Edited by Seo Hayne
Translated by Yu Jin Kim
Recently, Suzy’s surprising transformation into Anna has been making headlines. In her first leading role, she plays a woman with Ripley’s Syndrome whose life is put on the line after she lies and ends up living someone else’s life. The star has been receiving rave reviews for her delicate portrayal of the complex emotions of the two vastly different characters, Yumi and Anna. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at Suzy’s five best dramas that have proved her versatility over the years.
KBS Dream High (2011)
Suzy made her acting debut through Dream High. The drama follows the story of high school students who strive to achieve their dreams of becoming K-pop stars. Suzy plays Go Hye Mi who was originally training to be an opera singer, but when her father runs away from home to escape loan sharks, she is left with no choice but to go on the path of becoming an idol. Playing Hye Mi with incredible singing and piano playing skills, Suzy showed off her musical talent by participating in the drama’s OST tracks. Of all the songs she sang for the show, “Winter Child” became a big hit and continued its dominance even after the series went off the air. Although viewers initially raised concerns over Suzy’s acting skills, she gradually got recognized by the public as the drama progressed. Her heightened popularity in the series earned her the Best Actress Award at the 2011 KBS Drama Awards, and the show garnered significant interest among global K-pop fans, thanks to its stellar cast including T-ara’s Ham Eun Jung, IU, 2PM’s Ok Taecyeon and Woo Young.
MBC Gu Family Book (2013)
Following the massive success of her 2012 movie, Architecture 101, Suzy transformed into a martial arts instructor in MBC’s Gu Family Book. She took a bold step by taking on this rather masculine role after playing a teen girl in Dream High and a heart-fluttering first love in Architecture 101. Gu Family Book is about a half-man and half-mythical creature named Choi Kang Chi (played by Lee Seung Gi) who struggles to make peace with himself to live a better life. On his journey to do so, he meets a human girl named Dam Yeo Wool (Suzy) and slowly discovers his true identity. Suzy made an impactful first appearance in the show by rescuing him from danger using her impeccable sword skills. Thanks to her powerful female swordsman role who isn’t afraid to go after love, Suzy became the most successful idol-turned-actress of the year and became irreplaceable in the industry. As gumihos in stories are usually female, Gu Family Book took a refreshing turn by coming up with a male guhimo character. The drama’s eye-catching cinematography and the brilliant chemistry between the cast made the drama the more interesting and successful.
KBS Uncontrollably Fond (2016)
Even before its premiere, all eyes were on Uncontrollably Fond for starring Kim Woo Bin and Suzy together. Suzy plays documentary producer No Eul, who becomes small in front of money and power instead of keeping justice. Kim Woo Bin plays Joon Young, an arrogant top star who only has a few months to live. The story follows the two former lovers as they reunite years later as a top actor and a documentary producer, having the memory of their painful breakup still fresh in their minds. Despite some heartbreaking moments, the show keeps its optimistic tone with the characters’ witty and charming performances. Plus, the show offers many scenes where we can check out Suzy’s goofy and humorous side. Uncontrollably Fond unravels the story of the two protagonists’ fateful reunion that leads to a sad ending, drawing both tears and laughter from viewers.
SBS While You Were Sleeping (2017)
While You Were Sleeping is about a woman who can see accidents that take place in the future through her dreams and a prosecutor who struggles to stop the woman’s dreams from coming true. Showing off a new bobbed hairstyle, Suzy takes the role of Hong Joo, who has the power to see the future in her dreams. Reports say that she actually met reporters in person to get advice on her newsperson character, who is on leave of absence. Her efforts paid off as she received great reviews for her strong performance playing the reporting scene in the show’s latter half. Despite the complex storyline between dreams and reality, the drama successfully laid out its twists and turns through its compelling story and genius directing.
tvN Start-Up (2020)
Although its TV viewership was not so strong, Start-Up gained huge popularity among Korean and Asian viewers after its Netflix release. The drama revolves around young aspiring people who jump into startup businesses to compete for success and love in the cutthroat world of Korea’s high-tech industry. The romance between the protagonists spiced up the show for its fans, and Suzy did a great job balancing her career with her love life as Seo Dal Mi, a young, ambitious woman who never gives up on her dreams. The three-minute-long highlight pitch of Seo Dal Mi reflects the reality of young people in South Korea who must prove themselves to survive in society. Throughout the show, fans were divided between the two male lovers for Dal Mi �” splitting into two teams: Team Nam Joo Hyuk and Team Kim Sun Ho.
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.
