"Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight" Choo Young-Woo said about comparisons with the Japanese original, "I felt pressure, but I was confident I could do it well."
On the morning of the 24th at a cafe on Samcheong-ro in Jongno-gu, Seoul, an interview was held with Choo Young-Woo, the lead actor of the film Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight.
The film Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight (hereafter Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight) is a youth melodrama in which Seoyun (played by Shin Si A), who loses the memory of each day, and Jaewon (played by Choo Young-Woo), who fills her memory every day, protect each other and remember one another. It is based on the namesake bestselling novel by Ichijo Misaki, which has sold more than 1.3 million copies worldwide, and it is a remake of the 2022 Japanese film adapted to Korean sensibilities.
Through dramas such as The Trauma Code: Heroes on call and Head Over Heels, Choo Young-Woo has established himself as a leading young actor, and Shin Si A, who gave impressive performances in works such as The Witch Part 2. The Other One and The Old Woman with the Knife, showcases a fresh and poignant youthful chemistry. The film was directed by Kim Hye-Young, who won the Silver Bear for a debut film at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival and the Best New Director award at the 2025 Blue Dragon Film Awards for his debut IT′S OKAY!, and who newly interpreted the emotions of the original for a Korean sensibility.
Choo Young-Woo delivered a passionate performance as Jaewon, who, having spent listless time without a life goal, begins a fake relationship with Seoyun, who suffers from anterograde amnesia.
Ahead of his first film, Choo Young-Woo said, "I'm overwhelmed—doing stage greetings and attending the premiere was more nerve-racking and exciting than I expected. I filmed it very happily, and it makes me want more beyond just the result. I want to make another film." He added, "It's not that I have a specific genre or character I especially want to try; I find the act of appearing on screen itself incredibly attractive."
Responding to the remark "It might have been burdensome because it's a remake," he said, "I just wanted to try a remake from the start. I didn't think that far; I just liked it." He added, "Honestly, there was pressure. The acting and the characters are different. More than the pressure, the original male lead had a very different feel. When I actually saw the finished film, I thought, 'It's completely different.'"
He continued, "Once the film was released, I felt the work itself was completely different, the development was different, and the tone was very different. I thought it was a film of a completely different texture. I also thought the focus wouldn't be set the way I imagined." He answered, "First, the setting is different, and the characters of the cast seem different. In the original, the male lead seems more timid than Jaewon."
When asked, "Did you have some confidence that you could perform well with your own take on the character?" he shyly laughed and said, "I had confidence.. (laughs), and there are also fans of the Japanese work."
Meanwhile, Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight opens on Dec. 24, Christmas Eve.
[Photo] Provided by By4M Studio Co., Ltd.
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