Actor Kim Hyang-gi returned as the most daring yet lovable character in her filmography through Romance's Absolute Value, captivating living-room audiences.
In episodes 1–4 of the Coupang Play series Romance's Absolute Value, released on the 17th (released every Friday at 8 p.m. on Coupang Play), Kim Hyang-gi plays Yeoui-ju, a seemingly ordinary high school girl by day who secretly writes BL (Boys Love) web novels at night, offering viewers a fresh source of entertainment.
In the drama, Yeoui-ju is an eccentric character who, upon seeing four handsome new teachers who moved in, unknowingly projects an obsessive alpha male narrative onto them. Kim Hyang-gi neutralized potentially excessive fantasy scenes of the character with her distinct clear, pure visuals and playful acting, convincing viewers. In particular, her look of dopamine-soaked delight as she reads her own novel drew praise such as "as expected, Kim Hyang-gi" and led to acclaim calling it a rediscovery of actor Kim Hyang-gi.
In this work, Kim Hyang-gi showed the essence of immersive acting by fully blending into the character. Tied to a bad fate with math teacher Ga U-su (Cha Hak-yeon), it is nothing unusual for her phone screen to be shattered; she even chased a garbage truck and rummaged through piles of trash to find discarded glasses, portraying a harrowing ordeal with her whole body. Her unreserved performance breathed life into the character Yeoui-ju and heightened immersion.
It is not simply a matter of leading with comic charm. Kim Hyang-gi delicately calibrated everything from the mature side that cares for the alienated friend Choi Ji-a (Yoon Hye-rim) to the bold and candid emotions she shows in front of Ga U-su. Even in awkward situations where demerits pile up, Yeoui-ju's warmth toward those around her was conveyed warmly to viewers through Kim Hyang-gi's solid acting chops.
Above all, Kim Hyang-gi demonstrates a unique mastery in switching freely between comedy and emotion, making it impossible to imagine Yeoui-ju not being Kim Hyang-gi with an almost perfect sync rate. Her ability to convert even the character's eccentricities into charm once again proves why she is a "born actor."
At the end of episode 4, Yeoui-ju's novel, inspired by the teachers, began to receive explosive responses online, ushering in a new phase. Viewers' expectations are rising over what developments the full-fledged growth as a writer and the secret double life will face.
[Photo] Romance's Absolute Value broadcast capture
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