JYJ's Junsu proved several Korean musical stars that he was more than just an idol after preparing for the musical "Death Note."

At a press event on June 1, Kim Junsu (also known as XIA) revealed that his longtime love of the Japanese manga and anime "Death Note" spurred his participation in the Korean version of the musical. One co-star of the musical also revealed that he initially felt bitter towards the K-pop idol, but Junsu's skills wiped away the preconceived notion that a pop star wasn't fit for musicals.

"I didn't realize it, but I had a prejudice (against Junsu) for his pop background, but seeing him perform (made me) realize he's not just average," said Hong Kwang Ho, according to the K-Pop Herald. 

Hong plays "Lighto," the character known as "Light" in the original version of "Death Note." 

Junsu explained that he had asked his company to acquire a starring role in the musical due to being influenced earlier in life by the Japanese manga, which has since spurred an anime, movies, books, and now the musical

"During my student days, I was deeply impressed by the 'Death Note' manga and animation. I really enjoyed reading and watching them," said Junsu.  "I heard 'Death Note' could be adapted into a musical a year or two before [it launched] and wanted to star in it, [so] I made a request to star in it through my agency." 

Junsu's casting in the role of the detective "L" was announced in April. A music video of Junsu performing L's song "The Game Begins" was revealed later that month.

The musical version of "Death Note" was was created by Frank Wildhorn, Ivan Menchell, and Jack Murphy. 

Kim Junsu appeared in multiple other Korean musicals, including "Mozart" and "Dracula," since he began a career as a musical performer in 2010. Junsu debuted as a member of TVXQ in 2003, and left the group in 2009 during a contract termination lawsuit. He and two former members of TVXQ formed JYJ and have promoted  together and separately since. 

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