Of all the shows I have watched so far, if I had to rank the actors based on how much I enjoyed watching them and their shows, Hyun Bin would tie the top spot for me with Ji Chang-Wook. I have yet to watch a Hyun Bin show or movie that I did not like. While we celebrate his birthday today, I just wanted to look back at the dramas that made me fall in love with this amazing actor.
My Lovely Sam Soon
My Lovely Sam Soon is a super cute romantic comedy and the very first Hyun Bin show that I ever watched. Since it was in my very early days of being introduced to Kdrama, I really did not know who Hyun Bin was. I started watching the show, because Daniel Henney and Gummy were in it (happened to know them from their previous work). Though I started it for them, it didn’t take too long for the lead pair to win me over.
Sam Soon (Kim Sun-a), is a loud, slightly over-weight pastry chef, who is amazing when it comes to cooking, but very unlucky in love. She believes her old-fashioned name is to be blamed for her misery. So, she decides to change her name to Hee-jin when she is hired as a pastry chef in the upscale Bon Appetit. Hyun Jin-heon (Hyun Bin), is the arrogant son of a wealthy hotelier and the owner of Bon Appetit. When Sam-soon finds herself in dire need of money, and Jin-heon needs a fiancé to get his nagging mother off his back, they enter into a contract relationship, to help each other out, with the clause that they should never fall in love with each other, a clause that becomes increasingly hard to stick to for these polar opposites. Things don’t get any easier when his first love, Hee-Jin, returns back into his life. My Lovely Sam Soon is very refreshing because of Kim Sun-a and Hyun Bin. They are so effortless in both their roles, that you can’t help but fall in love with them. I have never seen any actor get beaten up as much as Hyun Bin was in this movie, and that too by his mother and fake fiancé. My Lovely Sam Soon is available for online streamlining on Viki.
Memories of the Alhambra
The next Hyun Bin drama I watched was Memories of the Alhambra, and this one blew my mind. It was unlike any show I had watched so far. In terms of the plot line, performances, set designs, visual effects, graphics and overall production value, this show was in a league of its own. The drama is about an Artificial Intelligence game, that takes the world of gaming to a whole new level.
Upon receiving an email regarding a groundbreaking AR game, set in Alhambra, Yoo Jin-woo (Hyun Bin) travels to Granada, Spain, to meet the creator, Soe-joon. However, when he realizes that Seo-joon is missing, he has to seek the help of Jung Hee-joo (Park Shin-hye), Seo-joon’s sister, to find out details of the game and sign a contract for the rights. The only problem is that Hee-joo has no idea about the existence of the game, or the whereabouts of her brother. So, Jin-woo has to figure things out on his own, while he tries out this one of a kind game, that will change the gaming world forever. However, he is not the only one that knows about the game. When he meets his arch rival in the AR world, and the lines between the real world and virtual world start blurring, Jin-woo realizes that there is something very wrong. He has to find Seo-joon before things get out of hand. You have to watch this drama to know what it really means to be on the edge of your seat for sixteen straight hours. The adrenaline rush you get while Jin-woo races against time to solve the mystery, is unlike any other. Memories of the Alhambra is available for online streamlining on Netflix.
Crash Landing on You
Crash Landing On You is the only show I watched of Hyun Bin’s while it was airing live. While it was one of the shows that I enjoyed the most, it was also one of the shows that made me the most restless. Having become so used to binge-watching shows that had full seasons uploaded, it was very hard waiting for a whole week, to see what happens next. It was especially hard for me when the finale aired. We were away on vacation for the holidays, so I had to wait till I got back home to see how the show ended. If you know what a cliffhanger episode 14 ended on, you will understand what I was going through.
When Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin), a very successful self-made South Korean businesswoman, ends up on the wrong side of the border during a paragliding accident, she meets Ri Jeong-hyuk (Hyun Bin), a captain in the North Korean Army. With the help of some members in his troop, Captain Ri tries to help Se-ri get back to her country safely. What makes Crash Landing so endearing is the amazing ensemble cast in the form Seo Dan, Alberto Gu, Ko Myong Un, the women in North Korea, Captain Ri’s men, and a host of other actors who make their presence felt in varying degrees. You may start watching the show for Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin, but you will end up falling in love with all of them by the time you are done watching the show. If you are not a Kdrama fanatic already, just watch CLOY, and you will become an addict like the rest of us in no time. Crash Landing on You is available for online streamlining on Netflix.
Secret Garden
Having been so used to seeing Hyun Bin play strong male characters in both his dramas and movies (which are mostly action oriented), Secret Garden caught me off-guard. I wasn’t really ready for Hyun Bin’s Kim Joo-woon. However, by the time I was done watching the show, Joo-woon ended up becoming one of my favorite characters ever. He is that one character of Hyun Bin’s that made me laugh as well as cry the most.
When Joo-woon accidentally picks up Gil Ra-im (Ha Ji-won), thinking she is his cousin’s girlfriend, life as he knows it changes forever. Not only is Ra-im the exact opposite of any woman he has ever met, she is also the one woman who could care less who he is. In spite of knowing that she does not check a single box in the qualities he needs in his potential wife, he cannot get rid of her from his thoughts. However, one night when they unexpectedly land in each others shoes, literally, they are forced to learn about the world they each come from. What I loved most about Secret Garden is how these two characters that are worlds apart, evolve as they gradually learn about each others world and understand why they are, they way they are. Definitely check out Secret Garden if you want to watch a really good drama. It has a huge dose of romance, comedy and drama!! And of course, you will also get to witness the brilliance that is Ha Ji-won (she is beyond amazing), and Hyun Bin. Secret Garden is available for online streamlining on Viki.
Hyde, Jekyll, Me
If you had to watch just one show to witness the amazing actor that Hyun Bin is, then you should check out Hyde, Jekyll, Me, a show about a third generation chaebol and heir to a large corporation, suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID).
With good looks, a sharp brain, a theme park under his control, and next in line to his family owned conglomerate, it seems like Gu Seo-jin (Hyun Bin), leads a very envious life. However, what everyone does not know is the fact that he suffers from DID. Every time his heart rate exceeds 150, a new personality emerges, who is his polar opposite. This is his deepest and darkest secret that he has been trying to hide for a very long time. In order to take control of his life, and prevent his alter ego from appearing, Seo-jin lives a very cold, dull, cynical life. Just when he thinks he has everything in control, he meets Jang Ha-na (Han Ji-min), a ringmaster in his theme park circus. Ever since he meets Ha-na, he finds himself waking up as his sweet, kind, gentle, full of life, alter ego, Robin, making it very hard for him to lead a normal life. And when they both fall in love with the same girl, they become each other’s biggest enemy. You have to watch the show to see how Seo-jin and Robin try to co-exist, especially since one personality has no recollection of what happens when the other wakes up. Hyde, Jekyll, Me is a very well-written show, that is sure to touch your heart, and yes, you will need quite a few boxes of tissues towards the end, but it will all be worth it. Hyde, Jekyll, Me is available for online streamlining on Viki.
World’s Within / The World That They Live In
If you want to find out what all goes into the making of a Korean Drama (or any TV show), then you should watch World’s Within. This show gives a very realistic and in-depth look into the broadcasting industry, and the lives of the people that make these dramas that we enjoy so much, possible. This is the first show I watched in which Hyun Bin did not play the rich guy, and that in itself was a refreshing change.
Worlds Within is about Jung Ji-oh (Hyun Bin) and Joo Joon-young (Song Hye-kyo), two very strong minded and ambitious people, who are passionate about filmmaking. This passion for filmmaking is what brings them together. However, when you come from vastly different backgrounds, and work in an extremely competitive field, egos are bound to clash, especially when you work in an environment where it is almost impossible to keep your professional and personal life separate. Worlds Within holds a mirror to show us all the good, bad and ugly that goes on behind the scenes. You have to watch the show to really appreciate the people that make all those wonderful dramas and movies, that make living through even something like this pandemic not just bearable, but sometimes even enjoyable.
While this is my list of favorite Hyun Bin shows, Hyun Bin’s movies are also very good and entertaining. If you love Hyun Bin like me, you should definitely check out Confidential Assignment, Swindlers, The Negotiation, A Millionaire’s First Love, and Late Autumn.
My Movie Spotlight 