The return of a legend needs no words. Actor Kim Hye-ja, who returned to the small screen after three years, captivated viewers in just two episodes.
The JTBC drama ‘More Beautiful than Heaven’, which premiered on the 19th, tells the story of Lee Hae-sook (played by Kim Hye-ja), who arrives in heaven at the age of 80 and reunites with her husband Ko Nak-jun (played by Son Seok-koo), who has returned to his 30s, depicting a romance that transcends the current life.
The legendary director Kim Seok-yoon and writers Lee Nam-kyu and Kim Soo-jin, who are known for the life-changing drama ‘Dazzling’, have teamed up again. Kim Hye-ja, Han Ji-min, and Lee Jung-eun, who collaborated in ‘Dazzling’, have also joined, hinting at the birth of another legendary drama.
The perfect combination of writer, director, and actors shone brightly from the early broadcasts. It recorded high buzz and viewership ratings from the very first episode.
According to Nielsen Korea, ‘More Beautiful than Heaven’ achieved a viewership rating of 5.8% (based on nationwide paid households) for its first episode and rose to 6.1% for the second episode, securing the number one spot in non-terrestrial viewership ratings for two consecutive days. It is also making impressive records in terms of buzz. According to the buzz research agency Good Data Corporation's Fundex, ‘More Beautiful than Heaven’ ranked 4th in drama buzz for the third week of April.
Director Kim Seok-yoon referred to this project as the ‘Kim Hye-ja Project’ due to Kim Hye-ja's passionate performance, marking her return to television after three years since the tvN drama ‘Our Blues’.
Hae-sook goes to heaven at the age of 80, remembering her husband's words, "You are the most beautiful now." However, the husband she meets in heaven does not remember those words and has returned in his 30s. Kim Hye-ja, who plays Hae-sook, drew attention with her natural chemistry with Son Seok-koo, who plays her husband Nak-jun.
Although the story takes place in the extraordinary space of heaven, Kim Hye-ja's acting made everything convincing. She delicately expressed Hae-sook's complex emotions of longing, joy, disappointment, and affection for her husband.
Son Seok-koo, who is the ‘Kim Hye-ja pick’, plays the love-struck husband Ko Nak-jun, showcasing their couple chemistry. With a debut in 1961, Kim Hye-ja and Son Seok-koo, who debuted in 2017, have a 56-year difference in their careers. Acting in a romance with the senior Kim Hye-ja is a challenging task, but Son Seok-koo completed a chemistry that transcends the age gap with his playful and charming performance.
Another element that became a hot topic on social media after the broadcast is the appearance of pets. Those who have pets often say that the moment of parting is when they 'cross the rainbow bridge'. This implies that pets wait for their owners beyond the rainbow bridge, hoping to reunite someday.
In this context, the scenes of dogs waiting anxiously for their owners and the appearance of the cat Sonya (played by Choi Hee-jin), who hopes to be recognized by Hae-sook, touched the hearts of pet owners.
At the production presentation, Kim Hye-ja hinted at her retirement, saying, “Perhaps this could be… considering everything, including age, my last work.” As a 64-year veteran actress who has no interests other than acting, it is noteworthy how this ‘life work’ that Kim Hye-ja aims to leave as a final mark in her acting career will be completed.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
