Puppy’s baaacckkkk!! And we won’t have to wait long to see Lee Seung-gi grace our screens once again, yay! He’s left the army for all of a day (he was discharged on October 31), and according to reports, he’s raring to get back to work. Which is great news for those of us who’ve been awaiting his return eagerly. I mean, some of us have been counting.
First up in the pipeline, of course, is tvN’s upcoming fantasy rom-com Hwayugi. Reports are saying he’s pretty much confirmed, and that the rest of the cast who have already signed on are operating under the assumption that he has all but officially joined the project. Hwayugi marks one of several reunions for Lee Seung-gi: His You’re All Surrounded costar Cha Seung-won is up to play the Bull Demon King, and he’s worked with the Hong sisters before, in My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho. Lee Seung-gi’s role in Hwayugi is Sun Wukong, the mischievous Monkey King who butts heads with Oh Yeon-seo (My Sassy Girl), the monk who holds the key to his locked powers.
There’s also a chance that we may get to see Lee Seung-gi even before Hwayugi premieres in December, on the big screen in the sageuk rom-com Compatibility, which also stars Shim Eun-kyung (The Mayor) and Yeon Woo-jin (Seven Day Queen). Filming for Compatibility wrapped up before Lee Seung-gi enlisted, so it’s kind of amazing that it’s only just coming out now that he’s been discharged.
I’m also eager to see Lee Seung-gi back in variety, as a long-time collaborator (or slave) of Na PD. It would be so awesome to see him reunite with his 1 Night 2 Days hyungs in a new season of New Journey to the West, which would also tie in nicely with his new drama. Though it might be strange to see him not be the youngest of the group with Mino as a cast member.
It’s just really nice to have him back, especially since this is a particularly hard year for enlisting leading men. And also, eager to take on work so quickly after his return: Lee Seung-gi told reporters that he has so much energy and will do so many projects that his fans will have a hard time keeping up with him. You’ve all been warned!
