Moon Geun Yeong in “Marry Me, Mary!”

I am actually a bit disappointed by Moon Geun Yeong’s decision to take current character in “Mary Me, Mary!” (Mary Stayed Out All Night). It’s not that she doesn’t fit Wi Mae Ri’s character, but the problem is we’re kind of getting the old image of Moon Geun Yeong: cute, adorable, cheerful…just the way the old Korean Younger Sister always was.

I gave her a four-thumbs-up for her role as Shin Yoon Bok in 2008’s “Painter of the Wind”. She was so convincing as the character of a confused girl who’d been living a life as a boy. Even sometimes I forgot that Shin Yoon Bok was actually a girl. She did very well with her gesture and voice.

And when she played the character of Eun Jeo in 2010’s “Cinderella’s Step Sister”…Iwas more than impressed. She was successful to turn her image from a cute girl to a mature woman. I think Eun Jeo was a very tough character because she required a very high skill in emotional performance and Moon Geun Yeong just did it so well.

So I wasn’t so surprised when she decided to take the role of a stripper in a play “Closer”. I thought it was her transitional moment to gradually change her image. It’s a positive action and I guess many people would agree with me in that.

But there she’s now, playing as the cute positive thinking girl Wi Mae Ri at KBS’s new drama “Mary Me, Mary!” (Mary Stayed Out All Night). And regardless my disappointment, Wi Mae Ri’s character is just…so Moon Geun Yeong! In one interview she said taking this role didn’t mean that she is intending to go back to her old image. She didn’t take Eun Jeo character to be free of her old image either. She said she just loved to play various characters. Well, I’m not saying that Wi Mae Ri’s character is shallow. She has some complications as well, but it just feels so right. Viewers seem to be unchallanged enough watching the character of Mae Ri, unlike when we’re watching Shin Yoon Bok or Gu Eun Jeo.

However, Mae Ri’s character was as adorable as anyone could expect. Moon Geun Yeong is a very talented young actress and no one will ever doubt that. I just thought that I could see another surprising breakthrough from Moon Geun Yeong, but the decision was all on her anyway. As a loyal viewer, I think the best thing I could do is to give her a full suppport on her current work.

Well, goodluck Geun Yeong. Fighting!