Welcome to the latest edition of MACG’s #WCW. This week, I want to discuss an actress close to my heart: Lee Sung-kyung. While her acting credits are far, I truly believe that this woman will join the ranks of Jun Ji-hyun and Gong Hyo-jin.
I touched on my love for Baek In-ha in “Cheese in the Trap” in the past but didn’t go into details. I remember watching her first scene and just falling in love. In-ha is a rare character because in the media, women are still depicted as plotting and manipulative characters.
While In-ha is definitely scheming and double-dealing, she’s also a gangster in heels. And not the clean, hands-off gangster either. She’s the person with a switchblade, threatening you. She regularly looks at people as if they’re walking, talking pieces of trash. Other characters will lie and try to justify it. Baek In-ha will scoff at your naivety. She’s dressed in designer clothes, but she’s not afraid to get dirty.
Throughout “Cheese in the Trap,” Lee Sung-kyung has a lot on her plate. She has to be funny but intimidating, cold but a person who feels a lot. You have to be angry about her schemes but without fully hating her. And she knocks it out of the park. Usually, roles like this are reserved for men. So to see a woman play a character like that is so refreshing.
I kept my eye out for her in new projects. While I skipped “Doctors,” I desperately wanted her to finally get a lead role. It wasn’t until “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo” that she got that chance.
Now, a few disclaimers! I wished they would have touched more on the issue of athletes and mental health. They also dropped the ball regarding Bok-joo herself. The character is loosely based off the Olympic champion Jang Mi-ran. However, instead of casting someone who closer fit the image, they cast a gorgeous model. Bodies happily exist in all shapes and forms, dear reader. Here’s an article from the Korea Herald going into more details.
With that said, I love “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo.” Yes, there were some missteps, but I love this drama and this character so much
I love how they never do the K-drama makeover with her. She stays this tough, awkward little nugget whose idea of dressing up is wearing her one nice sweater and a cute hair clip. I’ve been that girl who grew up woefully ill-equipped to handle crushes and romance.
While I’m writing this, I also realize that she never goes through any big changes? Bok-joo has a crisis of faith in herself and her dreams, but she’s still the lovable, do-no-harm person she was from the start. She already loved weightlifting and aimed to be the greatest. The series ends with her on the way to the Olympics.
Part of why I’m going on and on about the character is because Lee Sung-kyung just embodies this awkward, lovable woman. She nails the role of a late bloomer and maintains a strange mixture of cocky and awkward.
Since her 2014 acting debut, she has proven that she’s not just a pretty face. She blends into each role I’ve seen in her thus far. I’m excited to see what awaits her in the future.
Have I also mentioned she can sing? I LOVE HER!!
(Korea Herald, Blog.Kocowa)
Editor's note: Originally published on MacGMagazine April 22, 2020
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