Elephant”? It’s a movie (pretty adult — lots of sexual situations) and he’s fairly drugged out for a lot of it but… that was my first experience with him and I loved him. He played his character so, so well so even when he was doing dumb things I felt for him.
I was very wowed by Jang Hyuk’s delivery and dedication to the role in Tree too! Loved him in it! <3
I haven't watched Searching for the Elephant.. Guess I need to add it to my list now ^^ Thanks, BetsyHp.. If you liked him in it, that means it's worth checking out!
I’ve been looking for that movie with English Subs. Know where I can watch it?
If you’re an AsiaTorrents member, it’s available there.. I’m not sure if BetsyHp has other sources to share 🙂
It’s on Netflix streaming if you have that. I’ve also seen it available on Youtube — but I’m not sure of the legal-status there, which means it might not be a stable source. It’s also known as “Penthouse Elephant” so you could try searching under that title, too.
Prolonged squeeing and swooning are a fangirl’s best friends, right? I take heed from the universe, too. You are, after all, part of that exclusive K-group we have discussed and I am not going to mess with that synchronicity!! Inasmuch as Jang Hyuk is not part of that particular group, he is part of the LJK, GY group all born in Busan. 🙂 Yeah…I notice these things! <3
They are? Well, you know what they say about Busan men.. they are generally the manly man type. Can’t argue with that, considering the Busan specimens you’ve outlined ;D Although, LJK used to be labeled a pretty boy more than a manly man. Thank you, MS ^^
But LJK manned it up pretty nicely in Arang….so even with those fine features, I think his position in that group is pretty secure! <3
Yes, I definitely like how the military has given him that manly chiseledness which was sorta missing before. And as he gets a little older, the maturity and gravitas that comes with, becomes him. So. Well. <3!
Mmmmmm, yes. Concur wholeheartedly. He has won a big place in my K-heart and Arang is the only thing I have seen him in to date. <3
I loved him in other things as well, but so far I have to say that Arang is my favorite! <3
Hey now…..that path is a good path…has thus far been a glorious path and a path I willingly take! Your K-guidance has been and continues to be sincerely appreciated. It was from your review of Arang that I decided to watch it and it has been glorious! And discovering LJK is making that ride that much sweeter! Your props to LMH in City Hunter sealed it for me too as my first intro to him was Faith (which I adored him in). Even your props to Rain in A Love to Kill were boost enough for me to go for it and WOW did that ever turn into a life changer…so to speak! Prior to that drama, I had no clue as to who Rain was. And I still lament over missing these 11 years since he has been doing his thang!! So, I bow to you and graciously thank you for leading me further down the K-rabbit hole. I wouldn’t have it any other way! <3 <3 <3
Awww.. This is possibly the sweetest comment on the blog, ever! <3 You are so sweet, Michele! <3 It's my pleasure to give my 2 cents on the various shows that I've seen.. k-goodies are meant to be shared, after all! Thank YOU, for trusting me enough to devote so many hours of your drama-watching life to checking out my recommendations!! I'm thrilled that you've been loving my recommendations, and I'm super eager to hear your take on Jang Hyuk once you've checked him out properly for yourself! I foresee probable prolonged squeeing and swooning in our future ;D Love! xx
Did someone say Rain? =^.^=
LOL! My word. You are sharp, Michele! Yes, I realize I did mention your favorite Rain! ;D
See, Jang Hyuk & Rain have something in common! ;D It’s a sign, Michele. You NEED to see Chuno ^^
As she leads me down the path of no return……! Swag and fluid movement have been on my radar since my martial arts days and my admiration for Bruce Lee…another one who possesses swag and fluidity. It has been written in my DNA to gravitate towards that type, I suppose!! ;p
LOL! You make me sound like some kind of deceptive witch..! XD It’s all coming from a good place, I swear! XD
Chuno has its flaws, I’ll warn u in advance. But it’s gloriously, artfully shot. The cinematography is literally breath-taking at times. I didn’t like some arcs in the show, but seriously, the experience of ogling & swooning at Jang Hyuk more than made up for those weaknesses ;D
Ok well I think it’s safe to say that Chuno is now firmly planted on my ‘to watch’ list lol! Those. Abs.
Lol!! Those abs indeed!! And those pecs. And those biceps, and triceps, and every other muscle in between! Did you notice in the first few Chuno screencaps where he’s completely shirtless, that even the small area near his ribs is ripped? O.O.. If I’m not mistaken, that is really really hard to achieve. I remember Rain achieved it when he went down to some crazy low body fat percentage for Ninja Assassin, and the article was pointing out that exact same area.
You NEED to see Jang Hyuk in Chuno, Ahsoka. He is completely spellbinding. Swoonn~~
I’ve been marathoning Chuno all day lol – Just wow! Can I just say that I super appreciate being able to indulge my fangirl heart on this site without feeling completely shallow and pathetic!? <3
Yay that you’re watching Chuno!! Isn’t Jang Hyuk absolutely magnificent in it??? I was slack-jawed a lot of the time, I found him so amazing <3
And whaddya mean, shallow and pathetic?! We have excellent taste, and I totally approve of your discerning eye ;D Particularly since you have now joined the Jang Hyuk ogling ranks, hee!
Well, you really go all out with these don’t you. XD
Jang Hyuk doesn’t really do anything for me but then shirtless doesn’t do much for me in general. I’m odd, I know, LOL! He was pretty good in both Chuno and Tree but I loved him in Thank You, which is still my most fave drama of his.
Have you seen any of his pre military stuff? OMG! He looks SO different! I’ve watched Bright Girl and Vulcano High so….. he’s done his share of cheese and cringe worthy. *g* Daemang (his 1st sageuk, I believe) wasn’t actually that bad, I liked it a lot despite of all the flaws. He was rather cute in it. 🙂
Tee hee! Well, I couldn’t just do a half-hearted job, now, could I? 😉 More Jang Hyuk for us all!!
I can see how Jang Hyuk might not be for everyone.. But I was completely mesmerized by him, I cannot lie ^^ Thank You was a lovely watch, to be sure.. I can see why it was the drama that gave Jang Hyuk’s popularity a nice big boost.
I have seen Volcano High, actually.. It was so ridiculous and campy and most of the time I had no clue what was going on! >.< And Jang Hyuk wasn't even hot in it, so I couldn't ogle to console myself either! XD I tried to watch Bright Girl and couldn't get past even half of episode one, it was that bad. I haven't watched Daemang though. I don't know if I ever will, but perhaps it might get bumped up the list after your vote of confidence ^^
Oh yes, Vulcano High was so stupid I probably lost several brain cells while watching it. ;P Bright Girl had it’s moments and I liked the ending as the heroine kept her own head and put getting a carreer first and her guy had to go along with it. 🙂 Rather different from how it tends to go in kdrama land.
I was quite taken with Daemang while I watched it and loved JH’s character. It’s set in a totally fictitious Korea and it’s not perfect by any means but I thought it had lots of heart. And a pretty strong and independent heroine to boot. I wrote a somewhat spoilery (about certain aspects of the story) piece on it @ my LJ, just look at the tags in case you feel like taking a peek.
Hmm.. You’re making me reconsider Daemang, I have to say 😉 My curiosity is definitely piqued. JH playing a character that you loved, plus a plucky heroine and a story with lots of heart? Wow. How could I possibly say no to that? ;D I will check out your review sometime for sure. And Daemang just got metaphorically dusted off and added back on my list ^^ Thanks, Timescout! You’re always pointing me to dramas that I would’ve overlooked otherwise.. You’ve sure got my back, chingu! <3
Glad to be of service! XD
Daemang is kind of a-typical traditional sageuk. It has a hero who’s genuinely nice and caring withouth being depicted as an idiot. He refuses to use violence as a means of solving disputes or problems. He’s not a fighter and doesn’t want to be one either. I really liked his growth arch from a somewhat pampered and foolish boy to a responsible adult. You can actually see it happen. So often the characters just change and we are not shown how they got from point A to point B.
Then there’s the heroine. Plucky…… well, that always makes me think of all these poor, plucky and a bit dim candy characters and our leading lady is none of those. She is intelligent, level headed and quite carreer oriented (she ends up as a skilled doctor) and yet she’s not annoyingly prim and proper nor a goody two shoes. She has principles and actually sticks to them. I liked her. In fact, the drama has several great female characters. No wimpy damsels in distress anywhere in sight. 🙂
It thought the OTP was very well matched, they complement each other. I even liked the bad guys as characters. They were quite an interesting bunch and mostly not even onesided clichés. 😀
The production budget was probably all of 5$ and it shows, LOL! Especially in the quite cheesy fight scenes. The story is centered around the merchant class, albeit a wealthy one, so it didn’t need fancy outer trappings. I wouldn’t call the plot very original but it was nicely put together. For the most part. At least it wasn’t preachy or go around in circles like most of the traditional sageuks I’ve seen.
Wow. Thanks for the excellent mini-review!! 😀 I LOLed at the 5$ production budget! XD But I would absolutely take a show with low production values & lots of heart over a show that’s slick yet hollow. I felt the same way when I watched Time Between Dog & Wolf and Iris. Although Time had much lower production values, I enjoyed it MUCH more than the slick, polished Iris. All because I felt engaged with Time and detached from Iris. I guess this means I’ve got some Daemang in my future ^^
You should definitely give Daemang a chance one day. I also wrote a review on our blog if you ever get curious. It’s not too spoilery
With Timescout’s recommendation AND yours too, I will definitely give Daemang a chance sometime. In fact, I’ve already downloaded it, so it’s ready for whenever the mood hits me. See, I put my disk space where my mouth is, HAHA XD
Awesome. I loved Daemang. I wrote my first review on it. I hope you like it too
I have high hopes, since it comes pretty highly recommended 🙂
Don’t trust me too much! My objectivity regarding Jang Hyuk anything is 0% but Timescout is trustworthy 😋 I think Daemang is beautiful, but its pace is to be taken in consideration given that it is an oldie. Also its very interesting to see Jang Hyuk in a character that is the total opposite of alpha male. He rocked it with charm an innocence. So for a fan, is a must watch, imo
I’m currently watching Dog Wolf and it does give me Tazza vibes in the low budget action with heart sense . I did love Tazza though
That does sound similar, with the low-budget action with heart. I watched a few eps of Tazza but couldn’t get into it. And then I read a review by someone who sounded like she knew a lot about Tazza-type gambling shows, and let’s just say the review convinced me that I was better off dropping Tazza 😛 Oopsie?
I liked it a lot. I’m not sure if it was good in comparison to others in its genre. Interestingly I tend to be bored with gambling related stories. The first movie I fell asleep on at the theaters was Casino Royale 😋 With Tazza I was lucky because the first review I read on it was really good and it enticed me to watch it. I found it fast paced and energetic so I watched all of it without blinking. Aside from Jang Hyuk it introduced to one of the most fun villains I’ve seen, Agwi, played by Kim Gap Soo. I’m having a harder time marathoning TBDW now (maybe because despite its heart it has slow parts, the villain doesn’t grab me and Im used to certain cliches by now) But anyway I have become aware of the fact that Tazza is not everyone’s favorite. Zhaoul did like it and she wrote a good review of it, if you ever get curious.
I wouldn’t drop dramas based on reviews but I guess if you did get bored there is no point in wasting your time with it. I recently dropped three dramas I was forcing myself to watch because of favorite actors and reviews until I finally gave up. We like what we like. No point in forcing things when there are so many dramas and so little time 😊
I normally wouldn’t drop a drama based just on a review. In the case of Tazza, I remember that I was basically forcing myself to continue from episode to episode, and just not feeling the show. Which is when I decided I needed to find a review, to see if it got any better. Like, would it worth pressing on? And I happened to find that review which convinced me that it didn’t actually get any better, and so I dropped it. Maybe I will give it another shot sometime. It might’ve been a mood thing. That’s always a possibility 🙂
Or it’s just not your kind of show. I don’t think it got “better” actually. If you got to see them as adults, then that’s it. You gave it its fair chance. I totally understand you though. About the mood aspect and also checking reviews to see if you should continue. Some dramas get better. This is the kind that, either you love it from the beginning or you never do. I just dropped Pasta yesterday and I tried so hard! It is so strange that it bored me because I love both lead actors and the writer (based on Miss Korea) I gave it 10 episodes and nothing! I’m still puzzled because people did love that drama. I hate dropping and that’s why I have watched more than 10 eps always before a definite drop! but one has to accept it when a drama is not of our liking no matter how much we want it to be (Im getting so deep and philosophical with this 😜)
No love for Bright Girl eh? Lol I took forever to watch it. I did right after I watched Nine. I needed to rest my brain and decided to watch an easy to watch full of comfy cliches story plus Jang Hyuk. I was surprised because I enjoyed it more than I expected. It is rather cute. I could see why it might be annoying too, but I guess I was in the ideal mood for it.
Hm. I don’t know.. the memory is kind of hazy right now. But I remember being quite horrified by the acting, which appeared quite stilted. And the poor production values didn’t help. And the writing wasn’t anything memorable either. Maybe if I’d had lower expectations I might’ve liked it a bit better? And yes, mood is a definite factor, always 🙂
The acting was pretty hmmm typical kdrama action? A tad over the top cartoonish I guess? The first episodes are totally overly dramatic but so are the majority of them I think. But yeah, the drama is over the top, although self aware so I don’t mind. No less over the top than TBDW however. I loved how good guys and bad guys outwitted each other so I’ll disagree on writing. It wasn’t about character development (although they were fun imo) it was more about plot. I love all the ahjussis in it and the humor.
Well, to be fair, I didn’t actually see much more than about half of E1 of Bright Girl, so the writing I did see was very limited. My conclusion on the writing not being very memorable was a very limited-scope sort of remark. You’d definitely be in a better position to comment on that, since you watched the whole drama. I think one has to be in the mood for a bit of OTT and campy? And for retro?
Totally! mood is a huge factor always and more when it comes to OTT, campy and retro! I was in the perfect mood to “not think much and just laugh” when I decided to watch it so I found it so much fun. I’m definitely not a rom com fan either so yes mood for silliness is vital
This answer was about Tazza lol! in Bright Girl no one outwitted no one rotfl! Anyway, I wanted to invite you to check out my Bright Girl review. http://stuckonhyuk.wordpress.com/2013/10/06/successful-story-of-a-bright-girl-review-or-the-taming-of-the-jerk-chabeol/
And while we are at it. my Daemang review (it doesnt have a lot of spoilers but if you are watching it you might want to wait until after)
http://stuckonhyuk.wordpress.com/category/dramas/daemang-great-ambition-2002/
I would love to read your opinion 🙂
HAHA. Ok, that definitely clears things up – for a while I was rather confused about who outwitted who in Bright Girl! XD Thanks for the links – will definitely check ’em out when I get around to watching the shows. Daemang is on queue for the not too distant future.. Maybe for my next retro mood ^^
Lol! you were talking about Bright Girl and I thought this was also about Tazza (wordpress app doesn’t provide context) Hilarious now I wonder what mess I made answering in the wrong places! lol
Ending the post with THAT pic was not very nice of you!!! Someone needs to put a safety net under my chair. Operation Submerge & Swoon is well underway. And my Friday continues to be awesome….thank you!! <3
Well, I had to save the very best for last! Plus, after looking at that photo, my brain refuses to function for a while, so it made sense to leave it till the last..! ;D You need to see him in motion, Michele.. his loose-limbed swagger is just knee-bucklingly, bone-meltingly sexy <3
I think you know me well enough by now to know that men with swag are my undoing! And men with fluid movement…well you know how I feel about THAT, too! But I will watch Chuno so you can re-swoon with me as I share my comments along the way with you! I appreciate how you notice the not so obvious things in these guys. You are such a bad influence in a good way!! <3<3
Oh yes, watch Chuno! Jang Hyuk is AWESOME in Chuno! SO much swag, and so much intensity and machismo. And yes, he does move very fluidly! Not just when fighting, but when just walking and standing.. Even just BREATHING! My goodness, I was captivated from the get-go! I didn’t love all of Chuno, but man, Jang Hyuk’s hotness more than made up for any weaknesses the show had XD
Love him! Maybe not all of his dramas! Never could finish TAZZA or Midas! I tried real hard!! Loved TWDR and Thank You! Love him in a lot of movies I’ve seen with him! Chuno? That was a love/hate relationship! Not sure why! Sometimes I loved it! Sometimes I hated it!
LOL! I couldn’t finish Tazza either! I haven’t tried Midas, but I loved him in Tree & Thank You too! Chuno.. well, he was so hawt in Chuno that I overlooked everything else that I didn’t like so much in that show. The rebel slave faction was a huge question mark for me throughout & felt like a completely separate drama. But Jang Hyuk in all his swaggering, macho glory had me sufficiently mesmerized ;D
I had to share this post with my boss and she’s ooohs and aaaahs in her office now LOL. Thank you! This made my Friday even better!
LOL! Yay for shared Jang Hyuk love! ;D Glad you enjoyed swooning with me, Nelly! ^^ Like you said, he’s such a manly man. Rawr!