Actor Lee Je-hoon dominated the SBS drama 'Taxi Driver 3' with an all-rounder, down-to-earth performance.
Lee Je-hoon realistically portrayed even the character-within-a-character performance as a manager who, aiming squarely at the dark side of the K-pop industry, steps onto the rehearsal stage in place of an idol member, exploding viewers' dopamine.
In episode 10, along with the past of Yellow Star ENT CEO Kang Ju-ri (played by Jang Na-ra), the secret structure of crimes surrounding K-pop idol trainees was slowly revealed. While the Rainbow Transport team was tracking the truth of the incident at the bar where Romi's video had been filmed, they discovered Kang Ju-ri meeting PD IAAN Jun at that location. But since there was no evidence tying Kang Ju-ri to the incident, questions deepened. On the day of Elements' debut stage, member Jian collapsed just before rehearsal, putting the debut at risk, and Dogi, determined to fulfill his duties as a manager, declared he would perform the stage today. The method was for him to stand on stage as the member replacing Jian. Remembering the choreography and movements he had watched during past training, Dogi delivered a highly complete performance with seemingly matched, perfect moves and stable lines, genuinely surprising viewers. At the end he smoothly struck the finishing pose and completed the rehearsal safely as the "ending fairy," leaving viewers in admiration.
After Elements' debut, Rainbow Transport confirmed the shocking fact that Kang Ju-ri had a plan to trap trainees with the bait of idol debut and, once her goal was achieved, force them into entertainment services, plunging them into ruin, and they were consumed by extreme anger. Dogi played a recording revealing Kang Ju-ri's true nature to Romi and secured a formal commission, and under Dogi's leadership Rainbow Transport set in motion a powerful retaliation to return the favor a hundredfold. First, Dogi operated a Taxi Driver toward the head of the headquarters who had been blackmailing members with illegally filmed videos, as he had done with Romi, executing him with breath-taking, high-intensity driving and heightening the tension. Then, during a live broadcast, a conversation revealing the corruption of Kang Ju-ri and PD IAAN Jun was made public and the tables turned; Kang Ju-ri, fleeing from reporters, confronted Dogi on the rooftop. Dogi coldly wreaked revenge by returning Kang Ju-ri's own words to her, and in the end Kang Ju-ri fell from the rooftop, meeting a catastrophic end. At the end of the episode, the full Elements back on stage was shown, and the smiles of Dogi and the Rainbow Transport team watching over them left a new hope and a lingering aftertaste.
In this episode, Lee Je-hoon displayed an even broader acting spectrum, from the face of manager Dogi armed with otherworldly confidence, to interior acting that suppresses anger after facing the truth, and to explosive driving action. In the scene where he steps onto the rehearsal stage in place of a member amid the threat of a canceled debut, Lee Je-hoon produced an unforgettable "high-quality" stage by fully covering the empty spot with natural movements and eye handling comparable to actual idol members. In particular, at the final moment of the stage he casually struck a heart pose as if familiar, performing the role of the "ending fairy" and creating a memorable scene that pushed viewers' laugh buttons. Afterwards, Lee Je-hoon not only displayed full-throttle driving action for punishing villains, but in the confrontation with Kang Ju-ri he brought out Dogi's cutting coldness instead of a loud tone or loyal attitude, pressuring his opponent and showing Kim Do-gi's trademark razor-sharp sense of justice. This episode especially highlighted the "acting of a character within a character" that Lee Je-hoon portrayed, and thanks to the realism he sustained to the end, it provided viewers with a thoroughly enjoyable time.
Meanwhile, 'Taxi Driver 3,' which continues to generate buzz even past midseason, airs every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 p.m.
[Photo] 'Taxi Driver 3'
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