5 K-Dramas To Watch If You Are Missing Ju Ji Hoon, Ha Ji Won, And “Climax”
If you are still reeling from the aftershocks of “Climax,” where Ju Ji Hoon’s Bang Tae Seop and Ha Ji Won’s Chu Sang Ah refused to play by the book, instead bending the rules to suit their agenda, then you are not alone.
It’s the story of an ambitious couple who manipulates everything within their reach to survive the murky world of politics and showbiz. Lives are gambled and relationships exist largely for convenience as the duo plot and scheme their way through scandals, betrayals, and unexpected twists.
As both Ju Ji Hoon and Ha Ji Won showcased their incredible range in morally complex roles, let’s rewind to some of their other works where the actors portrayed endearing characters. And if you are missing “Climax,” be sure to keep reading, as there are some equally riveting recommendations below.
Ju Ji Hoon in “Love Your Enemy”
Ju Ji Hoon’s Seok Ji Won in “Love Your Enemy” is poles apart from Bang Tae Seop in “Climax.” Seok Ji Won is a die-hard romantic at heart, so much so that he hasn’t forgotten his first love since high school.
He not only shares the same name with the love of his life, Yoon Ji Won (Jung Yu Mi), but he even shares the same birthday with her. Love would just be a natural course for these two fated individuals. But, alas, their families are sworn enemies, the two have long gone their separate ways, and there is just hatred which fuels their memories.
One day, Seok Ji Won returns to the very school where Yoon Ji Won is a teacher. The dynamics are far trickier since his father wants to tear down the school, which is led by Yoon Ji Won’s father.
The two meet, and they bicker, argue, and make it known how they cannot stand the sight of the other. But our sworn enemies cannot deny the irresistible flutter of their hearts, and the long-forgotten feelings from the past come to the surface. “Love Your Enemy” blends romance, rivalry, and revenge, giving us a charming love story. And Ju Ji Hoon as Seok Ji Won showcases his irresistible charm .
Start watching “Love Your Enemy”:
Ha Ji Won in “Secret Garden”
Ha Ji Won’s cool and calculating Chu Sang Ah is a pro at masking her true feelings. The only thing that she and her character Gil Ra Im from “Secret Garden” share in common is that they are both fiercely independent and self-reliant. That is where the similarities end. Ra Im is a stunt woman who doubles up as an extra on film sets. She plays fair and talks straight.
Life takes an unusual turn when she meets Joo Won (Hyun Bin), an arrogant and self-absorbed CEO who mistakes her for an actress. Ra Im finds Joo Won whimsical and egoistical while he thinks she is plain difficult. The real twist comes when the two find their souls swapped, and that’s when the fun begins.
As both get an insight into the other’s life, Joo Won experiences the prejudices and challenges a young single woman experiences in the workforce and in life. While Ra Im realizes power and privilege come with their caveats.
Blending fantasy and romance, it’s the scorching chemistry between Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won that is the true star of the show.
Start watching “Secret Garden”:
“Dear X”
Chu Sang Ah in “Climax” showed us the dark side of showbiz and what it takes to be relevant in an industry that is quick to discard you. But Baek Ah Jin (Kim You Jung) in “Dear X” is someone even Sang Ah wouldn’t have been able to play with.
Ah Jin is a top A-list star who was born on the wrong side of the tracks. Born into an abusive family, Ah Jin’s childhood has been dark and violent. The young child had learnt that in order to survive, she needs to manipulate circumstances and people to her advantage and to their disadvantage. A sociopath, Ah Jin’s beautiful face hides an extremely cruel personality, one that repays kindness with betrayal and love with even murder. She is a person devoid of redemption and one wonders, does a moral compass even exist in her life?
As she claws her way to fame and fortune, her best friend and confidant is Yoon Jun Seo (Kim Young Dae), a man whom she doesn’t spare for her own interests.
“Dear X” is a psychological thriller with Kim You Jung playing the manipulative Ah Jin like a pro. The narrative is taut and one that keeps you riveted, as you try to analyze the many faces of Ah Jin.
Start watching “Dear X”:
“The Penthouse”
One got an insight into what goes on behind the glitzy walls of the rich and powerful in “Climax,” and “The Penthouse,” with its swanky high rises, plush interiors, and sassy lives of its inhabitants, shows us the chaos behind the facade.
Shim Soo Ryeon (Lee Ji Ah) and Cheon Seo Jin (Kim So Yeon) have been born into wealth, while Oh Yoon Hee (Eugene) was born into poverty and aspires to succeed. Oh Yoon Hee wants to enter into high society and give her daughter a better life, and for that, she hustles between various jobs. But, when a young girl dies in the neighborhood, the three women cover their tracks, as each one of them seems to be complicit in the crime.
“The Penthouse” is a rollercoaster where greed, ambition, and power collide to give us a hard-hitting narrative and where crime and betrayal are second nature to each one of the characters.
Start watching “The Penthouse”:
“The Glory”
Revenge when nurtured grows into an all-consuming obsession, as we saw with all the characters in “Climax.” In “The Glory,” Moon Dong Eun (Song Hye Kyo) was ruthlessly bullied while in school. Helpless and browbeaten by her nasty school mates, Dong Eun escapes her former life, only to retrace her steps back calculatedly.
She returns as the homeroom teacher to the daughter of Park Yeon Jin (Lim Ji Yeon), her main bully. Dong Eun, who has spent years plotting revenge, with her scars a constant reminder of her turbulent teens, carefully upends the lives of her perpetrators. She also meets a willing partner in crime, a young doctor played by Lee Do Hyun.
It is hard not to root for Dong Eun. She’s a victim who survived the atrocities to tell the tale, and it is Song Hye Kyo’s brilliant performance which makes the character riveting. Quiet and measured, her restrained portrayal of Dong Eun has been one of her best performances.
Puja Talwar is a Soompi writer with a strong Yoo Yeon Seok and Lee Junho bias. A long time K-drama fan, she loves devising alternate scenarios to the narratives. She has interviewed Lee Min Ho, Gong Yoo, Cha Eun Woo, and Ji Chang Wook to name a few. You can follow her on @puja_talwar7 on Instagram.
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