Actor Kang Tae-oh is transforming into a "form-seng form-sa" crown prince, heralding a glamorous comeback in a historical drama.
Kang Tae-oh will play Crown Prince Igang, the royal heir, in MBC's new Friday-Saturday drama Moon River, which premieres on the 7th (written by Jo Seung-hee / directed by Lee Dong-hyun / planned by Kwon Seong-chang / produced by High Jium Studio), showing a different kind of performance. Moon River is a romantic fantasy historical drama about a crown prince who has lost his laughter and a Bubo-sang who has lost his memory undergoing a soul switch, empathy through swapping places (易地四肢).
In the drama, Igang appears brusque and self-willed on the outside, but inwardly he harbors deep wounds from the lost poverty he once loved. While acting as regent on behalf of his father and handling state affairs, he keeps a private wardrobe inside the royal medical office, indulges in extravagant clothing and grooming, and lives in luxury and pleasure. Yet behind that debauchery lie loneliness hidden beneath the weight of being the royal successor and the pain of loss, along with a burning desire for revenge, drawing attention to how Kang Tae-oh will portray Igang's dual nature.
Igang also experiences an unexpected event in which his soul is swapped after meeting Park Dal-i (played by Kim Se-jeong), who looks exactly like the deceased royal concubine. The fateful meeting between Crown Prince Igang and Park Dal-i raises curiosity over whether it will develop into an aching, intense romance of the century. In this process, Kang Tae-oh's heart-fluttering historical romance performance is already greatly raising viewers' expectations.
Previously, Kang Tae-oh demonstrated his craftsmanship in historical dramas and stood out distinctly. In the 2019 KBS2 drama Joseon Loco – Nokdujeon, he played Cha Yul-moo, a Joseon-era romanticist, showing a double-faced twist that drew much attention. He left a strong impression on home audiences by transforming from a warm lover who only looks at Dong-ju (played by Kim So-hyun) into a darker character who conspires a coup as Neungyanggun (later King Injo).
In particular, Cha Yul-moo's shocking dark-turn entrance scene raised the drama's tension to a record high and is still talked about as a famous scene. Kang Tae-oh's varied passionate performances left viewers with a deep aftertaste, and after the series ended, voices wishing for his next historical work continued. Returning to historical drama about six years after Nokdujeon, Kang Tae-oh is expected to once again deliver a captivating character performance that will raise heart rates, increasing anticipation.
Having appeared in various works such as the dramas Run On and A Day When Destruction Entered Our House, Kang Tae-oh has steadily built his own filmography. In the ENA drama Extraordinary Attorney Woo, he played Lee Junho, who combined good looks and character, showing tender and affectionate charm and rising to fame as the "national remorseful man," gaining intense popularity. In the preceding tvN drama The Potato Lab, he played So Baek-ho, a cool-minded principlist, completing a pleasant and thrilling romance with a character who is warm beneath a cold exterior, firmly cementing his presence as a "romcom free-pass award" figure.
Kang Tae-oh, who has captured viewers' eyes and ears with solid acting and excellent character interpretation in each work, is drawing attention for his new acting performance in Moon River.
Meanwhile, Moon River, which raises expectations for Kang Tae-oh's signature historical acting, will premiere at 9:50 p.m. that night.
[photo] Moon River
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