Wow, time flies, doesn’t it? I can hardly believe it’s already been a whole month since my last Pure Pretty post!

Not that this Pure Pretty poster boy was hard to research – not at all.

Thanks to quick and eager suggesters, seconders and voters over on the blog’s Facebook page after Daniel Henney made his Pure Pretty appearance, So Ji Sub was very quickly assured of his spot in the Pure Pretty line-up.

And when I dipped my toes into Google for some So Ji Sub research, I was extremely pleased with my findings too.

So the reason that this Pure Pretty post has been cookin’ for a whole month now, is only because I sternly told myself that I had to post something other than Pure Pretty on the blog.

Now, 3 reviews later, I figure it’s safe to fangirl for a little bit. And so, folks, I bring you So Ji Sub, by popular demand. 🙂

Those of you who’ve read my review of That Far Gone would know that I have an affection for So Ji Sub that’s a little.. different from most.

It wasn’t his angsty bad-boy turn in I’m Sorry, I Love You that got to me, though that role pretty much cemented his broody image. Neither was it his rom-com turn in Master’s Sun that got to me either, though he was admittedly pretty great in the role.

In a nutshell, it’s his good nature and earnestness that endears him to me.

So Ji Sub’s forays into rapping and his more-often-than-not undeniably odd fashion choices have made him the butt of many a joke. And I love that he continues to smile for the cameras, and pursue what he enjoys anyway.

And so, despite the multitude of strange styling choices in many (too, too many!) of his photoshoots, today, I’d like to make the case that, for the record, So Ji Sub can and does clean up real nice.

Gaze with me 😉

Where possible, I’ve included wallpaper sizes. For your.. continued gazing pleasure. Heh.

Broody Man in a Suit:

Since a man in a suit is one of my favorite things to feast my eyes on, and since that’s what many of us think of anyway, when we talk about someone cleaning up nicely, I thought we’d start here.

Yes, So Ji Sub cleans up real nice in a suit. Sure, he doesn’t always wear it the way most men do – a number of these pix show him wearing a suit but no shirt, heh – but he looks good anyway.

Laid Back Casual:

So Ji Sub cleans up real nice when he’s not in a suit too, as he proves in these shots. He capably looks the part of the clean-cut boy next door that you’d want to date, and yes, bring home to Mom too.

I especially dig the last shot of him in jeans and a casually undone crisp white shirt. Yum. So casually, offhandedly sexy.

Laid Back Snuggly:

There’s a fine line between the laid back casual shots and these ones. In these ones, So Ji Sub’s all laid back too, and still in casual togs. In these shots, though, there’s a distinct soft, cozy vibe that’s very inviting. Kinda makes you want to get in there and curl up close, right?

Mmmm.

Close-up Sculpted:

When you do get in there and cuddle up close, I’m sure you’ll discover So Ji Sub’s amazing bone structure. Those cheekbones. That jawline. And not forgetting those intense, broody eyes.

Slight Scruff:

Much as So Ji Sub himself seems to favor the scruffy look, I personally think he looks best with just a touch of scruff. Not too much. Just enough to give us a sense of real, y’know what I mean?

Rugged Casual:

The rugged casual look becomes So Ji Sub really well, coz he’s got such a manly energy about him. These shots bring out that strong quality in him very nicely.

Rugged Tats:

Yes, those tattoos are real.

I’m not personally for or against tattoos myself, but I do think that the right tattoos on the right person can look very aesthetically pleasing. I like that the tattoos So Ji Sub’s chosen for himself are bold and strong. They do add to the swag, don’t they?

Sexy Undone:

I particularly enjoy So Ji Sub when he’s a little undone. Whether he’s lounging in bed looking at you with sexy bedroomy eyes, or brooding with wet hair and glistening skin, he’s equally alluring. Cough.

Sporty, Sweaty, Sexy:

Heh. I think those 3 words speak for themselves, don’t they? And here’re another 2 words: Glistening. Muscle.

Yum.

There’s just something exceedingly sexy about a manly man sweating it out.

Gloriously Shirtless:

So Ji Sub has quite the glorious hot bod, and really, this section needs no introduction.

There are only one thing you need to know: we’re talkin’ ’bout gorgeous, sculpted muscle. You might need a drool bucket. Or at least a napkin. Heh.

Ummmph Sexy:

I didn’t put these 2 pix in the shirtless section coz I found these so sexy that I thought they deserved a whole section – and headline – all their own.

Isn’t this just – urrmmph – sexy??

Thud.

Man With Passion:

I’m not a fan of So Ji Sub’s music, but I do love that he loves it. And it makes me smile to see him working at it, coz he clearly enjoys it so much.

I just like seeing pix of him working at something, come to think of it. Like, in these pix, I don’t know if he actually enjoys cooking or photography, but he sure does look like he’s intent while doing these things, and I dig that.

Man-Cute:

With years of being known for his broodiness, it’s refreshing to see So Ji Sub’s cute side.

Whether it’s posed, like this first shot, or candid like the others, he looks all kinds of adorable. And yet, he still manages to look manly while he’s at it. Likey.

Candid:

I do love these candid shots of So Ji Sub. It feels like a closer peek at the real person behind the styled shoots, and he doesn’t disappoint. He comes across as alternately cute, cool, good-natured and sweet.

IN CLOSING

Right?

So Ji Sub just seems like a really sweet kinda guy. A sweet guy who happens to clean up real nice in a suit and who looks gloriously luscious without his shirt, but a sweet guy all the same.

Now, if only he’d come to us for style tips instead of trusting those stylists with weird avant garde sensibilities, maybe we’d always have nice pix of him, like this one.

Mmmmm.