Among the many, many dating shows, the age-gap-focused 'Noona, you're a woman to me' is finally being revealed.
On the 27th, a production press conference for KBS2's new entertainment program 'Noona, you're a woman to me' was held at KBS in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. In attendance were PD Park Jin-woo and broadcaster Han Ye-jin, actress Hwang Woo-seul-hye, and 2PM's Jang Wooyoung. TOMORROW X TOGETHER's Soobin could not attend due to a concert in Japan.
'Noona, you're a woman to me' delicately depicts romances between women who have not yet found love because they spent intense years focusing on their careers and men who believe age is just a number in love, and it is expected to stimulate viewers' romantic instincts.
PD Park Jin-woo said of 'Noona, you're a woman to me,' "The title couldn't be more straightforward. I think you can tell what the program is just from the title. There have been so many dating programs, but they mostly feature people in their 20s or men who are older. To create differentiation, I wanted to make a program where the woman is the older party, where people who had given up on love or were hesitating about love open their eyes to the excitement of love."
PD Park Jin-woo said about the cast, "They work hard in their respective fields but are not famous celebrities. Our big hope with this program was that they would fall in love again. We tried to cast people with sincerity. The most important thing was that they wanted to have a proper love again, and we wanted to cast people who truly wanted to find love."
Park added about viewer feedback, "Since we are focusing on age-gap relationships, people might watch it with preconceived notions. But this program was not made to highlight sensational aspects. I hope you see it as a romance recovery program. Because the people who want to recover participated sincerely, if you focus on dopamine without misunderstanding, I think you'll understand what I'm saying."
The unprecedented 'yeonpeu (dating show)' and the real romance of age-gap relationships will be observed together, and the MCs chosen to watch it are Han Hye-jin, Hwang Woo-seul-hye, Jang Wooyoung and TOMORROW X TOGETHER's Soobin. PD Park Jin-woo said, "We cast MCs who can comment on an equal footing with the cast. From the perspective of all younger men, including myself, I wanted to invite attractive noonas as MCs. The noona-role cast members are as attractive as Han Hye-jin and Hwang Woo-seul-hye and give honest feedback. I cast Jang Wooyoung because I thought he could give feedback from the standpoint of an experienced younger man. I wanted Soobin to comment purely from a younger man's perspective. He is honest and properly explains actions that make you wonder why they were taken. The chemistry among the four is excellent."
Han Hye-jin, who has served as MC on many dating shows such as 'Love's Interference,' 'Love Siblings' and 'Heart Signal,' is expected to show her prowess as a dating expert who can catch hidden love lines. Actress Hwang Woo-seul-hye, making her MC debut through 'Noona, you're a woman to me,' is expected to read and empathize with the hearts of older women alongside Han Hye-jin and add vitality.
Han Hye-jin said, "Each viewer's personal pick will keep changing. I think we should add a 'caution: over-immersion' notice for 'Noona, you're a woman to me.' What I found interesting while watching the footage is that age-gap relationships appear frequently in other dating programs too, but recent trends have focused on physical aspects. Appearance matters, but while everyone knew the women were older, as emotions rise and relationships deepen, conflicts over age will start. That was a concern for us. Some have a 12-year gap but look young, and it will be interesting to see what changes occur in relationships when ages are revealed. I hope people pay attention to that."
She added, "Watching it made me think I might be missing various emotional threads I had temporarily forgotten while living frenetically. This program can take those out and let you look at them. It feels like rediscovering soft, tender emotions, so I hope you view it from that perspective. There's nothing sensational about it."
Hwang Woo-seul-hye said, "I personally don't often watch dating programs, so I was worried about becoming an MC. Han Hye-jin and Jang Wooyoung helped me a lot, and because I was watching the monitor so much, the writers even told me to speak up. Maybe because I wasn't used to watching them, my immersion was different. From the second episode onward, I've switched from viewer mode to MC mode. We're having that much fun filming."
Hwang Woo-seul-hye, who is currently in a relationship with a younger man, said, "In my experience, when you have to choose between work and love, I chose work, so I think I'm alone now. I started dating a younger man because many suitable people around me had already married. Also, working as an actor offers freedom in some aspects, and the younger man accepted that, so we met. There may be peers, but there are more opportunities to meet younger men, so it happened that way."
The activities of 'idol younger men' Jang Wooyoung and Soobin are also highly anticipated. 2PM's Jang Wooyoung will show his 'dating show analyst' side befitting a dating show enthusiast and is expected to provoke viewers' over-immersion, and TOMORROW X TOGETHER's Soobin, who actually has a noona 10 years older, is expected to properly tap into the older women's feelings.
Jang Wooyoung, who has mainly worked with noonas on variety shows, said, "I tend to keep up with most dating programs. I'm not the type to seek them out, but when people around me say they're fun, I come across them. As I watched, I began to watch with preconceived notions, but then I found myself rooting for them. I thought it was impressive that people would willingly put their face and name out there for viewers' sake if they could find the courage for their own love and future. That's when I thought about the possibility of an MC opportunity coming to me."
Jang Wooyoung continued, "I haven't watched many episodes. When the first broadcast airs, we go at a pace similar to viewers, and I found myself wondering from the start 'why is the pace so fast' and 'why are they so honest.' From the beginning, it seemed the younger men prioritized their feelings rather than considering things deeply from their standpoint. So I felt an active attitude was important, and I realized the importance of timing."
The points of interest are also intriguing. PD Park Jin-woo said, "I think cuteness wins everything. If you watch the broadcast, your cheeks will hurt from smiling. There are many cute, lovely and provocative people, and various masculine younger men appear, so please look forward to it." Jang Wooyoung said, "The important thing in a dating program is the cast. We focused a lot on them, and transparent people who don't think about the broadcast came out. I've only seen the second episode, but I hope these people don't get hurt too much and achieve what they want. Viewers will fall for the cast's chemistry, and it's fun to watch Han Hye-jin and Hwang Woo-seul-hye's reactions. It felt like there were three TVs. Honest reactions are the viewing point."
Hwang Woo-seul-hye said, "When I act, the biggest concern is showing the character realistically. This program is a realistic, heart-fluttering romantic drama. There are moments that make you think 'this would be a hit if done that way' because they are so thrilling, and I think those parts will be the viewing points." Han Hye-jin said, "Our program features noonas and younger men. Everything is set up for that, so younger men who have all the attractive points that make them appealing to older women meet charming older women and have chaotic interactions, and I hope viewers enjoy that."
Meanwhile, KBS2's new entertainment program 'Noona, you're a woman to me' premieres at 9:50 p.m. on the 27th.
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