I am captivated by actress Park Bo-young and the story itself. This refers to 'Unknown Seoul.'
The tvN drama 'Unknown Seoul' (written by Lee Kang, directed by Park Shin-woo), which premiered on the 24th of last month, is a romantic coming-of-age drama about twin sisters who, despite looking alike, swap lives through a lie to find true love and life. Currently, six episodes have been released, achieving a peak viewership rating of 6.4% (based on Nielsen Korea nationwide) and gaining popularity.
In the drama, Miji temporarily swaps lives to help her sister Mirae, who is on the brink of despair. Just as Mirae protected her in the past, this time Miji lives her sister's life. Through this, the sisters gradually open their closed hearts and confront their respective wounds.
Their journey shines even brighter through Park Bo-young's delicate performance, who is taking on four roles. Park Bo-young described it as “a challenge and opportunity that will never come again in my life.” Although the twins have identical appearances, their personalities are entirely different, and she naturally transitions between them, enhancing the immersion. Without drastic emotional swings, she convincingly portrays the nuances and psychology of the characters with restrained expressions and glances. It is Park Bo-young's strength that makes viewers laugh and cry along with Miji and Mirae's emotional journey.
Her chemistry with Park Jin-young is also impressive. The combination of Park Bo-young's charm and Park Jin-young's steadfastness adds a warm excitement. Park Jin-young, who plays Ho-su, Lee Jae-in, who plays the younger versions of Mirae and Miji, and Park Yoon-ho, who plays the younger Ho-su, also leave a deep impression. Supporting actors like Ryu Kang-soo, Moon Dong-hyuk, Jang Young-nam, Kim Sun-young, and Cha Mi-kyung also deliver stable performances.
'Unknown Seoul' offers deep comfort through its story itself. When Miji, who thought she could only run, isolates herself in her room after an injury and berates herself, saying, “I feel like such a trash,” her grandmother warmly embraces her, saying, “Miji is hiding to live too. No matter how messy and unappealing it looks, everything done to survive is brave.” The encouraging words, “Yesterday is over, tomorrow is far away, and today is still unknown,” resonate quietly.
Ho-su's mother, who recognizes the warm side of Mirae, who others say is cold, Ho-su, who shows consideration by saying, “There’s a reason when someone hides something,” Ho-su, who climbed Du Bong Mountain with all his might, and Miji, who waited at the summit, as well as Miji, who dislikes herself for pretending not to care despite doing her best, all present relatable stories that touch the heart.
Writer Lee Kang stated, “I imagined what it would be like if a twin could replace me, and suddenly wondered if that twin's life would be more peaceful than mine. Everyone feels their life is the hardest, but I started thinking that perhaps everyone is fighting their own battles. The self-hatred that whips and belittles oneself with words and thoughts one wouldn’t say to others still feels like an unresolved homework for me. I hope our protagonists and the viewers of this story can be a little kinder to themselves,” she expressed.
In this way, the heartfelt compassion and love that the writer Lee Kang wanted to convey through the lives of Miji and Mirae, combined with director Park Shin-woo's emotional direction and Park Bo-young's vivid performance, captivates the audience. This is why we hope that 'Unknown Seoul,' which has just reached its halfway point, will beautifully complete the stories of Miji and Mirae alongside Park Bo-young.
[Yang So-young, Star Today Reporter]
#‘Yang Churi’ is an abbreviation for Yang So-young's recommendation list. I recommend movies, dramas, and variety shows without discrimination.
