Pure Pretty: Ji Chang Wook

January 26, 2015 by kfangurl 149 Comments

I am officially on the Ji Chang Wook train, you guys. Finally.

How could I have possibly missed the train before, you ask? Well, I just happened to not feel very interested in checking out any – seriously, any – of his earlier works. Most of his projects have fallen into either the very melo category, or the very long category, and I’m generally a very picky viewer when it comes to both of those categories. I’m careful where I invest my time – and my tears, heh.

So how I did finally find my way to the train? Why, Healer, of course (Healer-ya~!). I’m 8 episodes in as I type this, and liking it a whole lot.

[EDIT: I finished the show, loved it, watched it again, and now, the review is done! You can find it here.]

As I’ve watched the show, my eyes have also gradually and very firmly achieved the Ji Chang Wook Appreciating Upgrade, and I finally understand what the fuss is about. Swoon.

All I can say is, I’m sorry I’m late to the (spazz) party!

Now, what better way to make up for lost time and celebrate my new-found appreciation of the Ji Chang Wook awesome, than a robust shot of Pure Pretty, right? 😉

Swooooon~ Wouldja look at those eyes??

Michael Learns to Rock – Eternal Love (Healer OST)

THE JI CHANG WOOK HEALER APPEAL

Before I dive in to the Pretty, I have a confession to make.

Before Healer, I used to be completely indifferent to Ji Chang Wook’s charms. I mean, I didn’t even think he was that cute, to be perfectly honest.

GASP. I know. Boy, have I been missing out! XD

Happily for me, Healer soon fixed that gaping misunderstanding for me, by showing me that:

1. Ji Chang Wook is awesomely badass and cool as he scales walls and leaps off tall buildings. (Yes, I know he has a stunt double and doesn’t actually leap off tall buildings. But Healer does, and Ji Chang Wook is Healer, and that’s the part of the logic equation my fangirl heart is gonna subscribe to, at least for now.)

Plus, here’s proof that Ji Chang Wook doesn’t just sit around eating ice cream and cookies while his stunt double does all the work. He’s plenty involved, and I very much approve.

Yep, I realize I definitely have a thing for superheroes, or heroes with superhuman-like abilities.

2. Ji Chang Wook possesses an onscreen intensity that I like very, very much. His eyes say so much, even in the absence of actual dialogue. And sometimes, his gaze is simply arresting. Just take a lookie at these:

So mesmerizing.

3. Despite the cool badassery often on display, Ji Chang Wook is also very capable of bringing on the swoon, when the occasion calls for it. Again, it’s in his eyes.

Just look at this melty, amused, I-think-I-might-kinda-love-you gaze that he’s locked on co-star Park Min Young in this screenshot:

Swoon. Melt. Puddle.

I have, without a doubt, come around to Ji Chang Wook’s appeal.

I might even have to put Warrior Baek Dong Soo on my watch list. Coz not only does it also feature Yoo Seung Ho (for whom I have a big soft spot),

It also promises fierceness – and abs! – of the Ji Chang Wook variety.

Kinda hard to say no to all that, right? 😉

But I digress.

Edit: I did watch Warrior Baek Dong Soo! Review is here!

THE JI CHANG WOOK GALLERY

For the record, due to my prior Ji Chang Wook indifference, I haven’t been keeping tabs on his photoshoots, and have no idea which ones are more popular or more recent. All I did was dive into Google and start researching, and these are the results. Well, the ones that I liked anyway.

On the upside, I’ve managed to secure a nice number of HD, wallpaper-worthy pix, so if you like a particular photo, you might want to open that up in a new tab or window to check its size. You just might be looking at your new Ji Chang Wook wallpaper. 😉

Boyish

Despite his current badassery on Healer, I found that Ji Chang Wook has a very boyish side to him too, and I find it quite endearing. Doesn’t he look like the boy next door in these pix?

I love the one where he’s holding a fried chicken drumlet, coz he looks so pleased with himself. He totally looks like he could be your gleeful, slightly mussed-up boyfriend, who’s super happy with the fried chicken you’ve delivered to him. Also, it reminds me of Healer’s penchant for fried chicken, hee.

I also really like the fanmeet poster lower down in this set, for his 2014 fanmeet in Taipei. There’s a lovely softness in his gaze in that pic, which just makes me melt.

Playful

I thought a suitable follow-up section would be this one, where Ji Chang Wook shows off his playful side. In each of these pix, he’s got an impishness about him which I find quite adorable.

My fave pic in this section is the last one, coz he looks like he’s having so much fun on the Healer set. I love a guy who enjoys his work. 🙂

Smoldery

On a very different note, here’s Ji Chang Wook wearing the smoldery gaze, which I think looks fab on him. It’s one of my favorite looks on him; he looks so intense, like all of his unspoken thoughts and feelings are just blazing out of his eyes at you.

It’s hard to pick favorites in this section in particular since I have a weakness for sexy smolder, but I do think that the GQ shots are especially lovely. There’s just an intense, manly aura about him in those pix. Yum.

Throwback Bonus

As a bonus, I found these throwback photos, which prove that the smolder has long been in Ji Chang Wook. I really like these pix, the youthful smolder becomes him.

Smirky

I happen to think that the smirk looks fabulous on Ji Chang Wook. There’s just something about a smirk on those features that elevates his level of cool several notches, to new badass heights. It lends a layer of knowingness to the smolder, which I very much dig.

In these pix, we get varying degrees of smirky, and while most of the photos look fantastic, my favorite pic of ’em all is hands-down the one with him biting his shirt. It’s just so arrestingly schmexy.

Intent & Intense

A close cousin to the smolder and the smirk is this section, where we get varying degrees of intent &/or intense Ji Chang Wook. Since his eyes are high up on the list of things that I enjoy about him, this category hits more of the sweet spot by serving up an additional dose of that lovely penetrating gaze.

My favorite in this section is definitely the last pic. He looks so teasingly intent, like he’s got.. er, stuff on his mind. *cough* Very sexy indeed.

Cool Cat

When I saw these first two pix, I just had to make this Cool Cat section. Coz, how does he manage to stand around holding flowers (something most men find awkward to do, from what I can tell), and yet manage to look so nonchalantly cool at the same time??

Pensive

Another look that I find very becoming on Ji Chang Wook is the pensive thoughtful one. I like a man with substance, and these pix give off very nice contemplative vibes, like he’s thinking about important things.

I like this first pic coz it gives off Healer vibes (will I henceforth always think of Healer when I see a man with his turtleneck turned up to cover his mouth?). I also really like the 5th pic, coz he looks so ruggedly handsome, leather jacket, guyliner and all.

Sweet

Sweet is a look that Ji Chang Wook wears well too, and I particularly love that in these pix, there’s a distinct softness & gentleness to his gaze.

It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I do think that the series of photos with him standing in front of the curtained windows has a lovely dreamy feel to them. I also love the last pic for its very unique brand of gentle smolder.

Snuggly Cozy

This is one of my favorite categories in this gallery, coz, Ji Chang Wook being all snuggly cozy is so darn sexy. Him getting all comfortable, with those bedroomy eyes mostly just trained in your direction, is just, ummph.

I have big love for almost all the photos in this section, but I must say, that last one definitely caught my attention more than the rest. Talk about cozy bedroomy eyes with intent.

Oof. And, puddle.

Sharp Suit

I think many of us already know that Ji Chang Wook cleans up very nicely in a sharp suit.

Oddly, though, there don’t seem to be a lot of photoshoots actually featuring him in sharp suits. Mostly, he seems to wear the sharp suits more to awards shows and other red carpet events. Regardless, he looks great. And I really like this first photo. He looks so handsome in that tux, and he looks so dashing with his hair styled away from his face. Plus, that slight smile is adorable.

Shirtless

As we learn right off the bat in Healer, Ji Chang Wook doesn’t seem at all averse to taking off his shirt, heh. Which is a happy thing for fangirls everywhere, coz Ji Chang Wook is absolutely delicious without his shirt.

My favorite in this set is the one just above the Men’s Health cover. He doesn’t look overly styled or overly ripped; he simply looks very strong and very wholesome, and I dig that very much indeed. Yum.

Sporty

With such great muscle definition, it’s no surprise that Ji Chang Wook also looks great in sportswear. There’re lots of photos of him in outdoor-wear, thanks to his North Cape endorsement, but I picked just a few favorites. I like these because the vibe he gives off feels like equal parts manly strength and sexy smolder. And of course, I snuck in a Healer pic in there too, just coz. 😉

Streetwise Tough

These pix mostly show off Ji Chang Wook’s slightly edgier streetwise side, and he wears the look with ease. I personally really like this second pic coz it shows off his profile, and his gaze looks piercing, even though it’s not leveled at the camera. Very nice indeed.

Candids

As usual, no gallery on this site is complete without at least a few candid shots. I like the candid shots because they arguably give us little glimpses of the real person beneath all the polish and marketing.

I particularly like the last pic in this set, coz that’s such a regular-person kind of thing to do, to take a selfie (or selca), in the privacy of your bedroom. Plus, I really like the softness in his gaze in the photo too. Makes him feel so approachable, and well, close.

THE FINAL WORD

Whew. All I did was dip my toes in today, to check out the Ji Chang Wook awesome, and what a heap of awesome I managed to find! I feel like I can only look forward to even more awesome, as he continues to blaze his trail through dramaland and our screens.

I’m sorry I’m late to the party, Ji Chang Wook-sshi, and I’m sorry for not appreciating you before. But, now I’m more than ready to lap up your brand of sexy magnificence, so keep on bringing it on, ok? Fighting~! 🙂