Thanks to everyone who enjoyed my inaugural Reaction Post, for The Red Sleeve Talk Show Special!

I’m back with my second Reaction Post, and yes, it’s still about The Red Sleeve, because, well, I really, really loved that show (monster review is here!), and I’m just really happy to finally be able to watch all the spoilery specials in the drama’s honor.

It really turned out to be a very special drama, and if you haven’t seen it yet, I do recommend it! 🤩

Personal Highlights

It’s so amusing, that Jang Hye Jin hasn’t been allowed to participate in variety shows all these years, in an effort to protect her image. Now that she’s on this variety show, I think she’s fantastically cute and funny, and an excellent variety guest.

I love that she speaks her minds easily, and laughs easily too. I can see why she’d want to go on variety shows and chat and laugh with people.

HA. I am so tickled by Oh Dae Hwan’s bet with Kang Hoon over the episode ratings, and the dispute that lasted more than 8 months – over 10,000 won. How cute, that Junho‘s called upon to settle the dispute as the king, and I’m quite fascinated by the fact that he’s even able to quote the exact words used when the bet was made.

I guess that makes him very observant, and also, it means he has a great memory?

The way Junho prompts Kang Hoon to mention a variety show that airs on MBC, when Kang Hoon is asked what other variety shows he’d like to be on, is very savvy.

I think it shows that he knows that it’s strategically unwise of Kang Hoon to only mention shows on SBS in answer to the question. I’d say it’s helpful of him to nudge Kang Hoon like this, coz it’s better to give Kang Hoon a chance to backpedal, than not.

Aw. Lee Min Ji talking about how her mother only focuses on how she should fix her face, when she appears on TV, is actually kinda sad. I’m glad they complimented her on her features being delicate and cute. For what it’s worth, I think she’s very cute! 🤩

I have to say, Junho really knows how to phrase things in a nice way. The way he explains how he’d understood how it feels to be onstage performing, and how it feels to connect with the audience, and how he’d felt grateful to be mentioned by the performer, and that’s why he’d stood up to applaud, sounds very thoughtful, like he’s habitually putting himself in other people’s shoes.

Hee. The way Se Young’s stomach grumbles, and how Junho is quick to react to it, like, “Hello?” and bends down to look inquiringly in the direction of her stomach, as if he’s asking, “Anybody there?,” it so funny and cute. 😆

Ooh. The way Se Young forgets to mention Junho in her acceptance speech for Best Couple, and gets caught on camera realizing it, just as he thanks her in his acceptance speech, is very cute. Even cuter, is the way she then quickly tries to make up for it, by rushing up to the mic to thank “King Oppa” who is the best (jjang!).

Tee hee. Way to turn an embarrassing faux pas into a cute and memorable moment! Nice save, Lee Se Young-sshi! 😉

Aww. Jang Hye Jin forgetting her prepared speech at the drama awards show, and instead, fulfilling her son’s wish to say his name on TV and tell him that she loves him, is so sweet and cute. Even cuter, is that Se Young suggests she tell him again, since she’s on a variety show and therefore doesn’t have lines to deliver like when she’s acting.

Ahh, I love how Se Young comforts Hye Jin, when Hye Jin talks about her husband and son not reacting much to her award win, by saying that families tend to be indifferent – but then they brag about you to their friends. She’s really sweet, isn’t she? 😍

Pfft. Kang Hoon’s video message to his Noona is quite random. I can’t help thinking of him as a bit of heodang (slang for fool, along the lines of airhead) now. 😁 Also, Noona’s a Tough Noona, always telling him that no one recognizes him on the street! But also, how nice, that Noona told him that since he’s going on Radio Star, that he’s made it.

Aw. Tough Noona actually supports him, doesn’t she?

I’m quite amused at the tidbit that Junho started reading the script for The Red Sleeve while in the bath – and then ended up reading the whole thing while sitting the bath. I had to giggle when the host asked if his skin had turned all wrinkly, and Junho admitted that his whole body was totally soggy. 😂

Tee hee at Junho’s embarrassment, at being teased for saying that he and King Jeongjo share similarities. But when he explains it, y’know, I can see it. I agree that he pushes himself hard, and I agree that he loves his fans and is considerate of them.

Wow, that story about Lee Se Young being fated to play Deok Im really is a little wild. To think that the fans had voted her as most suitable to play Deok Im, when discussing the novel – and then the casting call had actually come, two months later!

It really does feel like it was meant to be. And honestly, now that I’ve watched the drama, I can’t actually picture the role being played by anyone else. She owned the role, no question.

Ahaha. I am tickled by Oh Dae Hwan’s story about his intentional weight loss, followed by his unintentional weight gain, and how he’d worked to convince the PD that bodyguards at that time in history had to be strong with big builds, heh. Good save!

But also, I do think it works, that Head Guard was this big burly man who looked like he could singlehandedly block a legion of enemies, if need be.

Oh Dae Hwan’s story about not being able to master the move of putting the sword back in its sheath is quite funny too. But also, yay Junho, for being the only one among those on set, who was able to execute the move, thanks to having mastered it for Memories of the Sword. 🤩 (Perhaps I need to find that movie now, too.. 😅)

Pwahaha. I am amazed that Kang Hoon put so much thought into how he should smile while in character. That bit about him smiling first with his lips, then adjusting his nostrils so that they’re even, before smiling with his eyes, is just way too involved, and it’s hilarious when he gives a demonstration, and then stops himself halfway, saying it’s too unnatural. 😂

Ok, but he succeeds in the end, I have to commend him for going to this degree of detail, in preparation for the role. He’s an earnest doofus, is what he is. 😁

Ooh. I like that tidbit about Junho wanting to shoot that fire arrow himself, even though the plan had been for a stuntman to do it for him, due to safety concerns. I love that he got his wish in the end, to have that single fluid take of him picking up the fire arrow, aiming it and shooting it. YES. It turned out beautifully, and San looked so, SO cool and effortlessly badass, all at the same time. 🤩🤩

Ahaha, how cute, that Jang Hye Jin learned the joy of ad-libs through working with Oh Dae Hwan. I hadn’t realized that Court Lady Seo’s aegyo scenes were actually ad-libs!

Aw. I love that everyone acknowledged Junho as a great actor, for managing to stay in character and keeping focused, even while everyone else around him was going nuts with the ad-libs, in the drunken scene.

Y’know, that’s in line with what I’ve observed of Junho as well in other videos.. like, even when his 2PM mates are fooling around, Junho still tends to focus on tuning out everything else, and delivering his part well.

Ooh. The bath scene. It comes up in basically every variety discussion of The Red Sleeve, but I never get tired of hearing about it – or seeing it replay on my screen, HA. Yes, please, gimme moar of sculpted, glistening Junho. 🤩

Also, though, poor Junho, being so exhausted that his body couldn’t even handle the chicken and beer that he’d promised himself as a reward after finishing the filming of the scene. I also think that him drinking beer suddenly, after eating super clean for a year, was probably a shock to his system, seeing as how his body went blotchy right after he took one sip. Yikes. 😬

It’s really interesting to hear Junho and Se Young talk about the kiss scene, and their thoughts around that.

Poor Junho, putting his foot in his mouth about looking forward to the kiss, and then saying that it’s because it had been a long time.. HAHA. The sweaty sheep animation is quite perfect, to illustrate his sheepish embarrassment. 😂

But also, it’s really interesting to hear Se Young break down the scene and describe how Deok Im couldn’t push San away too harshly, because it would ruin the aesthetics of the scene, and how she needed to push him only moderately, before melting into the kiss.

That sounds like surgical precision. I imagine it’s not easy to keep to that surgical precision, while still delivering chemistry and feels.

I also love that little detail, of them clinking their glasses of mouthwash before embarking on the kiss scene mission. Cute, cute. 🤩

Ahaha, I love the fact that Jang Hye Jin used the sound of PD Jung’s laughter as a compass of sorts, for her to find her way around the set. Aw, y’know, I find PD Jung so lovable, just from her laughter alone.

Oh wow, I’d had no idea that Jang Hye Jin really had hit her head on a rock in that scene where she’s running with Deok Im and falls down.

First of all, how AMAZING, that she managed to roll with it and incorporate her reaction into her delivery of her lines, and second of all, that bun hair piece really did save her from actual injury. That’s the first time I’ve ever thought that the heavy hair pieces that Joseon ladies wear, actually came in useful! 😅

Ahaha I love the nugget about Junho’s NG, where instead of commanding that Deok Im be brought to San’s bedchamber, he commands for Court Lady Seo to be brought instead. Even better, is the fact that Oh Dae Hwan had ad-libbed with an appreciative “YaAaa~!” 😂 That’s such effortless chemistry!

Gosh, I love that they all had so much fun working together.

Ooh, I like the insight into the tweaks that were made to the scene where Deok Im is brought to San’s bedchamber, that becomes their first night together. I love the detail, that PD-nim had made the executive decision to change the tone of the scene from something sexy, where Deok Im had been written as removing her jeogori, to something more beautiful.

Also, I love the tidbit, that the morning-after scene, where San and Deok Im kiss again, and San is late for the morning assembly, which had turned out so cozy and intimate, had been added by PD-nim, as it wasn’t originally in the script.

Dang. That was a great addition, and I’m thinking PD-nim really had a strong vision for what this story needed to be. I honestly think it would have been a loss, if that scene hadn’t been added. I feel it really helped to bring out the new intimacy of relationship between San and Deok Im. Plus, the happy bliss on San’s face, and Deok Im’s quiet contentment, are so priceless, in that moment. ❤️

Gah. It blows my mind that the throne room scene between King Youngjo and San had taken over 10 hours to film. 10 hours!! And Lee Deok Hwa had refused to take a break. That’s a LONG time to keep going at that intensity, without taking a break. 😳

And Junho had been on his knees the whole time too! Gosh. His poor knees. But also, what professionalism, that they both just kept going at that Shakespearean intensity, for that length of time.

And I love Junho’s description of how the ministers’ applause after every take, had felt like he and Lee Deok Hwa were on stage, interacting with a live audience.

Wow. That must have been a very special and memorable experience indeed.

Y’know, I’d heard that Junho had declined to know in advance what was in the box containing Deok Im’s belongings, but it’s still a treat to hear him talk about the scene, from why he made that decision (to keep his reactions more real), and how it had felt, as he’d gone through the items in the box.

It’s so meaningful to know that he’d responded to real memories that he’d had, as he went through the items. And how poignant, to know that the scent of Se Young’s perfume on the jeogori, had actually made him cry more.

Gosh. Talk about commitment to his craft. And, talk about immersion in the role as well. Fantastic. 🤩

What an interesting nugget of information, that the scene where Head Guard had pushed Court Lady Seo against the pillar, had been an ad-lib suggested by Oh Dae Hwan. Heh. He really has all kinds of ad-lib ideas, doesn’t he? 😁

And how funny, that Jang Hye Jin sounds slightly rueful, that after Head Guard had done that to Court Lady Seo, he’d gone and married someone else. 😂

These two do have some excellent chemistry, and for the record, I think their scenario for a hypothetical future project, where they play a fraudster couple, is pretty darn great. I’d watch it, if they made it! 🤩

Overall thoughts

I have to say, this 1.5 hours passed by more quickly than I’d expected.

Yes, it’s partly coz I’m just happy to gaze at Junho on my screen, heh. But also, it’s because everything flowed so snappily, and there was no moment when I felt like the pace was lagging.

What I love, is how everyone seems to speak so easily and naturally. I really can believe that this is mostly unscripted, and that these are our actors’ true personal thoughts about the show, and the experience of filming the drama.

I’m also glad that there’s a Part 2 to this, where I can continue to see this great dynamic play out, for another 1.5 hours. 😁

Stay tuned for that Reaction Post – coming out tomorrow! 😉 Edit: My Reaction Post to Part 2 is here!

Where to watch:

You can watch this special episode on Kocowa, with a paid subscription.

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