Day 23: Recommend an old TV series that Kim Nam-Gil starred in
I recently finished watching When Spring Come and am going to recommend it to everyone. It is quite underrated and tend to be brushed under the table when it comes to Kim Nam-Gil’s works. He is credited under his stage name (Lee Han) here. This series is does not require brain surgery, lighthearted and comical in many ways, and has superb supporting cast like Lee Soon-Jae and Kim Kap-Soo.
Here’s a mini introduction to the series:
Clips from series, Nam-Gil oppa was such a cutie when he was young:
Also, the full opening themesong ( 꽃피는 봄이 오면 ), which was a delight to listen to, wish the series OST was still available to be purchased though:
These are super precious since he rarely appears in commercials now-in-days, mainly from his Bidam era. I watched a few of them, found this one to be the most adorable. Nam-Gil oppa is just being himself and having fun, not in his bad guy mode. He looks amazing in denim with his hair tied up in a samurai bun. His interactions with the Spanish amigos are hilarious and priceless. I also like the concept of the commercial – being a youngster on the road, exploring new places, finding new friends, and bonding over good music and a nice beverage.
I watched Pandora (2016) yesterday and was bawling like crazy.
Honestly, I am not a fan of disaster movies, but was drawn in by the stellar performance of the cast and Kim Nam-Gil, of course. All of the engineers and firefighters that stuck along side with the destructive nuclear plant to the very end are the true heroes. Pyeong-Seok (Jung Jin-Young), the expert that no one listened to, was amazing. The government was useless as ever, good criticism toward the real-life events at Fukushima Daiichi.
Kang Jae-Yyeok (Kim Nam-Gil), our other protagonist, was just an ordinary fellow who fears for his family lives due to the previous events related to the nuclear plant. He despises this monster, vents daily and wants to leave/end this bitter vicious cycle. The entire town is employed by the nuclear plant by the way, including Jae-Yyeok. Change is prevented by his family and friends, this is the reason to his constant pessimism and neuroticism. I really felt for him and understood his terrified and anxious self. His quiet moments are the best, I love his tenderness toward his love interest, Yeon-Joo (Kim Joo-Hyun). Though the two bicker and banter like crazy, they truly care for one another.
I must applaud Jae-Yyeok for his last few minutes. He went out like a warrior despite being so petrified and timid internally. He never flinched when saving his comrades and love ones. His monologue is one of the most saddest and grieving ones that I have seen. When it comes to pulling heartstrings and delivering emotions to its fullest, Kim Nam-Gil is the best. Some might say that this was unnecessary, but this brings out the raw humanity in all of us.
