Song Joong-ki is trading his adrenaline-fuelled roles in hits such as A Werewolf Boy and Reborn Rich for the more grounded, everyday persona of a florist in a new JTBC series.
My Youth follows child actor-turned-florist Woo-hae (Song) and his first love Jae-yeon (Chun Woo-hee), a team leader at an entertainment company. The series tells the heartfelt story of two former sweethearts who meet again years later and rekindle their bond.
Primarily known for action and fantasy projects such as Vincenzo and Space Sweepers, Song reflected on returning to melodrama for the first time in nearly a decade, after Descendants Of The Sun.
“It wasn’t intentional. I’m excited to be doing a melodrama again after such a long time. Melodrama is a genre I’ve always had a strong desire for as an actor. It was an honour to finally come across a script that made my heart flutter again,” he said during a press conference in Guro-gu, Seoul, South Korea, recently.
Reflecting on his past filmography, Song added: “Looking back at the characters I’ve played ... most of them weren’t rooted in reality. "I wanted to try portraying a more ordinary, everyday character that could actually exist in real life. That’s when I encountered My Youth' Filming it genuinely made my heart race.”
Song emphasised that one of the core themes in My Youth is a reunion romance.
“It’s just my personal taste, but the word ‘reunion’ carries a kind of excitement. Our drama is a reunion romance, and I really love director Hur Jin-ho’s film Season Of Good Rain, which shares the same keyword. I think I’m naturally drawn to the word ‘reunion'," he said.
My Youth is helmed by director Lee Sang-yeop, who has reaped success with webtoon-turned-series Yumi’s Cells. Lee described his latest project as “a work that makes you think about how far one’s love for another can go in a relationship".
"It’s a drama that appears calm but is filled with wit and humour, like an ‘introverted prankster'," added Lee.
Meanwhile, acknowledging the high bar set by Reborn Rich” (2022), JTBC’s second-highest-rated drama of all time in which he starred, Song admitted to feeling some pressure.
“I’m not the type to dwell too much on results, but now that I think about it, it does feel pressurising,” he said. “Thankfully, my last project was loved so much, and I only saw that as a good thing. It’s given me a sense of responsibility to do well. Honestly, though, the pressure isn’t that heavy.” – The Korea Herald/Asia News Network
My Youth is available on Viu.
