Look-Alikes: Kim Hyun Joong versus Wu Chun versus Yamapi

I’m back in trailing the Asian entertainment scene. I will not deny that I am currently more immersed in Asian shows than in Western TV series. The Korean variety shows has especially hooked me up with their humor and witty situations. In diving through the faces of Korean entertainment, I was especially drawn to SS501 Kim Hyun Joong… and how he reminded me of other Asian idols who somehow look like him.

Look-Alikes : Asian Idols

Kim Hyun Joong is one of the most popular idols of Korea. He’s got the talent, the personality, the charm.. and he’s also got the face… What about the face? Well, it’s a face that appears to be common among popular idols in Asia. Yamashita Tomohisa a.k.a. Yamapi, a very popular idol in Japan, has almost the same features. These two are almost always being compared, with Hyun Joong sometimes credited to be popular in Japan because he looks like Yamapi. I would also like to add a popular face to be compared with these two, this time another popular idol from Taiwan: Farenheit’s Wu Chun, who I can say also commands a huge fan base not just in Taiwan but across Asia, too.

Japan’s Idol: NEWS – Yamapi

Tomohisa Yamapi

His real name is Tomohisa Yamashita, but is more popularly known by his nickname Yamapi. Yamapi entered the entertainment business when he was 11 and eventually grew to idol stardom. He is currently one of the top male idols of Japan.

Yamapi is the leader and (accepted widely) the best dancer of Jpop group NEWS. He has also collaborated with a fellow pop idol and formed Shuji to Akira. He is also successful as a solo artist, and is also a songwriter.

As the trend of Asian singers goes, Yamapi also delved into acting and was as successful at the craft as he is in the music scene. He has acted in a great many TV dramas and films, and has even won awards for his roles. He is usually one of the male leads in his dramas. For supporting roles, he also stands out with his onscreen charm and suave portrayals.

Taiwan’s Idol: Farenheit – Wu Chun

Wu Chun

The oldest of the three, Wu Chun shot to fame as an actor. Afterwards, he joined the popular Taiwanese boyband Farenheit and went on to become one of the top idols and leading men of Taiwanese TV. He was formerly a model and a fitness instructor in Brunei, where he lived.

Aside from being an actor and singer, Wu Chun is also a businessman. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia) and founded their family’s gym, Fitness Zone, in Brunei.

Wu Chun was recently awarded the Young Entrepreneur of the Year (under real name Goh Kiat Chun) back in August during the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards in Brunei.

South Korea’s Idol: SS501 – Kim Hyun Joong

Kim Hyun Joong

Kim Hyun Joong is a freshie when compared to Yamapi and Wu Chun. Hyun Joong only entered the entertainment industry in 2005, and has achieved relative success as a singer. He is the leader and oldest member of boyband SS501, and has also been appearing in variety shows.

Hyun Joong, as an individual, skyrocketed to fame just recently with his involvement in We Got Married, a reality show where couples are paired up to be husband and wife. Hyun Joong plays the younger husband in an older-woman-and-younger-husband marital life. His 4D personality was exhibited and it charmed a big audience that led to a huge fan base.

Hyun Joong is also just starting onto the drama scene. He was just recently casted as Yoon Ji Hoo, the Korean version of Hanazawa Rui of the popular manga-turned-TV-series Hana Yori Dango. This is his first major acting role and he has shown some passion towards the craft that many can’t help but anticipate great things from him in the future.

Who’s the Idol of the Idols?

Can you choose between these three? Each of them has given us proof that they really deserved to be called idols. Each of them has certainly made a mark in the industry with their idol concepts. I have not really watched Wu Chun’s progress but his entrepreneurship efforts boosted him up for me. On the other hand, I have seen Yamapi’s enough to know that there’s no doubt Japan has a gret idol. Hyun Joong is still starting up on the acting path but he has continuously shown great effort and passion in everything he does… Argh! I can’t choose!

Eppes Brothers: Don versus Charlie

I haven’t seen the new season of Numb3rs yet, but I am very much looking forward to it. In the preceding season, Charles gave up his NSA clearance and is no longer allowed to help Don with his cases. I wonder now how he can get back to helping the FBI and how things’ll work for the two brothers from then on. Ahhh.. when is the DVD coming out?!?!

In Numb3rs, we see two brothers who are complete opposites, yet at times are so very much the same. Most people can’t seem to get over with how they are so different from each other. We have the math genius on one side, and we have the muscles on the other. It’s like the brain versus the body, thought versus action.

But I agree with what Don’s ex Kim Hall said: both of them are similar in their approach to problems — “one part exuberance, two parts obsession.” She summed it up perfectly. Don and Charles also share some qualities together. Don isn’t as smart as Charles, but he is intelligent enough to be a leader of an FBI team. Charles may not be as physically able as Don, but at one time Colby Granger had mentioned that Charles has a deceptive body strength, implying that Charles was actually stronger than he looks.

The Lead Agent: Don Eppes

Rob Morrow as Don Eppes

Don Eppes is the older brother, the jock, the cool one.. pretty much the popular guy back in high school: great in sports (baseball), lots of social circles, just the normal teenager who’s all fun and friends. As an adult, he’s become a leading FBI agent, fostered a strict and disciplined way of life while fighting crime, and is still very much the patient brother.

Along the series, we can see his insecurities towards his brother unfold. He has expressed frustration over having a brother 5 years younger than him be in the same grade, making him feel dumb and stupid throughout their school years. As a result, he feels like he is always under his brother’s shadow.

Despite his insecurities, he has remained to be a very caring and patient brother. He has given the impression that he has always stood aside because his brother needed more attention from their parents. He grew up to be very independent. Despite whatever hurt feelings, he is still closely bonded with Charlie. Throughout Numb3rs, Don has also changed to be more comfortable and open towards Charlie. And although, he still doesn’t get half of his brother’s mathematical abilities, Don inevitably starts to rely more on his brother and his skills. Don still has hesitations sometimes, but in the end he accepts the fact that Charlie has always been a great help to him and his team.

The Math Genius: Charlie Eppes

David Krumholtz as Charlie Eppes

Although five years younger, Charlie Eppes graduated alongside his brother and became a respected mathematician and professor at a young age. He is your usual geek: different way of looking at the world, limited number of friends, and awkward. As an adult, he continued to pursue mathematical probabilities and is still stubborn with his mathematical conclusions. We see him as the more carefree of the brothers, probably because his world doesn’t involve many stakeouts and SWAT procedures.

Despite his impressive brain and accomplishments, it seems that the one thing Charlie really wants is to get along very well with his brother. Don just stood at the sides as Charlie grew up. The differences in their character put a gap between them, yet, like a normal younger brother, Charlie still looks up to Don. He likes working with his brother and is a little fearful of breaking the bond that they have formed when he started working with the FBI.

With his involvement with his brother’s work, Charlie has also reevaluated his life. He ventured out to try what Don does for a living, entering a training camp for FBI agents. He still holds true to his math, though. He gets it that many people don’t see the world the way he sees it, but he has never faltered in his views. As Don is obsessed with his work in chasing criminals and fighting crime with his hands, Charlie is determined to use math in solving the crime puzzles.

Don and Charles Eppes

Who’s Better? Come on now. You can’t choose between them. They’re different from one another whilst complementing each other. Without one of them, the team wouldn’t really be complete and impressive. Don and Charles go together.. else it’ll be like a body without the brain, or the brain with no physical abilities, or whatever else you can think of.