'Mean Love' Lee Jung-jae, Lim Ji-yeon, Kim Ji-hoon, and Seo Ji-hye are making delightful and thrilling transformations.
Scheduled to air in the second half of 2025, tvN's new Monday-Tuesday drama 'Mean Love' (directed by Kim Ga-ram, written by Jung Yeo-rang, produced by Studio Dragon, Studio & New, Artist Company) depicts the mutual growth journey of a national actor who has lost his original intention and an elite reporter who has lost his position, overcoming their respective prejudices. In a spectacular entertainment industry where various incidents erupt almost daily, the conflict between a top star and a reporter tied together by a mean karma provides unique laughter, empathy, and excitement.
The meeting of Lee Jung-jae, who boasts global popularity through the 'Squid Game' series, and Lim Ji-yeon, who received great love through works such as 'The Glory' and 'The Tale of Lady Ok,' is the highlight to watch. Additionally, the collaboration of director Kim Ga-ram, who has worked across genres including 'Good Partner' and 'Nevertheless,' and writer Jung Yeo-rang, who caused a syndrome with 'Doctor Cha Jeong-sook,' is expected to deliver another remarkable piece.
Meanwhile, the script reading scene has been revealed. The meeting included director Kim Ga-ram, writer Jung Yeo-rang, Lee Jung-jae, Lim Ji-yeon, Kim Ji-hoon, Seo Ji-hye, Choi Gwi-hwa, Jeon Sung-woo, Kim Jae-cheol, Na Young-hee, Jeon Soo-kyung, Kim Hyun-jin, Jin Ho-eun, Kim Beop-rae, and Jo Hee-bong, along with special appearance by Oh Yeon-seo. The gathering of these actors was filled with cheerful energy throughout.
Firstly, Lee Jung-jae perfectly embodies the national actor 'Lim Hyun-jun,' who dreams of becoming a master of melodrama, raising expectations for his return to the small screen after six years. With his cheerful and seasoned comedic performance, Lee Jung-jae brings Lim Hyun-jun's dynamic transformation to life, earning praises of 'as expected.' Lim Ji-yeon showcases her outstanding ability to portray the character 'Wi Jung-shin,' a reporter caught in a massive corruption scandal and lost her position. Wi Jung-shin's tumultuous adjustment from being the ace of the political department, who won the youngest reporter award, to the entertainment department presents an enjoyable narrative. Most remarkably, the synergy between Lee Jung-jae and Lim Ji-yeon, completing the whimsical back-and-forth relationship of Lim Hyun-jun and Wi Jung-shin, is reported to exceed expectations.
Kim Ji-hoon cast as 'Lee Jae-hyung,' the president of the sports magazine 'Sports Eunseong' and a former baseball player, displayed a strong presence. Lee Jae-hyung is a romantic who is kind to everyone but only pursues one woman, undergoing changes upon meeting Wi Jung-shin. Kim Ji-hoon amplified the allure of the romantic Lee Jae-hyung with his unique ability to control the pace, adding excitement. Seo Ji-hye transformed into the unprecedented youngest director general of the entertainment department, 'Yoon Hwa-young,' at Sports Eunseong. As the only one capable of knocking down Wi Jung-shin, she is also the ex-girlfriend of Lee Jae-hyung. Seo Ji-hye's passionate performance brought attention to Yoon Hwa-young's cold yet gentle charisma.
The contributions of the scene-stealers, who will add cheerful laughter and thrilling tension, cannot be overlooked. Choi Gwi-hwa took on the role of 'President Hwang,' a manager who has been with Lim Hyun-jun since his debut, bringing a delightful 'bro-chemistry' to the screen. Jeon Sung-woo transformed into 'Park Byung-ki,' the writer of the 'Good Cop Kang Pil-goo' series that made Lim Hyun-jun a national actor, injecting unpredictable humor. Kim Jae-cheol heightened the tension as 'Lee Dae-ho,' Lee Jae-hyung's half-brother and a businessman willing to do anything for money. Particularly, Oh Yeon-seo's role as 'Kwon Se-na,' a global star with past connections to Lim Hyun-jun, added more fun to the story. It's intriguing to consider how the presence of Lee Dae-ho and Kwon Se-na, who will get entangled in extraordinary incidents, will act as variables in the plot.
The enthusiastic performances of characters fulfilling the role of a comic relief are also highly anticipated. Na Young-hee portrays 'Seong Ae-sook,' a sexy star from the 1970s and Lim Hyun-jun's mother, while Jeon Soo-kyung plays 'Oh Mi-ran,' the current actress and mother of Lee Jae-hyung, who brings in a different energy due to her wealth. Kim Hyun-jin plays 'Lim Seon-woo,' Lim Hyun-jun's younger brother who is thirsty for acting, and Jin Ho-eun plays 'Wi Hong-shin,' Wi Jung-shin's youngest sibling and aspiring actress, adding a vibrant closeness to the story. Additionally, Kim Beop-rae plays 'Hong Guk-jang,' who never does anything detrimental under Sports Eunseong, and Jo Hee-bong takes on the role of 'President Son,' the production company representative for the 'Good Cop Kang Pil-goo.'
[Photo] tvN
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