As promised, here I am with my Reaction Post to Part 2 of the Radio Star special episode on The Red Sleeve. (Spoiler: I liked it as much as I liked Part 1. 😉)

If you haven’t checked out my Reaction Post to Part 1 of the special, you can find that here!

PS: Link to watch is at the end of the post!

PPS: I also have a Reaction Post to The Red Sleeve Talk Show Special, which you can check out here. And if you haven’t yet checked out my monster review of The Red Sleeve, you can find that here.

Personal Highlights

We continue where we left off in the previous episode, and Jang Hye Jin’s duet with Oh Dae Hwan is, uh, very spirited, even if the actual vocal quality might not be the best. 😅😁

Ohh, interesting, that the way the tiger hunting scene was shot, was with a staff member holding a stick with a tennis ball attached to it, to give the actors a common point to focus on. Well, that’s safer than using an actual tiger, that’s for sure!

Even though, I can understand that it might challenge the actors to stay in character and act all alarmed at a tennis ball on a stick. I guess that’s why they’re called actors. 😁

But that’s just my perspective.

According to Junho, staying in character while working with the tennis ball wasn’t the issue. The issue was, when PD-nim called the cut, he and Oh Dae Hwan looked at each other, and neither of them had any idea whether they’d done it right, ie, whether the end result would be good, for when the CGI would be combined with the live action.

Gosh, poor Lee Se Young, having to film so much in the library, which turned to be as hot as a sauna in the middle of summer, and while wearing hanboks, too.

The fact that a professional like her said she felt like she was going to die, says a lot. And, the fact that Junho says that he could see her face slimming down by the day, also says a lot. Poor girl. She must have lost so much water weight.

Also, how mortifying, that the hanboks have a certain damp smell when wet, such that Kang Hoon had told Lee Se Young that she smelled like the ocean – which made her worry about how she would smell when working in close proximity to Junho. Aw, how gallant of Junho, to state unequivocally, that she had not smelled at all. So sweet, protecting the lady’s dignity!

Oh wow, I am really quite amazed at the details that need to be taken care of when filming. Like the fact that Oh Dae Hwan gets hot easily and therefore perspires through his clothes easily, became a problem past the first take. How creative, though, that they simply wet his clothes before the first take, so that any subsequent perspiration wouldn’t show!

Also, how interesting, that he’d asked to wear armor, so that his perspiration wouldn’t show, even when he got hot and sweaty!

Gahh. Maybe I just haven’t watched enough k-variety. I’m honestly kind of thrown by how they talk about Oh Dae Hwan farting on set, for such an extended period of time. 😅 The secondhand embarrassment is real, but also, past a certain point, I started to find it funny too.

Also, honestly, how nice of Junho, to think of a story to tell, where Oh Dae Hwan’s loud fart actually helped cover up Yoon Hyo Sik’s (Head Eunuch) mistake, when all the other stories were about his loud farts shocking other actors. Plus, Junho’s so earnest about it too, like he really wants to help neutralize this whole farting thing.

Pfft, that after this, everyone agrees that it was a cool fart. That’s honestly a phrase I never thought I’d ever hear. 😂

Egad, that side story about how Oh Dae Hwan’s accidental fart had wrongly incriminated Kim Dong Wook as the originator of the fart, during a musical, is both terrible and funny. Poor Kim Dong Wook. It must have been terrible to have known that the 2 ladies in the front row were convinced he’d farted on stage, when it had been Oh Dae Hwan, backstage. 😭😂

Oh my gahhh. I cannot believe that when Oh Dae Hwan is asked if he’s ever pooped his pants, he actually goes on to tell everyone a story about how he did poop his pants, even though literally everyone is trying to get him to stop talking – and in the end, they only show snippets of him telling the story, with no audio, and with the text overlay announcing that the story is not fit for broadcast. 😂

In particular, I’m tickled at how, in his efforts to stop Oh Dae Hwan from telling his story, Junho gesticulates at him while telling him that he’s going to be doomed after telling this story. It’s like Junho’s trying to save him from himself, seriously. 😂

Ooh, interesting, that fake mustaches fall off if you laugh. I hadn’t known that! So that’s why Head Guard is often seen laughing while holding his nose – he’s just trying to keep his fake mustache from detaching from his face. 😂

Ok, that’s cute, that Kang Hoon had been a 2PM fan in high school, and had danced to their songs, but hadn’t told Junho about it while working with him. Also, how apt, that he’d decided to look upon San as 2PM’s Junho, because he had felt it fit his character. I think that works, since his character was supposed to kinda have stars in his eyes for San anyway.

Hahaha, Kang Hoon’s dance to 2PM’s “10 out of 10,” is basically not very good. But he’s good-natured about it, and Junho claps appreciatively anyway. And, when Junho’s asked to rate Kang Hoon’s dancing, how tactful, that he shoots Kang Hoon finger-hearts instead, and says, “I love you!” Very diplomatic, hee.

Aw, that’s sweet, actually, that Se Young asked to form a climbing club with the other actresses who played court ladies, so that they had a reason to keep in touch. I like that.

Wow, it’s so interesting to hear about all the various things that Se Young’s learned to do, to survive the winter cold and the summer heat, while wearing hanboks. In particular, that thing about taping 30 heat packs to her arms was Quite Something. To think that she did that, so that the hanbok wouldn’t be wrinkled by a winter coat!

And that tip about applying sunscreen to the scalp where the hair parts, during summer, to prevent the scalp from getting sunburned, is truly something that could only come from someone who’s been there.

It’s mind-boggling, to think that she’s been acting for 26 years. I mean, she’s only 30! 🤯

That little bit about Junho and Se Young becoming addicted to playing Cham Cham Cham with each other during filming breaks, is cute. I think it’s cute too, that other people started playing it too, after watching them play.

How funny, that the hosts chastise Kang Hoon for hitting Se Young hard on the wrist, when they’ve just established that Junho and Se Young hit each other hard on the wrist too. Poor maligned Kang Hoon. 😁

Se Young’s such a method actor, putting Junho’s picture as her phone wallpaper, since they were playing lovers. And how interesting, that she’d actually started doing this, in The Crowned Clown, where she’d acted opposite Yeo Jin Goo.

Oh, I like that glimpse into what Se Young usually puts as her wallpaper. It’s the Serenity Prayer, and even though I barely know anything about Se Young’s personality, it seems to fit her well, I feel.

Aww. It’s so cute how Oh Dae Hwan’s wife had been so engrossed in watching The Red Sleeve, when she’s usually too tired to stay awake during his other dramas. And how adorable, that she’d asked him to get Junho‘s and Se Young’s autographs, even though she’s never asked him to get a single autograph before.

What a convenient privilege, that she’d insisted on peeking at the next episode’s script, because she couldn’t wait a whole week, to find out what happened next. Tee hee.

I feel you, Mrs. Oh Dae Hwan. This was a very special drama indeed. 🤩

That’s interesting, that Park Jin Young had called Junho to ask him so many questions about how he’d prepared for the role of Yi San, and how he’d felt during crying scenes. It really sounds like JYP had wanted to exchange acting pointers with Junho – which is a form of acknowledgment, I’d say.

And yay for Junho, that after so many years, JYP had actually told him, “Well done,” after seeing him play the role of San.

That’s interesting, that the whole reason Kang Hoon had first wanted to become an actor, was because he’d wanted to be able to meet Taeyeon from Girls’ Generation.

I agree with everyone else on the panel, he really was a hardcore fan. The fact that he pretended to have bad vision, and got a pair of glasses made at her family’s optical store, is really the kind of thing a hardcore fan would do. 😁

Also, that’s a fun factoid, that Kang Hoon had liked 2PM because 2PM used to do a lot of joint performances with Girls’ Generation.

Oh wow, that’s such an interesting nugget of information from Jang Hye Jin, about the Academy Awards hiring seat fillers, who will basically fill seats if an attendee needs to step away to the washroom or something, so that in camera shots of the audience, it always looks full. That’s  attention to detail!

That’s so interesting, that Lee Min Ji had actually influenced the fact that her character in Reply 1988 had worn braces, because she’d auditioned with braces!

I love the PD Shin Won Ho just went with it, and asked her to exaggerate her braces-induced lisp. And how dedicated of her, to get her braces changed to the metal ones, to fit with the 1988 time period of the drama.

It’s cute how amused Lee Se Young is, when she hears that Junho likes to tap the moktak as a way to start the day, when he needs to clear his mind. It’s nice to hear that he hasn’t felt the need to use it for a while, because he hasn’t had reason to feel upset. I like the idea that he’s in a happy place. 🥰

Aw. It’s actually kind of poignant to hear Junho talk about how he’d felt discouraged in the earlier years of his career, when he hadn’t been as active or successful as his 2PM mates. The idea of him working so hard, and consistently getting edited out of takes, is really sad.

I do agree with other fans who say that it’s finally his season now. Yes, it is, and he’s worked hard for it. I’m glad he’s getting more acknowledgment and recognition now, for his hard work.

What an amazing story that Jang Hye Jin tells, about how she’d quit acting, and gone on to a marketing career, and then eventually came back to acting – all because of the same director. Also, what are the chances, that she’d be given the same lines to read, at both auditions? Mind. Blown. 🤯

I guess sometimes you just never know, eh? A closed door might just open up again, at a different time, when you’re ready for it.

I also really liked the story that she tells later, about how she’d ended up working with Director Bong Joon Ho. What are the chances, that she’d sit at the same table at the cafe, to meet him, where he’d once sat, to write the scenario?

I’m making a mental note not to scoff so much at coincidences in dramas, going forward. 😅

Aw, the story that Oh Dae Hwan tells, about getting scolded by his teacher for scoring only 88 on an IQ test is sad, but the way he tells it, makes it funny. It’s clear he’s not the academic type, and it’s actually cool that he doesn’t seem to feel self-conscious about it.

I had to chuckle at the story of how he struggled to help his daughter, who’s in first grade, with her math homework. I guess math isn’t what it used to be, when he’d been in the first grade. 😅

How interesting, that Lee Min Ji’s won many acting award on the indie scene. I didn’t know that! Way to go, girl! 🤩

But also, how tough, that she’d worked for free for quite a while, to build up her filmography, and had cleaned airplane cabins, as a part-time worker, in between filming. Gosh, that does sound demanding, and quite exhausting, really. Such passion and dedication!

HA. The conversation around Junho being good at making sweet comments made me giggle, and yet, I have to admit that from what I’ve seen, he does seem to have a talent for saying nice things, and being observant of others, and therefore coming across as really sweet, considerate and naturally charming.

About the noona fan, though. My subs say, “In the end, you will see me as a man.” That’s SO not what Junho had said. The actual line translates as, “In the end, you’ll still call me Oppa.” Which sounds a lot more innocent, I’d say, than, “You’ll see me as a man.”

Good subtitles are worth their weight in gold, honestly. Coz bad subtitles could actually put your reputation at risk. 😅

Tee hee, at Junho saying he’s good at making hearts (since when has he started saying this; he’s always said he’s bad at it! 😅), and then the rest of the cast members laughing at him coz his ears turned red while he was demonstrating his string of 8 hearts.

I do like that tidbit, that Junho says his ears are like a thermometer, turning red when he feels embarrassed. It’s probably my fangirl smitten heart talking, but I find that very endearing about him. 😍

Ok wow, I did NOT expect that kind of backstory to why Lee Se Young became an actor. To think that her parents had gotten her into acting, because there were many kidnapping cases involving kids at the time, and they’d wanted her face to be more well-known, so that it’d be easier for witnesses to identify her, if she got kidnapped. 😳

Oy. That’s so sad, honestly, for parents to have to worry about their kids’ safety like that. But, yay that she realized that she actually liked it enough to make it her career.

Hahaha. That story that Kang Hoon tells about his elementary school relationship, is so funny and sad-cute. To think that he and his then-girlfriend were too shy to actually exchange Valentine’s Day presents, and never actually formally broke up, because they were both so shy. 😂

I think that would make a great little drama special or something, actually. 😁

Ahh, finally, the highlight of the episode: Junho dancing to “My House” in his red dragon robe, as promised! And how fun, that Oh Dae Hwan and Kang Hoon join him as well. 🤩

It’s a truncated version of “My House,” but it’s still so much fun to see Junho dance those iconic moves while dressed as San. He does look a touch sheepish in spots, but there are also times he switches on his cool, intense performance face, and I can’t help but spazz, at least a little. 😍😍

For a performance where the three of them reportedly didn’t have a chance to rehearse together, this goes surprisingly well, I thought. Sure, Oh Dae Hwan and Kang Hoon aren’t super familiar with the moves, but it’s all done in good fun, and I honestly do love it.

Here’s a clip of the performance, just coz:

After this, it’s time to say goodbye, and I really like how each guest is given the chance to say a few closing words.

Everyone says something really lovely and supportive, and in particular, I like how Jang Hye Jin addresses the camera and says to the audience, “Thanks to you, we are where we are now. And thanks to you, we will become better and better.”

Aw, that’s so true, isn’t it, that it’s the love and support of the viewers, that has brought the cast and crew of The Red Sleeve the kind of ratings and recognition that they deserve.

I have to admit, I also have a soft spot for what Junho says, that he’d thought he’d moved on from the show, after having wrapped the drama for some time, but had felt emotional all over again, when he saw the red dragon robe.

It’s so true, that sometimes the most unexpected objects, sounds or smells trigger our memories, and all the emotions that come with those memories. 🥲🥰

Overall thoughts

This was such a fun talk show, honestly.

I’m beginning to wonder if I should check out other episodes of Radio Star; they really seem to have a knack for moving the conversation along at a snappy pace, while keeping the tone laidback, casual and natural. I like that a lot.

And, it was really nice, to hear all these nuggets of backstory, not only of the filming of the drama, but also, of each of the actor’s lives and careers. That feels extra personal and precious.

I love context, as you guys know, and this really helped to flesh out the context of the show, and these actors, in my head.

Altogether, this special on The Red Sleeve worked out to be around 3 hours long, if you count both episodes together. And I hafta say, this was 3 hours well spent.

Bravo to the hosts for running a great show, and bravo to the actors, for helping to make such a memorable drama. 🤩🤩

Where to watch

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

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