"Manager Kim" became a special work for lead actor So Jisub and director Lee Seung-young. It was loved beyond expectations and became what is commonly called a smash hit. It left a peak rating of more than 23% and recorded overwhelming buzz throughout its broadcast. Because of that, Lee Seung-young said he felt joyful but also cautious.
In an end-of-series interview for the SBS Fri-Sat drama "Manager Kim" (written by Nam Dae-joong, directed by Lee Seung-young and Lee So-eun) conducted at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 30th, Lee Seung-young expressed his affection for the work.
"Manager Kim" is a revenge action drama about "the most ordinary dad in the world" who becomes "the most dangerous man in the world" and fights to find his only daughter. Actor So Jisub played the role of Manager Kim and led the story alongside Yoon Kyung-ho and Choi Dae-hoon. Actress Seo Sumin, who played Manager Kim's daughter Min-ji, and all the actors were in the spotlight throughout the broadcast.
Lee Seung-young said of completing the five-week journey that began with the first broadcast on June 26, "When the first episode aired and ratings were strong, the promotion team and the fatigue from filming probably hadn't worn off, so I was grateful that the actors stepped forward to promote. When the rating for episode 2 came out so high, I wondered if there were elements in the content that resonated more than intended." He added, "From the second week, I kept thinking, 'what is happening,' and watched the trend with tension."
The director continued, "The filming of 'Manager Kim' went from last November through May, passing through a winter. Last winter was extremely cold. There were many rain scenes, and when we sprayed water it froze immediately, so the shoots were highly challenging," and he added with a laugh, "It was enjoyable but very tough, so after finishing all the broadcasts I thought I should rest somewhere without the name 'Manager Kim.' The unexpected reaction made me nervous and happy but also scared. I spent a cautious month and it was very hard."
Enduring difficult shoots made the actors and production team even more bonded. Lee Seung-young recalled, "As the first audience, I enjoyed it throughout the shoot." Above all, he expressed gratitude and admiration for the actors' enthusiasm and performances and for the production crew and staff who worked with perfectionism.
About So Jisub, who had been cast early in "Manager Kim" before the director joined the project, Lee Seung-young said, "The offer to direct came when actor So Jisub was already attached. I had heard about his action craftsmanship in works like 'Employee' and 'Square,'" and he added, "Once we started filming, the synchronization with the 'Manager Kim' character was high, and even though I had studied to work with this actor, there were details and depth I hadn't seen before and real dad emotions. The way he conveyed a heroic character who, despite being strong, feels the anxiety of possibly losing something precious came across very realistically."
Seo Sumin, who plays the daughter Min-ji who drives the main narrative in "Manager Kim," made her debut in this work. There was careful consideration in casting the role of Min-ji, who is the starting point of the incident, including chemistry with So Jisub as father and daughter.
Lee Seung-young said, "We saw a lot of existing actors—about 200—before Seo Sumin became a candidate. Because the central narrative of this story is a father saving his daughter, viewers had to feel they wanted to save that child. We were more cautious than with any other casting." He explained the casting process: "It was hard to find the exact image from existing profiles, so we were considering new faces. I happened to see a video of her taking a profile photo at a studio and it matched the image I had in mind, so we evaluated her acting and held three to five rounds of auditions."
The director said, "During filming I just watched her, and she was very responsible. Acting for the first time in front of a camera and many staff is not easy, but I want to praise her for overcoming it."
[Photo] Provided by SBS.
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