A rom-com to cap the year, Nice to Not Meet You, unveils its veil.
On the afternoon of the 28th, an online live broadcast production press conference for tvN's new Monday-Tuesday drama Nice to Not Meet You was held, with director Kim Ga-ram as well as actors Lee Jung-jae, Lim Ji-yeon, Kim Ji-hoon and Seo Ji-hye in attendance.
Nice to Not Meet You is a drama about the diss war, fact bombardment and prejudice-busting between a national actor who has lost his original intent and an entertainment reporter obsessed with achieving justice. In the spectacular entertainment industry where one outrageous incident after another breaks out almost daily, the hostile chemistry between a top star and an entertainment reporter tangled by a spiteful fate is expected to deliver empathy and excitement amid unique laughter.
That day director Kim Ga-ram introduced the work, saying, "As the title suggests, the word 'annoyance' carries a certain linguistic temperature. It's a story about the emotions of a person who is in between being lovable and hateful. I think it's a story that breaks the prejudice that love is simply beautiful. They meet as enemies and hatred begins, but that hatred transitions into understanding, and that understanding becomes love, creating a story of our empathy. I hope you enjoy the moments when an annoying person becomes an annoying love."
He added, "People in the industry say I do rom-coms and romance well, but Nice to Not Meet You was not a simple story. It wasn't just a love story; I had a determination to show prejudice against me being broken through drama. And within that determination, the actors became a big motivation. I had the competitive desire to elevate the actors' charm into another kind of charm," explaining why he chose Nice to Not Meet You as his next project.
He also shared behind-the-scenes stories about the splendid casting. The director said, "The casting was so perfect it was always burdensome. I thought I just had to do well." He added, "Senior Jeong-jae will be surprised in the show. He's so cute. He will be unbearably cute. Ji-yeon is truly lovable. It's chaos. Ji-hoon is so sweet I think he'll get diabetes. In Seo Ji-hye's case, she's usually so calm and gentle, but she's scary. Just one shout. No one revealed their true colors off set. They were perfectly immersed in their characters, to the point where you question whether this person is that person, and I was very satisfied. There were no NGs on set," conveying a warm atmosphere.
That day Lee Jung-jae, after appearing in intense works such as the Squid Game series, chose a romantic comedy as his next project. Regarding why he chose the project, Lee Jung-jae joked, "First, I'm so grateful that Lim Ji-yeon recommended me, and thanks to that I was able to appear in such a wonderful work." He continued, "Second, my previous works were heavy. I wanted to try something light and lively, and thanks to Lim Ji-yeon the opportunity came and I grabbed it," drawing laughter.
He also spoke about his chemistry with Lim Ji-yeon. With an 18-year age gap that has been a topic of conversation even before airing, Lee Jung-jae said of his interactions with Lim Ji-yeon, "We bicker on set in real life too. She really gives me a hard time. I wonder if she was cast to treat me that way. Why do you torment me like this? 'Because it's fun!' she says. Ah, she cast me to have fun," eliciting laughter. Lim Ji-yeon clarified, "I recommended him. I found the script so fun and thought he would play this character better than anyone in the world; Lee Jung-jae came to mind. I texted shyly that I hoped we could do it together after he said he read it first. It's not that I forced him."
Lim Ji-yeon said, "The relationship between the two characters is somewhat that way. As I immersed myself in the role, I ended up giving senior actors what might be called teasing on set." She added, "I feel catharsis every day. I think I'll feel it tomorrow too. Acting was very comfortable because he accepted whatever I did. Because he accepted whatever I did, it feels like our real chemistry came through beyond acting," expressing satisfaction. Lee Jung-jae, however, complained, "I'm not comfortable. She pours so many hard facts on me. I restrain myself because if I hit back the set atmosphere might get bad," which added to the laughter.
They also addressed the age gap. Lee Jung-jae said, "I don't think the age gap is something to overcome. Despite the age difference she treats me so harshly. It wasn't like that during the first shoot, but it got worse as we went on." Lim Ji-yeon reiterated her satisfaction, saying, "I felt much more comfortable with him than with any peer actor," prompting Lee Jung-jae to quip, "You're comfortable because you can do whatever you want," which provoked laughter.
Lim Ji-yeon described her character: "She loves her job and has a strong professional spirit. She's the type to rush headlong to get an exclusive. Being in her 30s, she's neither a perfect newbie nor a complete veteran. I worked to portray a character who grows gradually." She added, "When I met reporters during interviews, I felt they each had different charms, so I thought I should start from myself. I started from imagining if my profession were not an actor but a reporter, and I wanted to draw her as authentically as possible. She can be casual, she has cool moments, and she's varied."
She continued, "In a way, my previous roles were a bit darker and involved characters who endured a lot of hardship, so this time I wanted a character suited to my age—something lighter and more cheerful—and I tried to act that way. A character who originally had little interest in popular culture suddenly encounters a top star up close, studies and consumes various content, gradually changing and naturally maturing, which you will be able to see."
Regarding why he chose the project, Kim Ji-hoon said, "The drama itself was fun, and working with people I have long admired—senior Lee Jung-jae, Lim Ji-yeon and Seo Ji-hye—was an intriguing challenge for me. Recently I've played many extreme, violent or law-breaking roles, and I wanted to try showing the audience a different side. I wanted to attempt a new image as an actor by showing what I used to do in the past in a new light."
Seo Ji-hye said, "She is ambitious, has the drive as a director general to land exclusives, and has charisma and ability. It's a role with a 'teto-nyeo' vibe." She added, "I tried to draw out the 'teto-nyeo' inside me. I'm not the type to shout, but I tried shouting. There were scenes like that. I brought out the anger in my diaphragm to show a harsher side. I have never actually met a reporter like that to use as reference, so I referred only to images. It would be strange if such a person really existed. It reminded me of Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada. I wanted to carry a charisma that exists without words," she explained.
They also announced target ratings and pledges. Director Kim Ga-ram said, "Even if I get criticized I'll do it. 30%. I want to make TVN history. I'll accept the criticism," and added, "If we achieve it, I'll make a music video for Nice to Not Meet You." Lim Ji-yeon said, "I'll also set it at 30%, and if it's achieved I'll star in the music video and sing," and Kim Ji-hoon and Seo Ji-hye declared, "We'll dance in the music video." Lee Jung-jae joked, "I recently appeared on You Quiz. It hasn't aired yet, but Cho Sae-ho told me to make a ratings pledge. So check on You Quiz," previewing his pledge and drawing laughter.
Finally, on viewing points, Kim Ji-hoon added, "Each actor digests their character deliciously. Each scene is a joy to watch. There are many sudden laugh moments that break out continuously. It's a pleasant drama you can enjoy without burden."
Meanwhile, Nice to Not Meet You premieres on Nov. 3 and will air every Monday and Tuesday at 8:50 p.m.
[Photo] Provided by tvN
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