Will 'Eagle Brothers' be the savior that breaks the chain of KBS weekend drama struggles?
On the afternoon of the 22nd at 2:30 PM, a production presentation for KBS2's new weekend drama 'Please Take Care of the Eagle Brothers!' was held at Ramada Seoul in Sindorim-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul. The event was attended by director Choi Sang-yeol, as well as Um Ji-won, Ahn Jae-wook, Choi Dae-cheol, Kim Dong-wan, Yoon Park, Lee Seok-ki, Park Hyo-joo, and Yoo In-young.
'Please Take Care of the Eagle Brothers!' is a drama that depicts the well-ripened family story of five unique brothers from the long-established Eagle Liquor Brewery and the eldest sister-in-law who suddenly becomes the head of the family after her husband's unexpected death just ten days after their marriage.
Director Choi Sang-yeol explained why he took on the direction of 'Eagle Brothers', saying, "When I first read the script, I thought it was similar to the movie 'Love Actually'. While the content is not similar, I was attracted to the fact that it is a diverse story with various love stories. I also like comedy, and I thought this would be a great opportunity to deal with the cheerful stories of five couples."
Um Ji-won plays the role of Ma Gwang-sook, a bright and positive chief clerk at the Siwon Post Office. She falls in love with the representative of the Eagle Liquor Brewery, Oh Jang-soo (played by Lee Pil-mo), and gets married, but faces tragedy due to an accident. Afterward, Ma Gwang-sook enters the Eagle Liquor Brewery and meets Han Dong-seok (played by Ahn Jae-wook), the chairman of LX Hotel, while living with her brothers-in-law.
Regarding her chemistry with Ahn Jae-wook, Um Ji-won said, "From the first shoot, we had great chemistry, and I'm curious about how the relationship between Ma Gwang-sook and Han Dong-seok will develop. Ahn Jae-wook acts so well and matches perfectly like Han Dong-seok, so we are having a great time filming. I think many viewers will be saying, 'Don't fight, just figure it out'." She laughed.
In response, Ahn Jae-wook said, "Um Ji-won started filming first, and I joined later. I felt on set that she was already in character as Gwang-sook. Um Ji-won is always full of energy, whether it's a morning or night shoot, and interacts well with the staff. Since she is loved within the team, I think she will also be loved by the viewers."
Meanwhile, Choi Dae-cheol, Kim Dong-wan, Yoon Park, and Lee Seok-ki each play Um Ji-won's brothers-in-law, who have their own stories. Additionally, Park Hyo-joo plays Moon Mi-soon, the owner of a convenience store near the Eagle Liquor Brewery, and Yoo In-young plays Ji Ok-bun, the head of 'G-Hair', who is expected to create a love line with the sons of the Eagle Liquor Brewery.
Among them, Choi Dae-cheol, who plays Oh Cheon-soo, the second son and a "goose dad," will form a love line with Park Hyo-joo, who plays his ex-wife Moon Mi-soon. This has raised concerns about infidelity.
In response to this question, director Choi Sang-yeol said, "Since weekend dramas have a long duration, the content can change based on viewer reactions. So, I can't predict how it will turn out, but I'm about 90% sure it won't be infidelity. There will be a scene where divorce papers are received."
Choi Dae-cheol added, "I'm quite confused because I haven't seen my wife. I saw my classmate Moon Mi-soon before I saw my wife," and he continued, "The biggest theme of KBS weekend dramas is family and warmth, so I don't think there will be such (infidelity) stories."
Additionally, Kim Dong-wan, who plays Oh Heung-soo, the third son of the Eagle Liquor Brewery and teaches broadcast dance and Zumba at a cultural center, caught attention as he returns to acting after focusing on variety shows for a long time. When asked if he had been focusing more on variety shows than acting, he candidly replied, "It's because I wasn't called," and then added, "I'm ready to work on multiple projects in the future. Kim Dong-wan is on sale!" drawing attention.
Lee Seok-ki, who plays the youngest son Oh Gang-soo in the Eagle Liquor Brewery, is making his acting debut with 'Please Take Care of the Eagle Brothers!'. When asked for his thoughts, Lee Seok-ki said, "This is my first time greeting the viewers through this work. Since it's my first time, I may be inexperienced and have shortcomings, but I'm adapting well with the help of my seniors. However, since it's my first time, I'm putting in more passion and effort than anyone else."
Questions about viewership ratings were also unavoidable. The currently airing KBS2 weekend drama 'Ironing Family' has been struggling, failing to exceed 20% in ratings.
Director Choi Sang-yeol acknowledged, "It's undeniable that weekend drama ratings are on the decline," but added, "Internally, many people are talking about achieving 30% ratings this time. But if that happens, we might have to extend the show, which could be difficult. So personally, I hope it does better than the previous work."
Finally, the actors wrapped up the production presentation by asking for interest in 'Please Take Care of the Eagle Brothers!'
Kim Dong-wan said, "There are more than five couples in the drama. But the one who oversees and takes responsibility for all of this is Um Ji-won. She is the only person I call 'Captain' after Um Hong-gil," and added, "I think Um Ji-won will exert a powerful influence, so I hope you pay attention to that point."
Yoo In-young also said, "The actors are really having fun and enjoying the filming. I hope this energy reaches the viewers," while Park Hyo-joo stated, "I will work hard to ensure that the genuine aspects of 'Please Take Care of the Eagle Brothers!' are well-crafted like makgeolli, so we can convey good energy. I ask for a lot of love."
Meanwhile, 'Please Take Care of the Eagle Brothers!' is set to premiere on February 1 at 8 PM.
[Lee Da-kyum, Star Today Reporter]
