Throughout her more than 20-year career, Song Hye Kyo has often been involved in controversies involving her male colleagues. However, she has rarely spoken openly to the media about her admiration for her male co-stars. Kaneshiro Takeshi is the only person for whom Song Hye Kyo has publicly expressed her admiration, both as a young actress at the beginning of her career and as a superstar celebrated throughout Asia.
In 2000, when Song Hye Kyo was only 19 years old and had recently become famous thanks to the drama “Autumn in My Heart”, she openly expressed her admiration for Kaneshiro Takeshi despite having never met him. An article at the time, titled “Korean Beauty Everyone Admires Secretly Admires Kaneshiro Takeshi,” revealed that Song Hye Kyo liked Kaneshiro for his masculine charm. Even though the language barrier prevented her from understanding what he was saying, his body language alone was enough to hypnotize her. Song Hye Kyo also commented that Kaneshiro Takeshi was born with the aura of a star. At the time, Song Hye Kyo may have been just another dreamy fangirl, but no one could have predicted that even now she would still have admiration for Kaneshiro Takeshi.
She is also a very successful fangirl, as she also had the opportunity to star in a movie with her idol. Specifically, in 2014, Song Hye Kyo appeared in “The Crossing” alongside a cast of Chinese stars. Although she did not share a romantic storyline with Kaneshiro Takeshi (her character was paired with Huang Xiaoming in the film), their relationship was very friendly. Once again, Song Hye Kyo publicly expressed her affection for her co-star despite the language barrier. Not only did she shower him with compliments, but she also admitted that Kaneshiro Takeshi was her “ideal boyfriend.”
At the time, her comments sparked controversy, with some accusing her of “intentionally creating a couple narrative” to promote the film. However, upon closer analysis, many pointed out that if he wanted to promote the film, it would have made more sense to praise his on-screen partner, Huang Xiaoming. Rumors circulated suggesting that there might be mutual romantic feelings, especially on Song Hye Kyo’s part, but due to geographical and linguistic differences, everything remained at the level of fleeting admiration.
Kaneshiro Takeshi, a mixed-race actor of Japanese and Chinese descent, has been an enduring symbol of beauty in Asian entertainment for over two decades. The actor himself admitted that his striking appearance sometimes overshadowed his acting and the effort he put into his roles. In recent years Kaneshiro Takeshi has practically disappeared from the screen. He has not taken on new roles, rarely appears in the media and does not use social media. As Song Hye Kyo’s past comments resurface, fans are increasingly hopeful to see Kaneshiro Takeshi return to the screen and, more importantly, to see them appear together in the same frame again.
