Park Ji-hwan once again proved his worth with "The Murky Stream."
Disney+'s first original historical series "The Murky Stream" has continued to draw intense attention thanks to Park Ji-hwan's relentless performance.
"The Murky Stream" is an action drama about people who, surrounding Gyeonggang where all of Joseon's money and goods gather, pursued different dreams to overturn the corrupt world and live like human beings. As of Oct. 8, content analysis platform FUNdex ranked the series 3rd on its TV·OTT drama institutional sector buzz chart, and Park Ji-hwan placed 8th on the integrated drama·non-drama cast buzz rankings.
Episodes 6-7 of "The Murky Stream," released on the 10th, completely captivated viewers with their driving plot and momentum. In particular, Park Ji-hwan, who played Mudeok, controlled the flow of "The Murky Stream" and swayed the mood of the drama.
Mudeok, who became the thumb of Mapo Ferry, drew laughs with his continued bickering chemistry with Siyul (played by Rowoon). Their rapport injected pleasant vitality and energy into "The Murky Stream," and balanced the weight of the drama. Later, Mudeok dressed to the nines for a gathering of the thumbs from each ferry, but soon lowered his tail in the face of the thumbs' territorial behavior and contempt, adding to the fun.
Meanwhile, it was newly revealed that Wang-hae (played by Kim Dong-won), who is building power, was the one who killed Siyul's mother in the past. In response, the gangs attempted to carry out Siyul's revenge, and Mudeok conflicted between his responsibility to protect Mapo Ferry. Siyul also tried to dissuade the gangs from revenge, but the drama reached a climax when Mal-bok (played by Ahn Seung-gyun), one of the gang members who tried to harm Wang-hae, lost his life.
Park Ji-hwan dominated the screen with a weighty presence and explosive acting. He added dimensionality to the character Mudeok, raising anticipation whenever he appeared, and firmly anchored the narrative with delicate emotional acting and varied expressions.
He also maximized the character's charm amid unpredictable developments, ensuring immersion. With the power to shift the drama's tone and seasoned acting, Park Ji-hwan completed dense chemistry with his co-stars. As the episodes continued, his increasingly intense performance raised expectations for the final episode to a peak.
Meanwhile, alongside the heat of "The Murky Stream," the Park Ji-hwan-starring film "Boss" also showed an impressive trajectory. It opened on the 3rd and immediately ranked No. 1 at the box office, and surpassed 2 million admissions in just 10 days after its release. With "The Murky Stream" and "Boss" completely dominating the Chuseok holiday and capturing public attention, Park Ji-hwan's momentum is shining brighter than ever.
The final episodes 8-9 of the Park Ji-hwan-starring Disney+ series "The Murky Stream" will be released this Friday (17th).<
[Photo] The Walt Disney Company Korea
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