Everyone was right.
So many of you predicted that once I started watching Witch’s Romance, that I would start swooning over Park Seo Joon just like everyone else. Heh. Y’all are so right.
To be honest, before I started watching the show, when I saw all the photo spreads and stills of Park Seo Joon that came out along with Witch’s Romance, I had my doubts. In the stills, he looked rather.. well, ordinary to me. Nothing about those photos made me sit up and take serious notice, really.
Ha. Watch me eat my words now. Coz I’ve been lapping up Witch’s Romance, while happily nursing a brand new fangirl crush on Park Seo Joon (melt~).
Better late than never, right?
In Denial: Dream High 2
Y’know, as I watched Park Seo Joon in Witch’s Romance with increasing enjoyment, I couldn’t help but wonder what other work he’d done.
Imagine my moment of shock when I saw that he’d been in Dream High 2, a (n outstandingly terrible) drama that I endured to the end mostly coz of my stubborn completist streak (which I’ve since tamed somewhat).
I thought, “Really?? Surely I would’ve noticed him if he was in Dream High 2??”
In disbelief, I turned to Google to be the judge. And lo and behold, Park Seo Joon really was in Dream High 2:
Gasp.
Youtube even informed me that he’d done all the singing and dancing too, along with all the other cast members of Dream High 2. Here’s proof:
I have to admit, he’s pretty good.
But I hate Dream High 2 (yes, hate is a strong word, but I have.. strong feelings about DH2), and I’m pretty much going to pretend that Dream High 2 never happened for Park Seo Joon. (Don’t try to persuade me otherwise. LALALA I CAN’T HEAR YOU)
Sitting Up Seriously: Witch’s Romance
Park Seo Joon is growing on me in a serious fashion in Witch’s Romance.
He is just so believable in his role as Yoon Dong Ha. When I watch the show, I really don’t see Park Seo Joon the actor; I only see Yoon Dong Ha the character.
I love an actor with talent, and Park Seo Joon’s managed to convince me that Yoon Dong Ha’s emotions are very real, even if the execution of the show has a manhwa-esque sort of style.
On related tangent, I’ve also realized that Park Seo Joon reminds me of Gong Yoo (& you guys know I have a long-standing love for Gong Yoo), so that can only be a good thing.
It’s hard to nail down exactly how and why Park Seo Joon reminds me of Gong Yoo.
I will say, though, that it’s not quite in the stills and photos, and more of when I see him in motion on my screen as Yoon Dong Ha. There have been moments in the show when I’ve done a double-take, just coz he reminded me of Gong Yoo.
It’s partly how he’s styled in Witch’s Romance, coz it often reminds me of how Gong Yoo was styled in Big. It’s also sometimes how he moves, like when he’s shown walking unhurriedly. And it’s also partly his features. There’ve been several shots of Park Seo Joon’s profile where I was very much reminded of Gong Yoo.
Exhibit A: Gong Yoo in Big
Exhibit B: Park Seo Joon in Witch’s Romance
It’s not so much that he looks like how Gong Yoo did when Gong Yoo was his age. Rather, it feels like he would be able to pass off as Gong Yoo’s younger brother, coz he possesses a somewhat similar air.
Ok, so maybe it’s all in my head and you might think I’ve totally missed the mark this time. I dunno.. You tell me?
In any case, I’m definitely impressed by Park Seo Joon in Witch’s Romance, and it’s more to do with his very believable delivery, and less to do with any resemblance he may or may not have to Gong Yoo.
Plus, he’s such a cutie.
On a slight tangent, I might have to watch One Warm Word now, coz he’s in it.
Edit: I finished Witch’s Romance – you can check out my review here!
Dipping into Variety: Running Man!
Park Seo Joon’s appeared twice so far in Running Man, and I really enjoyed watching both episodes. Not only are both episodes genuinely laugh-out-loud funny, Park Seo Joon is very cute in both eps. Watching his earnest (and rather accomplished) sportsmanship, topped off with his adorable smile, made me grin like a loon a lot of the time. Squee!
A PARK SEO JOON MINI GALLERY
As I did my research for this post, I realized that Park Seo Joon’s pix don’t fall into extremes. Rather, it’s mostly a bit of this and a bit of that, and it all works. I think it works, anyway.
A Bit of Broody:
The broody pix don’t get overly sullen. What we get is just a touch of broody with a side of pensive thoughtfulness, and I like the end result quite a lot.
My favorite is the third pic – a lovely close-up. Mmm.
A Bit of Quirk:
A number of Park Seo Joon’s photoshoots lean quirky, but these aren’t terribly out there, either. It’s just a touch off-beat, which I think suits him nicely.
My favorite shot is the last one of him reading in a bathtub. Dry and fully clothed, complete with glasses and a nice rose on the wall for atmosphere. That look on his face totally says, “What, you mean you don’t read in your bathtub??” Heh.
Cute:
I do think Park Seo Joon is quite adorable, and these cute pix prove it. Boyish, cheeky, happy. Words that perfectly describe these pix as well as Park Seo Joon in general, I think.
The Sharp Suit:
You guys know how much I love a man who cleans up nice in a sharp suit, and Park Seo Joon does not disappoint. Not in the least. In fact, I think he looks absolutely dashing in the sharp suit. Ahh.. So handsome.
Shirtless:
Here’s a little bit of shirtless Park Seo Joon. He doesn’t seem to take off his shirt for photoshoots as much as he does for his dramas. And that might be a good thing, no? It means shirtless Park Seo Joon in motion, after all.. 😉
Sultry:
I found these pix of Park Seo Joon very sensuous and sultry. Just goes to show that you don’t need to be shirtless to be delicious.
YUM.
The Soft Gaze:
Of all the looks on Park Seo Joon, my absolute favorite is the soft gaze. He has this way of leveling his gaze at you, with the softest, gentlest look in his eyes, and it gets me, every single time. Melt.
Meltmeltmelt~
The Cute Smile:
Coming in a close second to the soft gaze is this absolutely adorable smile on Park Seo Joon. When he grins and his whole face sorta scrunches up, it’s super cute. Makes me wanna squish him.
Dreamy:
Here’re a couple of shots where I find Park Seo Joon particularly dreamy. It’s the overall styling, as well as that soft look in his eyes. Lovely.
Yes, I think he’s absolutely dreamy when he’s in the recording studio.
Here, check him out singing Come Into My Heart for the Witch’s Romance OST. So much full-on immersion. Likey muchey.
Candids:
And of course, not forgetting the candids. So much off-handed cuteness. And that second to last pic – so sexy.
Keep on bringing the awesome, Park Seo Joon-sshi. I’ll be keeping my eye on you. I’ve a feeling you’re one of those actors that just gets better and better with time.
Fighting~!
