Hyun-wook Choi and Woo-jin Moon are drawing attention with their record-breaking 'empathy index' confessions.
tvN's Monday-Tuesday drama 'That Guy is a Black Dragon' (directed by Soo-hyun Lee, written by Soo-yeon Kim, produced by Studio N, planned by Studio Dragon) is an office romance about 'Deputy Minister Killer' team leader Soo-jung Baek, who suffers from a first love that has turned into a dark history, and 'third-generation chaebol' Deputy Minister Joo-yeon Ban, who lives hidden with his inner black dragon. The story depicts how the two, who met in an online game as kids and ended up with the worst relationship, reunite in the workplace. Accordingly, 'That Guy is a Black Dragon' has risen to the top of the pre-release online buzz among tvN's historical Monday-Tuesday dramas, becoming a hot drama in 2025, and in its first week of broadcasting, it became the number one in viewership ratings during the same time slot for cable and general programming, continuing the reign of 'Wondong' with seven consecutive weeks at the top.
Soo-jung Baek (played by Ga-young Moon) and Joo-yeon Ban (played by Hyun-wook Choi) fell in love through an online game 16 years ago, but after meeting in person at an offline gathering, they comically depict the process of first love becoming a dark history when Joo-yeon turns out to be a middle school student rather than an older brother.
Amid this, interest in the character Joo-yeon Ban, who vacillates between being a meticulous Deputy Minister and a cute black dragon, is rising, and the record-breaking empathy index (empathy index) confession scene performed by Hyun-wook Choi and Woo-jin Moon is drawing attention. In the first episode, Woo-jin took on the role of Joo-yeon Ban at the age of 15, delivering an explosive performance with a strong impact. In the drama, Moon Ga-young (as Soo-jung Baek) discovers during their offline meeting that Woo-jin is a second-year middle school student, not an older brother, yet he boldly proclaims in the middle of a crowded street, “We are destined to be. Only you can release me, trapped in lonely darkness, the black dragon. My love, my destiny. Please grant me love and freedom,” delivering an overt proposal that is infused with the 'little dragon' middle school emotion and shaking the living rooms.
Most importantly, in the second episode, 16 years later, 'the big dragon' Hyun-wook Choi renewed the empathy index confession with a comedic scene that stimulates viewers' empathy index. In the drama, Soo-jung, who was left alone at a chaebol gathering, ended up in a conflict with a chaebol man, and at the moment of crisis, Joo-yeon stepped in. At that moment, he held Soo-jung's hand and transformed the legendary line from the drama 'Woman of Paris,' saying, 'Baby, let's go,' into a 2025 version, eliciting great laughter from viewers.
In particular, Hyun-wook Choi elevated excitement by skillfully portraying the character Joo-yeon Ban. He perfectly pulled off not only a suit but also a bandana and leather jacket; he prefers chocolate milk more than espresso, and has a passion for comics and figures, which shaped Choi's black dragon character as a cute younger man bursting from coolness. The irresistible charm of the younger man, transitioning from the 'little dragon' to the 'big dragon,' is enveloping viewers in excitement.
As a result, online communities and social media are buzzing with comments such as, “I can't stop laughing,” “Thanks to Woo-jin's outstanding performance, I faced an emotional resilience test and had so much fun,” “I might like this kind of emotion,” “Did Woo-jin and Hyun-wook swallow the black dragon?” “They built up while mentioning 'Lovers in Paris,' and then the ending 'Baby, let's go' was insane. Joo-yeon, stop making me laugh,” and “The black dragon confession scene was so embarrassing that I watched it half-hidden,” garnering intense interest from viewers.
While Hyun-wook Choi made another public confession towards Ga-young Moon after 16 years, attention is focused on how their office romance will unfold as 'That Guy is a Black Dragon' airs.
tvN's Monday-Tuesday drama 'That Guy is a Black Dragon' airs every Monday and Tuesday at 8:50 p.m.