Tuesday 5 May 2020

Wang So In The Twenty-First Century




WANG SO
IN
THE TWENTY-FIRST
CENTURY































Lee Joon Gi posted three photos of himself against an ancient palace backdrop on Instagram on 03.05.2020. The photos, which were shot at the Yongin Daejanggeum Park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, remind everyone of Wang So, the Fourth Prince of the Goryeo Dynasty. 

It seems the tenth century Wang So has been transported to the 21st century.












Many excited fans are convinced that Lee Joon Gi is making a statement about a new drama or movie. Others believe that he is hinting specifically at a sequel to Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo. If true, it will signal an end to the relentless demands of fans to have a modern sequel featuring a 21st century Wang So; their dreams would be translated into reality. At the moment, the actor is in the process of shooting his latest drama, Flower of Evil, which will premiere in July 2020.













In the first photo, Lee Joon Gi cuts a dashing and romantic figure wearing an expensive and stylish beige or sand colour trench coat. The fashionable high fashion piece has an oversized gun flap and the usual epaulettes, sleeve straps on the cuffs, wedge back and large buttons. If Lee is trying to achieve the look of a scion of a South Korean conglomerate or chaebol family, he has succeeded; he effortlessly exudes the aura of one from the financial business royalty.














In the second shot, Lee defies convention by not sporting a black leather jacket but he still looks gorgeous in his navy-blue biker jacket which has a diagonal zip down front and collars with decorative press-studs. A rebellious 21st century Wang So.














Lee is fighting fit and ready for action in his final photo. An air of wealth and power surrounds the gorgeous star. It is impossible to deny that he looks classy in his casual business outfit which comprises a black suit jacket which he teams with his beige pants. A pair of beige leather shoes complements his outfit. A princely tycoon in his twenties or early thirties. What gadget is he holding with both hands? A time travel device?

Is this the modern Wang So that fans are waiting for? None who has watched Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, a drama masterpiece, can forget Wang So. Fans have hankered after the Goryeon prince after watching Lee Joon Gi’s incredible performance.



























Lee Joon Gi has been called King of Historical Dramas. He is more than that; in the movie and drama world, Lee is the Titan of the Historical Genre. His first historical movie, The King and the Clown, shot him to instant fame in 2005. Young as he was, he received enough awards to prove his ability as an actor. Thereafter, he won two Best Actor awards at the Seoul International Drama Awards; in 2013 for Arang and the Magistrate and 2015 for Gunman in Joseon. He won an international Best Actor Award from Taiwan's KKTV for his role of Wang So in the 2016  drama, Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo. He also won awards for his other historical dramas, Iljimae and The Scholar Who Walks The Night, which are also amazing productions. His only non-saguek historical piece is May 18.





 THE KING AND THE CLOWN (2005)







 ILJIMAE (2008)







ARANG AND THE MAGISTRATE (2012)






  GUNMAN IN JOSEON (2014)






 THE SCHOLAR WHO WALKS THE NIGHT (2015)






MOON LOVERS: SCARLET HEART RYEO (2016)















Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo is a cultural goldmine for South Korea. Global viewers have raved about Lee Joon Gi, the lead actor. They have been overwhelmingly impressed by Lee Joon Gi's moving performance which is full of raw emotion and the superstar has remained a permanent fixture in the minds of the viewers. The drama is a phenomenon; it is the best historical drama for quite a while. No other Asian actor and drama have captured the imagination and the hearts of global viewers in terms of the frenzy that has surrounded the drama: the laughter, the joy, the tears, the sadness, the heartbrokenness and the passion. Viewers have ranted and cried their hearts out over the tragic ending. And to this day, the drama has not been surpassed or eclipsed in terms of global acclaim and viewer response. 
















With the unprecedented global success of Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, a feat that has never been duplicated, Lee Joon Gi has become an international obsession. Lee has, since then, become an even more powerful force in the Asian showbusiness industry.













If the sequel is in the pipeline, the fans want something new, not something recycled. They do not want the amazing actor to be pigeonholed in a ‘similar role’ and a drama of the ‘same genre’. They fear that his talents might be stymied and his reputation as an actor might be drastically diminished. A unique 21st century Wang So is worth waiting for.