An Ultra Fan's Guide to Kim Ji Suk
Lee Wan
Born: January 3, 1984
Blood Type: O
Height: 5'9"/176cm
Weight: 68kg/149lbs
Ok, so Lee Wan came into my life very early in my drama watching years (back when I was still into Taiwanese dramas over other countries shows (now I'm the opposite lol), Tree of Heaven was either the 2nd or 3rd Korean drama I decided to watch - I was pulled in by the cover photo, I guess you could just say it "spoke to me" per say - either way, I was super glad I chose to watch it as it remains to be one of my favorite dramas to date and I fell hard for Lee Wan's character. Since then I have been following his dramas or waiting for him to come out with more. He seems to have been overlooked after his military service. :/
His looks really appeal to me, which is why his newest look in his most recent drama and pictures has me super confused - he doesn't look like the same person :'( I still love and support him though ;) I mean, why would anyone want to mess with such a beautiful face? ❤️
Family: Kim Tae Hee
I found out later that his sister was Kim Tae Hee and so far I've only liked her in one drama My Princess - every other drama she either can't act (sorry) or her character starts well but ends up being hateful Love Story in Harvard. I did actually enjoy her antagonist role in Stairway to Heaven - His sister recently married Rain, so he now has a brother-in-law (I heard he feels awkward around him lol).
The siblings sang a duet called Miracle live.^^ Lee Wan is a good singer, you can tell KTH isn't that good but a sibling duet is so sweet.
Dramas
Stairway to Heaven (2003)
He plays the younger version of the 2nd lead, he becomes a part of her family, his sister is the evil girl (lol, Kim Tae Hee), his mother and sister both look down on him and treat him badly, he finds comfort in his comrade in abuse and falls for his "stepsister". I liked the younger character (obviously why) I didn't really like the older counterpart. This was the drama that made the directors or whoever decides that Park Shin Hye and Lee Wan had great chemistry and needed to lead a drama together - the result was 'Tree of Heaven' just 3yrs later. ^^ (Park Shin Hye was still underage (I think she was 16) so "no kissing" was allowed - but they sure did a great job of pulling it of sensually and making you want that - and even though that wasn't allowed, the drama was still perfect in its portrayal of true loyal love). -This drama is about a young couple who get separated when they are about to be reunited by a car accident, but fate draws the two together once again. The classic cliche of "memory loss/amnesia" is played out in this drama as one of the main components. I liked it when I first watched it but I must say the second time around I was bored - I don't know what it was, time? and all the dramas I'd seen in between? or... Either way, it has a great OST - main theme and the most memorable song is Kim Bum Soo's - I Miss You / Bogoshipda. (first link is the audio that is sung exactly like it is in the drama, the 2nd link is live with subs and sung a bit slower for more emotional impact).
Taste Sweet Love (2004)
~ MV "You Don't Have to Let Go"~
It's a noona romance about a girl who (has terrible hair and style) has been crushing on her high school friend for years, then when he drops his younger brother off at her place to stay, he (LW) witnesses many events in her life and also gets to know her outside of her weird personality and they start to develop feelings for one another. It's not a drama for someone who has been in dramaland for years, it's for those who are just starting out.
I've heard lots of people say they didn't like this, but that wasn't the case for me for more than one reason, I watched it when I was just starting to watch K-dramas and I also already had a crush on Lee Wan from his Tree of Heaven character. Also, I really love old K-drama OSTs. ^_^ I see the faults in this drama now as I rewatch them but I can't help but still like it because of nostalgia.
Little Women (2004)
~MV of Lee Wan's character and ship~
I can't find this but I'd really like to watch this couple's scenes. ^^ They look good together and I like both actors. I think their story would be sweet. Does anyone happen to know where to watch this?
Let's Go to the Beach (2005)
~MV~
It's an ok drama, not my favorite but after the first episode, it does pull you into the characters - for me it was mainly Lee Wan, I didn't like the 2nd lead (his older brother) at all, and the lead girl irritated me for about 4 or so episodes before I started to warm up to her. She's one of those types of lead girls that I just have issues with. I was watching for Lee Wan's characters development and growth. The last episode was wasted because of a stupid plot line they decided to go with that didn't even need to happen. But the ending, even though short was still "happy". I just wish they didn't drag it out and do that classic cliche.
Tree of Heaven (2006)
~MV "Just Loving You"~ (no spoilers)
My personal favourite drama and character he's played. This was my first drama with both of these actors and their characters and acting really spoke to my heart in this. I swear I cried an ocean of tears at the end of this one. I was literally grabbing at my heart in the end. It hurts so much. It was such a beautiful but painful love story. One that, for me, will never be forgotten.
It was also one of my very first K-dramas, so I have a very deep attachment to it. I even recorded a few of the lines Lee Wan said in this one and used it as my ringtone and text message alerts lol - It comforted me so much whenever I'd hear my ringtone/text alert go off and to hear him quote those lines. ^_^ My phone died and I lost those recordings, but I will definitely go back and re-record those lines when I get another phone lol (I've seen this at least 3xs).
The story is about two teens who become a family because of their parents but their parents die a tragic early death and they are left to take care of one another. The evil family left to them, bullying, and stealing from them, lead them to rely on one another even more. She mends his broken heart and he comforts her soul. It's a tragic love story though, so be prepared to shed some major tears. and the OST is one of my favourites.
"If your feet are cold, your heart will be warm; if your feet are warm, your heart will be cold."
In Soon is Pretty (2007)
He doesn't have a lot of screen-time (like 8mins max maybe in some episodes) and he doesn't appear until episode 4. He plays Jang Geun Soo, the younger "brother" to In Soon's character. I personally found him really pitiful and sad, I cared more about his character and story's development then I did for the lead characters. Even though his screen-time was limited, he made a much stronger impact for me.
I loved the OST in this drama, the drama itself is so-so, I mean, I had it on the back burner for years and just recently picked it back up for him. I didn't much care for his hairstyle or colour in this drama, although I must admit, he reminded me a bit of Oguri Shun because of it. :P
Swallow the Sun (2009)
~MV of his character "Perfect"~
"I think I learned how to hate before I ever learned to love." - Jung Woo
I ended up skip re-watching this in order to get some pictures of Lee Wan's character in this since I couldn't find any online. When I watched this for the first time I really liked the lead and I sympathized with the second lead (LW), but when I skip watched it this time, it made me feel an even greater sympathy for Lee Wan's character and I was completely on his side this time around (while the first time I was divided somehow), watching it from only one person's perspective can totally shift your emotions.
Tae Hyuk (LW) is a man who grows up without the proper kind of love and teaching from his father. Taken in at the age of 14 filled with resentment about the past, and with every new thing, he learns it only makes him more scared of what he could still find in a deeper layer of his father's character. With the perception that he can never match up to his father's desires no matter how hard he tries, he feels constantly hurt. Then comes Jung Woo and that makes his competitive spirit even stronger but also ends up hurting him more with every new revelation. My heart totally went out to him during this re-watch (if it hadn't already the first time around).
Because We Haven't Broken Up Yet (2013)
It's bad quality raw on YT - It focuses on 2 love stories, Lee Wan's is about a guy who has a crush on his sunbae's girlfriend and when her boyfriend passes, LW waits and shows his love for her... I didn't really "get" the short drama but I'm not really a fan of most web dramas so lol - He only has like a minute in most of the episodes, so I wouldn't say you can't miss out on it.
Our Gab Soon (2016)
*Did he get Botox or plastic surgery before this drama? He looks so different in this compared to any of his prior roles and for me personally it's disappointing (I still love him, but I really really miss the look of his prior face, now something is off with his nose and smile - but I can't figure it out... idk, maybe it's just me..).
This photoshoot picture next to the drama screencaps is what is one of the main photos that is confusing me.* He plays a doctor in this drama who is married to a spoiled young rich girl whom he doesn't love - It seems it was an arranged marriage of sorts, where neither side likes the other (they are totally not compatible that's for sure) it seems like he was kind of "sold" in a way to them... I'm very loosely skipping through this drama for his character alone (as I've heard too many bad things about it) and I might not finish it either...
Movies
Northern Limit Line (2015)
His role is small, but he plays one of the soldiers who guard the border. This is a movie based on the real events of the 2nd Yeongpyeong battle, where the North starts an attack on the South Korean vessels and as a result, many lives were lost and many wounded.
Once Upon a Time in Seoul (2008)
This film is set right after the Korean war when gangs were starting to take territory and people had to try and make their mark. LW plays one of the guys who with his friends try and set up a business of sorts together but they are constantly repelled by the gangs who get in their way. His friendship with Song Chang Eui's character gets a bit sketchy in the latter half as his (SCE) character is quite ambitious as opposed to LW's character who basically just takes life as it comes. LW is also very loyal to the people in his life, whilst SCE is much more self-focused. At least that was my take on the movie. The movie is hard to find.
Music Videos:
~~ Vibe's While Looking at the Picture / Vintage Blue's Love Is / Position's You Just Being In This World (This one makes me really want to see Lee Wan and Han Hyo Joo in a drama together as leads lol) / Tei's Same Pillow / Tei's Locked Up In Tears ~~
Lee Wan singing the song Suh Shin / Lee Wan's - Love without Separation Ost to the drama Tree of Heaven
Park Shin Hye and Lee Wan interview for 'Tree of Heaven' ^_^
Gallery
This will conclude my article on an actor who stole my heart with his role in Tree of Heaven. I hope he starts coming back in good main roles again soon!
This will be one of my last 'Stalker guide' articles for awhile, I have maybe one planned after this one but I may or may not submit it until sometimes next year (don't know yet) depends on how much time I'm going to have to dedicate to this. Just a heads up to all who read these articles.
