Recently, two men who made cameo appearances in dramas are garnering completely different reactions
“Queen of Tears” Song Joong-ki received attention for his sensible cameo appearance, while director Lee Chung-hyun could not avoid criticism for his cameo appearance, with some saying it “ruined the immersion”. What could be the reason behind this?
Song Joong-ki made a special appearance as Vincenzo, Hong Hae-in (Kim Ji-won)’s lawyer, in episode 8 of tvN’s Saturday-Sunday drama “Queen of Tears”, which aired on March 31st.
Song Joong-ki and Kim Ji-won previously worked together in “Descendants of the Sun” and “Arthdal Chronicles”, and they are colleagues under the same agency HighZium. Song Joong-ki also appeared with Kim Soo-hyun in “Will It Snow for Christmas?” and has a connection with director Kim Hee-won, with whom he worked in “Vincenzo”.
Song Joong-ki appeared with a perfect suit fit and charismatic gaze, just like in the drama “Vincenzo” airing in 2021, exuding a unique presence with his appearance alone. In particular, Song Joong-ki reliably guarded Hong Hae-in’s side and perfectly delivered sly lines, providing a pleasant tension in the drama.
The sensible script by writer Park Ji-eun, who maximized Song Joong-ki’s special appearance by 200%, was also perfect.
As if responding to this, episode 8 of “Queen of Tears” recorded its highest viewership rating of 16.1% nationwide, sailing smoothly.
While there are dramas praised for their sensible special appearances, there are also dramas that faced noise after cameo appearances.
In the final episode of tvN’s drama “Wedding Impossible” airing on April 2nd, director Lee Chung-hyun, the boyfriend of the female protagonist Jeon Jong-seo, made a cameo appearance as a director in the drama.
Director Lee Chung-hyun, who directed “The Call” and “Ballerina”, gained attention for his handsome appearance and is well-known among movie fans for his romantic relationship with actress Jeon Jong-seo. On that day, he briefly appeared as a director who shouted NG to Na A-jeong (Jeon Jong-seo).
However, viewers had mixed reactions to this scene. Some viewers expressed dissatisfaction, saying, “Casting lead actress’ real boyfriend in a romantic drama? It’s ridiculous” and “It ruins the immersion of the drama.“
It is common for actors who are actually related to lead actors to make special appearances, but as Jeon Jong-seo and director Lee Chung-hyun are a hot couple, some pointed out that Lee Chung-hyun’s special appearance overshadowed the drama’s appeal.
On the other hand, some viewers argued, “It’s a short scene, and It’s fun because a director took on the role of a director“, “It’s even more enjoyable because the real boyfriend appeared” and “Aren’t you looking at it too sensitively?“
