IN THE FLESH

Thanks to the more Kdrama centric member of this blog team - and that isn’t me - I just watched the first two episodes of Because I Want to Talk on Viki. It’s a talk show hosted by the gorgeous Lee Dong-wook. This is not a new show. It first aired in 2019 and ceased filming in 2020.

Also known as ‘Wook Talk’, his first guest was my all time favorite crush, Gong Yoo. I’d watch him anywhere, any time, anyway. Since we really have no idea what these actors are like in their everyday lives, it was refreshing to see them be more open and relaxed when discussing aspects of both their work lives and private ones.

Lee Dong-wook and Gong Yoo... a fabulously entertaining duo.

Because it was on Viki, the translation suffered. (I’m not a fan of the Viki translations. I think they’re stilted and confusing.) In these two hours, Lee Dong Wook would ask Gong Yoo to ‘flex’ when he wanted more information. What? Show off his muscles? That would have been okay with me, but I don’t think that’s what they were talking about (darn). I had to look up the modern meaning of that word. It means ‘brag’, which really doesn’t translate well for these conversations. Lee Dong-wook might display more hubris than Gong Yoo; he did describe himself as ‘handsome’ in the first episode - but I don’t see GY as being that way, which is why I like him so much. Also, it doesn’t hurt that he really knows how to wear a coat. I lost count of how many wardrobe changes he made in Guardian, but, boy, they were all good!

One of the points they both talked about a lot was the size of Gong Yoo’s small head. Apparently this has been a problem for him being cast in tough guy roles. The first time I saw him in a Kdrama was Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, and, he was tough guy enough for me! ~ Pat

I definitely understood the term flex in this context. Let's just accept that I'm probably smarter than Pat. I have actually watched several of the episodes; Episode 3 was with a high ranking Go player which was fascinating & entertaining! Not the eye candy that Gong Yoo was but worth a watch.

And head size is important to Koreans! They definitely prefer small heads & talk about this in a number of shows. I remember hearing once that TV actors with big heads appear better on screen so I'm a bit confused about that assertion as these Korean actors look fabulous to me.

Another point I'd like to make is that I too would 'like to talk' which is what attracted me to the show. When I see fans taking photos of idols on the street or seeking autographs I'm stumped. That stuff is pure nonsense to me; I want to sit down and talk with these people... how did they get interested in acting? Are they stymied by their fandom? Do they have a regular life? Would they like to have a relationship with a 71 year old American Grandma? You know, normal conversations. Somehow, I doubt I'll ever get the chance. ~ Judy

Judy, you picked the ABSOLUTELY WORST head shot of Gong Yoo for this post. Clearly you’re playing favorites with Lee Dong Wook. ~ Pat

Sheesh... she's never happy! Okay, with this one? Judy