An Ultra Fan's Guide to Kim Ji Suk
Born: August 17, 1993
*This is an updated stalker guide on the actor as a previous stalker guide had been written in 2013 by SooMin-ah. Check here for her guide.*
After his movie role in 2002 in The Way Home, a box office hit, he was affectionately named 'Nation's little brother' (same nickname Yeo Jin Goo got). He's also known as "little So Ji Sub" for resembling him. (I never thought about him resembling So Ji Sub before, but now that I know about this, I can see some resemblance) lol. I first saw him in Warrior Baek Dong Soo and that drama and the character he portrayed left a huge impression on me. I knew he'd be an actor I'd keep my eye on.
Dramas
My Strange Hero (2018)
It's in my que to watch, about a guy who returns to his old highschool to take revenge on the thing that expelled him in the past brought upon by false accusations of violence. There are mixed views on it, I hope I will like it once I start it.
I'm Not a Robot (2017)
I love this drama, it's fun quirky and romantic. I recently re-watched it with my mom and she also loved it. It's about a guy who suffers from "human allergy" and the girl pretends to be a robot b/c of an accident with the real one. Through this their interactions form a bond and feelings start to occur, but can a human love a "robot"? As you can guess his allergy must be psychological.
Ruler: Master of the Mask (2017)
#On Hold: It's about the true Crown Prince fighting a powerful foe named 'Pyunsoo group' who threaten the Royal family in order to rule behind the curtains while having a puppet king on stage by controlling them with poison. Seung Ho's character barely manages to escape after his family is destroyed by them. I'm personally having a hard time wanting to watch more of it it right now - so I kind of have it on-hold (I get easily frustrated when it comes to the royal families and all their schemes to marry them off to other rich powerful people - when the romance lies between one royal member and one commoner it's increasingly difficult for me to plow through steadily without getting irritated by this lol) I was going to submit this article after I had fully finished watching this drama but with all the currently airing dramas distracting me at the moment I think it may take me longer than planned... as right now the only thing that makes me want to watch it is Seung Ho's handsome face. lol
Remember: War of the Son (2015)
A high school boy who is simply enjoying his life with his father after losing his mother and brother in a tragic car accident. Then one morning his world is turned upside down. His father has Alzheimer's and is now the prime suspect in a murder of a close friend of theirs. He has a memory where he remembers everything in perfect detail and he can easily just trace things through his memories, he uses this and friends to help him fight for justice for his unfortunate father who was just a pawn in the hands of a filthy rich man. But he himself ends up with the same disease as his father. I liked the story, the villains make you hate them and you root for the good guys till the end - but it's not an amazing drama, it's more your typical revenge kind, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. MV
Missing You (2012)
Harry Borrison, a man with a sad history, your heart goes out to him but he crosses the line. "If we had all met like that would we have been friends?" - My answer is a big yes! Unfortunately for these three, this is impossible. This kid was tormented when really young and when he meets the girl who "rescued" his wounded soul, he becomes obsessed. He's sweet but he's also evil. For me, I loved the lead couple and their story. Their longing and devotion. Their past connection and the unravelling present. This entire drama is a huge deep heavy melodrama (so if you're not a fan of melos then steer clear - but if you like a melo every now and then, this is definitely one to check out.) MV
Warrior Baek Dong Soo (2011)
In this, he plays an assassin who's sole purpose is to protect his dearest friend. When he was young an assassin came into his life and altered his life's destiny. He can't escape or his friend will be hurt, so he takes the 'burden of sacrifice' upon his own shoulders and lives in a way where people and friends judge him as being "bad", not knowing his true intent. He was my absolute favourite character in this drama, he completely stole my heart, all I wanted was for him to be happy and free, loved and cared for. My heart cried for this man. He will be sure to steal yours as well. Yeo Woon - a name I will never forget. A name I can't erase. Nor would I want to. Trailer (in English - it's so funny hearing English as if it's them talking lol - to not see spoilers in this "trailer" then skip to 0:26 and watch till 2:05, then skip to 2:08 to the end - spoilers are in the very beginning and in those 2 seconds). My favourite MV of this drama. (spoiler at the 4min mark to 4:10) (kiss part is the mv makers fantasy - it's not real). MV2 (stop at 2:32 to not see spoiler) MV3 (stop at 2:50 to not see spoiler).
Operation Proposal (2012)
In this drama, Seung Ho's character gets the chance to travel back in time in order to change or create new events that will make him able to win the heart of the girl he lost time to. In the present, she's marrying another man, and he regrets not telling her of his love. He will travel back and forth from the past to present to see what will change and what needs to happen in order to make the change he wants. Kim Tae Hoon plays the time conductor and Park Eun Bin plays Seung Ho's love interest. MV1 - MV2
God of Study (2010)
He plays a rebellious high school senior, where he doesn't like the rules and laws of the world. He sees himself as a person who can't do it or achieve it anyway so why have false hope and dream of something that won't come true. In comes the lawyer who's determined to set this school straight and lead kids to a better brighter future where they don't abandon the hope of living and instead do all they can to grow and achieve their goals. These two immediately head butt each other and this student is mad that there is someone with enough gall to lead his fellow students on a path of hope lost. He's quick to judge and doesn't like to look deep into a person, he thinks from his own perspective and thinks that's all there is or ever will be. I didn't see any true change in him until about episode 12 when his character started to become a little better and maybe start opening his closed eyes. Episode 14 was the turning point for him in my mind, however. I must say I went through most of the drama disliking him lol (I favoured Hyun Woo in this one instead - an easy going bright kid who loves to dance and is nice to everyone). This drama did keep me interested and leaves you on a positive note. Trailer
Queen Seon Duk (2009)
He plays Prince Chun Chu, Seon Duk (or Deok Man's) younger brother who eventually takes the throne. His screen-time was limited, and he comes on halfway through the drama I think, I enjoyed his scenes and I half-liked and half-disliked his character lol (I much prefer the way he was portrayed in the sageuk The Great Kings Dream). YSH teaser
Daddy Fish (2000)
His debut drama - Masterpiece Theater (drama in review). I can't find the drama online and when I can't, if they are produced by MBC, then they will usually have them up in their "happy time" segments and you can watch about 30 mins of the drama in review, where they share pieces from the drama from beginning to end. In this, he plays a boy of about 7 years of age (as that is my guess of what his real age is since he said he was 9 when he starred in the movie 'The Way Home'), that has Leukemia and his dad who does everything to save him. It's only a 4 episode drama so I'd really like to watch it - the review makes me even more interested in it as I enjoyed watching it and would like to see the entire drama. Here is a clip from the drama as well.
Boys Don't Cry (2001)
Masterpiece Theater (drama in review) - It's a drama about a young boy who gets picked on by his classmates because they think he has no parents. His mom finds out she doesn't have long to live and tries to prepare her son to live without her. Seung Ho is such an adorable child - he's one of those kids that you just want to smother with kisses at this young age ^_^ So stinkin' adorable! lol
Hi, Clementine (2004)
MBC Masterpiece Theater (drama in review) - In this drama, a woman is conned out of her money and chases the con-man in order to get back her money. She travels to his home and is mistaken for his bride-to-be while waiting for him to come back home, she falls for his little son and takes on the role of his mom. (I'd love to watch these dramas in their entirety simply because little Seung Ho is just too cute to resist!) ^^
All That Ramen (2003)
MBC Masterpiece Theater (drama in review) - In this drama, the dad is trying to date a woman who can also become his son's mother. While he's dating a certain woman, another is taking care of his son, they bond and the son wants her as his mom. Their relationship is so sweet ^_^
He is also in Sad Love Story (Masterpiece Theater), Flames of Desire, Imaginary Cat, Love Letter, Sweet Buns, The Legend, Precious Family, Alien Sam and Magic Fighter. (pics in order)
He also stars in the drama Arang and the Magistrate as a supporting role: He plays this god-like deity who basically looks out for the "ghosts" in the story, I never really fully understood his role in this drama, and despite its high praises, I never found it that engaging or interesting - outside of Yeon Woo Jin's role. There were some things I enjoyed about this drama and some things I could have done without (and I'm sorry to our lovely Seung Ho but I totally could have done without this whole deity idea and roles in the drama). I love Lee Joon Gi and I like Shin Min Ah, as well as Seung Ho, so those were the reasons I started this and I finished it for them and YWJ but it didn't get a high rating from me - just below average. YSH CUT
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Movies
Blind (2011)
This movie breaks your heart more than once! It's a really good crime based thriller movie and I highly recommend it. Kim Ha Neul plays a woman who once was a police officer but got into an accident that caused her to lose her sight and her young brother all at once. Years pass and she's all of the sudden a witness for a missing persons case, her testimony and Seung Ho's testimony contradict each other, so they team up to get the bad guy. Trailer
Seondal: Man Who Sells the River (2016)
This movie made me laugh lol, it was really enjoyable and very funny. Seeing Seung Ho transform and swindle people was a real riot. A tragic event occurs and he decides he must take one stab at faith and revenge before he can continue on his swindling activities. Trailer
4th Period Mystery (2009)
A murder takes place in school during one of their breaks, two students decide to find the killer and do their own investigation. It was a nice interesting chase kind of student mystery movie. Trailer
Hearty Paws (2006)
The cover photo makes you think you'll be watching a sweet cute fun movie about kids and their pet dog, but don't be fooled, this movie will make you cry!!! I highly recommend it, as it's a movie that will surely touch your soul. If you've ever watched the movie Hachi or Little Heroes (1992) and loved them, then this is definitely a movie for you. Seung Ho plays a loving brother who gets a puppy for his little sister on her birthday and they raise it together. Things happen and he leaves for Busan to find his mother while leaving his dog behind. His dog then follows him all the way there and several other events follow. Trailer - MV (contains one spoiler).
Do You See Seoul? (2008)
A bunch of kids get the opportunity to go on a school trip to Seoul, while a couple of the more mischievous ones run off on their own to search for their mother and end up lost, hungry and alone. Their teacher must go out of her way to look for them. There's not a lot to the plot but it was a nice quiet innocent movie to watch about a bunch of kids and their caring teacher. (I watched it raw) Trailer
Don't Tell Papa (2004)
It's about a boy and his father who works in a saloon type place where he is the MC, his kid is in the back room where everyone gets dressed and puts on their makeup. I personally didn't care for this movie as a whole (as there was a good portion of nudity, too many sexual type references and lust - as well as a parent child (of different genders) bath scene that I found totally inappropriate - especially for a kid his age) but I really did enjoy the father/son relationship and how loving they were towards each other. (needless to say, I skipped the "gross" scenes and watched only the father son bonding). Also, the description is wrong - there is no "deteriorating father/son relationship" they were close beginning to the end. (I watched it raw).
The Way Home (2002)
It's about a young boy who gets left with his grandmother while his mom goes off trying to make some money before she comes back for him, he thinks he's been abandoned and acts out. He's a little twerp in this movie but I personally found him quite adorable even if his little attitude stunk. He was just a selfish little kid who ended up becoming quite attached to his elderly grandma and you'd see little acts of kindness from him towards her that he'd do his best to hide. I watched it raw with commentary (the commentary helps you understand a bit more about the kid's actions). Trailer - Meeting again after years
He's also in the movie City of Fathers about a young teenager who needs a kidney or liver transplant (I don't know which one it was because I watched it raw from youtube)... I don't recommend this movie, however, as there isn't enough depth to it. The fathers are despicable human beings (like literally filthy trash - both of them). The one who raises the kid treats him very abusively and not at all how a true father should (blood-related or not), he doesn't give a rats *** about him - even a coworker of his took him to the hospital when he fainted because his own "dad could care less* but then somewhere along the line he actually had a heart for his kid?!! No. It's completely ridiculous - the whole entire story is pointless and not worth your time - I'm sorry for Seung Ho who acted in this (he was the only reason I continued "skip" watching this). (the picture makes it look so inviting and nice bonding kind of family love - but it's the complete opposite - don't be fooled).
Another movie he stars in is The Magician - I personally didn't care much for it, the story didn't have much going for it. I enjoyed the last 30 minutes more than the entire first half. :/
Bonus: Believe in Love by Yoo Seung Ho and IU ^_^
This song was written for the charity program Love Request, the song lyrics were based off a diary that Seung Ho had written while seeing orphans of war in Sri Lanka.
He also appears in 2 of So Ji Sub's MV's Lonely Life and Eraser as well as Naul's You From the Same Time.
Gallery
This concludes my "updated" article on a genius actor who we all love to see in dramas. Some information was taken from Wikipedia where you can read up more on the actor.
