Welcome to the 60th article of Kpopmap’s weekly series exploring the amazing duality of K-Pop idols, actors, models, and more! Every week, we shine the spotlight on one artist who embodies the very essence of duality and has mastered the flair of harnessing their multifaceted talent to create the most brilliant, versatile art we have ever seen. As effortless as they make their craft look, there’s a universe of talent that brings their hard work to fruition, and we must show appreciation where it’s due.
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This week’s “Bias Duality” article is dedicated to one of the representative stars of the Korean entertainment industry, an artist whose panther-like gaze is set on world domination, Ji ChangWook. With 74.3% of the total votes cast by Kpopmap readers on the poll in our previous “Bias Duality” article, Ji ChangWook was chosen by an overwhelming majority of fans to appear on this series!
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The Man To The Legend: Ji ChangWook’s Personal Duality & Evolution
A global treasure in the truest sense of the word, Ji ChangWook is a pioneer of the modern Hallyu Wave. With his incomparable experience in the entertainment industry, innate talent, and unmatched will, Ji ChangWook has established himself as not only a force to be reckoned with but also the epitome of hard-earned success. His charisma has less to do with his godly visuals and more with the glow that emanates from within – the indomitable light of sincerity, passion, and sheer dedication to his craft. Indeed, Ji ChangWook is the absolute master of his trade but what makes him so iconic is the freshness with which he approaches each character, each story, and each message. He is constantly evolving as an actor, adding on to the layers of excellence that define him, thus contributing to that essence of novelty.
Ji ChangWook began his creative expression through the art of musical theatre, building a solid base in performance before moving on to film and television. His very first screen role was in the movie “Days” in 2006, followed by the drama “You Stole My Heart” in 2008. He made his debut in earnest with the movie “Sleeping Beauty” in the same year, and in the next year, he appeared in a main role in the drama “My Too Perfect Sons”, which garnered a peak rating of over 40%. He followed this success up with “Hero”, piquing interest. By this time, Ji ChangWook had managed to establish himself as an actor whom viewers were curious about. They wanted to know the extent of his potential, and he finally showed them a clear glimpse of it in the daily drama “Smile Again”, earning him the award for Excellent Actor In A Daily Drama at the 2011 KBS Drama Awards.
In quick succession, he played the titular role in “Warrior Baek Dong Soo”, with SBS Drama Awards presenting him the New Star Award, followed by a lead role in the highly underrated yet beloved drama “Bachelor’s Vegetable Store”. Seeing that this was the perfect time to diversify his image, Ji ChangWook gave us a peek of his duality with “Five Fingers”, where he played the arrogant and wounded Yoo InHa whose misplaced anger takes on a destructive form.
His career finally reached a climactic turning point when he took on the role of Ta Hwan in “Empress Ki”, instantly elevating him to the position of a Hallyu top star. This was also the time when the Korean Wave was crash landing on the world with full-force, propelling Ji ChangWook’s popularity on a global scale. Needless to say, there was no looking back.
From 2014 to present time, we got masterpieces like “Healer” and “The K2”, dubbing Ji ChangWook an action star, “Suspiscious Partner”, “Melting Me Softly” and “Backstreet Rookie” crowning him as the King of Romantic Comedies, “Lovestruck In The City” highlighting a mature, intellectual side of him, “The Sound Of Magic” expressing healing through the lens of fantasy and “If You Wish Upon Me” tackling a heavy subject matter with due sincerity. If that’s not the very definition of range, we simply don’t know what is!
What’s more is that, Ji ChangWook didn’t just act out his characters, he poured a little bit of himself into each of them, which is what made them so inimitable. As Seo JungHo and Kim JeHa, Ji ChangWook embodied his own sense of justice and righteousness. He even performed his own stunts, which is saying a lot, given that both of these dramas were primarily dependent on the same.
As Noh JiUk, Ji ChangWook let his sense of humour shine in all its glory, whereas for Ma DongChan, his protectiveness, passion, and dedication took precedence. Similarly, for Choi DaeHyun, Ji ChangWook employed his inner childlike innocence and optimism, and for “Lovestruck In The City”, we saw his love language – the need to be taken care of and showered with reassurance and affection.
Next, for those who might not know, Ji ChangWook chose to appear on “The Sound Of Magic” because the characters of Yun Ai (Choi SungEun) and Na IlDeung (Hwang InYoup) reminded him of the struggles he faced during his own childhood, thus evoking a sense of deep empathy in him. It was the desire to support and protect these characters that led Ji ChangWook to join the cast.
He related to Ai missing out on the most glorious years of her life without a dream because of her financial concerns and IlDeung measuring his worth with his grades, thus losing his own identity. Thus, as RiEul, Ji ChangWook manifested the magic that he needed when he was young, drawing from his own past and imbuing his feelings into his character. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that absolutely no one could have conveyed RiEul’s message better than him. Even Director Kim SeongYun mentioned that the innocence in RiEul stood out because of Ji ChangWook’s own playfulness and boyish appeal, thus expressing his duality at its purest.
Ji ChangWook grew up with a particularly difficult childhood, where the passing of his father hugely affected his formative years. As a single parent, Ji ChangWook’s mother gave her all to raise him well despite adversities, and while her effort was unfathomable, Ji ChangWook worked harder than ever to give her a comfortable life in return. Even today, he lives with his mother to take care of her and be there for her at all times. One might think Ji ChangWook is his mother’s pride and joy, but the way he speaks of her with gratitude and reverence proves that she is his. As bright and doe-eyed as Ji ChangWook looks, he is painfully aware of the harsh reality of life. From hiding away to learning how to face his pain, accepting it, and channeling it into his art, Ji ChangWook has come a long way, and his odyssey has been nothing short of inspiring. Perhaps because he has seen the shadow, he appreciates the light even more. This is the type of man who makes us proud to be his fan.
Finally, in his latest work, “If You Wish Upon Me”, Ji ChangWook exercised his own philosophies about life, levity, and warmth through the slow yet sure change in Yoon GyeoRye upon his encounter with Team Genie. He also revealed that working on “If You Wish Upon Me” itself was cathartic for him, which speaks volumes of just how invested he was in his role.
When it comes to Ji ChangWook’s real personality, the more we get to know him, the more aware we are of how desperately we all need someone like Ji ChangWook in our lives. He’s the type of person who makes us want to dream. He is calm, gentle, playful, and bright. He is both a kind and dependable sunbae and a lively and spirited friend to his juniors. In fact, he is almost too kind – if that’s even possible – according to the “The Sound Of Magic” cast. After all, there’s a reason why his co-stars can never stop raving about being able to work with him.
Ji ChangWook has a ludic air to him that makes him approachable, but he can transform into his character with a laser-sharp focus in the blink of an eye. His work ethic combined perfectly with his off-screen charisma, is what makes him such a stan magnet. Even veteran seniors like Lee DeokHwa and Park SangMyun cannot resist his charms. They even gave him a farewell party before he enlisted in the military, the night of which he took Lee DeokHwa home to introduce him to his mother, who was a big fan of his.
Another quality that makes him immensely loveable is the way he can make one feel validated by listening keenly, reacting enthusiastically, and responding promptly. On the other hand, he’s also the type to tell a joke and wait eagerly for reactions. He’s like the boyfriend who makes a funny remark and immediately looks at his significant other to see if they’re laughing. When he gets the desired reaction, he perks up with a beaming smile that extends to his eyes.
Ji ChangWook’s aegyo, juxtaposed with his towering masculine physique, is a vision to behold. One look at him, and you know that he is trying to live his life to the fullest and be as happy and hard-working as can be, and seeing that alone brightens up our day. His positivity is contagious, to say the least! He has a witty sense of humor, quickly adapts to any environment, has an incredible presence of mind, and simply makes people adore him. More often than not, his jokes are both endearing and funny, but as much as he loves to joke around, he is also a guru of concentration, responsibility, self-awareness, and being sangfroid. He has a drive that is absolutely unstoppable. Backing down from a challenge is simply not in his dictionary! You can see a lot of these qualities on the popular variety show “Young Actors’ Retreat”.
That’s not all! Ji ChangWook is also unbelievably passionate about anything and everything he does. Like Kim JiWon observed, he works with passion and plays with a passion too. The perfect place to watch Ji ChangWook’s passion and profession coexist is his YouTube channel (@지창욱.Jichangwook).
From Behind-the-scenes clips on the set of dramas, films, and pictorials, to his long-running series “I’m A Slacker” where the actor is seen spending his free days just the way he wants: camping, dirt biking, and so on and so forth, music (he’s an amazing vocalist), vlogs and more – this channel is a paradise for any Ji ChangWook fan. It is also here that you can see just how caring, wholesome, philosophical, spontaneous, and exciting he is. It truly doesn’t get better than this.
The Syzygy Of Talent, Charm & Sheer Power: Ji ChangWook’s Screen Duality
Now that we have attempted to do justice to the stellar human being that Ji ChangWook is, it is time to take a look at the duality of his filmography. The trifecta of invincibility – his raw yet polished talent, boundless magnetism, and the way he commands respect and exudes energy, are clear indicators that the possibilities are endless for Ji ChangWook. Every time we see him in a drama or a film, it’s unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.
To illustrate the vast horizons of Ji ChangWook’s screen duality, we’ll be looking at 3 of his best works and breaking them down, character by character. First, the drama that gave a whole new dimension to Ji ChangWook’s illustrious career: “Empress Ki”. This is a drama that explored the enthralling spectrum of Ji ChangWook’s emotional expression. From childish cowardice to powerlessness, entitlement to a sense of suffocation and fear for life, even the slightest quiver of his lips held meaning. We saw a man fall from grace, rise up and fall again. He is perfectly flawed, complex, and transformative. Heavy is the head that wears the crown, and Ji ChangWook portrays this everlasting irony with such grace and elegance that it is incomparable. His humour, the way he goes from obsessive limerence to true love, and a figurehead to a monarch, bear testimony to his excellence.
Next, we have Seo JungHo, the lover and the fighter in “Healer” – the very definition of duality. On the one hand, JungHo is a true-blue menace to society’s evils, and on the other, he’s going undercover as the adorably clumsy and naive BongSoo. Besides this obvious inconsistency in personality, we have the more layered, vexed, vulnerable aspect of JungHo that pulls us in and keeps us hooked. We came for JungHo pulling off these virtually impossible stunts effortlessly, and we stayed for his journey of healing, loving himself, and finding happiness.
Speaking of finding happiness, it is also a persistent theme in “The Sound Of Magic”. Ryu MinHyuk, and later, RiEul, played by Ji ChangWook with utmost brilliance, is as elusive as a blue butterfly, as deep as the ocean, and as ethereal as the moon. After being forced to abandon his youth, his disillusionment pushes him to the limits of worldly pain until it transforms into enlightenment, and he is reborn as RiEul. Reality broke him as a young adult, so he grew up to be a child. His thwarted innocence is rehabilitated by magic, and he makes it his ultimate purpose to share this joy with the cold and indifferent world, opening their eyes to the truth and redefining the perimeters of what “reality” entails. However, once again, society does not, or rather, cannot allow RiEul to exist freely, lest he disturbs the status quo. Ji ChangWook does such a marvelous job at portraying the childlike vulnerability in RiEul contrasted by his bold flourishes of confidence that you cannot help but get enchanted. At the same time, he is also fiercely defensive of his world and would not hesitate to go to any lengths to protect it. This is by far one of Ji ChangWook’s finest performances yet and it is a true delineation of his duality as an artist.
The Supermodel Next Door: Ji ChangWook’s Aesthetic Duality
Finally, we could not possibly conclude without addressing the miracle that is Ji ChangWook’s aesthetic duality. The man could wear a t-shirt and some shorts and would still look like he walked right out of a pictorial. At the same time, he could be suited up for the fanciest event and would still look effortless as if he is ready to join you for a pizza party once he’s done with work. His statuesque figure transports us to our reveries, and his dazzling smile brings us back. One second, he embodies golden retriever energy, vying for attention, and in the next, his allure is making us swoon to no end. Only Ji ChangWook could do both at the same time.
To further explore Ji ChangWook’s aesthetic duality, simply head over to his Instagram account (@jichangwook) and bless your heart with an iconic feed of photos and videos from his life. From being buried in sand at the beach to mirror selfies that will make you melt into a puddle, this account is the quintessence of Ji ChangWook’s worldview.
No matter how you see it, Ji ChangWook is a stunning force of nature who knows how to spin the stars on his fingernails. The galaxies he conjures up, and the conviction with which he tells the most incredible stories, give us a renewed belief in art. The fact that he is also an incredibly intriguing, humble, and captivating person in real life just makes him all the more chimeric. If it were up to us, we’d gift ourselves a 100-episode Ji ChangWook Netflix documentary for Christmas because we just can’t get enough. While we manifest this dream into reality, let’s excitedly look forward to everything Ji ChangWook has in store for us next, shall we?
What is your favorite thing about Ji ChangWook’s duality? Tell us in the comments section down below!
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