Doctor on the Edge has a different charm than Scarecrow and will own viewerss Monday and Tuesday nights.
On May 26 a production press conference for ENAs new Monday-Tuesday drama Doctor on the Edge (written by Kim Ji-soo, directed by Lee Myung-woo, planned by KT Studio Genie, produced by The Studio M) was held at The Saint in Sindorim-dong, Guro District, Seoul. Director Lee Myung-woo and actors Shin Ye Eun, Hong Min-gi, Lee Soo-kyung and Kim Yoon-woo attended the event.
Doctor on the Edge is a medical human romance that follows public health doctor Do Ji-ui (Lee Jae-wook) and the secretive nurse Yuk Ha-ri (Shin Ye Eun), who arrive on Pyeondongdo, an infamous island everyone avoids. Based on the webtoon Jonbeo Doctor by Kim Tae-poong, which is being serialized on KakaoPage and Kakao Webtoon, the drama Doctor on the Edge raises expectations about what director Lee Myung-woos rhythmic directing and sense of humorseen in Boyhood and The Fiery Priestwill bring to the romance genre and what fresh thrills and emotional lines he will create.
Director Lee Myung-woo said, "I thought a lot about Doctor on the Edge. At first I thought it might be a coming-of-age story about a young man who fulfills his duty by serving as a doctor in a medically underserved area instead of doing active military service, but once we started the project and began filming, and as Lee Jae-wook and the other actors inhabited and performed the characters, I realized the work contains stories beyond that. It includes stories about young peoples mistakes, pain, healing, love and growth."
He continued, "Im normally a director who takes a long time from planning a project to airing; the preparation period is long. I was offered Doctor on the Edge two to three years ago. When I first reviewed it the original webtoon was fun but I initially declined. Translating the webtoons lightness into a drama required many devices and deliberation, so I hesitated to take it on. But when I looked closely, I gained confidence that the public health doctors from the city coming to the island could go beyond episodic stories to growth and healing. After that I planned and developed the project and arrived at this moment."
Attention is on whether it can follow up well on the previous work Scarecrow. Scarecrow, which ends on May 26, is concluding amid intense interest after recording a peak rating of 7.9 percent (Nielsen Korea nationwide). Director Lee Myung-woo said about presenting a follow-up work, "If the previous work does very well, there is pressure on the successor. But this is not the time to have that; we made the work doing our best. It will be wrapped up this week, and I hope this lovingly made work will be remembered as meaningful. I will wait for June 1 like a new bride."
He added, "Among the many works Ive directed, I cried the most while doing this one. I couldnt hold back tears while filming, editing and during postproduction. I think the focal points are growth and empathy. This drama has an entirely different texture from Scarecrow. I hope viewers can feel the sense of healing as well."
Lee Jae-wook transforms into Do Ji-ui, a public health doctor with trauma about the sea and islands. Filled with suspicion, Do Ji-ui grows through the many incidents and accidents he experiences on Pyeondongdo. He could not attend the press conference because he enlisted on May 18. In a video message Lee Jae-wook said, "I really wanted to attend the press conference, but Im fulfilling my defense duties, so Im greeting you by video," adding, "Ive heard many great things about the director; hes very meticulous and I learned a lot emotionally, so I relied on him a lot and it was a happy shoot."
Shin Ye Eun delivers a spirited and warm performance as Yuk Ha-ri, a nurse who returns to her hometown Pyeondongdo. Ha-ri, who hides an unknown wound, faces an existential dilemma on Pyeondongdo and experiences dramatic emotional shifts. From her lovely energy to her hidden secret, she is expected to add a variety of performances.
Shin Ye Eun said, "I think the lovable aspects are very similar to me. If someone is trapped in pain, Ha-ri is the meddlesome character who immediately springs into action. Director Lee Myung-woo gave me my first audition, and after watching his works I wanted to be part of them. Im finally in it; the project is so fun and not only the actors but the characters feel alive, so I joined. Before starting this project, during a meal with the director he looked at me and said, 'Ha-ri can just be herself,' which helped and gave me confidence. I didnt try to express loveliness through specific gestures or expressions; I wanted a natural atmosphere. Im not sure if it was perfectly conveyed, but I think it came out enough."
On acting with Lee Jae-wook, Shin Ye Eun said, "I thought wed meet someday. Were the same age and Ive watched many of Lee Jae-wooks works, and as a fellow same-age castmate I thought there would be an easy energy, but because were the same age I treated him more cautiously so getting too familiar wouldnt interfere with the work."
Hong Min-gi plays the indifferent and taciturn elite public health doctor Hyun Chi-yeon. Lee Soo-kyung plays Um Jeong-seon, a Pyeondongdo native nurse who harbors longing and jealousy for the city, and Kim Yoon-woo transforms into the naive oriental medicine public health doctor Yong Ju-cheon, raising expectations.
Hong Min-gi said, "I really wanted to join Doctor on the Edge; the scripts message was good and each episode contained very different charms, so I enjoyed reading it." Lee Soo-kyung said she joined because, "Im also a fan of the director, so I definitely wanted to work with him," and Kim Yoon-woo said, "Of course I wanted to work with the director, and I joined because its a bright character Ive never tried before."
About memorable filming episodes, Kim Yoon-woo said, "Every moment was memorable. We had fun filming, and I think a good result came out because all the staff worked hard day and night." Lee Soo-kyung said, "The scenes where we all appear together were fun. There were difficult scenes, so we relied on each other and grew closer." In a video Lee Jae-wook said, "Many events happened inside the Pyeondong clinic. The chemistry between Kim Ki-cheon and senior actor Woo-hyun is so funny there are many scenes that will make you clutch your stomach laughing. I hope you focus on those relationships."
The story of island men and women who meet on a remote island and learn to save people and love through island residents whose stories are as full as their overflowing affection is expected to bring warm laughs and thrills.
Director Lee Myung-woo said about casting Shin Ye Eun, "I didnt know this actresss first audition was her debut, but my first impression of her is very vivid. I still remember the fresh, radiant feeling when I met her. By my standards Shin Ye Eun was more beautiful than the character I had imagined then, so I almost rejected her in the audition. When casting for this work I considered the stability of Shin Ye Euns acting and her range, but she was prettier than the Ha-ri I had in mind, so I deliberated. I pictured Ha-ri as a bit more plain, but when I saw Shin Ye Eun again after a while, she had a purity, brightness and innocence I hadnt seen in her TV appearances. I thought that was the greatest strength Ha-ri could carry. Ha-ri goes through many changes and emotional ups and downs, and I wondered who could portray that well; Shin Ye Eun was the only actress who could express it without discord. So I told her to just show herself as she is."
He added, "I cast Hong Min-gi because he looked good in a school drama I saw and I thought hed shine in our work. I cast Lee Soo-kyung for a tomboyish image she showed in a previous work because I wanted to try an image change. Kim Yoon-woo is the character who stumbles the most in the drama, and his sync with that character was strong, so although hes relatively new I chose him boldly."
About Lee Jae-wook he said, "Among actors who possess calm emotion, sensitivity and charisma, I think there are few. Lee Jae-wook was without question perfect for the Do Ji-ui character."
Meanwhile, ENAs new Monday-Tuesday drama Doctor on the Edge will premiere on ENA at 10 p.m. on June 1 and will also be available on KT Genie TV and Disney Plus.
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