10Asia Interview: “The world is a screwed up place for everyone”

Interviewing Yoo A-in was like looking for the end of a maze while holding onto a single piece of thread.  And it is because it was not easy having a conversation with someone who would give an answer in a language of his own to whatever question and topic he was asked on and make the interviewer wonder about new questions.  However, although that thread was thin, it was sturdy.  That is the single thing that hasn’t changed about he who rose to stardom through KBS ‘”SungKyunKwan Scandal” a year ago and is now back with “Punch” where he again plays a youth who is lost yet is different. Yoo A-in still lives as Yoo A-in. That’s why he is interesting.

While watching “Punch” I suddenly thought, ‘Why does this actor always get so much burden placed on him?’  You seem to play a lot of characters that are lonely, poor and are lost.

Yoo A-in: My characters have really always been burdened by something.  Because it is actually no fun to play teenagers who don’t have any burden on them and just go through everything that everyone does.  I think Hyung-kyu from KBS ‘”Man Who Can’t Marry” was the rarely sound and universal character that I played.  I’m sure he must’ve had concerns of his own but they didn’t necessarily show in the project.

The moment you cried out, “Why on earth are you doing this to me?”   in “Punch,” I felt that you have a face that is great for expressing sadness. And I felt that it came from the feeling of unjustness that you feel inside you, not just from playing your character.

Yoo: That was really me.  There definitely was a side to me that wondered, ‘Why on earth is the world treating me like this?’  and Wan-duk was just someone that’s younger than me.  In terms of my facial expression, I have the face where when I raise my eyes like this, I can look sad and pitiful really well.  [Laugh] I used to think that acting is difficult and tried to go with my instincts but I think I’ve come to be more analytical and know which muscles to use to express certain emotions.

10 Asia reporters pick SKKS as 2010’s best drama

[Paraphrase]
Fourteen reporters from 10Asia gathered together to vote for what they believed were the best drama, director, writer, and actor in the drama world in 2010. <Sungkyunkwan Scandal> was selected as the year’s best drama with 6 votes, just edging out <Chuno>with 5. As the article mentions, the reporters who submitted their votes are simply writers who diligently and lovingly watched Korea’s dramas over the past year, so their votes are more reflective of personal taste than professional critical opinion. Though they did not win, two reporters also selected Kim Kap Soo [the actor who played Lee Sunjoon’s father] as the best actor, and one reporter selected the Jalgeum Four of Park Yoochun, Park Minyoung, Yoo Ah In, and Song Joong Ki as the best actors of the dramas of 2010. =)

[NEWS] 10ASIA special article on Yoo Ah In

It seems like 10ASIA loves our Ah In a lot. Before the recent lengthy interview, the paper had written a beautiful piece about Yoo Ah In’s acting career and unique personality. Credits go to the translator, ancientkingdom unnie. I edited the English translation with the help of jaeshinah, but without understanding the original piece, I find the task quite difficult. Please don’t hesitate to point out if I misinterpret anything.

And just a note: today is an important day for ancientkingdom unnie and she is very NERVOUS (yet she still doesn’t forget to finish up this article for us!). Please give her a lot of cheers and goodluck wishes!!!

Nephew: You will be a good boy?

Jong-dae: Yes

-Boys of Tomorrow

Einstein:

The greatest physicist who found the theory of relativity. Ah-in is the name mixed with the German word “Ein” and the physicist “Einstein”, and it is his stage name after his debut into the entertainment world. His real name is Hong Shik. He was a student of an art high school when he was casted in front of the school gate. To prepare for a career in entertainment, he left his hometown, Dae Gu (It’s a city of Korea) for Seoul. He thought “The school system didn’t fit me,” and “It will be great to be an entertainer,” so he wanted to be an entertainer. Most of all, he was not able to feel contented with just “drawing,” because he had a “great desire to express himself”.

[ITW] [101108] 10 Asia interview with Yoo Ah In

Note: tinysunbl posted 10 Asia’s English translation of this article yesterday, but I went ahead and did my own translation because I’m masochistic like that and also because 10 Asia left out certain questions and interesting expository paragraphs. But who’s going to sit there and compare the Korean original with the English translation… haha. Anyway. There’s my total overkill of a disclaimer. Settle into your chair because you may be here for a while. -jaeshinah

PART I:

Yoo Ah In | “Like Jaeshin broke out of his shell”

“Have I…ever said this? Thank you. For you, thank you.” It was the simplest confession in the world. This is how Moon Jaeshin (Yoo Ah In) sent off Kim Yoonhee (Park Min Young) on KBS’s <Sungkyunkwan Scandal>. Sungkyunkwan’s outsider, a defiant fighter against the absurdities of the world—-romanticist Jaeshin, who stood one step behind and watched over the one he loved, was the very symbol of the growing pains of youth. Jaeshin is a different world from the [other] roles of youth Yoo Ah In has played in the past, from his start in KBS’s <Banolim> as warmhearted ‘Ah In oppa’ to wandering boy Jongdae in the movie <Boys of Tomorrow>; from lonely warrior Heuksan in KBS’s <Strongest Chilwoo> to lively pâtissière apprentice Kibum in <Antique> and ‘typical modern boy’ Hyunkyu in KBS’s <Man Who Can’t Get Married>. Suddenly he is twenty-five years old, and despite his dark tan and facial hair, whenever he smiles his face seems to return to the fair-skinned young boy [we knew in the past]. <10 Asia> met with Yoo Ah In. The stage name ‘Ah In’ that he chose himself references the German word ‘ein’ (one), meaning that he is a unique being in this world. Following this eye-opening young man into the numerous worlds within him is not an easy task. But Yoo Ah In is unmistakably worth the effort.

[Photos] Ah In Graces 10Asiae Photoshoot

I’m listening to “Ten Point out of Ten Point” by 2pm right now. And what can I say? This photo spread of Ah In is just 10점만점에10점!

(Isn’t this MV kinda…perverted?!?!)

A super long interview is being translated by Jaeshinah, RxGoodleaf and ancientkingdom unnie. It’s a total of 12 pages single space and they have complained that Ah In is too chatty lol.