Sisyphus’ Sigma: A Look into Mental Illness
Child Actors
There are many talented child actors in South Korea. The best kind of joy is watching a child actor grow up to be a gorgeous artist with overflowing charms and talents (like Yoo Seung Ho!). In this series I will give you a quick introduction of the Korean child actors who left a deep impression on me. And since we’re in 2016, I’ll only include those who were born in 1997 and later.
Jin Ji Hee (1999)
This girl is a bundle of talents. Watching her is absolute joy. She makes me feel like acting is her hobby. She enjoys herself on screen like it’s nothing. Her unique voice and facial features add to her charms. For me, she’s utter bliss.
I saw her first in High Kick Through the Roof. If I were to pick the most hilarious between the cute and funny actors I’d pick her. As Jeong Hae Ri, she was a spoilt and rude child who wanted to possess everything and everyone; a character I usually despise. But with her it was the most enjoyable thing ever.
In Ja Myung Go, she played young Princess Nang Rang who fell in love with Yeo Jin Goo. She portrayed the character of the mean and selfish princess perfectly. She was the best actress to play young Park Min Young.
I watched her in two movies, Hansel and Gretel and Cello. In both she was so young and so adorable. Amazing how her voice never changed since. Or her face! Though in the second she had a small role, in the first she and Shim Eun Kyeong just amazed me. The film set was her playground. I don’t know how the film was shot and what went on behind the scenes but I can imagine her moving everyone according to her whims. I can imagine adlibs and line changing just because she felt like it. That’s how convincing she was.
In the surprisingly addicting drama Seonam Girls High School Investigators, Ji Hee once again outperformed everyone else. She just fit there. Her investigations, sudden realisations and brilliant conclusions were written in the script and I know she memorised them. But I was amazed all the same at how clever she was. It didn’t matter if she was acting or not. She made me wish I had had such a gang back in school and she had been my friend. I really wish I had a friend like her.
I still have many of her works to watch and I can’t wait to see her adult roles. Sounds exciting!
Kim Ji Min (2000)
Though I watched A Bittersweet Life and I remember her role as a daughter torn between her parents, it was Assembly that made me notice her. I’m currently watching this masterpiece and I don’t give a toss about the ratings because it’s just awesome. Kim Ji Min is playing Jin Ju Hee, Jin Sang Pil’s daughter. Though till now there’s not much to her role, I find her so comfortable with it. She doesn’t seem unnatural at any point, as if that’s been her life forever. I like her sense of humour and her honest expressions. And she’s pretty. I’m also watching and completely addicted to Lucky Romance, where she plays the unconscious younger sister of Hwang Jung Geum. Her story is so sad. In the children – but surprisingly well-done – Pluto Squad, she is a clever and charismatic child investigator, moving her male mates according to her wishes. I love girls like her.
Awaiting her future works.
Kim Ji Hoon (2000)
Hey! Have you seen this kid in Five Fingers?! I never hated kid actors. Why? Because they’re kids. And no matter how awful the character was I’d never hate the actor. But this child had made me hate him while he acted as young Yoo In Ha in Five Fingers. It was not his obsessive and spoilt behaviour but that hatred in his eyes when he looked at his brother. He was so convincing I wondered how a child could show this much despisal in his eyes and voice, despite the fact that he was acting. He gave me goosebumps.
He’s sixteen now but he’s growing up so fast. In Doctor Stranger he looked really big while he played young Han Jae Joon. And again, his scenes were full of anger and hatred, they were so intense. Maybe he’ll play more dark roles as he grows up!
Kang Min Ah (1997)
I have only watched her in Seonam Girls High School Investigators and though she was brilliant. She played the intelligent and dedicated team leader Yoon Mi Do to the letter. With her big glasses and analytical talk, she led the team. She was so cute with her crush and so mature as she solved the team’s problems one by one. She’s 19 now and not a child anymore. Wishing her all the luck.
Jung In Seo (2000)
If you want to remember this girl, think of bullying. In all the shows I have watched with her, she was bullied, harassed and miserable. Maybe it has to do with her physical features but like, ALWAYS. Who Are You: School 2015. She was bullied to death, literally. SOS - Save Our School, same. In The Crucible – that unwatchable, unrepeatable, excruciating experience – she was mentally and physically impaired and on top of that sexually assaulted.
Is it really ok to keep giving a child these roles? I hope that her talent takes her onto a different route.
Let's meet soon with another group of talented children. Make sure you share your favourites. ^^
