The mutual salvation romance 'Gyeonwoo and the Fairy' is coming to viewers.
On the afternoon of the 17th, an online event for the new tvN Monday-Tuesday drama 'Gyeonwoo and the Fairy' featured director Kim Yong-wan and actors Cho Yi-hyun, Choo Young-Woo, Cha Kang-yoon, and Choo Ja-hyun discussing the show.
'Gyeonwoo and the Fairy' is a drama about a first love salvation romance featuring a boy destined to die and an MZ shaman girl trying to prevent it, based on the popular webtoon of the same name. It will provide fresh excitement through the story of high school girl shaman Park Seong-ah (played by Cho Yi-hyun), who fights against destiny for her first love Gyeonwoo (played by Choo Young-Woo), and how she helps him overcome his fated misfortune.
With high expectations for the brilliant performances in 'Gyeonwoo and the Fairy', directed by Kim Yong-wan, who shows the chemistry and skill of trustable actors, Kim Yong-wan noted the differences between traditional youth romance and 'Gyeonwoo and the Fairy': "When we think of first love, we usually want to look pretty and be busy loving. In our drama, Seong-ah's first love Gyeonwoo is surrounded by misfortune, and she struggles to fight it, which I think provides a unique viewing experience."
Director Kim said, "When I read the script, I could sense the writer's message that they want to save the children and not let go of their hands, which is why I chose this project. I hope the viewers will find it entertaining while feeling that message throughout the work."
Cho Yi-hyun took on the role of Park Seong-ah, a high school girl who is a 'MZ shaman', living a double life as a student by day and a shaman by night in 'Gyeonwoo and the Fairy'. Cho Yi-hyun introduced her character, saying, "Seong-ah lives a double life. She falls in love at first sight with Gyeonwoo and works hard to save him. I am someone who will do my best to help this friend."
Regarding her involvement, Cho Yi-hyun said, "Firstly, I have a lot of interest in shamanism. At a time when I was deeply intrigued, the script for 'Gyeonwoo and the Fairy' came to me. I am a fatalist, so I started reading the script with that mindset. Since Seong-ah is a character living a double life, I thought it would be an opportunity to grow as an actress if I perform well, thus I decided to join. We have a scene in the trailer where we perform a ritual. I learned the order of the ritual and asked a shaman consultant for advice, so I practiced for quite a long time. It was more than three months of preparation," she recalled.
Choo Young-Woo plays Baek Gyeonwoo, a high school student born with a fatal destiny. After roles in medical and law school dramas, he will now portray an archer. He expressed excitement, saying, "I just watched the highlight video and I found myself wanting to see more. It seems really fun. I watched the edited video for the first time, and I feel it's going to be enjoyable, so I hope everyone looks forward to it. I think everyone worked hard on set, so I am hopeful."
Choo Young-Woo spoke about the role of Baek Gyeonwoo, saying, "Gyeonwoo is a child born with a fatal destiny. Along with his fatal fate, he carries all kinds of misfortune. Misfortune follows me all the time, so anyone who approaches me gets hurt, and due to that, he lives like a hedgehog, putting up thorns against others. I thought I could express certain parts well, and I really wanted to work with the best director and my senior colleagues, as well as Yi-hyun and Kang-yoon."
Playing the opposite character of the charming Baek Gyeonwoo is rising star Cha Kang-yoon in the role of Pyo Ji-ho. Cha Kang-yoon stated, "Ji-ho is a very straightforward character. He likes what he likes and dislikes what he dislikes. I thought this simplicity could be attractive to you while acting. Ji-ho doesn't know what feelings he has towards Seong-ah yet, but there are scenes where he sees Seong-ah struggling to protect Gyeonwoo. As such, he is someone who becomes sure of his feelings for Seong-ah after witnessing that."
In another notable role, Cha Kang-yoon will once again wear a school uniform, saying, "In 'Graduation', I played the top student, and now I get to show a different side of a character with an ultimate charm in this drama."
Portraying the character Yeom-Hwa, which has a vibe completely opposite to the three main roles, is actress Choo Ja-hyun. She mentioned, "I did attend the production presentation, but I think I should keep my words to a minimum. Firstly, these three juniors are very fresh. It seems like in coming to me, their freshness has disappeared. I feel I need to maintain my composure, but while filming, I got too immersed in the trendy youth aspects of my junior colleagues."
Continuing, Choo Ja-hyun explained, "I worked hard to maintain my center and acted while learning from my juniors. After watching the highlights, there are a lot of keywords like youthful and salvation romance, but life isn't easy. Their love doesn't go smoothly. I will have a confusing role torturing these busy juniors. There will be unimaginable twists towards the end, and I myself will show aspects that are hard to imagine. I first took on the role because of the director, but as the script progressed, I ended up causing a lot of troubles, so it felt like I acted very lonely."
Additionally, Choo Ja-hyun commented, "Since it's a role that doesn't exist in the original, it has its pros and cons. The con is that I have no role model and I don't know what to do, and the pro is that I can do it my way. I did it as I wanted."
As the genre of 'mutual salvation romance' is explored, curiosity about the casting secrets of the actors arises. Director Kim Yong-wan remarked, "Given that our work is a tale connected to gods, the casting felt miraculous, as if it were chosen by the gods. Cho Yi-hyun is too lovely; I often thought she acts with care. Since Seong-ah is also a shaman, her performing rituals requires heartfelt effort, and I felt that the actress's energy resonated with that. I felt during filming that her passion and attitude resembled Seong-ah's."
Next, regarding Choo Young-Woo, director Kim stated, "Choo Young-Woo is so hot. The basic premise is that Seong-ah must fall for Gyeonwoo at first sight. To pass this premise, I thought of who could fit that role, and Choo Young-Woo was perfect. He really acts with animalistic instincts, as if he jumped out of a comic. I am surprised and fascinated that he's gaining popularity from good works; he almost feels like our work's lottery."
Furthermore, director Kim discussed Cha Kang-yoon by saying, "I thought of an actor with an image opposite Gyeonwoo for the role of Ji-ho. Having seen many auditions, when I saw Kang-yoon, he seemed healthy in both body and mind and was adorable. I thought it would be great to have a friend like Kang-yoon beside the lonely Seong-ah. I think he was the youngest on set, but he was so lovable. Yi-hyun and Young-Woo were taking care of him, and the atmosphere was great. I can never forget that he did a beatbox and danced to appeal during our first meeting."
Along with that, Cha Kang-yoon's instant beatbox performance drew a hot response from the site, prompting Park Kyung-rim to ask director Kim if viewers would see Cha Kang-yoon's beatbox in the drama. In response, director Kim said, "That's a secret," and Choo Young-Woo added, "Usually, when it's a secret, it comes out." Cha Kang-yoon also expressed, "You must watch the show," raising curiosity about whether viewers would hear his beatbox in the drama.
When asked why he cast actress Choo Ja-hyun for the role of Yeom-hwa, director Kim explained, "Choo Young-Woo plays an archer with a very strong image. Yeom-hwa is a character who could be overshadowed by such charisma. I felt that there's no one but Choo Ja-hyun for the depth that the story of Yeom-hwa will reveal as the drama progresses, which is why I kneeled and offered the role. I genuinely wanted to meet her, and when she agreed to join our project, I was so thrilled that I remember hugging the cinematographer in excitement."
The main actors Choo Young-Woo and Cho Yi-hyun have reunited after three years since 'School 2021'. First, Choo Young-Woo said, "In the time we've been apart, Yi-hyun has become more beautiful, and somehow I feel like I'm the only one aging. Even though it's only been three years, she seems really mature now. Back then, we had no opportunity for back-and-forth, and the set was chaotic for us to talk. This time we were able to connect better with more romance and comedy, so it felt good together."
Cho Yi-hyun also stated, "I was glad to meet Young-Woo again in a project after a long time. We're the same age. In reality, we filmed around 4–5 years ago. Meeting again in our early twenties felt refreshing, and I felt he was a charming actor with a new side. Secondly, I felt a sense of stability and comfort being reunited, which made me grateful. Since we know each other's personalities, it was nice that we didn't have to forcefully adjust, allowing us to organically break the ice together."
As the talk from the production presentation raised expectations for the drama, curiosity about their relationships also arose. Regarding the relationship between Park Seong-ah and Baek Gyeonwoo, Cho Yi-hyun said, "From Seong-ah's perspective, I want to say it's first love," and Choo Young-Woo added, "For me too, it's first love, but I think of it as salvation, as she is the one who reaches out to me."
On the other hand, Cho Yi-hyun drew the line that the relationship between Park Seong-ah and Pyo Ji-ho is 'friendship'. In response, Cha Kang-yoon commented, "That suddenly hurts. To Ji-ho, Seong-ah is 'the only interest.' He's not interested in people or relationships, but for some reason, he just seems drawn to Seong-ah."
Regarding the relationship between Park Seong-ah and Yeom-hwa, Choo Ja-hyun explained, "I mentioned early on that I would be bothering the juniors, and Yeom-hwa interferes with first love. While Park Seong-ah is someone who is part of the same world as Yeom-hwa, she is another me born with a different fate," and Cho Yi-hyun agreed with Choo Ja-hyun's words.
On the relationship between Baek Gyeonwoo and Pyo Ji-ho centered around Seong-ah, Choo Young-Woo said, "In a way, they are rivals, but they also share a bromance," and Cha Kang-yoon added, "At first, Ji-ho doesn't realize it, but it seems like he is slowly being drawn in. If we were to name it, perhaps 'Gyeonmyeodeun', or 'Chumyeodeun.'"
Finally, when asked what response they expect from 'Gyeonwoo and the Fairy', Cho Yi-hyun expressed, "I hope the public can feel that Choo Young-Woo can become 'the nation's first love,'" while Choo Young-Woo said, "I hope it raises empathy. Yi-hyun is already a lovely actress, but she appears even more charming in this. I believe the unique charm that only she possesses is adequately showcased. I had a lot of fun shooting with Kang-yoon, and we talked a lot. I hope to receive responses like 'so cute' and 'well-made' from viewers."
'Gyeonwoo and the Fairy', featuring a hot cast and a talented production team, is generating high anticipation for its premiere as attention is focused on whether it can repeat the success of the youth drama 'Lovely Runner', which caused a sensation last year.
Meanwhile, tvN's 'Gyeonwoo and the Fairy', starring Cho Yi-hyun, Choo Young-Woo, Cha Kang-yoon, and Choo Ja-hyun, will air at 8:50 p.m. on the 23rd.
[Photo] tvN 'Gyeonwoo and the Fairy'
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