Guess we know Mary's secondary female lead. . .

Kim Hyo-jin (26) will play an actress, “Seo Joon,” a character created newly for the drama version that wasn’t in the original manhwa. She’s the type of beautiful and talented celeb whom all women envy, and comes from a good background to boot. She’s also the “bold and confident” ex-girlfriend of Mu-gyul, the bohemian musician played by Jang Geun-seok. - dramabeans


You guys may know Kim Hyo-jin from Happiness, the 2008 family drama; Ice Girl, the romantic drama from 2005; among other dramas and films. I've seen her in several things, and I've enjoyed her, but I think there are times (in recent years) where she goes a bit over the top with her characters. I found her character in Happiness to be utterly spoiled and at times immature, but that could have been the writing. This news also makes me wonder who Moon Jung-hee (34) will be playing, as I thought she was the secondary female lead, but I'm guessing not.

This drama news is. . .weird

Awhile back there was a rumor that George Hu (27) of ToGetHer and K.O.3an Guo fame would be costarring with Park Shin Hye (20) of You're Beautiful and Tree of Heaven fame in a Taiwanese drama based on a Japanese manga. And, it seems those rumors are true. The drama is scheduled for 2011 and has the title: Xuan Feng Guan Jia. The summary from dramawiki is as followed:


George Hu plays a man who is buried by his parents' gambling debts. With no way to pay back the money, he thought about going to the dark side by getting into the kidnap and ransom business. But instead of becoming a kidnapper, he ended up saving a girl from a real kidnapping. The girl turned out to be the sole heir of a conglomerate who faced these kinds of threats every day. In a case of kidnapping gone wrong vs. mistaken love confession, she hires him to be her butler and helps repay his parents' debts. Grateful to have gangster collectors off his back, he vows to protect her from harms, which is no easy task.



I've seen the anime the original manga is based on and I've read a bit of the manga. It's cute, but not very, uh, interesting to me. Of course, Taiwanese drama makers have a way of turning the most basic Japanese mangas into drama-packed shows.



I just have to wonder: why Park Shin Hye? She doesn't even speak the language! Yes, other stars have "crossed-over" to Taiwanese and Chinese productions, but this just seems weird to me. When I first heard the rumor my thoughts went to Yoo Ha Na (My Lucky Star and Sons of Sol Pharmacy) who started out doing a Taiwanese film, a Taiwanese drama, and a music video with Taiwanese singer Jay Chou before hitting the Korean drama scene back in 2007. I thought of her, because she was a new-comer, so the idea of her starting out in another country made more sense to me, because she was new and had to take what she could get. Then say. . .someone whose been acting since they were thirteen. It just seems like an odd fit, especially as this drama seems to star several models turned actors and singers. The entire male cast was also in K.O.3an Guo which looks rather cartoon-ish and silly.


The whole thing just seems like a really odd fit. But, since the show isn't hitting television until sometime in 2011, I'll just have to wait and see. Still. . .it looks like yet another annoying and predictable Idol drama; Park Shin Hye are you trying to make people get annoyed with you?