A.E. Insights: Good Guys in the Asian Entertainment Industry

In today's society, good people are hard to come by.  It's even harder for women to find a good guy.

In an attempt to connect Asian entertainment to everyday life, we bring something different for the second installment of our feature "A.E. Insights".

TOPIC: Who are the good guys in the Asian entertainment industry?  What makes a good guy?  And who is your ideal guy?

Everybody is unique, and everybody has their own opinion.  While the topic of guys could simply be a gossipy and girly one, it can also spark interesting discussion over personalities and people in general.

First off, what makes a good guy?

Niki: In today's materialistic society it's hard to find a a person who is honest and reliable. For me, a good guy doesn't depend much on looks as opposed to personality. Looks can easily be changed, while a good personality is hard to come by.

Iris: I'd like to start off on a lighter note.  How many times do you think we're going to use the word "good" in this post?  Haha.  I agree that a good guy depends on, as cheesy as it sounds, what's inside.  I'm also the type of person who would look for someone based on their personality, although good looks would be the cherry on top!

In my opinion, a good guy should be like you said, honest and reliable.  They should give girls a sense of security while still respecting them.  I like sincerity too.

Niki: Probably a lot, since we have it in our title and we're using it as our topic. And of course, I wouldn't mind a good looking guy who has a nice personality either.  I agree with what you said, most guys tend to be chauvinist and I can't stand someone like that. For me, the guy has to be mature on top of sincere and reliable. Since I tend to be a bit childish it'll be nice if there's someone who can take care of me. I also can't stand immature guys who makes careless and stupid remarks without thinking.

Iris:  I can't stand immature guys either, so imagine how I feel in a high school full of them.  I like mature guys.  What traits would your ideal boyfriend have then?  On top of the traits that I mention make a good guy, I would also like them to be sweet and have a sense of humor.

Also, I like people who are ambitious but not so much they're self absorbed.  It makes them admirable.  I want someone who wants to do something in life, and I've found that I don't get along too well with underachievers.  While I'm not the type of person who thinks guys should be smarter than girls, but I'd like them to be on the same intelligence level as me.  Communication is very important, and I'd have to talk to my partner as myself and not have to "dumb myself down", if you know what I mean.

Niki: I think of myself as a pretty simple person, so I don't ask much in a guy (or at least I don't think I do). My ideal boyfriend would have to be someone who's understanding and easy to get along with. I also want him to be an upbeat person, because I'm the quiet type I want someone who's upbeat to spark the conversation. But when it comes to work he should take it seriously. He should strive for the best, but shouldn't be so ambitious that it makes him lose his integrity. He should also be intelligent, but he doesn't have to be a genius. We should be able to carry on a conversation well. When it comes to relationships, I want something long lasting and serious, unlike most relationships that happens at our age. Therefore, the most important thing for me would be honesty and the chemistry between the two of us.

Iris: Completely agree.  I can see why you want someone upbeat, they would compliment your shyness very well and make you come out of your shell!  :)  The most important thing for me in a relationship would be trust.  You can't have a lasting and successful relationship without it.  And then of course, chemistry.  Now to tie this post back to Asian entertainment.  In your opinion, who are the good guys in the Asian entertainment industry?

Niki: Well, once I get close to a person I can be pretty loud as well. xD 
Ah, trust, of course.

In the entertainment industry, it's rather hard to tell a good guy to one who's fake. But there are some that I do respect and think are genuinely nice. The first celebrity who comes to mind would be Super Junior's Shin Dong. K-pop is known for its "perfect" idols who are slim/fit and good looking. Shin Dong, being slightly chubbier than the average idol is sometimes mocked for his appearance. He does not let his appearance affect his love of performing, however. He constantly works hard to improve himself for fans and let them see the best of him (which is sort of hard since his screen time isn't much). As I slowly learn more about K-pop, my respect for Shin Dong grows.

Shin Dong, who is a dancer, rapper, producer, and business man, never fails to impress me. He is an amazing dancer and is one of the lead dancers for his group. He also raps fairly well and composes some of the rap lines for the band's songs along with his bandmate Eunhyuk. Lately, he has taken up producing and has come out with several self-made videos. His personality is also very unique. He is known for his comedic style and playful nature. Besides performing, he also established his own online cafe. What really makes me respect him is his sincerity towards love. He has been committed to his non-celebrity girlfriend and even proposed to her through the "Thanks to" section in the band's album in 2010. It's hard to find such a well rounded and sweet guy. 

Iris: Shin Dong sounds awesome! Very versatile in his entertaining skills it seems, and an all around good guy. Now THAT sounds like an idol! There are so many cookie cutter idols around, so it's nice to see something different. But before I end up rambling too much about the cons of K-Pop (I'll save that for our future Insights posts on the subject), for my pick for a good guy.

Warning, I'm about to put all my love for Ruco Chan into one place. Beware of excessive praise! I may appear like I'm in love with Ruco (I guess I am), but it comes with so many reasons. Not only do I like him as an actor and for his handsome looks, but I genuinely respect and admire him. He is ambitious, professional, hardworking, and mature. Despite his ambition, he is also very humble yet determined.

Some people become popular and recognized right off the bat or within a couple years. Although talented and handsome, he worked hard for 17 years before finally getting his breakthrough and experienced multiple setbacks and failures. He came so close to giving up, but he didn't. He strived, and he made it. He is now TVB's latest leading man and the one with the brightest future ahead of him. His life story inspires me to not give up because hard work will pay off eventually, you just have to be patient. He exhibits his humbleness by telling people about his failures and flaws. This is something artists try to avoid at all costs, yet he lets people read and hear about it like an open book to let them learn from it. He is honest and sincere, yet straightforward. He possesses so many traits that I love in people. He's also proven to be a bit shy, especially around female co-stars. Being a little shy is something I find cute in guys.

For this and many more reasons, he is both a good guy and overall fantastic person with an interesting dynamic. Who said being good had to be boring? :) Sorry for going on for so long! However, bias aside, Ruco is still definitely my first pick for one of Asia's good guys. Now how about other good guys? I have a couple honorable mentions as well.

Niki: Haha, don't worry Iris, you're still far from crazy fan girl. xD I also admire Ruco very much, he's one of the few artists that I truly respect and look up to as an entertainer and person. Even though, I doubt I can love him as much as you do.

Another good guy I think would be Raymond Wong (I think I stole one of your honorable mentions didn't I, hehe). Raymond has proven to be a sweet, charming, hardworking, and humble guy. I love how he calls his wife to notify her before doing intimate scenes. Now that's honesty and loyalty! It's clear that he has been working very hard for TVB. He's both lovable onscreen and off. I've always seen him as a dorky, but cute guy. Who else would you pick?

Iris: Aw, boo!  You did steal one of my honorable mentions! :P Haha.  As much as I love Ruco, Raymond Wong comes close as my second favorite TVB artist and another one of my "good guys".  He is just too cute and talented.  I find a certain level of dorkiness to be endearing and cute, so coupled with his sincerity, sweetness, and work ethic, I absolutely love him.  His dedication to his wife is also "aww" worthy.  :D  I have another three honorable mentions, which I will try to keep more brief than my speech about Ruco, heh.

Oscar Leung also comes to mind.  He has underwent a lot of maturing, change, and self-improvement.  He proves that people can always turn over a new leaf, and a good person doesn't unnecessary have to be someone who's always been admirable.   He has said about himself that he used to be a delinquent and hateful.  Growing up in a rough neighborhood, he was a rather rebellious and tough guy who constantly got into trouble.  He had to learn to fend for himself and became extremely arrogant.  After hitting a new low and not getting work for months, he matured and decided it was time to live a practical life.

Oscar has had financial and personal struggles all his life, but has changed for the better.  Today, he possesses a maturity in his real life personality and acting many other artists don't have.  He caught my eye as a solid supporting actor early on, and I'm thrilled he's finally in the limelight and using it to his advantage by telling others his far from perfect but raw and realistic life story.

Wong Cho Lam is a special one.  He certainly was not born with the good looks or height other celebrities have, but makes up for it with his talent and lively personality.  Despite being known for dressing up and performing as a girl (due to his short and skinny stature) at various variety shows, he somehow manages to have the most integrity out of a majority of TVB artists.  He has shown versatility in so many fields of entertainment including acting, singing, comedy, songwriting, composing, production work, and soon, script writing.  He has a much stronger behind the scenes presence than I thought.

His relationship with 5'9 Leanne Li stroked me as odd and a terrible mismatch at first, but now I find it extremely sweet.  He acted as a mentor, friend, then finally boyfriend to her.  Their relationship, which began six years ago, had started off very slow.  At only 5'4, it was only natural that the two would feel uncomfortable about their different physiques.  Knowing Leanne originally felt unsure and questioned her feelings for him, Cho Lam continued to care for her while giving her space and patiently waiting for her.  The two have since accepted it and not let it get in the way of their feelings for each other.  Today, they enjoy an open and healthy relationship.  They are too sweet, and an example of a relationship of true love that's gone through countless obstacles.

My last mention is Bosco Wong.  Different from the other guys, he's an example of an overall good guy without being completely innocent and wholesome.  Sure, the guy likes to party every once in a while, but knows to associate with the right friends and control himself.  In long time girlfriend Myolie Wu's darkest time, he has consistently given her support and love.  He is attentive and caring towards her.  In Myolie's acceptance speech for Best Actress, she fondly reflected on how through all the times where she was hard to deal with, he never left her side and was always there for her.  My favorite real life TVB couple ever!

Alright, there are my three honorable mentions!  I just gave everyone a ton of information to process, haha.  I'll shut up now.

Niki: Haha. You're too cute Iris. Most of your mentions are mine as well so I don't have much to add besides one last guy.

Being a fan of Fahrenheit, it is no surprise that my choice would be Calvin Chen. I admit that despite being their fan, I don't know much about Calvin. But I do know how much and why I love him, hehe. When I first came to like the band, Calvin had not been my first choice. Compared to the others you can say he is the least good looking (does not mean he's ugly though). His voice is also not as strong as Jiro or Aaron's, but I admire his charisma and energy. You will always see Calvin smiling even through the worst of times. He is able to brighten the mood with his witty and charming remarks. His personality is also very down to earth and is not afraid to do silly things that would "affect" his image. What impresses me though, is the fact that you can see his maturity even though he is constantly joking around. He is very hardworking and always trying to learn and improve himself. It is said that besides performing he is also interested in economics and is very smart in his investments. His co-workers call him Dr. Chen as a result. Even though I still think of him as just an idol, he definitely has a special place in my heart and I think of him as one of the good guys. His not too handsome looks make him approachable. Again, I don't think Calvin is perfect, but this is why I've come to love him so much.

Wow, I wrote a lot.

Iris: It's fine, it's cute watching you "excessively praise". ;) From the videos I've seen of Fahrenheit, I can see why you like him so much, especially from interviews and other appearances. He has a unique fun yet witty and mature personality. I know Calvin has a special place in your heart. :)

Niki: Aww, thank you. Calvin does have a very unique personality. And yes "excessively praising" is nice to do, but I was squealing inside haha.

Iris: Good guys aren't supposed to be perfect or ideal. However, their virtues outshine their flaws, no matter how many they have. They'd make great boyfriends, but are also in general just wonderful people.

Shin Dong, Ruco Chan, Raymond Wong, Oscar Leung, Wong Cho Lam, Bosco Wong, and Calvin Chen are our choices for the good guys in the Asian entertainment industry. That's not to say there aren't more, but these shine out to us in particular for who they are, which are genuinely awesome people!

Niki: As Iris has said good guy aren't perfect, but that proves you don't have to be perfect to be great. The reasons these guys shine is because they are confident as well as true to themselves. They clearly show that being famous should not be just about acting cool on stage. They WOULD make great boyfriends, but I don't think we'd get a chance to experience that ourselves haha. Hopefully we will find more of these good guys in Asian entertainment.

This post has been both fun and different for all of us. It was also a very personal post as well. I suppose it let us embrace our inner fan girl while justifying out feelings.

P.S. to answer Iris's question in the beginning, we've said "good" around 30 or more times in this post ;)

Who would you name the good guys of the Asian entertainment industry? In your opinion, what traits does a good guy have? What traits would your ideal boyfriend have? Share us your opinion! We hope you enjoyed this post and it managed to offer some insight as opposed to just teenage girls gossiping about boys! :P