“I missed you” Namgoong Min

[OSEN=Reporter Yeon Hwi-seon] ‘D-7′, was this such an exciting expression? The return of ‘Lovers’ is just one week away.

Part 2 of MBC’s Friday-Saturday drama ‘Lovers’ will be aired for the first time on the 13th at 9:50 PM. It has been well over a month since Part 1 was completed with episode 10 on the 2nd of last month.

Among domestic dramas, the first to attempt a part-time system was the Netflix original ‘The Glory.’ Comparatively, global OTT changes quickly whenever a new work is released. On the other hand, terrestrial TV is currently the slowest broadcasting platform. Moreover, ‘Lovers’ was replaced by special programming and broadcasting of the ’19th Hangzhou Asian Games’ without any sequels of any kind. Naturally, the chemistry in ‘Lovers’ Part 2 became more relaxed.

The good news is that ‘Lovers’ itself is a slow-moving romantic drama. The process for the male protagonist Lee Jang-hyeon (played by Namgoong Min) and the female protagonist Yoo Gil-chae (played by Ahn Eun-jin) to realize, confirm, and be sure of their feelings for each other was slow. The ending of Part 1 even hinted at the two’s breakup, making fans furious. It is a work that is different from the drama market these days, where refreshingly straightforward romantic comedies are the trend.

Paradoxically, this aspect of ‘Lovers’ made viewers anxious. The romance that built up slowly but steadily had a different sense of emotional depth, and even the scenes where Lee Jang-hyun and Yoo Gil-chae bickered were made to look simply heartbreaking. Since the drama is a romance that penetrates the historical pain of the Manchu War, and is set in Joseon, where men and women are unique, it was quite understandable that they diverged and were unable to express themselves properly.

My feelings are growing, but I cannot express them properly. The actors gave impatient viewers a sense of fulfillment with their heavy emotional acting. Namgoong Min’s deep gaze and his breathing, which did not ignore even a word of dialogue, evoked admiration. Ahn Eun-jin develops with each episode, and Yu Gil-chae represents herself as she grows up after going through war and love.

Of course, there were not just affectionate reactions surrounding the drama. In the ending of Part 1 of ‘Lovers’, Yoo Gil-chae ultimately chooses to break up with Lee Jang-hyun, and actress Lee Cheong-ah joins as a new character, causing a backlash as the female protagonist seems to have changed. Writer Hwang Jin-young, who wrote the screenplay for ‘Lovers’, said that the drama was inspired by and pays homage to the movie ‘Gone with the Wind’, but some of the settings are similar enough to raise suspicions of plagiarism with the novel of the same name on which the movie is based, and only the dialogue is used. The level of change is also something that has attracted criticism.

Nevertheless, many viewers are waiting for ‘Lovers’ Part 2. The anger of the moment during the hiatus was volatilized, and trust in the cast and production crew remained, raising expectations that they would once again show a line of emotions that was not only heartbreaking but also desperate. Just like the tagline on the official poster of the work, “A lover who was greatly missed and loved,” it could be said that drama fans miss and love ‘Lovers’ itself so much. In the end, viewers are also intuitively aware that the ‘true ending’ depends on Part 2.

Meanwhile, the Geumtogeuk market became Muju Gongsan. The SBS Friday-Saturday drama ‘Escape of the Seven’, the comeback work of writer Kim Soon-ok, which was highly anticipated as a competing work in the same time slot, was canceled. In the aftermath of ‘Penthouse’, it was criticized for being overly provocative and sensational due to the evil deeds of the characters that went too far. As a result, the viewership rating hovers around 7%.

‘Lovers’ Part 1 ending episode 10 recorded a viewership rating of 12.2%. Will they be able to respond to expectations and immediately recover with the comeback of ‘Lovers’ Part 2? As if the broadcasting company MBC was determined, it organized a binge-watching of all episodes of ‘Lovers’ Part 1, episodes 1 to 10, on the 8th and 9th during the Hangeul Day holiday period. In order to provide more detailed information about the Manchu War, the background of the story, Ahn Eun-jin met with the production team of MBC’s entertainment program ‘Guys Who Cross the Line – The Collection’ and even filmed a special feature of ‘Lovers Collection’. ‘Lovers’ Part 2 is running diligently to find the vacant throne. / monamie@osen.co.kr

[Photo] Provided by MBC.