Early in my kdrama career, I watched Scarlet Heart, closely followed by Strong Woman Do Bong Soon. I was young(er), I was impressionable, and there was this one common denominator between the two dramas — Ji Soo. There’s plenty of eye candy in both dramas, of course, but Ji Soo’s playful gravity, combined with his warm good looks, drew my attention. So come join me as I indulge in a little fangirl stalking of Ji Soo.
The Rules of Fangirl Stalking:
We will start with the dramas I think are must-watch works by the actor, followed by the shows that could go either way. This means that they are worth watching in my opinion, but I know there are some people who don’t like the genre. Lastly, we will cover the dramas/movies that you really could skip and not miss much (at least in regards to the actor/actress featured). These are the shows that are for die-hard fans who want to watch everything.
I want to put a disclaimer in here: I haven’t watched EVERYTHING that Ji Soo has been in. But as I went through his list of works, I realized I’ve watched a lot more than I thought had. For the sake of this post, I’ll talk about what I’ve seen and what I’ve heard rumors about. Everything else will get an honorable mention.
MUST WATCH
Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo — This was my first serious sageuk, and I was captivated by Lee Joon Ki’s fierce yet broken character. Ji Soo didn’t have a huge part in Scarlet Heart, but his Wang Jung was integral to the story. There were a couple of times he nearly broke my heart–and that made me sit up and take notice of his acting ability. The puppy sincerity of his character was well-played, making me want to pinch his cheek and feed him. (Have I mentioned that I am first and foremost a mom? It tends to leak into all areas of my life.)
Sassy Go Go — Lee Won Keun was perfect as the first lead in Sassy Go Go, but I still loved watching Ji Soo’s character go through his own growth arc. I will always have a heart for the broken boy stuck in an unrequited love. His closing comment in the drama makes me smile every time I think about it.
Weight-lifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo — Ji Soo was only in this drama for one episode, but it was a delight to see him there, radiating his characteristic sincerity. The rest of the drama is fantastic, even if he doesn’t feature heavily in it.
RUMOR SAYS: MUST WATCH
Angry Mom — Every time I bring up Ji Soo, my sunbaes mention how great he was in Angry Mom. I don’t know much about the drama itself, but apparently he stole the spotlight. It’s on my to-watch list for sure!
Doctors — Um, so…Ji Soo was in this, apparently. I haven’t heard much about it, and since my sunbaes are all off at a BTS concert, I have nothing concrete to offer except for the 7.9/10 stars on MyDramaList.
COULD GO EITHER WAY
Strong Woman Do Bong Soon — So I loved this series the first time around, aside from the clownish mafia gang and the poop wine. I tried to rewatch it not too long ago and just couldn’t get back into it. But Park Hyungsik and Ji Soo’s bromance in this drama was the stuff legends are made of–maybe in a year or two, I’ll give it another spin.
To The Beautiful You — I have mixed feelings about this drama. Great actors in the cast, including Choi MinHo and Ji Soo among others, but Sulli was wooden and there were plot holes you could drive a truck through. I don’t regret watching it, but I wouldn’t watch it again.
RUMOR SAYS: COULD GO EITHER WAY
Bad Guys: Vile City — I have a strange affinity for action flicks, so I have a feeling that this one could be right up my alley. I know that dark and gritty dramas aren’t for everyone, however.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
I have nothing for Fantastic or Page Turner, so you’ll just have to make your own judgment call on watching those. If you have watched them, let me know what you thought!
UPCOMING DRAMAS
Ji Soo will be starring in the TV movie Ping Pong Ball with Yoo Jae Myung, the dad from Strong Woman. The premise, a philosophy student who gets epically rejected and the strange homeless man he finds himself confiding in, doesn’t seem very strong on paper, but maybe I’ll be surprised. It could happen.
Thus ends the stalking of Ji Soo. Sound off below with any comments or favorite Ji Soo pictures or GIFs!
Until next time, I remain–
Karie the Maknae
Dramas with a Side of Kimchi
Oh you must watch Page Turner!! Ji Soo was sooo good in it. It also stars Kim So Hyun and the actor who plays the younger version of Yoon Kyun Sang’s character in Pinocchio (the drama starring Lee Jong Sook and Park Shin Hye). That’s a lot of names sorry 😀
Nam Da Reum? The younger version of Na Moo in Come and Hug Me? I love that kid–he’s a great actor. I’ll have to see if I can find Page Turner!
Your sunbae, reporting live from the BTS concert in LA, would like to second this recommendation!!
Duly noted! Now go enjoy that concert!!
He is indeed a sweetie – a good actor and seems happy with life and his career. Darn shame he’s so young . . .
lol. Indeed.
Have you seen the Chinese original of Moon Lovers? I thought the k-remake was bad though.
Was there bromance in Strong Woman Do Bong-soon? I thought Min-hyuk and Gook-doo hated each other, lol.
Lol. Let’s say it’s a love-hate relationship. They worked together well by the end!
I haven’t seen the Chinese Moon Lovers. I’ve debated watching it, but I heard the second season absolutely bombed.
You can just watch the original Scarlet Heart (Chinese Moon Lovers). The “2nd season” is just a modern trainwreck that had very little relation to the original story, so most people tend to scrub it from their minds.
lol. Good to know. Maybe I’ll give the first season a try.
Also need to chime in here too: the CHINESE version of Scarlet Heart (Moon Lovers) was so much better than the K-version…
Page Turner was so good! Excellent work by all the actors. Angry Mom was was at the start of his career. Ji Soo has this ability to be menacing and sweet at the same time. I didn’t care for his work in Moon Lovers. Sageuks are not for everyone and he has such a modern spirit, that I didn’t buy the role at all. Cheer up/Sassy Go Go was lovely and heart breaking. He suffered so much and I routed for him to heal. Beautiful work from him and th cast.
I haven’t seen all of Bad Guys/Vile City (just a few episodes), but he’s scowling and unintentionally charming. Lol. 😄
Scowling AND unintentionally charming? I’m in!
Loved him in Fantastic! He and Park Si-Yeon had great chemistry!
I’ll have to look into it!
I LOVED his role in Page Turner. Its short, it’s lovely. Worth the easy watch.