Song Hye Kyo expected to step out of her comfort zone by stop repeating these 3 things in her upcoming dramas
As an A-lister and one of the highest paid actresses in Korea, Song Hye Kyo still stumbles into controversy over her acting.
There are various explanations (both objective and subjective) why an actor’s performance has not been able to break through. But whatever the reason, the audience will find it more understandable if it’s a rookie actor. As for an actress with more than 20 years of experience in the industry like Song Hye Kyo, showing an underwhelming performance seems hard to accept. Here are 3 biggest reasons why Song Hye Kyo often comes under mixed reactions to her on-screen performance.
Sticking to the romance genre
Within the last 8 years, Song Hye Kyo continued to star in romantic dramas namely That Winter, The Wind Blows (2013), Descendants of the Sun (2016), Encounter (2018) and most recently Now, We Are Breaking Up (2021). Her choice is always a tear-inducing or a cheesy melodrama.
In the past, K-dramas were mainly known for the success of romantic series. Viewers also had little choice, so there were not many comparisons. However, now that the scenario has changed, with the rapid growth of versatile plots of different genres, actors are expected to get out of their comfort zone and accept more challenges. It doesn’t have to be an immediate transformation from a soft, calm character to a badass female fighter, but at least there should be some noticeable changes, so the viewers don’t get bored.
Younger screen-lovers
Looking back at the last 3 dramas of Song Hye Kyo, you can immediately see this common point. The 40-year-old beauty’s co-stars, either intentionally or unintentionally, are all younger than her – Song Joong Ki (Descendants of the Sun) 4 years younger than her, Park Bo Gum (Encounter) 12 years younger than her, and Jang Ki Yong (Now, We Are Breaking Up) is 11 years younger than her.
Although this is not a less attractive formula, because she is constantly paired with younger screen-lovers, it is also a bit boring. Besides, her chemistry with her co-stars is mostly not good due to the age gap.
Most of the projects come from central stations
Looking back on the actress’s whole career, it’s surprising to see that the majority of her projects originate from central stations, with only a handful from cable stations. Whether this is a strategy or the cable scripts are insufficient to persuade Song Hye Kyo, one thing is certain: viewers who watch dramas on cable stations will have to pay a fee. Despite the fact that the number of people ready to pay to watch dramas on cable stations has risen dramatically, Song Hye Kyo may still want the film to get wide attention.
The script quality of cable stations, on the other hand, is currently far superior to that of central stations. Furthermore, the level of investment in their projects overwhelms the audience. Just looking at tvN with Mine (2021) and SBS with Penthouse (2020, 2021) or Now, We Are Breaking Up, you can see that even though Mine comes from a cable station, it is still invested in the same or even more than the other 2 dramas. Song Hye Kyo may need to break old habits in order to revitalize herself and develop her acting abilities.
