Actor Hyunbin successfully completed a bold noir challenge through the season 1 finale of Made In Korea.
On the 14th, the Disney+ original series Made In Korea concluded season 1 with episode 6 (finale). Amid this, Hyunbin's bold transformation and the impression left by the character "Baek Gi-tae" linger deeply. With an intense villain performance different in tone from his usual image, critics say he added another meaningful point to his filmography.
Made In Korea is set in 1970s Korea, a time of coexistence between turmoil and leap forward, and depicts the story of company man "Baek Gi-tae" (Hyunbin), who seeks to use the nation as a revenue model to reach the pinnacle of wealth and power, and prosecutor "Jang Geon-young" (Jung Woosung), who relentlessly pursues him to the brink with terrifying determination, as they confront massive events that span the era. Hyunbin portrays Baek Gi-tae, a director at the Central Intelligence Agency who even factors other people's desires into his calculations for his own ambitions, and as episodes progressed he built a rough and lethal texture that drove the center of the drama.
In particular, "Baek Gi-tae" stood clearly as a villain yet was a character with complex layers that cannot be explained by a simple good-versus-evil framework. His coldness that spares no means for his ends, the subtly shifting temperatures depending on the situation, and the density of desire revealed at each moment of choice made the character more three-dimensional. Hyunbin convincingly realized this complexity through his gaze and breathing and the increasing intensity of emotion as episodes progressed, drawing reactions that he completed a raw, rough villain that could be described as having a "chewy" taste.
Reactions to the work can also be confirmed by metrics. According to OTT content ranking site FlixPatrol, Made In Korea ranked No. 1 on Disney+'s top 10 TV shows in Korea for 21 consecutive days as of the 14th, and it placed No. 1 in Taiwan and ranked highly in Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore. Also, on K-content analysis platform FUNdex's drama buzz chart it rose to No. 2, and it ranked No. 1 on Naver Open Talk ranking, maintaining high interest.
This work was another challenge and expansion for Hyunbin. Departing from his established romance and popular image to take on an intense villain role, critics say he broadened his acting spectrum. "Baek Gi-tae" will remain a character that forms a clear contrast within his filmography.
Made In Korea ended while pressing to the end how far one person's ambition can go, leaving lingering impressions. At the center was the actor Hyunbin, who made choices outside the usual framework. Through the lethal and rough villain "Baek Gi-tae," he created another turning point, and attention naturally turns to his next move. With season 2 production confirmed and filming underway, expectations continue about which direction Baek Gi-tae's story will expand in the next season.<
[Photo] OSEN DB, provided by The Walt Disney Company Korea.
[OSEN]