The secret weapon of 'Manager Kim,' which is soaring with ratings surpassing 22.3%, is Son Naeun.
Son Naeun, who is meeting viewers as Jung Sang-ah in the SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Manager Kim' (writer Nam Dae-joong, directors Lee Seung-young and Lee So-eun). Amid the rough, bold-flowing revenge drama, the presence that particularly captures viewers' attention is Son Naeun.
Until now, whose image had been strong as sophisticated and glamorous, Son Naeun through 'Manager Kim' has broken out of her existing mold. From relaxed everyday acting to unrestrained action and acting that delicately depicts a character's emotional lines, she has digested them and is proving the expanded acting spectrum of actress Son Naeun.
▲ a vitamin in a bleak revenge drama, the realism of an "MZ trendsetter"
In the early stages, Jung Sang-ah, played by Son Naeun, was a character like an oasis that opened up breathing space in the bleak and weighty revenge drama. Portrayed as a bank clerk sensitive to trends from head to toe, the woman in the role of an "MZ trendsetter" added to the drama's fun with her offhand manner of speaking and realistic office-worker reactions.
In particular, by leading conversations playfully beside the taciturn Manager Kim (So Jisub) and grumbling while choosing a gift for his daughter, she portrayed a character who could be found somewhere in a real company. Setting aside her glamorous visuals and melting into the character itself, Son Naeun's acting drew praise such as "a rediscovery of Son Naeun" and "acting is much more natural when she relaxes."
▲ the identity twist rendered through expressions and eyes
As the story unfolded, the truth about Jung Sang-ah that was revealed shocked living-room audiences. The woman who had seemed an ordinary coworker turned out to be a special missions bureau agent monitoring Manager Kim.
Son Naeun used this dramatic twist as a turning point to shift the atmosphere in an instant. From the expression acting that goes cold in a moment while taking an ordinary phone call to the sharp, cool gaze that seems to pierce through the other person, she excellently depicted the duality he had hidden. She neatly erased traces of the otherwise light and lively 'Assistant Manager Jung' and filled the screen with the credibility of a veteran special agent who had silently watched over all of Manager Kim's past.
▲ equipping even high-difficulty action...leaping forward as an 'all-rounder actor' Son Naeun
The action acting revealed along with the twist in identity also captured viewers' attention. With clean movements, a heavy sense of impact, and actions that subdue opponents in an instant handled steadily, she raised the character's persuasiveness. Not merely stopping at flashy spectacle, the action, which connected with the character's narrative, amplified the drama's tension and left a strong impression.
Showing a wide acting spectrum from natural, everyday-feeling acting to emotional shifts that shake the flow of the drama and even high-difficulty action, Son Naeun through 'Manager Kim' is proving new possibilities for 'actress Son Naeun.' Beyond being the sole female lead in the work, she is the core axis that drives unpredictable developments and serves as the 'secret weapon' responsible for twists each episode, raising the drama's completeness. Expectations are building over whether Son Naeun in 'Manager Kim' will show more appearances in the remaining episodes.
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