'Manager Kim' ended amid intense popularity, and director Lee Seung-young candidly shared his thoughts on season 2 and the "PPL bombardment."
Director Lee Seung-young conducted an end-of-series interview on the afternoon of the 30th at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno District, Seoul, about the SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Manager Kim' (written by Nam Dae-joong, directed by Lee Seung-young and Lee So-eun).
'Manager Kim' is a father (So Jisub) who is "the most ordinary" in the world fighting to become "the most dangerous" man to get back his only daughter (Seo Sumin) in a father-universe revenge action drama. After its first broadcast last month it continued a record rise in ratings and maintained high weekly buzz. It started with a first broadcast rating of 9.5% (Nielsen Korea) and became a blockbuster that recorded a peak rating of 23.1%.
Because the drama was such a big hit, fans' wishes for season 2 continued immediately after the finale. Director Lee Seung-young opened by saying, "When we were actually shooting, we were busy; during postproduction we were working on postproduction; when the show aired and got a good response, it was almost nerve-racking. I spent it feeling both enjoyable and tense."
He added cautiously, "It seems that discussions about (season 2) started in earnest last week and this week. It seems they spoke positively, but since we have only just begun discussions, we have to talk in an orderly way."
However, the final episode's ending did offer some hints about season 2. That was because the scene showed Manager Kim going to interview at his new workplace, Baekho manpower agency, and meeting Lee Do-gyu. Already after the broadcast many fans have mentioned expected storylines for 'Manager Kim' season 2 and expressed curiosity about the actor who played Lee Do-gyu.
Director Lee Seung-young laughed and said, "It's true we had season 2 in mind, but we tried to end openly so it doesn't have to necessarily go that way. It wasn't as if we deliberately planted bait."
'Manager Kim' attracted attention throughout its broadcast up to the final episode, but the final episode left some disappointment as several PPLs (product placements) accumulated.
Director Lee Seung-young responded to criticism about PPL, saying, "A director is someone who keeps the story flowing, so elements that disrupt immersion can be difficult, but producing a large-scale drama requires certain resources. That, too, is a very important team for 'Manager Kim.'" He added, "We did not insert any (PPL) carelessly, and we were very careful from the script stage. In the latter part there may have been aspects that felt uncomfortable, so I thought we should be more cautious."
He also addressed misunderstandings about the PPL. Director Lee Seung-young directly explained, "Actually, the eyewear shop in the final episode is not PPL. 'Let's not mess with men who wear glasses' is very important in the drama. After the cage scene all the glasses are ruined so they can't be worn. We included that scene to throw our main theme, but it was misunderstood..." He emphasized, "I want to say that although we should have been a bit more careful, we did not act recklessly."
[Photo] Provided by SBS.
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