Actor Kang Han-na proved her status as the ultimate historical drama immersion king with sharp focus and overwhelming presence in Bon Appetit, Your Majesty.
In episodes 7 and 8 of tvN's Bon Appetit, Your Majesty, which aired on the 13th and 14th, Kang Han-na played Sukwon Kang Mok-ju, convincingly revealing a dual inner life that hid power and desire beneath a graceful and gentle exterior. She heightened the drama's tension by playing a character who shakes up the balance of power through jealousy of court lady Yeon Ji-young (Lim Yoon-a) and an obsession with power.
In that broadcast, Kang Mok-ju heightened the drama's tension by revealing suspicion and unease as she tracked the identity of Gong-gil, who secretly helps Yeon Ji-young from behind the scenes. Upon learning that Ok-dan, who died at Jahongwon in the past, was Gong-gil's sister, she ordered persistent evidence-gathering, clearly displaying an interior mixed with anxiety and suspicion and convincingly exposing the character's complexity. Ahead of the competition with the Ming dynasty royal cook, she pressured Master Cook Maeng to intentionally lose, and she amplified the character's weight with a ruthless side that did not hesitate to use her mother as leverage for blackmail.
Kang Han-na expressed Kang Mok-ju's obsessiveness and ruthlessness three-dimensionally with unwavering vocal delivery, solid breath control and flashes of intense eye contact at every moment. Through subtly varied expressions and sharp tone control, she captured both the craving for power and inner anxiety, maximizing the drama's tension. Such detailed emotional lines and a powerful acting tone elevated the character beyond a simple villain to a central pillar of the narrative, further highlighting Kang Han-na's acting prowess.
Above all, Kang Han-na used fleetingly varied expressions to three-dimensionally convey the character's instinctive anxiety and craving for power. This became the driving force that convincingly propelled the drama's narrative, and combined with a 'palace' personal color that perfectly matched historical drama, it once again proved Kang Han-na's wide acting range.
Meanwhile, Bon Appetit, Your Majesty, in which Kang Han-na showcases a different charm each episode, airs every Saturday and Sunday at 9:10 p.m. on tvN.
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