#FangirlGuide: 7 K-dramas and films to watch if you want to see more of ‘Little Women’ star Nam Ji-hyun
Nam Ji-hyun is such a familiar face in the Korean entertainment industry that you might’ve unknowingly rooted for her in some K-drama classics. After all, she started her career as a child actress and worked her way up to leading lady status.
Being a celebrity at a young age taught Ji-hyun to harness a unique amount of maturity in every role. Her openness to take every character with ease caught the attention of K-drama enthusiasts and she was hailed by HanCinema as a “trustworthy actress.” The star even opened up about the value of hard work in a Soompi interview where she mastered the art of “taking one step at a time.”
K-drama aficionados were once again impressed by Ji-hyun’s greatness in Netflix's Little Women, proving there’s no way for her to go but up. Get to know her more by binge-watching seven of her most popular projects to date.
Queen Seondeok (2009)
Longtime fans remember Queen Seondeok as a K-drama classic, thanks to its sageuk genre and interactive retelling of Queen Seondeok of Silla.
The K-drama is also one of Ji-hyun’s earlier roles where she took on the role of young Princess Deokman who eventually went on to become the first female ruler in Korea’s history. Contrary to the lead’s tumultuous life, the actress portrayed the innocence of an aspiring ruler who’s on the quest to survive the life of royalty.
Will it Snow for Christmas? (2009)
Nam Ji-hyun and Kim Soo-hyun as onscreen partners? Will it Snow for Christmas made it happen.
Ji-hyun took on the role of a young Han Ji-wan (played by Han Ye-seul) who’s desperate to escape the controlling reigns of her traditional father. The short appearance showed off the actress’ ability to go big on emotions without being too overbearing to watch.
Hwayi: A Monster Boy (2013)
Ji-hyun’s role in the 2013 film may be small but it’s a moral compass for one of the leads to protect his identity as an assassin-in-training. The actress played Yoo-kyung, the crush of Hwa-yi (Yeo Jin-goo), who remains oblivious about his identity as a series of murders haunted the town.
Shopping King Louie (2016)
Shopping King Louie is the start of Ji-hyun transitioning to the female lead territory as the energetic Ko Bok-shil. The romantic comedy tells the story of Louis (Seo In-guk), the last surviving heir of a giant conglomerate, who finds himself in Seoul after losing his memory. Since he’s used to a pampered lifestyle, he soon discovers the value of money after crossing paths with Bok-shil.
Suspicious Partner (2017)
Nam Ji-hyun played the role of a prosecutor so well that we almost believed it.
The legal romance revolves around prosecutor Noh Ji-wook (Ji Chang-wook) and prosecutor trainee Eun Bong-hee (Nam Ji-hyun) who work on a mysterious case with an unknown suspect. Bong-hee suddenly finds herself being questioned for the murder of her ex-boyfriend after his dead body was found in her house.
100 Days My Prince (2018)
It’s been four years since this series aired but we still can’t get enough of the WonShim pairing.
One of the reasons why 100 Days My Prince is one of the highest-rated cable series in South Korea is Nam Ji-hyun. This is not her first time taking on the sageuk genre but it was the series where she showed off her prowess as a female lead. In the K-drama, Ji-hyun starred opposite EXO’s Do Kyung-soo as Yeon Hong-shim, a noblewoman in hiding who turned out to be the Prince’s childhood love.
365: Repeat the Year (2020)
Ji-hyun proved that she can take on various genres in 365: Repeat the Year where she took on the character of Shin Ga-hyun, a webtoon artist who restarted her life by one year. Prior to the “reset,” Ga-hyun’s life was in ruins after she experienced an accident that hurt her legs.