Actress Han Ji-eun, who starred in 'Ask the Stars,' expressed her thoughts on the divided opinions and criticisms surrounding the conclusion of the work.
Han Ji-eun conducted an interview on the afternoon of the 24th at a cafe in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. During this meeting, she spoke with domestic reporters about the recently concluded tvN weekend drama 'Ask the Stars' and the Tving original series 'Study Group,' as well as her recent activities.
Among the highlights, 'Ask the Stars' (abbreviated as 'Star') ended on the previous day, the 23rd. The romantic comedy drama depicts the Earth-bound life of Boss Eve (Gong Hyo-jin), who works at a zero-gravity space station, and an unexpected guest Dinosaur (Lee Min-ho), who has a secret mission. In this, Han Ji-eun delivered a passionate performance as the fiancée of Dinosaur, Cha Gi-eun, an heir to the MZ Group.
As a romantic comedy set in space, 'Ask the Stars' is known for its extraordinary scale, with a production cost of about 50 billion won. Additionally, it is a work by writer Seo Sook-hyang, who contributed to Gong Hyo-jin's drama goddess 'Gong-bul-li' myth through works like 'Pasta' and 'Jealousy Incarnate.' Director Park Shin-woo, who directed 'Jealousy Incarnate,' took charge of the direction, which drew expectations from drama fans since Gong Hyo-jin and Lee Min-ho play the lead roles.
However, from the first broadcast to the last, the divided reactions surrounding 'Ask the Stars' did not cease. Han Ji-eun, who had a special affection for the work, emphasized, "It is a work that was made with great effort and one that I love," expressing her disappointment.
At the same time, she cautiously remarked, "I thought there might be some unfamiliar points for viewers in 'Ask the Stars.' However, since there is a good medium called OTT, I have a thought that maybe in the future, through Netflix and Tving, it can be revisited at some point after some time has passed."
She continued, "In any case, considering the vast material of space, there might be common themes that people usually think of. Within this large scale, the story might be a bit more significant, but ultimately, our narrative focuses on small, primal stories of people living in a large place, which is likely the reason for the perceived differences."
In particular, Han Ji-eun expressed her feelings about the ending of the work, which concluded with Eve's death, saying, "It is upsetting." She continued, "The ending of Eve is regrettable on a human level, and it is also painful to have to send Dinosaur away. Nevertheless, it seems like that was the only option. I believe there are points where one could imagine an open ending for the character."
(Continued in interview②.)
[Photo] Gram Entertainment, provided by tvN.