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Summer-flavored first love turned bittersweet. "Last Summer" Choi Seong-eun carefully built Ha-gyeong's starlit summer narrative, from the flutter of a pure, transparent first love to the present, soaked in regret.
On the 8th, KBS 2TV weekend miniseries "Last Summer" (directed by Min Yeon-hong, written by Jeon Yu-ri, produced by Monster Union and Slingshot Studio) portrayed Ha-gyeong (played by Choi Seong-eun) confronting unforgettable memories and clear regrets in the face of Do-ha's (played by Lee Jae-wook) direct approach.
Tasked with the remodelling project for Patango Observatory, Ha-gyeong became entangled with Do-ha, the lead architect, adding links beyond her control. Ha-gyeong, who rarely revealed her inner feelings even to her closest friend, found memories naturally surfacing whenever she saw Do-ha, and with the observatory project, the things buried in the box Ha-gyeong had hidden began to come back to life.
As a child, Ha-gyeong spent summers with the twin brothers Baek Do-ha and Baek Do-young (played by Lee Jae-wook), forming the "summer's great triangle." In high school, when even light physical contact was full of excitement, the three who kept a respectful distance began to waver on a summer night, the moment Do-ha took Ha-gyeong's hand on the school rooftop, and Do-young's confession in the snow, "I like Baek Do-ha," remained a long-lasting regret for Ha-gyeong.
Do-young left behind a promise to definitely return in summer, and Ha-gyeong, who carried the memory of a summer she could never return to because she failed to keep proper distance, sealed away even her feelings for Do-ha and hid her true feelings with sharp words. As Do-ha approached despite her denial and avoidance, the emotions revived, increasing interest in what choice Ha-gyeong will make to fill the ruined summer she once faced.
Choi Seong-eun densely captured Ha-gyeong's changing 모습 from a pure past to a present with a defensive personality as time passed. First, her high school years revealed the purity of first love with a clear face that radiated fresh feelings just by looking, drawing viewers into Ha-gyeong's romance. Choi Seong-eun's transparent gaze and uncontrollable tremor delivered soft excitement, completing Ha-gyeong of that time as "summer's first love."
As an adult, Ha-gyeong evoked sympathy by carrying the shadow of regret that does not fade with time. Choi Seong-eun restrained her emotions and guarded herself with coolness, but she meticulously and finely unpacked the inner turmoil that shakes her every time she faces Do-ha, making viewers want to open Ha-gyeong's closed heart. The way Choi Seong-eun flexibly portrayed the character's two faces, past and present, is impressive.
[Photo] "Last Summer" broadcast capture
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