- These child actors' acting is insane lately
That was the day after episode 2 of The Moon Embracing the Sun aired.
The two newly aired dramas.
KMB's The Moon Embracing the Sun and MDC's Action King were each dramas crafted by their respective broadcasters with sharpened swords.
That much meant they drew high attention, and the fact they aired in the same timeslot further stirred interest.
- Our Jung-woo is crazyyyyㅠㅠㅠ
ㄴ Go away please
- Park Jung-woo, sure his dad's amazing but what about Princess Yeonhwa?
- The ones who got lucky at the auditions all disappeared ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
- Honestly it was insane
- That wasn't even child acting, is this their second life or something
Thus the aired episode 2.
Action King's flashy direction, and the lead actress's revealing exposure.
The outstanding action befitting the drama's title.
Overly impressive scenes for just episode 2 kept appearing one after another.
So it seemed the winner of episode 2 would go to Action King, but.
- Honestly Yoon Jong-hyuk carried this
ㄨ I agree
- The villain acting was on another level, just crazy
- The scene where Yoon Jong-hyuk and that Princess Yeonhwa face off was insane
- The direction there was killer
- My cousin works on set and they said Princess Yeonhwa's red eyes weren't CGI
ㄨ Make some sense will you
ㄨ So you're saying they shoved lightbulbs into the kid's eyes?
ㄨ Hmm......
At the end of episode 2.
The victor was decided at the climax of The Moon Embracing the Sun.
The confrontation scene between Prince Jo Young and Princess Yeonhwa.
Yoon Jong-hyuk possessed a solid career as a method actor.
Above all, he was called a master of villain acting.
The presence exuded by such an actor was truly tremendous, giving the feeling that Prince Jo Young himself had been placed right there.
And, the acting of Princess Yeonhwa that clashed head-on with Prince Jo Young's performance blew people's minds.
Because Princess Yeonhwa's acting was intense enough to suppress even Prince Jo Young's presence, if only for a moment.
At that time, people recalled an interview with actor Yoon Jong-hyuk from an internet media outlet.
"Ah, the child actors I acted with this time?"
At the reporter's question, he laughed refreshingly.
"No need to even mention Jung-woo. He's actor Park Sun-woong's son, right? I thought, so even acting has silver spoons. When I think of myself at that age, whew......"
Park Jung-woo, who played the young Yoon Seo-il, was already a verified child actor, so everyone nodded.
But the person they were truly curious about was Joo Seo-yeon, who played Princess Yeonhwa.
The child actor who received extravagant praise from actor Kang Sung-chan at the teaser event.
"Seo-yeon? Wow, has the word already spread? Episode 2 hasn't aired yet, right?"
The reporter's head nodded.
However, Yoon Jong-hyuk erased his smiling face and spoke in a serious tone.
"Honestly, I don't like evaluating people with the word talent for anything."
Yoon Jong-hyuk muttered with eyes looking at something far away.
"Honestly, that is talent. Her acting definitely felt like it hadn't been long since she started. But, you see. There's this thing called light."
Light.
It refers to what is commonly called a certain spark.
"You know how people sometimes call celebrities stars, right? Star, big star. They call them that, and I felt that a bit this time. Ah, so there really is such a thing as talent."
Yoon Jong-hyuk thought.
Emotional acting, Seo-yeon's powerful weapon.
The method acting that even actor Jung Eun-sun couldn't stop was certainly Seo-yeon's powerful weapon.
But beyond that, that child possessed a shining quality.
Just that kind of feeling.
A talent that Yoon Jong-hyuk, who had been in this industry for a long time as an actor, felt for the first time — 'Ah, this child would have come to this place no matter what.'
"If a celebrity is a star, that child is a young star. Everyone will probably see it in this drama. Though still small and young, above all, a twinkling young starlight."
Genius child actor.
Yoon Jong-hyuk didn't explicitly say so, but everyone present understood it that way.
Young starlight.
Because it was a word meaning the qualities of a star.
And.
What that young star was doing right now was.
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Hwang Jung-soo, KMB's drama department head."
Together with her parents, she was having a meeting for Seo-yeon's own future.
***
If there's one thing anyone working in the broadcast industry probably feels, it's this.
The instinct commonly called 'This child is going to make it!'
Drama department head Hwang Jung-soo was no different.
He had somewhat gotten a sense of it from when he reviewed the footage.
But seeing the actual broadcast, this was the real deal.
The explosive start of the drama 'The Moon Embracing the Sun.'
Especially for KMB, which had been suffering a recent drama drought, it was salvation met at the edge of a cliff.
It was just a few days ago that everyone had a company dinner, drinking and celebrating.
Hwang Jung-soo couldn't bear it without meeting this young star.
"The broadcasting station is in an uproar. Everyone wants to meet Seo-yeon."
There were also skeptics who thought she was just a flash in the pan.
But if she was a flash, that was all the more reason to utilize that flash now.
Whether variety show PDs or drama PDs, everyone was looking for some way to contact Seo-yeon right now.
Of course, for Hwang Jung-soo, who had deep ties with PD Ha Tae-oh, a single phone call was all it took.
"Actually, there was even talk of hastily inserting about two more episodes' worth of child actor parts right now."
At those words, Seo-yeon's parents sitting across with tense faces.
Joo Young-bin and Min Soo-ah stiffened with tension.
Currently, Seo-yeon wouldn't have the capacity to act any more for a while.
Glancing at her daughter, she was just casually sipping her beverage without a care.
"Haha, no need to worry. PD Ha Tae-oh here vehemently opposed it."
Hwang Jung-soo said with a glance at Ha Tae-oh sitting beside him.
"Yes. Thanks to that, it was very difficult. It's true the child actor part was amazing, but if we squeeze in two more episodes there, it will definitely collapse. It's content that doesn't even exist in the original work."
"Right, right. Of course, I thought it would be fine to add it......"
Hwang Jung-soo said as much before giving a small cough, "Ahem."
"Anyway, you've probably roughly guessed the reason I arranged this meeting today."
At those words, Soo-ah poked Young-bin's side with her elbow, going "Pfft."
It meant stop smiling awkwardly and speak properly.
"Ah, yes. Of course."
Having worked in a company for a long time, Young-bin roughly guessed why Hwang Jung-soo before him had arranged this meeting.
"It's about our Seo-yeon's...... activities, right?"
"That's right. As I said, she's received a lot of attention in many ways."
Hwang Jung-soo took a sip of water from the table and continued speaking.
"I understand you don't have a proper agency yet, but if you don't have any specially prepared activities planned, I have a few KMB variety shows and some dramas I'd like to recommend."
Actually, the variety show side had nothing to do with Hwang Jung-soo.
Still, the variety department head had specifically asked him to put in a word, so he brought it up while he was at it.
For a child actor, it was truly a flower path.
She had drawn the broadcasting station's attention.
And had bloomed that talent splendidly before everyone.
Seo-yeon, who came to this seat without an agency, could be called Cinderella in a way.
"Hmm."
But Joo Young-bin and Min Soo-ah's expressions were peculiar.
They looked pleased, yet at the same time troubled.
Seeing the couple briefly exchange glances, Hwang Jung-soo and Ha Tae-oh felt puzzled.
"Actually, regarding this matter, we've had many consultations with our daughter as well."
With this Moon Embracing the Sun, Seo-yeon's recognition had risen enormously.
They felt it would be difficult to continue activities without an agency.
Young-bin fell silent for a moment.
Then looked at his daughter.
"Seo-yeon. Is it okay for Dad to speak on your behalf?"
"Yes."
Seo-yeon's face was completely nonchalant.
She didn't know what she was really thinking, but their daughter believed this was right.
And honestly, from a parent's heart, they felt this was right too.
"Then I'll tell you about Seo-yeon's future activities."
At Young-bin's words that began thus.
Hwang Jung-soo and Ha Tae-oh could only be shocked.
***
"Ah, this is a shame."
After the meeting, Hwang Jung-soo muttered as such and took a sip of bitter coffee.
At his superior's appearance, PD Ha Tae-oh beside him also let out a snort-like laugh.
"I think it's fine."
"Hmm, well, it's common for child actors."
Still, it was a bold decision.
Ha Tae-oh sighed.
Honestly, if it was regrettable, it was regrettable, but thinking of the talent he had seen......, he thought this might actually be better.
Because he had already seen numerous child actors who received excessive attention when young and easily went astray.
Young starlight.
Those who trusted that sparkle and ran too fast often exhausted themselves and let that light fade.
"Hmm, it might seem long, but......, looking back later, it could be short."
"Still, they promised, didn't they? That their next work would definitely be with KMB."
"That's certainly good, but I probably won't be in this seat by then."
How long would it take for that child to return?
Probably not too long.
But at least it wouldn't be short. That part was what Hwang Jung-soo secretly regretted.
"Who knows if you'll be in my seat by then?"
"No way."
"What do you mean no way. Where else would I find someone like you."
Especially with this Moon Embracing the Sun, Ha Tae-oh's stock had risen yet again.
Hwang Jung-soo genuinely thought that possibility was high.
"Well, anyway."
Hwang Jung-soo said as much, then let out a chuckle.
"When this fact becomes known later, there's going to be quite an uproar."
And.
With Hwang Jung-soo's muttering.
Episode 3 of The Moon Embracing the Sun was now just one day away from airing.
"Joo Seo-yeon."
The child actor of The Moon Embracing the Sun.
Park Jung-woo called out to Seo-yeon, who was sitting alone staring blankly.
"It's about to start, are you going to stay here?"
At Jung-woo's blunt words, Seo-yeon's face became a little troubled.
'How did it come to this.'
Today was the day episode 3 of The Moon Embracing the Sun would air.
Originally, she was supposed to go to kindergarten and then watch it at home with her parents.
No less than episode 2.
No, perhaps even more than that, it was episode 3 where Seo-yeon displayed even more wonderful acting.
But, of all things, a call came from actor Yoon Jong-hyuk this morning.
"I heard from PD Ha Tae-oh. It's a bit of a shame, but...... how about gathering together with Seo-yeon?"
Soo-ah, who received that call, was flustered and inadvertently answered, "Yes, yes!"
And so they ended up gathering at actor Park Sun-woong's penthouse unexpectedly.
She thought of it as actor Yoon Jong-hyuk's consideration, but from Soo-ah's perspective, there was nothing as embarrassing as this.
"Oh my, Seo-yeon's mother. You're truly beautiful. Have you been a celebrity?"
"Y-yes."
To the frozen Soo-ah, Park Jung-woo's mother, Shin Jung-hwa, was visible chattering excitedly.
The group commonly called celebrities were people too difficult for Soo-ah, Seo-yeon's mother, to deal with.
Soo-ah inwardly resented her husband, who had ghost-like disappeared from this gathering.
'Tough spot.'
Seo-yeon looked at Soo-ah like that, then nodded.
"......I'll go."
"You......, never mind, fine."
Seo-yeon answered Jung-woo like that, then slightly sipped her beverage.
Park Jung-woo seemed to have a lot he wanted to say, but soon nodded and disappeared.
Looking at his retreating back, Seo-yeon let out a faint sigh.
'The honorific issue, I still haven't sorted it out.'
Actually, among the people around her, Park Jung-woo was one of the most difficult for Seo-yeon to deal with.
That was because Jung-woo's age was ten.
Three years older than Seo-yeon, so the honorifics she could use for Jung-woo were extremely limited.
For example, 'Oppa.'
'Euuuuum.'
That was, no matter how you looked at it, an honorific with extremely high difficulty for Seo-yeon.