The Need to Remake of Painter of the Wind

            So, I have finished Painter of the Wind drama 8 months ago and still get withdrawal feeling from this drama. Actually Painter of the Wind is a SBS 2008 drama but I just heard of it earlier this year. It starred so many great actors and actresses like Moon Geun Young, Park Shin Yang, Moon Chae Won, Baek Soo Bin, and Ryu Seung Ryong to name a few. I really love this drama and I heard (and read) many good reviews about. I started crazy over it and my craziness doesn’t end easily. Then I decided to post this article and hope someone would hear my wish. I really want someone REMAKE this amazing drama!! ASAP!

            The drama was about a royal painter in Joseon era during the reign of King Jeongjo. Her name is Shin Yun Bok. She disguised herself as a man and become apprentice at Dohwaseo (Royal Painting Bureau) with the help of her adoptive father, Shin Han Pyeong. The father has an eye for securing the title of Royal Painter towards his children and since his own son, Shin Young Bok, not good enough, he adopted Shin Yun Bok and wish she could became Royal Painter. But because woman didn’t allowed to enter Dohwaseo at that time, she must disguised herself and live as a man. One day, she met Kim Hong Do, the painter that previously expelled from Dohwaseo because of the conspiracy. Kim Hong Do later became her teacher and friend and unaware that she was woman. Problems arised because Yun Bok had keen interest on drawing women and stir up controversy on sensitive issues. Not only that, she also fell in love with gisaeng, Jeong Hyang. This drama was about the journey and controversy surrounding Shin Yun Bok, one of the greatest painters in Korea.

            Not many historical records written about Shin Yun Bok, maybe because he was controversial figure or not important enough. But in the records Shin Yun Bok was a man. Rumors said Yun Bok was Dohwaseo painter and later get expelled but some source said he was never been accepted in Dohwaseo and didn’t have any relations with Kim Hong Do. This drama based on bestseller novel with same title, Painter of the Wind, and went with the assumption what if Shin Yun Bok was a woman disguised as a man? No one can be sure since there’s little record and based on Shin Yun Bok’s paintings it’s easy to make this assumption since almost all of his paintings have women in it and he painted with bright, cheerful colors and very detailed lines. Therefore I assumed either he was a pervert or a woman in disguise.

            The drama itself is famous on turning feminine and beautiful actress Moon Geun Young to be handsome and cute royal painter, Shin Yun Bok. Her character was not easy to portray but she gave her 1000% efforts and made it happen for us. Seriously, if you watch this drama, at some point you’ll be dying in admiring Moon Geun Young and the adorableness and cuteness and so on. Shin Yun Bok portrayed as a man but with heart of a woman and that’s what makes her/him loved and fell in love with gisaeng Jeong Hyang, who never gave her heart to any men she entertained before. Jeong Hyang also portrayed almost perfectly by Moon Chae Won. The two Moons made sizzling chemistry and made our hearts hurt because Love That Doesn’t Mean to Be. They eventually won the Best Couple at SBS Drama Awards 2008, the first time female/female recipient in Korean Drama history. Danwon Kim Hong Do played by Park Shin Yang, ajusshi that played male lead in Lovers in Paris. He fitted the role to be the teacher but not as a romance partner and I can’t get Hong Do-Yun Bok chemistry towards the end of the drama as lovers. Not that I say, they didn’t deserve each other but the age difference is 19 years and it’s clearly shown Shin Yun Bok respect Kim Hong Do as her teacher, not her partner.

            Therefore, I propose the need to remake this drama. Maybe this year, next year, but I still hope. What I want is a happy resolution for our couple and let’s makes Shin Yun Bok a male character this time. Then we will have no problem seeing our couple without one ounce of guilty of the homosexuality portrayed. Since South Korea is rather sensitive with homosexuality why not making a drama without it. Let’s just say we believe on historical records. Historical facts that we have known about Shin Yun Bok are: 1) He was a man, handsome, tall and suave; 2) He was apprentice at Dohwaseo; 3) He was expelled from Dohwaseo but without further explanation. Based on those facts, we could possibly remake this drama with male lead this time that is handsome, tall and suave. Shin Yun Bok was renowned to have keen interest in painting Gisaeng House (gibang) and Drinking Tavern. So our hero probably spent his spare time on those places and love drinking and accompanying by gisaeng. He is 18 years old when King Jeongjo reign and probably in his twenties when controversy come up. While Kim Hong Do is in his thirties and soon promoted to be Pil Chul, ranks of Dohwaseo supervisor. So based on those informations let me introduce you who in my mind perfectly fitted to be Shin Yun Bok….

LEE JONG SUK  

 

     

        Why Lee Jong Suk? Why not? He is talented, have recently filmed sageuk movie, namely The Face Reader (2013). He is tall, handsome and suave and fit the description of Shin Yun Bok. He also has eyes for naughty and pervert boy, not to mention his adorable smile. Since I saw him briefly in School 2013, I can’t help but thought his winks are very naughty. He can be serious too like he showed I Hear Your Voice (2013). Although his age maybe a little bit inappropriate but he has youthful looks and can pass for someone who supposed in his early twenties. While I am aware that he is super busy with movie and drama projects this year, maybe next year?

Other candidates: Kim Soo Hyun, Yoo Seung Ho

 

Who can resist the adorableness and cuteness of Yoo Seung Ho and charming Kim Soo Hyun? They also have experience in sageuks, KSH in The Moon That Embraces The Sun and YSH in Arang and The Magistrate both aired in 2012.

And who is his leading lady?

 

            I am researched for some time and imagining what if LJS with Park Shin Hye? It may be a bit uncomfortable for Park Shin Hye to star in sageuk, given she never played in it before. But she is very appropriate to play the gisaeng and if you are not sure how on earth PSH play as a gisaeng that can play gayageum (Korean zither strings) then take a look at below picture.. How awesome she is! She already learned gayageum back in 2011 when she took a role in Heartstrings (2011). While many will groan since PSH is more experienced and has heavier resume in KDrama and probably deserved high level actor to match hers, she is actually one year younger than Lee Jong Suk. Aside from that, Lee Jong Suk has proved he can handle the pressure to star next to more experienced actors and actress and created awesome chemistry with all his co-workers. Like in I Hear Your Voice when he was paired with much older Lee Bo Young but successfully made us all crave for their happily ever after. Park Shin Hye and Lee Jong Suk would be great OTP afterall, right?

Other Candidates: Park Se Young

His classmate and almost lover in School 2013, Park Se Young also made believable chemistry with LJS during that drama. She also tried sageuk once, as Queen in Faith (2012).

How about Danwon Kim Hong Do?

 

            In reality Kim Hong Do and Shin Yun Bok has 16 age difference. Kim Hong Do always a genius but sometimes he inserted flashes of humor in his paintings. His role is a teacher who cares so much about Shin Yun Bok. Based on that info I propose Jo Hyun Jae or Lee Ki Woo to play Kim Hong Do. They both have the look and personality to root for. Jo Hyun Jae has exploding charisma and charm as an official and he is notable sageuk actor, having played in dramas Daemang/Great Ambition (2002-2003), Song of The Prince (2005-2006), and movie Untold Scandal (2005). On the other hand, Lee Ki Woo would be great for comedic and immature role (for example Flower Boy Ramyun Shop) but I never see him in sageuk so I don’t know his competence on handling sageuk drama. Therefore, I lean more on Jo Hyun Jae for this character.

And how about the story?

            Maybe we can twist the story with some teacher-student relations, more bromance, and more romance. I mean REAL romance between a man and a woman, between male Shin Yun Bok and gisaeng Jeong Hyang. I want them to be together and live happily ever after. Maybe before they reach that, there would be drama including complicated love triangle of Shin Yun bok-Jeong Hyang-Kim Hong Do, controversies of the paintings, more paintings of Shin Yun Bok, hotter king than Bae Soo Bin (haha), and longer drama (just kidding). The original version has 20 episodes so the remake would be around it.  We could throw bromance between SYB-KHD, and the twist including the betrayal of Kim Hong Do. How about he could get promoted to be Pil Chul and get Jeong Hyang if he removed Yun Bok from Dohwaseo? But he couldn’t do it so he just expelled SYB (because the controversy too big not to remove SYB) and instead help Yun Bok to be with Jeong Hyang. Oh, great bromance and true friendship!!

        

So Lee Jong Suk+Park Shin Hye+Jo Hyun Jae anyone?

Painter of The Wind dream casting:

Shin Yun Bok-Lee Jong Suk, he can do puppy eyes very good. He can act and his look is perfect for SYB. Especially considering SYB is rather playboy and playful. LJS sure could deliver.

Jeong Hyang-Park Shin Hye. She learned gayageum and she will be the best gisaeng in Joseon not to mention PSH never do sageuk drama. It’ll be challenge for her but I’m really looking forward to see PSH in sageuk and her potential chemistry with LJS

Kim Hong Do-Jo Hyun Jae. So he’s supposedly Shin Yun Bok’s teacher and bestfriend. He maybe became third wheel but he’s so swoonworthy.. KANG AHHHHHH…..  

Shin Young Bok-Kim Jae Won. Shin Yun Bok’s hyung. By looks itself Kim Jae Won and Lee Jong Suk must be long lost brother.

King Jeongjo-Yoo Ah In. His previous role in JOJ convinced me he’s best looking, hottest, cutest Joseon King not to mention his overflowing charisma and charm.

Queen Dowager-Go Hyun Jung. No one can do mastermind evil stare better than GHJ.

Kim Jo Nyun-Jo Min Ki. He’s the unconventional villain who loves arts but doing bad things for our hero and heroine. JMK gives me the vibe of downright creepy but conflicted villain.