Director Kim Yong-wan and writer Yang Ji-hoon of 'The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl' revealed the key points to watch.
The new tvN Monday-Tuesday drama 'The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl' (directed by Kim Yong-wan, written by Yang Ji-hoon, planned by CJ ENM, produced by Studio Dragon, Dexter Pictures, and Eo Content Group), which will premiere on the 23rd, depicts the reckless first love rescue romance of a boy destined to die and a shaman girl from the MZ generation trying to prevent it. The story of high school shaman Park Seong-ah (played by Joy Hyun), who confronts fate for her first love, and Baek Gyeon-woo (played by Choo Young-woo), who will defy fate through the ordinary happiness she brings, offers a fresh thrill.
Above all, this work is drawing attention as director Kim Yong-wan, who has showcased excellent directing skills through various genres such as 'The Wind Blows', 'Method', and 'When You Wish Upon a Star', collaborates with the delicate writing of Yang Ji-hoon.
Director Kim Yong-wan stated, "I wanted to create a reckless rescue romance for the youth. The fact that it is a complex genre including romantic comedy, human stories, occult, and sports was intriguing, and I liked the authenticity of the message contained within it."
Writer Yang Ji-hoon said, "The original webtoon was really fun," adding, "To overcome the strong constraint of Gyeon-woo's 'death fate', we built a rescue narrative for the two characters by bringing in various genre formulas to overcome crises. I believe viewers will truly feel the taste of a complex genre."
Director Kim Yong-wan highlighted the charm of 'The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl' by pointing out the first love rescue operation of Park Seong-ah, saying, "The scenes where the high school shaman fights various ghosts to save her first love Gyeon-woo are attractive. You might find yourself rooting for Seong-ah's struggles to save Gyeon-woo from people who are perhaps scarier than ghosts, filled with prejudice and misunderstanding."
Director Kim Yong-wan put great effort into maximizing the interesting setup of a shaman girl from the MZ generation confronting fate and a boy born with misfortune. "I paid a lot of attention to the details so that each shaman character could stand out, from Seong-ah's image as if a weaver girl descended to earth, to the Goryeo-era general style of Dongcheon General, the flamboyant flower boy, and the sexy yet charismatic Yeomhwa."
He continued, "We had many meetings with the special effects team to create the visuals of the various ghosts tormenting Gyeon-woo. From familiar ghosts to those never seen before, viewers will feel another genre's fun added to the exciting romance."
Writer Yang Ji-hoon also added, "Various shamans appear in the drama. The characters are colorful and diverse. I tried to capture the differences in movements and problem-solving methods that come from the fact that each shaman has different costumes and tools."
There is also high anticipation for the meeting of Joy Hyun, Choo Young-woo, and Cha Gang-yoon, who will complete the first love rescue romance. Director Kim Yong-wan said, "Seong-ah is a charismatic shaman, but during the day, she is a clumsy and observant high school student. I pondered over how to create that difference in every scene. In particular, I am very grateful that Joy Hyun diligently practiced shaman scenes for three months to express a realistic shaman."
He added, "The premise that Seong-ah must risk her life to save her first love ultimately had to be based on the fact that Gyeon-woo is truly charming, and Choo Young-woo did a great job portraying the 'Gyeon-woo' character, who is cool but shyly opens his heart only to Seong-ah. Choo Young-woo is good at physical acting and has a sense of humor, making it fun to create the character together. Since he is in the archery club, he even bought a bow and practiced archery consistently, adding detail to the scenes."
Director Kim Yong-wan expressed satisfaction, saying that the synergy between Joy Hyun, Choo Young-woo, and Cha Gang-yoon was perfect. "Joy Hyun and Choo Young-woo are friends of the same age and had experience working together, so we were able to shoot very enjoyably on set. I also didn't hold back on giving acting advice to Cha Gang-yoon. Thanks to Joy Hyun's emotional scenes and Choo Young-woo's guidance on physical scenes and ad-libs, Cha Gang-yoon also grew a lot in a short time," raising expectations for their chemistry.
Writer Yang Ji-hoon praised the actors' character synchronization, saying, "I feel like the characters are so vividly alive that they might ascend to the heavens." He shared an interesting episode, stating, "I learned fortune-telling for the work 'The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl'. I once drew a fortune that matched the character's personality, and it turned out that the birthday of Pyo Ji-ho was July 7. It was fascinating that Pyo Ji-ho's birthday reminded me of Chilseok, which is associated with the bridge of magpies (though Chilseok is calculated by the lunar calendar)."
Additionally, Yang Ji-hoon pointed out the fun relationship between Baek Gyeon-woo and Pyo Ji-ho, aside from the romance between Seong-ah and Gyeon-woo, saying, "Ji-ho finds Seong-ah's efforts to save Gyeon-woo ridiculous but eventually becomes inspired and becomes a quirky and kind friend who rolls up his sleeves to help. Watching Gyeon-woo and Ji-ho become friends will be quite enjoyable."
The performance of Choo Ja-hyun, who plays Yeomhwa, a character who 'became a ghost to survive', cannot be overlooked. Director Kim Yong-wan praised, "Choo Ja-hyun received a lot of applause on set for her chilling performances. Her character interpretation and expression methods were new and surprising, and I learned a lot from her."
Writer Yang Ji-hoon mentioned, "I was overwhelmed by the performances of Yeomhwa and Dongcheon General during the test shoot. They were much more charismatic and cool than the script. I went back and completely revised the scenes with the shamans." Director Kim Yong-wan also expressed gratitude, saying, "Kim Mi-kyung and Yoon Byung-hee took on new challenges from hairstyles to costumes. They perfectly delivered both fun and emotion."
Finally, Director Kim Yong-wan said, "The process of Seong-ah and Gyeon-woo gradually becoming each other's first love through the one-sided crush that started the first love rescue operation will be thrilling and interesting. The battles Seong-ah will face with the ghosts she encounters are also unmissable points to watch. Please look forward to and enjoy 'The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl', where you can feel the fresh love of youth and various genre fun."
Writer Yang Ji-hoon raised expectations for the first broadcast, saying, "Gyeon-woo's life is really tough. Nevertheless, Seong-ah never lets go. Please watch how they become each other's salvation," adding, "You will find yourself cheering for Seong-ah and Gyeon-woo as they overcome the constraints of 'death fate' and crises."
‘The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl’ will premiere on the 23rd at 8:50 PM on tvN.
[Kim Mi-ji, Star Today Reporter]
