In the Know with Purplenette
Hello, my name is Nanette, and I am addicted to SO JI SUB!!!
I began to stalk So Ji Sub after watching Sorry I Love You. My stalker tendencies of So Ji Sub surprised even myself. I check his fan pages and Facebook pages daily and have 1000+ photos of him pinned on Pinterest. I believe that I have seen everything that he has acted in that has been subbed in English. I am currently in the process of watching Road Number One. I have a So Ji Sub playlist on YouTube that has anything that I find with him including behind the scenes and interviews. I impatiently await each project that he embarks on - just as I am for A Company Man to be English subbed.
In between movies, dramas, and music videos, I search for commercials and magazine adds to tide me over. He has several books that I have read too. Honestly, I have always laughed when people “fangirled” over an actor or an idol - I can’t do that anymore because I have now become what I had once scoffed at…a “fangirl”. My yeo-dong-saeng says that the only thing that stops me from going to jail is that I live in the US, and he lives in South Korea. ;-)
I will now try my best to explain why I believe So Ji Sub to be one of the best actors, and hopefully, you will appreciate this fabulous actor as much as I do.
So Ji Sub is a character actor - meaning he typically portrays characters that are predominantly unusual or eccentric. If you like the strange and unusual, as I do, then you will love his dramas and movies. There are very few projects where he doesn't get shot, beaten or blown up. He can play anything from romantic to crazy, from warm to cold, and from soft to violent.
So Ji Sub’s chemistry with the other actors is excellent. No matter how good of an actor he is, a drama can be ruined if there is no chemistry. He seems to be able to find that harmony with whoever he acts. Aaaahhhh…chemistry.
Sorry I Love You: Cha Moo Hyuk
If you ask 100 people what So Ji Sub’s best role is so far, then 87 people would say Moo Hyuk (I actually did pole So Ji Sub fans). Moo Hyuk is an emotionally traumatized character that is charismatic and melancholy. I fell in love with his smile and his tears. So Ji Sub’s portrayal of Moo Hyuk is heartbreaking and authentic. One of So Ji Sub’s best acting abilities is his ability to play slightly crazy characters while gaining sympathy. I’m not delusional, and I rarely cry while watching a drama, because I see them as acting. However, I cried my eyes out while watching this drama. When becoming a So Ji Sub fan, this is definitely a must see drama.
Lee Cho In is a complex character. In the beginning, he is an endearing, happy, intelligent doctor that cares deeply for his patients. So Ji Sub shows off his lighthearted side with a beautiful smile. By the end of this drama, he is dark, hurt, and ruthless. The trauma and the truth, that this character faces, is more poignant due to So Ji Sub. In the midst of this extraordinary drama, he also finds love. His character has two love interests, and although equally romantic, he enacts differently with each of them. Though this is not his most romantic role, I still found him to be charming in this drama. I won’t even go into my daydreams of him and romance.
So Ji Sub plays alongside Kang Ji Hwan, and I don’t think you can get much better than that. Kang Pae is a gangster that joins a movie, shooting with the condition that the violent scenes be real. He is brutal and vicious. So Ji Sub verifies how versatile he is in this role. A lot of his characters can get your sympathy no matter how cruel they become. However, his character in this movie is just plain mean. Yet, somehow I still love him. There is something wrong with me.
Kim Woo Hyun is by far one of the calmer characters that he portrays. It is hard to explain his character without using spoilers, but simply put, he plays an intelligent and complicated man that is part of a Ciber Investigation team searching for the truth in a series of crimes. He has to play a double-sided character. At first, his character is cold and standoffish, then changes to one "pretending" to be cold and standoffish. It is quite amazing to see that he can pull off both. To understand what I am trying to convey, you have to watch this drama. It is interesting and has one of my favorite characters.
So Ji Sub has emotional acting down to an art.
His smile is beautiful. His pain is beautiful.
I stalk him for the fact that he can pull me into a drama or movie and not let go. I become emotionally invested and all my cynicism just magically drops away, and I can lose myself for a while.
Oh, and did I mention his hands??? He has wonderfully attractive hands--Okay, I will stop now.
I hope that you give him a try. I know you won't regret it.
A Company Man is his newest release and I can’t wait to immerse myself into the great acting ability of this gorgeous man.
If there is an actor or an actress that is worthy of a Stalker's Guide in your opinion, and you have watched enough dramas of his/hers to prove it, please contact Elisabetta.
