SHOWBIZ KOREA
PROCLAIMS
LEE JOON GI
AS
THE REIGNING PRINCE
OF
ASIA
SHOWBIZ
KOREA PROCLAIMS
LEE
JOON GI
AS
THE
REIGNING PRINCE OF ASIA
 
28.11.2018
 
Showbiz Korea (Arirang), on
its 28 November 2018 segment, had proclaimed Lee Joon Gi as The Reigning Prince of Asia. This has
generated a lot of excitement in Lee’s fandom. There may be 2 other Princes
of Asia. One is self-proclaimed; the other, fan-proclaimed. But, in Lee Joon
Gi’s case, the title is bestowed on the
multi-talented superstar by Showbiz Korea.
Why is Lee Joon Gi ‘The Reigning Prince of Asia’?
Lee Joon Gi has a very strong claim to the title. Lee’s rise to
fame in Asia has been meteoric. His legions of fans have long believed that
he is The Prince of Asia. He has an even greater claim to the title after
playing the role of Prince Wang So in 2016. He has totally won the minds and
hearts of women all over the world, particularly those in Asia. To put things
in perspective, even today, the global viewers are united in heaving a great
nostalgic sigh over their love for Gong Gil (2005) and for Wang So (2016). The
King and The Clown is a classic and Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo would
soon join its ranks.
This year, the heart-stopping Bong Sang Pil and Lawless Lawyer
have made the drama audience love the heartthrob, Lee Joon Gi even more. The
irresistible Lee has showcased his various talents and skills to the finest
advantage in his legal-action drama. He returns often to haunt their dreams.
The South Korean public is not surprised by the global support
of his fans for his drama, Lawless Lawyer. This is because the previous year,
they had also witnessed the passionate support of the global community for
Criminal Minds Korea.
LAWLESS LAWYER HAS, SO FAR, BEEN SOLD
TO 8 COUNTRIES
According to Wikipedia, the
rights for Lawless Lawyer have so far been sold to eight (8) countries - The
United States and 7 Asian countries including Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong,
Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines.
Lawless Lawyer is peerless.
It, not any other drama, is the Drama of the Year (2018).
The numbers speak for
themselves. Which other 2018 South Korean drama has been sold to that many
countries? But, it is not just the numbers that count.
The drama has all the success ingredients. It is specially
singled out for its amazing cast; highly interesting, intelligent, intriguing
and original script; spectacular action scenes, dazzling cinematography, stylish
wardrobe and the much-celebrated director.
What’s most important is many critics and writers, including
those from the Print Media and Social Media have lavished praise on Lee Joon
Gi’s amazing performance and his brilliant drama, Lawless Lawyer. Lee
completely inhabits the part. Some critics have proclaimed that the role of
Bong Sang Pil is a role of a lifetime! And, the audience love Lee Joon Gi and
are thrilled to bits with his fast paced, action-packed legal drama. To put
it in a nutshell, Lee Joon Gi, an actor extraordinaire, is arguably, the X
factor behind the magic in Lawless Lawyer.
|
THE
BEST DRAMA
2018
LAWLESS
LAWYER
THE
FRESH, EXCITING STORY
/ SCRIPT
|
The script of Lawless Lawyer is fresh, original and exciting. The
story is told through amazing cinematography, symbolisms and imagery. Martial
arts is used to enhance the quality of the story-telling.
The drama Lawless Lawyer is an intriguing and intelligent story
about Bong Sang Pil, a revolutionary lawyer who is brainy, brawny and
‘beautiful’. It chronicles the events
that have brought Bong to the frontlines of his struggle against corruption
and injustice in the fictional city of Ki Seong.
It is a tale of that determined and passionate lawyer who refuses
to fade into the woodwork but instead, is willing to risk his life in order
to make a difference to the city.
 
The unique story is told from an interesting and fresh
perspective. Bong Sang Pil rises from the gutters - ‘the underworld’ to
become a sophisticated lawyer. He is a gorgeous, courageous, eloquent,
high-spirited, irresistible and radical legal eagle.
The story, the unravelling of Ki Seong, reveals the dynamic among
the corrupt and evil people, ‘The Circle of Seven’ who influence and decide
the laws of the city.
The criminals kill his mother, a lawyer. In revenge, Bong Sang Pil
resorts to using his brains and fists to expose them. With the assistance of
his team, Bong takes advantage of the state-of-the-art technology to gather
evidence against the criminals. Technology makes the tale incredibly
exciting.
 
Bong courageously fights against the corrupt and unjust judges and
becomes the fiery advocate for the underdogs who have no voice.
 
At first, his shaky relationship with Ha Jae Yi, his Office
Manager, threatens to derail his attempt to worm himself into the heart of Wu
Hyeong Man who is falsely accused of murder. Supplanting Go Ing Do as the
Defence Lawyer for the accused, Bong successfully uses the much-fought for
opportunity to defeat Judge Cha Moon Suk at her own game.
Ha Jae Yi cannot resist pouring boiling scorn on Bong’s unusual
ways of solving problems but it finally dawns on the haughty lady that Bong
has a heart of gold and subsequently, succumbs to his charms.
Wu Hyeong Man is vindicated of the murder charges but the
foolhardy former detective decides to take revenge. Rankled, Ahn Oh Ju, the
big-time gangster kills him.
Bong Sang Pil puts his life on the line when he goes head-to-head
with the gangster-turned-corporate chairman.
 
But, revenge begets revenge. The cycle is never ending. Bong Sang
Pil soon learns to his regret that Choi Dae Woong, the uncle whom he loves dearly
is Ahn Oh Ju’s target. The big-time gangster deals Bong Sang Pil a crushing
blow by killing his uncle.
Although Bong is devastated by his death, he buries his demons,
picks up the pieces and turns giantkiller.
The web and culture of corruption, injustice and deceit is brought
to light and the criminals of Ki Seong are unmasked one by one.
In a very public trial, to everyone’s shock, Bong Sang Pil rebukes
Judge Cha Moon Suk, the most powerful figure in Ki Seong, for her deceit,
corruption and injustice.
The seemingly incorruptible judge finally lands in prison. It is
hard to imagine a more fitting conclusion to Bong Sang Pil’s determined drive
to bring the villainous judge down.
 
With the villains either behind bars or dead, a transformation
takes place in Ki Seong.
Corruption and injustice is no laughing matter. But, not
everything in Lawless Lawyer is serious and solemn. The grave and tense
moments are interspersed with hilariously funny or sweet moments and
spectacular action / martial arts scenes. Bong Sang Pil and his merry men
could easily infuse their roles with comedy.
     
Lee Joon Gi’s performance is stupendous. Lee’s talent for light
comedy is obvious. Watch Lee’s eyes dance when he mocks the lady who is the
light of his life. Those scenes make you yelp with laughter.
And watch in awe as he leaps and flies in the air. Listen and
watch the legal eagle as he eloquently argues his case in court. When Bong Sang Pil
cries, the audience feel the hurt. They cry with him and, when he laughs,
they laugh. They angrily stamp their feet when he rages. They have an
immediate connection with him.
What’s even more amazing is they - the young, the not-so-young and
the old swoon when he swaggers across the screen or sleeps like a babe in
bed.
The tale locks together like a jigsaw. The perfectly executed
drama is a masterpiece. The powerful and meaningful story engages the heart
and mind and makes the viewers believe in the power of the human spirit to
overcome any obstacle.
The drama has cemented Lee Joon Gi as one of the biggest drama stars in this part of the world and he holds sway as one of the rare breed of
martial artists who can really act. Very few are his equal. He is, as some
say, A True Thespian.
  |
LEE
JOON GI
AN
ACTOR EXTRAORDINAIRE
A WIDE RANGE OF EMOTIONS
|
Every now and then, viewers
sing praises of Lee Joon Gi after watching his dramas or movies. How can one
not be biased towards him? Viewers salute him.
   
Lee Joon Gi can express A
Wide Range of Emotions. He is never stilted nor wooden. Lee’s acting in Lawless
Lawyer is layered and nuanced. Lee can easily morph and slip into the
character of the lawless Bong Sang Pil.
Unlike some actors, Lee’s
face is mobile and his emotions are fluid. He can laugh, rant, rage and cry,
playing his role with great depth. He
can make the audience feel as he feels.
Even in the opening
sequence of Lawless Lawyer, Lee Joon Gi has already started breathing life into the
character. His role is iconic. He is almost unrecognizable as Bong Sang Pil,
the smooth, gorgeous, sophisticated and wickedly playful lawyer. The way Bong
mocks and pokes fun at the traffic policeman is highly entertaining and
hilariously funny. Mesmerising. The prelude shows Lee Joon Gi’s versatility.
One has to repeatedly point
out that Lee Joon Gi doesn’t always look handsome or gorgeous in the drama.
 
In Episode 8, he looks
different. Bong Sang Pil’s face is distorted and tears well up in his eyes.
It is impossible not to have a heavy heart as you watch Bong Sang Pil scream
in horror when his uncle plummets to his death. It is a horrifying spectacle.
Your heart is also shattered
when you watch Bong Sang Pil cry at his uncle’s funeral in Episode 9. There
will be a lump in your throat and a tear in your eye.
What’s crucial is, these sad scenes would have burned themselves into the memory. Unforgettable. |
LEE
JOON GI
THE SPECTACULAR MARTIAL ARTIST |
 
Lee Joon Gi’s showcase of his plethora of martial arts skills
in Lawless Lawyer has made headlines and a social media splash. Although
having martial arts skills is not part of acting, his spectacular, varied and
fluid athletic skills have enhanced the quality of the drama.
 
When he leaps over a car in a foot chase, his movements are
fluid not unlike those of a ballerino. Some of his action scenes – his breath-taking
spins and leaps seem so elegant and stylish. You think immediately of a
leaping puma or flying eagle. Stylish animalistic movements.
What’s also impressive is Lee has demonstrated his creativity
by choreographing his own action sequences in the drama.
What the Director and Cinematographer have done is to create
images that do justice to the dynamism, athleticism and grace of Lee Joon
Gi’s martial arts moves.
When Lee Joon Gi is airborne, the cinematographer is able to
capture the essence – the contradictory ferocity and gracefulness of his
leaps.
The breath-taking martial arts scenes dazzle the viewers. They
are electric moments that are etched in the audience’s minds.
   |
ROMANTIC
CHEMISTRY
LEE
JOON GI
AND
SEO YEA JI |
Lee Joon Gi is a believable romantic hero. There is a certain
aura about him when he is in a romantic scene. Seo Yea Ji, the actress who plays his leading
lady also figures importantly in the drama.
 
Lee Joon Gi’s romantic chemistry with Seo Yea Ji who plays Ha Jae Yi, his
beloved woman in Lawless Lawyer goes through the roof. The two have brought
fire to the screen.
Many of their scenes are indelible moments. To the audience,
the romantic looks Bong Sang Pil exchange with Ha Jae Yi seem very real indeed.
The lovers’ hearts seem to be racing and you can feel the love in the air.
Though their romantic love is quite chaste, there is however,
one romantic scene where erotic tension and desire can be felt, that is, the
scene where Bong Sang Pil and Ha Jae Yi stand by the balcony as they lock
lips. A warm glow has come over them. We blame it on their marvellous acting
skills.
The Conspiracy Theory. But, you cannot dispel the suspicion
that a conspiracy had been hatched. The Director and Scriptwriter have
conspired to make the audience fall in love with the couple, particularly, with Lee
Joon Gi.
If their teasing shot of Lee Joon Gi asleep in bed, ‘Babe
Asleep’ is meant to make female hearts pound hard, you would have to admit
that they have succeeded. It has definitely been calculated to make females
swoon.
And studying the way Lee Joon Gi looks, you cannot discount his
active cooperation with the camera crew.
None would take offence at this sexy shot. Many young girls,
old girls and other types of girls must have hyperventilated after ogling
him.
The viewers are convinced that Lee Joon Gi has produced MAGIC
in the drama. Acting, after all, is also about producing illusions and he is
marvellous at it.
|
GREAT
PERSONAL CHEMISTRY
LEE
JOON GI
AND
CHOI
MIN SOO
|
Although Lee Joon Gi’s chemistry with his other castmates is also
very evident, his great chemistry with Choi Min Soo who plays the villain Ahn
Oh Ju, must be singled out for praise.
It must be emphasized that Lee Joon Gi’s personal chemistry
with Choi Min Soo is quite inexplainable.
Unlike the BongHa couple, watching Bong Sang Pil and Ahn Oh Ju
doesn’t make you warm all over. Instead, their confrontations send chills
down your spine.
The two, who are cast as ferocious enemies in the drama, have
played their rivalry to such perfection that one has to raise a toast to
their acting.
Their passionate acting gives a boost to the level of suspense.
Sometimes their scenes could be unbearably suspenseful.
Viewers are brimming with admiration for the two actors. Most
believe that it is quite impossible for actors playing enemies to produce
some special chemistry. But, the two have achieved what no other actors could.
     |
BONG SANG PIL
AND
HIS
STYLISH WARDROBE
|
STYLE AND FASHION. Seeing is believing. Without question, Bong
Sang Pil is a gorgeous, stylish lawyer inside and outside the court.
   
Bong Sang Pil’s wardrobe is stunning; his vast collection of
single-breasted, double-breasted and three-piece suits is staggering.
The most amazing thing is that Bong even looks so stylish when
he leaps, flies and lands on the shoulders of his opponent or on the ground.
His flexible body and fluid movements help to make the scenes spectacular.
Do fashionable and stylish clothes make Bong Sang Pil look
gorgeous? Or is it Bong Sang Pil who makes the clothes look gorgeous?
You cannot deny the fact that stylish clothes do make a person
look better. But, the fact is Lee Joon Gi looks good in anything. His
passion and light shines through even when donning prison or hospital clothes
and martial arts uniforms.
On the 31 July 2018 show of Star Chart, Showbiz Korea (Arirang
TV), it was revealed that viewers had been requested to choose the Star who
looks gorgeous (impeccable and dashing) in a suit.
Unsurprisingly, the first place (Number 1) went to Lee Joon Gi
of Lawless Lawyer.
     
THE STAR WHO LOOKS GORGEOUS
IN A SUIT
       |
LEE
JOON GI
AN
INSPIRING ASIAN (AND GLOBAL) INFLUENCE
|
 
There are other the reasons why Lee Joon Gi is the reigning Prince of Asia. None can dispute the fact that Lee has an inspiring influence not only over Asia but also outside of Asia. Lee is a role model for hard work, passion and ambition. He has many events and projects not only in his home country but also in other parts of Asia.
   
POPSTAR
FAN CONCERTS
2018
Lee Joon Gi is a popstar with a difference. The very popular superstar held fan concerts or what he calls ‘fan meets’ in the first half of 2018.
To fine-tune your memory, in the first half of the year, Lee Joon Gi had very successful fan concerts in Seoul and Tokyo. He had a fan meet in Seoul for his birthday. It was reported that 5,000 fans attended his Tokyo concert.
Lee Joon Gi will be embarking on his 2018-19 'Delight' Asia Tour in December 2018.
SOUTH
KOREA
 
JAPAN
The South Korean Hallyu superstar was in Tokyo from 25 to 27
APRIL 2018 for his ‘Splendor Family Day’ event. And, according to *South
Korean news, an astonishing 5,000 Japanese fans promptly
attended his fan meet at the Tokyo International Forum.
In a surprising turn of events, it was learnt that a Hallyu
expert* was in the audience. The said expert is convinced that Lee ‘excels’
in everything. He must have been amazed by the superstar’s mesmerising
showmanship, wonderful interaction and deep interconnection with his
audience, who were mostly female.
Lee Joon Gi’s stunning popularity in Japan has been bolstered
by the reruns of his many popular dramas including the magnificent historical
drama, ‘Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo’ – an amazing actor in a true
masterpiece! He also did a show based on his Okinawa holiday 'JG Island' for a TV station in Japan.
LIVEEN
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
XPORTSNEWS
CHINESE NEWS
LEE
JOON GI’S ARRIVAL AT HANEDA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, JAPAN
25
APRIL 2018 (WEDNESDAY)
  
Lee Joon Gi had also been excitedly welcomed by his Thai and Hong Kong fans when he went to Thailand and Hong Kong for his project and event respectively.
THAILAND 
VIDEO 1
  
VIDEO 2
 
VIDEO 3
 
BACK TO KOREA
HONG
KONG
Andreas Kronthaler (centre)
flanked by Lee Joon Gi and Charmaine Sheh
VIDEO 1
LE TV
(MANDARIN CHINESE)
 
VIDEO 2
(CANTONESE)
ASIA TELEVISION (ATV)
VIDEO 3
(CANTONESE)
 
Hong
Kong Airport
RETURN TO KOREA
LEE JOON GI
‘DELIGHT’
2018-2019 ASIA TOUR
Lee Joon Gi is in the midst of planning and practising his repertoire of songs, dances and surprises for his fan concerts in six Asian cities – Seoul, Osaka, Yokohama, Taipei, Bangkok and Hong Kong.
His Asia tour entitled ‘Delight’ kicks off in Seoul on 15 December 2018.
In conjunction with his Asia Tour, Lee released a new digital single ‘Delight’ on 10 December 2018. The
single consists of three tracks ‘For Us’, ‘Accepted’ and ‘Can’t Be Slow’.
 |
GLOBAL FAN
SUPPORT
FOR
LAWLESS LAWYER |
Lee Joon Gi is more than just being The Reigning Prince of Asia. He is, in fact, a very popular Global Star. The South Korean media have declared that Lee Joon Gi's global fans are the most passionate compared to those of other showbusiness personalities. The images below are self-explanatory.         |
