There is something about ByuN that makes him perhaps South Korea's most lovable pro gamer. The guy radiates personality.
Take the GSL Code S finals for instance. ByuN requested to have a giant picture of his favorite player, Lee "INnoVation" Shin Hyung, in the crowd, rather than a picture of himself. ByuN admired both his skills and his cold, emotionless persona. It's funny that the player he looks up to the most is the opposite of himself. They're both top-of-the-world Terrans, but that's where the similarities end.
People constantly joke that INnoVation is actually some sort of robot. ... And mechanically speaking, there isn't a better player. For INnoVation, it all seems like another day in the office. He shows up, plays the game, and gives an almost factory-produced interview, seemingly indifferent to the fact that he just won an important match.
A total lack of emotion is almost INnoVation's trademark. And ByuN couldn't be more different.
With each match win at GSL Code S this past season, ByuN exploded with emotion. During his interviews, he would beam and admit openly that with each win, it was the best day of his life. During the Round of 4, ByuN had to speak for himself during the coach's interview, seeing as he was teamless and had no actual coach. ByuN played the part, acting out the role with enthusiasm. He even gave "Coach ByuN" a shout-out in a later winner's interview.
ByuN seems to have no shame about his failings. Despite being a professional level player since the very beginning of StarCraft II, he's gone through many years without any major success. He's admitted to thinking he was a good player, but couldn't win when it mattered. He's also acknowledged that he has problems with his nerves. At one point, he said he lost faith in his skills.
And for any StarCraft player, there is nothing more relatable. Players have no teammates to blame their losses on. There are no random factors that will give way to an unavoidable loss. StarCraft, more than any other video game, makes players question their skills, their intelligence. You are the reason you lost. You weren't good enough. That's it. To have an actual champion talk openly about a feeling that transcends the playing field is amazing.
ByuN has been a contender almost since the beginning but vanished from professional play from October 2013 to January 2016. When he came back, it was on a whim with no expectations, but during the second GSL Code S season, he made history. To win a tournament after missing years of competition is hard enough. To win a tournament without the support of a team ... it's just never been done in South Korea.
ByuN's struggled and come to the absolute edge of giving up, but has continued on. And now it's time for him to do it again. With BlizzCon quickly approaching, ByuN has once again thrown the Korean StarCraft Rulebook into the wind. While most pros are hiding their practice regimen, ByuN publicly streams ladder sessions on Twitch.tv, some days for 12 or more hours. He is relentless in his practice, showing the dedication it takes to get one of these:
No one going to BlizzCon is going to out-practice ByuN. In fact, no one will out-micro, out-heart, or even out-personality ByuN. In fact, he may just be the overall favorite, and the fan-favorite at the upcoming World Championships. That being said, there are some points of potential weakness he has. Based on his play in tournaments this year as well as his recent streaming, ByuN likes the strategies he likes. Sometimes, that's not always a good thing.
He has some intelligent branches planned out, but it would be a mistake to call his play "strategically innovative." ByuN will more than likely be relying on the crispness of his play and godliness of his micro to take down BlizzCon. This leaves the door open for his opponents to play a more strategically-based game plan. It won't be easy, though. ByuN's play is so in your face, so well micro'd, and so efficient, that his opponents will need near-perfect execution to take him down.
No matter how you look at it, ByuN is the South Korean player to watch at BlizzCon this year.