During a time when second-generation K-pop groups were all about singing and dancing, CNBLUE armed themselves with musical instruments. Jung Yong Hwa, Kang Min Hyuk, and Lee Jung Shin have been churning out hits since their Korean debut in 2010 and have developed as actors in their own right by taking on acting gigs in parallel. Here are some past and present faves we highly recommend!
Early Projects
1. You're Beautiful (2009)
Where to watch it: Netflix, Viu, iQIYI
Nun-in-training Go Mi Nyeo (Park Shin Hye), hasn't seen her twin brother, Go Mi Nam, in ages. One day, Mi Nam's manager Ma Hoon Yi (Kim In Kwon) seeks her out to "fill in for her brother" and audition as him while he recovers from a plastic surgery session that went bad. Kind-hearted Mi Nyeo eventually gives in and auditions for a slot in boy band A.N.JELL. She cops the part with her angelic voice and ends up pretending to be her brother on an extended basis. Things get exciting when she is forced to move in with the other band members: cold lead vocalist Hwang Tae Kyung (Jang Geun Suk), mild-mannered bassist Kang Shin Woo (Jung Yong Hwa), and all-time funny guy drummer Jeremy (FT ISLAND's Lee Hong Ki). The magic of co-habitation creates a bond among the four members and fuels feelings of attraction, unrequited love, and friendship. This cult classic has a timeless soundtrack that we ~promise~ you will love!
2. Heartstrings (2011)
Where to watch it: Rakuten Viki
Heartstrings marks Park Shin Hye and Jung Yong Hwa's onscreen reunion after two years. If you shipped them in You're Beautiful, you'll be delighted with what this campus drama has to offer. Lee Shin (Jung Yong Hwa) is the cocky lead singer and guitarist of rock band The Stupid. He participates in his university's 100th anniversary play to get close to dance professor Jung Yoo Soo (So Yi Hyun). Traditional Korean music major Lee Gyu Won (Park Shin Hye) also joins as part of the performance group. Though they don't get along too well at first, she and Lee Shin grow closer as they get to spend more time with one another. CNBLUE fans will love seeing Kang Min Hyuk play the role of Yeo Joon Hee, The Stupid's drummer who steals the scene with his aegyo.
3. The Package (2017)
Where to watch it: Netflix
San Ma Roo (Jung Yong Hwa) goes on a solo trip to Paris after being dumped by his girlfriend. He joins a tour group led by bubbly travel guide Yoon So So (Lee Yeon Hee). Together with three couples, each with unique stories to tell, Ma Roo and So So embark on a journey of self-discovery, friendship, and healing.
Recent Projects
4. How To Be Thirty (2021)
Where to watch it: iQIYI
Itching to get your K-drama fix, but too busy to invest in too much screen time? Web drama How To Be Thirty and its bite-sized format of 20 minutes per episode is exactly what you need. The series, based on webtoon Born In 1985, revolves around three career-driven friends: webtoon author Seo Ji Won (Jung In Sun), news announcer Lee Ran Joo (EXID's Hani), café owner Hong Ah Young (Cha Min Ji), and the men in their lives. It's packed with slice-of-life moments that viewers can relate to and offers a generous serving of K-drama feels c/o its charming male characters: webtoon editor Lee Seung Yoo (Kang Min Hyuk), director Cha Do Hoon (Song Jae Rim) and café part-time employee Hyung Joon Young (Baek Sung Chul).
5. Summer Guys (2021)
Where to watch it: Viu
What happens when you combine three guys, a girl, and a sizzling summer of bartending at the beach? Major feels, of course! Described as a Korean hybrid of American films Coyote Ugly and Cocktail, this web drama is set against a run-down cocktail bar named Summer Guys manned by young entrepreneur Oh Jin Dal (Kang Mina from I.O.I and Gugudan). To save her bar, she hires and trains three guys: cold and narcissist closet chaebol Seon Woo Chan (Lee Jung Shin), former baseball hunk Park Gwong Bok (JBJ's Kwon Hyun Bin), and smooth-talking player Ma Tae Oh (Lee Jung Sic). Pressure coming from all sides in the form of next door competition, lingering loan sharks, and complicated relationships will keep you on the edge of your seats as you watch the four leads work towards their common goal.
6. Oh My Ladylord (2021)
Where to watch it: iQIYI
Thriller drama writer Han Bi Soo (Lee Min Ki) finds himself living with rom-com actress Oh Joo In (Afterschool's Nana) when he becomes her tenant. The situation leads to a series of events that fuel unexpected feelings between the two. Things get complicated when Joo In's bestie, Jung Yoo Jin (Kang Min Hyuk), returns to Korea to win her heart. The result? A love triangle with plot angles leading to so many kilig moments.
7. Sell Your Haunted House (2021)
Where to watch it: Viu
Daebak Realty caters to a unique clientele: property owners plagued by unrested spirits. Its owner, Hong Ji Ah (Jang Na Ra), is an exorcist with a penchant for online shopping and post-exorcism food trips. She's a total badass when it comes to knocking out ghosts but has so much room for improvement when it comes to social skills. Her cold outlook towards life and others changes when she meets conman Oh In Bum (Jung Yong Hwa) whose natural psychic abilities unexpectedly complement hers. They both start off at the wrong foot and want nothing to do with each other. Fate, however, has a lot in store for them, and the unlikely duo soon discover the truth behind their connected past.
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