PICK: The 5 Best So Ji Sub Dramas That Show His Versatile Charms

Edited by Seo Hayne
Translated by Yu Jin Kim

After winning the Grand Prize at the 2018 MBC Drama Awards with My Secret Terrius, So Ji Sub finally made a comeback to the small screen after a 4-year-long hiatus. Although the hiatus was a bit longer than expected, he had been starring in multiple genres of dramas in the past including melodrama, romantic comedy, and crime action. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at 5 of the best K-dramas starring So Ji Sub that will make you fall in love with the actor, who is currently starring in MBC’s Doctor Lawyer as Han Yi Han, a genius surgeon who became a medical malpractice lawyer due to a rigged surgery.

I Am Sorry, I Love You (2004)

I Am Sorry, I Love You is a revenge story that centers around a man who was adopted but abandoned by his Australian family. So Ji Sub plays Moo Hyuk, who roams the streets as he faces death after getting shot in the head by accident. Despite his initial purpose to find his biological parents, Moo Hyuk unexpectedly falls in love with Eun Chae (played by Im Soo Jung). His lines of “Do you want to eat, or die… with me?” and his street fashion perfectly blended in with the drama. At the beginning of his acting career, “Cha Moo Hyuk” was widely recognized by people as he impressively portrayed the character’s emotions. Thanks to the drama, the star won the Best Actor Award in the TV section at the 2004 Baeksang Arts Awards and received the Excellent Actor Award at the 2004 KBS Drama Awards.

Ghost (2012)

Written by Kim Eun Hee, Ghost is a crime-thriller drama that follows the story of cybercrime investigators. The leader of the National Police Agency’s cyber investigation team Woo Hyun (So Ji Sub) and his subordinate Kang Mi (Lee Yeon Hee) chase after a genius hacker named Hades, who is also a murder suspect. The actor conveyed the concept of “Face-off” well by playing a dual role of a discerning elite detective, Woo Hyun, and a talented hacker, Ki Young. The drama caught viewers’ attention as it realistically portrayed cyber crimes and the corruption of senior government officials that are happening in South Korean society. Moreover, the plot twist added tension throughout the drama.

Master’s Sun (2013)

Master’s Sun is about a self-centered shopping mall CEO Joong Won (So Ji Sub) falling in love with his staff Gong Sil (Gong Hyo Jin), who consoles sad souls with her ability to see ghosts. The cold-hearted Joong Won used to put a price on every human relationship but begins to show a warm side of him after encountering Gong Sil. Compared to the masculine roles that he played in previous works, the star showed another side of him by playing a comedic role. So Ji Sub’s comedic acting got recognized by viewers as he displayed various facial expressions and improvbs. Meanwhile, the second half of the drama caught viewers’ attention as Joong Won, who appeared as a ghost, confessed his love for Gong Sil for the first time. Should you decide to watch this series, get prepared to spooked by realistic ghosts that pop up in this romantic-comedy drama.

Oh My Venus (2015)

Oh My Venus portrays a renowned health trainer named Young Ho(So Ji Sub) and a lawyer named Joo Eun(Shin Min Ah) secretly going on a diet together. So Ji Sub, who is a chaebol heir as well as a personal trainer for Hollywood stars, revealed his versatile charms through the drama. While presenting the romantic love story between the two, it depicts the heartbreaking past of Young Ho, whose life looked perfect from the outside. Oh My Venus is a healing-romance drama that leads viewers to sympathize with Joo Eun’s character and delivers a touching story of two protagonists who are trying to treat each other’s inner wounds.

My Secret Terrius (2018)

My Secret Terrius is a romantic-comedy drama that shows the collaboration between the legendary NIS black ops agent named Kim Bon (So Ji Sub) and his neighbor Ae Rin (Jung In Sun), who accidentally jumps into a spy battle. After breaking away from the tense life as a black ops agent, Kim senses someone trying to come after his neighbor one day. He volunteers to babysit the twins of Ae Rin, who is in search of a job after her husband’s death, and begins to dig up the conspiracies that are happening around him. My Secret Terrius made MBC’s Wednesday-Thursday drama back on track as the plotline showed a great balance between the spy battle and the reality of parenting. So Ji Sub received rave reviews for his ability to pull off multiple genres of acting, which led him to win the Grand Prize at the 2018 MBC Drama Awards.

Editor Seo Hayne: I like actors as they faithfully lead through their long running-time. I also like idols who accomplish everything on stage within 3 minutes.