Kim Ji-won unleashes terminal cuteness in Manila
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There are two things that Kim Ji-won does when she’s thinking. First, she pouts her mouth and furrows her brow. Second, she presses her forehead with her index finger like a child asked to show the world that she’s in deep thought. Both have the same effect of melting the audience’s heart.
She came to Manila to attend her very first fan meeting titled “Be My One” at the New Frontier Theater in Cubao. The event was promoted by Pulp Live World with support from Samsung.
“It’s my first time having a fan meeting. I’m so happy to see the banners they were holding, and how they would scream and call me by the names of the characters I have played. It was very heartwarming,” she told the press.
She likened the fan meeting to finally meeting one’s pen pals, saying, “It will be the first time for my fans to meet me and it’s also my first time to meet them. It feels that way. I will finally meet my pen pals.”
The actress laughed and covered her face with her hand in embarrassment when she was teased that having pen pals is something kids from the ’90s could relate to.
She has done several dramas including “Descendants of the Sun,” “Fight for My Way,” “Arthdal Chronicles” and “Lovestruck in the City.” But she still named her latest drama, “Queen of Tears” as the one show her fans should watch on repeat.
“One of the most challenging projects I worked on was ‘Queen of Tears.’ I received the script three months before filming and every day I studied my character. I also talked to the director and my costars to fully understand the role,” she said.
Kim would want to work on a thriller if she could work on a project that’s not a romantic comedy.
It’s understandable why she gets so many romantic roles. Kim is pretty. But she also has a cute look that makes you like her even when she’s playing the antagonist. And she’s played the part of the villain, too. She was a brat in dramas like “To the Beautiful You” and “The Heirs,” showing that she’s not afraid to be hated because of a role.
Chemistry
Kim says that playing Rachel Yoo in “The Heirs” left a mark on her.
“It was my first time to portray a strong and antagonistic character. People also started to know about me because of that drama,” she said. She was just 21 then.Her chemistry with her costars is legendary. But she doesn’t take the credit for this. Like any good actress, she prepares for a role the way it deserves to be prepared for. She gives credit to the directors, production team and her costars. She said that their hard work allowed her to focus on the shooting and helped her prepare for the role.
If she weren’t an actress, she said, “[I would be] a kindergarten school teacher. Now that we live in the digital age, I want to become an emoticon creator … All I know is that you have to draw well and submit it to companies and if they like it they can turn those drawings into emoticons.”Kim proved to be quick-witted with her answers. When she found out that it’s an uncommon career track in the country, she volunteered to be the first emoticon creator in the Philippines.
At home, she has fun playing with Lego. “Lately, I have been having fun making roses from my Lego set. It’s not yet done but when I come home, I will complete it and finish it.”
Her fan meeting set was dressed up like a home with its white couch and chandelier lamps. She chose the design so fans could feel that they were her friends welcoming her. Kim came out in relaxed clothes, too. She wore a white blouse and pants with her perfectly curled hair cascading gracefully down her back.
She opened the show with “Stupid Cupid” which is a soundtrack of the drama “What’s Up.” She has the sweetest vocals that could be at par with singers of her generation. Kim admitted that she likes ballads and old songs. She also performed “From Bottom of My Heart” by Kim Na-young, another song from the “Queen of Tears” soundtrack and “Only” by Lee Hi.
She gives back the energy her fans give to her. It doesn’t matter if it’s a wave or a heart, it would be reciprocated. Fans taught her to say “eyy” with a shaka hand sign to respond when she’s happy. She gamely did this as well.
Her talking voice is calm with a hint of sweetness. It’s as if she’s in a constant state of cajoling someone when she speaks. Her hands also move whenever she speaks.
Kim Ji-won, with her pursed lips and natural aegyo (cuteness), is just adorable.
