Winner is announced and sets off fangirl tears

Last Friday night, I had arrived home late from work and was beyond tired. But I forced myself to stay up long enough to cast my vote for WIN: Who Is Next's final battle. Soon after hitting send on my KakaoTalk account, I fell asleep.

At a little after midnight, I woke up with a start realizing I had not even had dinner yet. But my top priority was to find out who was announced the winner and YG's new boy group. Team A won.

I'd be lying to myself if I said it was the expected outcome. The thing is, it was and it wasn't. As I've mentioned before, I think the show was made in a way that Team A would be announced the "Winner" after the 3-month period. Although, fan-voting could've changed the flow of things.

Team B has a strong fanbase, both in Korea and internationally. Most of the people I know in real life who watched the show as religiously as I did were all Team B supporters. At one point, I had to teach them how to vote via KakaoTalk and I soon regretted that decision, knowing that they'd be voting for the other team when I wanted Team A to win.

When the criteria for the final battle was announced, I thought to myself, "This was made for Team A to win, how obvious." I mean, we have three fantastic songwriters and lyricists in Team A and the battle's categories were as follows: 1) original composition, 2) dance, 3) same song, different arrangement. That's basically giving the groups the mission to create two original songs - except in the third category, a track was already pre-produced by Teddy Park, YG's main internal producer. This was a game designed for the first team to rule. Their only weakness was the second category - dance.

However, even then, I could not have just sat back and relaxed, assured of a Team A win. The fight and the passion were strong in the younger team, and also in their fans. B.I and Bobby most especially. So despite being beyond happy that my boys won last Friday night, I was in tears as I watched the raw version of the final episode, and was again in tears when I had to re-watch it with English subtitles.

I was surprised, actually, that I liked Team A's dance routine more than Team B's. Team B, while technically gifted and just awesome overall, lacked a certain je ne sais quoi to make them stand out. Yes, they were awesome, but they weren't different. What I loved about Team A's performance was the fact that you knew they had come to terms with who they are and what they are limited to. It seemed as if they understood they couldn't out-swag Team B, so they went down a different route and turned to their creativity and ingenuity to compete in a field that wasn't exactly their forte. And it worked. Kudos to Lee Seung-hoon for that awesome choreography.

While I have nothing but praises to give Team A in terms of their songwriting capabilities, I was beyond impressed with the emotions that the boys of Team B poured into their original composition "Climax." Bobby's rap alone already had me in tears (the second time I watched it, with the subtitles, of course), and by the time B.I took to center stage with his own verse, I was ruined.

It doesn't help that Team A went first and their song was about, not just the hardships of their own group, but of all eleven trainees, and how they all had to "Go Up" no matter the outcome of the show - needless to say, I had feels up the wazoo. These boys are a family. All eleven of them. And while I can't blame YG for doing this and pitting them against each other, it is sad that in order for them to reach their dreams, they had to step on the dreams of their own brothers.

On the other hand, because of how the show was designed, YG now has a clear grasp of what their market wants way before the boys even debut. And the boys now have a solid fanbase, as was clear in episode 9 where the boys held a fanmeet at Times Square, where 3,000 fans showed up. That must have been a first, given that they were just trainees at the time.

The final episode ended with everyone crying. And I don't just mean the eleven boys. Their families were in tears. The fans in the audience were in tears. Even YG himself was in tears. And everyone watching from their homes were in tears. You're lying if you tell me you watched the entire thing without bawling every other minute, and especially at the end when the guys were trying to balance between controlling their own emotions and comforting each other. Although they didn't quite succeed in biting back their tears, Lee Seung-hoon especially.

With the finale of WIN, it seems like the future of YG is looking strong. For years, they've relied heavily on Big Bang. Although Psy is doing very well now, what with his international career, for the longest time YG's biggest moneymaker was Big Bang. Even with the addition of 2NE1 in 2009 and Epik High in 2011/12, no one could overtake the popularity of Big Bang and its individual members.

Now though, especially with their signing on of young talents off of survival programs like KPop Star and Superstar K, the future of YG is not hinged on the success of Big Bang anymore. Winner will do great. And when the time comes that Team B is given the opportunity to debut, and they will, we already know that there's a huge fanbase waiting for them. Add that to the fact that Lee Hi has been doing very well, and that everyone is waiting for the debuts of Akdong Musician and Bang Yedam, it's safe to say that YG will remain in the top tier of agencies in Korea.

Having said that, can we please all take a moment to appreciate the maknae line (KPop Star line) of YG? These kids are not only adorable, they are freaking talented.

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Super Show 5 Live in Manila

Indeed, the best things in life are free. Especially when they happen to be VIP tickets to Super Junior's concert.

So, yes. I was able to watch Super Show 5 last night and the boys were beyond awesome. And how are they all more gorgeous in real life? I don't understand. There were countless of moments when Donghae or Sungmin or Kangin would be standing right in front of me and I would shout to my sister in awe, "Oh my gawd, how is he so pretty?" Like, seriously. All of them.

I don't even think I have words to explain the pure awesomeness of seeing k-pop idols live and that much in your face. This certainly wasn't my first k-pop concert. I've seen both Big Bang and CN Blue live. But I had upper box tickets to both those shows and even if they blew my mind with their talent it would probably have been a hundred times more mind-blowing if I had better seats. Seeing Super Junior just a few feet away from me brought the experience to a whole different level.

Really, I wasn't expecting VIP seats. The last time my friend got me free tickets, we got general admission passes to Lee Min-ho's concert. To have gotten that much would've been awesome already. So to have been given passes to stand 4 feet away from Donghae is just a little short of manna from heaven.

Also, this concert marked Heechul's return to doing Super Shows after his recent discharge from the army. Seeing how much the crowd loved him was a special moment. For both him and the fans, I'm sure. "Saranghaeyo, Kim Heechul! Wooyoo bichkkal, Kim Heechul!"

Here are some photos and videos from the best night ever.

From my Instagram account

Henry's "Trap"

Dance off: Shindong, Eunhyuk & Donghae

"Go" / "Shake It Up"

"Rockstar"

Here are more photos and videos I've stolen from my sister's Instagram account.

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Super Show 5 might be within my reach

I've been self-pitying over the fact that a number of my favorite k-pop artists will be visiting the country and I'm going to be too poor to see them. Aside from the fact that I have bills to pay, I'm also saving up for my upcoming trip to Vietnam, and there are those Wicked musical tickets I've also been coveting. Concert tickets just isn't in the budget. So I had put on a brave front and said goodbye to the prospect of watching Super Junior's Super Show 5, Infinite's One Great Step, and 2PM Nichkhun's /Bench fanmeet - all of which are to take place one after the other on a weekly basis, from end of October to the second week of November.

They were right when they said be careful what you wish for. K-pop fans have begged concert promoters time and again to bring their favorite acts to the country, but the promoters have always said to sit back and relax and to wait for them one at a time. Bringing the acts to this part of Asia is not the hard part, the problem is in assuring the idols' agencies that the concert tickets will sell. Everyone wants to see their oppas, but not everyone can afford to, especially when they come in droves. And isn't that just too true?

Last week, I even thought to ask a friend, who previously got me into Lee Min-ho's concert, about the possibility of getting into Super Junior's concert later this week. This was going to be my last ditch effort to try and get my hands on some tickets. But I felt awkward having to ask her and so I stood my ground and resolved not to ask for something that clearly wasn't meant to be.

Over the weekend, news broke out that Heechul (one of my favorite Super Junior members who was recently discharged from the army) had rejoined the guys for the SM Town concert in Beijing, and that he's also set to join the group for Super Show 5 this week. Again, self-pity knows no bounds and I was sad for all of 5 minutes before pulling myself back together because, seriously, there wasn't anything I could do about it. So there I was, all ready to miss out on the biggest events of the year only to be reminded that the world is, indeed, a beautiful place.

Today, as is my daily morning routine, as soon as I woke up at the crack of dawn, I reached for my phone and checked Twitter. I had a direct message from last night from aforementioned friend and she had two succinct sentences for me: SuJu, this Thursday, 7pm MOA. Game ka? 

I replied and asked her if she was serious. It was 5 in the morning and I was freaking out. Though it was still dark, I couldn't go back to sleep over the sheer giddiness of possibly getting to watch Super Junior for free. It's 10 am now and I still haven't heard back from her so I don't know how legit this is. But oh. my. god.

I'll let you know how it goes in a later blog post. For now, let me bask in my Super Junior playlist.

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New Drama Roundup: The Heirs, Mi-rae's Choice

While I'm still fully invested in the progress of my ongoing shows (i.e. We Got Married, WIN: Who Is Next?) and have bid farewell to the recently concluded Master's Sun, I have to admit that I have yet to finish Good Doctor. And it looks like it might take me awhile to get it over with. I know it's a good show and I've read really good reviews. But for some reason, I can't seem to make myself sit in front of my laptop and focus on the drama. Especially now that two new dramas have premiered in the past two weeks and they've been quite addicting. Maybe I can give Joo Won another go next time.

Meanwhile, The Heirs has been reigning my Thursdays and Fridays (Wednesday-Thursday in Korea means I have to wait a day later for the English subtitles) while Mi-rae's Choice has been tickling my fancy every Tuesdays and Wednesdays (Monday-Tuesday KST).


First of all, how can one say no to Lee Min-ho? You can't. You just don't do that. Combine his pretty with the pretty of a dozen other cast members and a girl can do nothing but give in. Kim Woo-bin, Kang Ha-neul, Kang Min-hyuk, Park Shin-hye, Kim Ji-won... The list seems endless. And it's a list of gorgeous actors who can actually act and whom I've actually loved in their previous works. And thank ye drama gods that the writing and directing seems to be going in the right direction as well. So far, at least. I know we're only on the show's fourth episode and so much can go wrong from here on out, but I have all my fingers crossed. Toes, too!

The drama has caught my interest and on so many levels. There's the romance factor. The sparks between Lee Min-ho and Park Shin-hye have been off the charts since the drama's first episode. Whenever Kim Tan (Lee Min-ho) stares at Cha Eun-sang (Park Shin-hye), I feel it. Lee Min-ho is really hitting my noona feels with his puppy dog look. I mean, he has pretty much fallen in love with the lead girl by the end of the first episode, which one might think unlikely, but then you take a look at Lee Min-ho's face and he just sells it. Plus, we have to remember that we're looking not at 26-year-old Lee Min-ho but at 17-year-old Kim Tan (ignoring East Asian age reckoning). And if you recall back to high school, it's not that far back okay, teenagers do fall irrationally in love that fast.


Another thing I love, and don't you dare roll your eyes, is all the bromance in the air. There are several in this drama and I love them all. For one, Kim Tan and Choi Young-do (Kim Woo-bin): what the hell happened between you two?! Also, Choi Young-do and Lee Hyo-shin (Kang Ha-neul): there seems to be an unspoken something between these two that results in a passive-aggressive antagonizing that seems like a cover up for a kind of fondness. I don't know. Choi Young-do and Jo Myung-soo (Park Hyung-sik): it's nice that Young-do found an adorable replacement BFF. Kim Tan and Yoon Chan-young (Kang Min-hyuk): the bromance hasn't happened yet, but can you just imagine?! And last but definitely not the least, Kim Tan and actual half-brother Kim Won (Choi Jin-hyuk): just kiss and make up already!

Also, all the familial criss-crossing has me intrigued. While I would normally roll my eyes at how, apparently, everyone in this drama know each other and are interrelated, I like how this gives us more meat for our characters' stories. Sooner or later, whether they want to or not, they will be crossing paths. You have Kim Tan who is engaged to Rachel, whose mom is now marrying Young-do's father but once had a little something-something with Chan-young's father, who happens to work for Kim Tan's father's company. Chan-young is also dating Lee Bo-na, who is Kim Tan's ex-girlfriend and is friends with Young-do and Hyo-shin, and most of these people are no longer friends with Kim Tan for some big reason no one has yet to speak of. I'm on the edge of my seat thinking Tan killed someone or something. I need to know!


Lastly, how can we forget that Eun-sang's mother works as a maid at Kim Tan's household? We can't. Because this brings our couple into co-habitation mode as early as the fourth episode. Oh, who am I kidding? They've been in co-habitation mode since the first episode! Except, that was in America and wasn't a real home home. But they're back in Korea now and they will still be co-habitating. Which is cute. But because they're back in Korea, there are harsher realities for our main couple. Like the fact that he's a chaebol and she's the maid's daughter. There are certain lines you just cannot cross. So indeed, the few days they spent together in California are now merely fragments of a midsummer night's dream.

I wonder if all my rambling is confusing for someone who has yet to see the drama. Perhaps. But isn't that good enough reason for you to want to check in and find out what exactly I'm talking about? If not, maybe these will help.





I think I have less to say about Mi-rae's Choice, if only because we're only on the drama's second episode and things have yet to really fall into place. But I have to confess, this drama is looking to be cuter than I would've expected.

First of all, despite Yoon Eun-hye's elegant reputation as a celebrity, I've found to be quite taken with her whenever she plays the unpretty and almost-dopey characters. Mostly because we already know how pretty she is, we don't need to be reminded of it in every other scene. This is why, for me, her most memorable characters will always be the ones she played in Goong and Coffee Prince. She kicked some asses with those sassy-dorky characters. And am I ever grateful that she's back to being just as kooky as the titular Mi-rae in Mi-rae's Choice (which also goes by the English title Marry Him If You Dare).


I like how her downtrodden character was given just enough zest to keep her interesting. And she's just such a perfect foil to stiff-as-a-rod Kim Shin (Lee Dong-gun) and the kind-hearted Park Se-joo (Jung Yong-hwa). And so far, I like how our lead girl can pretty much end up with either men and it would still be such a story to tell. Their interactions have been amusing so far and I can't wait for more.

While the whole time-travelling theme may be too early for a 2012 throwback (I mean seriously, this drama is a year late), I do like how straightforward they are with the how and why of it all. There are no mythological or magical explanations. It's pretty basic. How? Time machine. Why? To prevent her past self from the fatal mistake of marrying Kim Shin, who is said to have killed the person she loves the most. As vague as the why of it all may sound right now, with us not knowing if that's a literal "kill" and who the "dead person" is, it's enough for us to want to know more.


I also like how it brings important questions to the fore. Like, how much meddling does Future Mi-rae need to do for her path to totally change? We see her trying to prevent things from happening that will still happen when given another opportunity. Like when she tried to prevent Present Mi-rae from being involved in a car accident that finds fruition at a later time anyway. Also, in an opposite cause-effect tangent, does she even need to meddle more when things are already happening of their own accord without further pushing from her? Like how Present Mi-rae finds herself at Park Se-joo's side anyway, even after Future Mi-rae's "botched up" plan in Jeju.

What happens here on out is anybody's guess. And whether she ends up with either man is fine by me. I'm just hoping they don't turn Kim Shin out to be an actual murderer. Ack. Also, my dear Jung Yong-hwa, this has been, by far, the most appealing you've been in a drama. Keep up the good work. You are adorable. I'd marry either versions of Park Se-joo, whether chaebol or rookie VJ.



Crossing my fingers for both shows. Seriously. We've seen dramas start out big that fizzled out towards the end. Or worse, some dramas just take turns at random intersections, cut haphazardly into adjacent lanes, take random u-turns, and then find themselves completely lost that we end up with a finale that has strayed so far from the pilot that it seems like a totally different drama. I hope this is not the case with these two. I'm way too invested for that shit to happen.

The Heirs, Mi-rae's Choice, fighting!

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Wrapping Up: Master's Sun

Before I jump into SBS's new Wednesday-Thursday drama The Heirs, allow me to fully give closure to the recently-ended Hong Sisters drama Master's Sun.

Like most of you, I went into this drama with one foot out the door, just in case the writing goes haywire. Because of that-drama-that-will-not-be-named, despite my earlier devotion to the sister-duo's better dramas, there was much hesitation and trepidation going into Master's Sun. I'm just beyond happy to say that this drama proved to be so much better than the previous one.

Albeit a last minute one-episode extension dragged things on for awhile towards the end, we still got our happy ending and - maybe thanks to the extra episode - we got to relish in sweet-nothings for a bit. Those are always the best things in rom-coms. So yeah, good job, show.

Usually, a timeskip is one of those narrative devices that I generally dislike. Especially when they happen at the end of a story. But I give the usage of the technique in this particular drama a free pass because it wasn't used ala deus ex machina where the jump magically fixes things.

Gong-shil returns after a year still with the same problems. She can still see ghosts and they still flock around her. But what changed in the year she spent traveling was that she's learned more about herself and how this special talent came to be. She wasn't able to rid herself of the problem, but rather she has learned to accept that it's a part of her now and she's not scared anymore. I like that. Now she can approach Joong-won with the mindset that she needs him because she loves him, and not because he's her emergency shelter.

The character growths that ran throughout the drama were satisfying. I like how their individual developments followed opposite trajectories where she needed to love herself more, and he needed to learn to love someone apart from himself. It's also nice to note that while it took Gong-shil a gap year to learn how to love herself, Joong-won's own growth happened earlier. So while Gong-shil was away, I love that all Joong-won did was wait - because it was so uncharacteristic of him, this proves how far he's gone in his love for her.

I also enjoyed how the final episode explored the other relationships in the story. Kang Woo and Little Sun were absolutely adorable. I know that some people did not enjoy Tae Yi-ryeong as much as I did, and I understand that. But to me, she was just hilarious. And I get how Kang Woo came around to actually caring about her. Cute, cute, cute. Especially that scene on the red carpet. "I'll do it later." OMG, yes please.

Unni and Cheap Mouth got a sweet ending. Aunt and Vice President got a happy ending. Even trashcan ahjussi ghost got to move on. But one of my favorite relationships in the drama got the best ending ever and it resulted in, quite possibly, my favorite scene in the drama's entire finale week. Episode 16 had me blubbering at the hug Joong-won gave Secretary Kim. That was one friendship I was so afraid would get torn apart because of the whole Hee-joo/Hanna thing. So I was beyond ecstatic that that wasn't the case. Those two need each other. *cries*

I do think the two lead actors carried most of the dramas weight. Their chemistry is off the charts. Have you seen their interviews together? The behind the scenes clips? Good god, just go ahead and get married please. I've honestly never seen anything that So Ji-sub was in prior to Master's Sun but this might've encouraged me to go and check out his older works. Unfortunately, most of them are melos. I must've loved him that much in this drama for me to want to go and check him out doing stuff that will make me cry.

Gong Hyo-jin, on the other hand, I fell in love with in The Greatest Love. Which doesn't say much of me as a fan because that came right before this one. I have, however, seen in her in other dramas that I have yet to actually finish watching, like Pasta and Biscuit Teacher, Star Candy. It's not because of her lack of onscreen presence that I haven't watched these dramas completely. It all boils down to my attention span and the many dramas available in kdramaland. But suffice it to say that I've always loved her acting and always thought she has some kind of magic touch that just lights up the screen.

While the drama did well plot-wise, and it's safe to say that the Hong Sisters survived the slump of that-drama-that-will-not-be-named, I'm still inclined to favor their earlier works. It's not that this drama wasn't a boatload of fun and light-hearted romance, because it was, but Delightful Girl Choon-hyang and You're Beautiful were just that much more epic for me. Having said that, this drama (with all the Hong Sisters' trademark metaphors and puns and meta references that I absolutely love) could be considered a successful comeback for the writing duo. If a drama successfully makes me fall in love with not just the lead characters but with the second leads as well, it deserves two very happy thumbs up.

Now, I'm off to watch The Heirs. OMG, finally.

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Yong-hwa looking dapper in new stills from Mi-rae's Choice

The forthcoming premiere of Mi-Rae's Choice is near and more stills and teasers have been coming out of the woodwork. Not quite enough to rival the promotional monster of The Heirs, but almost.

New photos of Jung Yong-hwa have been released and our boy is looking mighty fine and dapper in a pin-striped suit befitting his character's true chaebol status. Yonghwa plays the role of Park Sae Ju, the grandson of a broadcast station's CEO, who dons the disguise of a regular run-of-the-mill cameraman. Seems like he drops the facade long enough for us to get a good look at him looking snazzy. Yum.

As most of us have already noted from the teaser trailers, Mi-rae's Choice is unexpectedly turning out to be more of a rom-com than anything else, which is fine by me. The drama centers around Yoon Eun-hye's character named Mi-rae (which means 'future' in Korean) who works a lowly desk job and dreams of becoming a writer. Things turn topsy-turvy when her future self, played by Choi Myung-gil, shows up to warn her against marrying Lee Dong-gun's broadcast announcer character. (But why not?!) The 2043 version of Mi-rae insists she marries Yong-hwa's wealthy character instead. (Okay, I'm in!)

Mi-rae's Choice will follow Good Doctor and will premiere on KBS on October 14.

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WIN causes major feels for YG fans the world over

As a self-proclaimed YG fan stan, I've been keeping up with reality-survival show WIN: Who Is Next and my feels are currently all over the place.

Let me start off by saying that both teams are incredibly talented. To be honest, they may already be at par with the Big Bang members when this sunbae group first debuted. Both teams are mind-blowingly good and to have only one of them debut and the other disbanded will emotionally kill me. But these are the rules YG has put into place and one can only wish that they're just trolling us.

Team A killing it and still losing during their first battle

Now, while I think both groups could debut right now and make it big in the k-pop industry, I have a clear bias for Team A. And, honestly, I think the show was made in a way that Team A would be announced the "Winner" after the 3-month period.

Both teams, as I've already mentioned, are plenty talented - but while Team A has stronger vocalists, Team B has aggressive rappers and are better dancers. Team B may also have better teamwork. Which is not to say that Team A lacks in the dancing and rapping departments, because they don't - and I adore Team A leader and rapper Song Min-ho... It's just that, well, Team B rappers B.I and Bobby are just insanely good. Vocally, though, Team A's Kang Seung-yoon and Nam Tae-hyun just slay it all the time.

It now really all boils down to audience votes. So it's curious then that while Team B has been winning all the challenges and battles (according to the judges on the show), Team A just won the first round of audience voting. Why? Maybe because the show was edited in a way where we just feel more for Team A.

The guys on the first team are generally older than the members of the second team. And there's that sense of "if they don't debut now, it might be too late for them later." And half of the Team A members are already semi-famous. Kang Seung-yoon via talent survival show Superstar K2 and his already established solo career, Lee Seung-hoon who brought YG himself to tears on talent survival program K-Pop Star, and Song Min-ho via the Channel A drama series K-Pop: The Ultimate Audition (2012).

It also doesn't help that we find the boys of Team A struggling every single week to keep up with the young'uns. This makes them more human in our eyes and not mere characters on a show. We all know that nothing captivates an audience faster than an underdog story, especially when the underdogs are a fiery group of adorable Asian boys with more than enough talent to make it big in the entertainment industry. They have everything to lose and we just want them to win.

It's also very telling that while I can name each and every Team A member, and give you their designated role in the group, I can only name 2 out of the 6 members of Team B: B.I and Bobby. Why is that? Again, I'd blame the show's production and editing. We're made to feel for Team A, and it works like magic. I care so much about those boys that I'm actually sad when Team B performs so well.

However, in this recent episode, where the teams were given the mission to cover Tamia's "Officially Missing You" (Team A) and Justin Bieber's "Baby" (Team B), I had to disagree with the judges' scoring. Again, they gave Team B a higher score. Team A was off by 6 points. BUT! As opposed to previous weeks where I honestly found Team B repeatedly outperforming Team A, this last battle, I thought, belonged to Team A.

Team A's cover of "Officially Missing You"

I dozed off halfway through Team B’s performance, but Team A’s cover of “Officially Missing You” was captivating. They played to their strengths and it was awesome. I was honestly surprised by how the judges scored them.

Team B's cover of "Baby"

People may disagree with me on all of this, but bottom line is: as ruthless as it may be, YG has played this game well and we're all on the edge of our seats waiting to find out who their next boy group is going to be. While I'm hoping (and voting) that Team A wins... Can't we just have one super group with all 11 of them in it? Or, can't we have B.I on Team A? Ugh. Fangirl feels. I have them.

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Major Lazer's Korean version of "Bubble Butt" features GD&TOP

After much anticipation, Major Lazer releases the Korean version of the Diplo produced track "Bubble Butt" which features both G-Dragon and T.O.P of Big Bang. Others who feature on the song are Bruno Mars, Tyga, and Mystic.

While I'm not feeling the song (because I've had it up to here with ass references in my hip-hop), I'm just happy being able to hear T.O.P again. It's been ages (a year or so is a long time in Hallyuverse) since Big Bang has come out with a new album and they've already announced releasing a single before the year ends. November, if I'm not mistaken. I am already beyond excited.

Meanwhile, this is not the first time artists from YG Entertainment have worked with American producer Diplo. They have already previously collaborated on tracks "Knock Out" from GD&TOP's Volume 1 album, and "Coup D'etat" from G-Dragon's most recent full-length album.

Listen to this song and let me know what you think in the comments.

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Joo Won to leave 1N2D, will not be replaced

News broke yesterday that actor Joo Won will be leaving KBS variety show 1 Night 2 Days after almost a year and 8 months as a regular cast member.

His agency confirmed that due to his busy schedule the actor will have to give up the variety show. In turn, Joo Won will be focusing on rehearsals for the upcoming musical Ghost and will push through with overseas activities that have been put on hold due to his packed schedule.

I wonder why now, when his schedule has always been insanely full since he first started on 1N2D. To date, and since becoming a regular on the show, Joo Won has been the lead in Gaksital, Level 7 Civil Servant, and Good Doctor. 

Honestly, I haven't been watching the show as religiously as I used to. And with Joo Won leaving, that might just leave me with even lesser reasons to keep watching. Still, as a once adoring fan, I hope the show finds better footing soon. While people at KBS have been repeatedly denying the show's cancellation, it's really not an impossible thing to happen given its ratings.

The producers over at KBS have also stated that Joo Won will not be replaced for now and the show will continue with the remaining 6 members. Makes me wonder how the boys will continue without their puppy... Also, this means Kim Jongmin is their new maknae. HA.

Personally, I think Joo Won needs to be replaced. By whom? That is the question and the ongoing debate amongst my friends. The show needs someone with the same strengths as Joo Won - aegyorific, strong, fast, preferably with puppy dog qualities - and should be someone who's got a long way to go before the army comes calling. Off the top my head, I say Lee Ki-kwang (of idol group Beast) or Kim Woo-bin (School 2013). But that's just me. 

If it were really up to me, I'd say bring back Lee Seung-gi, even though he only has a few more years before army enlistment beckons. And while we're at it, I'd bring back Eun Ji-won, too.

Who do you think would make a good addition to the 1N2D cast?

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