The ten-million actor Ma Dong-seok is making his debut on the small screen with ‘Twelve’.
The KBS2 weekend drama ‘Twelve’, which premieres on the 23rd, is an action hero story depicting the battles of twelve angels who live in human form to protect humanity against evil forces. It will also be released simultaneously on Disney+.
The main draw of ‘Twelve’ is Ma Dong-seok. Having successfully led the ‘Crime City’ series, Ma Dong-seok is involved in planning, starring, and writing, raising expectations. This marks his return to the small screen after a nine-year hiatus since the drama ‘38 Task Force’.
Previously, Ma Dong-seok stated about ‘Twelve’, “I have wanted to create an Eastern-themed hero story for a long time. The twelve zodiac signs are widely used in various Asian countries, while also incorporating Korean charm. I thought it was an original concept. Based on this, I wondered if creating a superhero would resonate both locally and globally.”
As he mentioned, ‘Twelve’ is a Korean-style hero story. It intricately builds a familiar yet fresh worldview based on the folklore of the twelve zodiac signs, symbolizing Eastern culture. The story features characters with different powers, such as the tiger, monkey, dragon, and pig, who confront the evil forces spreading across the world, sparking interest.
The signature action scenes led by Taesan (Ma Dong-seok), who symbolizes the tiger and is the leader of the angels, along with Won-seung (Seo In-guk), Mir (Lee Joo-bin), Doni (Ko Gyu-pil), Kang-ji (Kang Mina), Juidol (Seong Yu-bin), Malsook (Ahn Ji-hye), Bangul (Regina Ray), and the angels' manager Marok (Seong Dong-il) are also points to watch. Additionally, the powerful evil force Ogui (Park Hyung-sik) is expected to provide more excitement.
Ma Dong-seok's refreshing fire fist action cannot be overlooked. Having showcased exhilarating fist action on screen in the ‘Crime City’ series, there is keen interest in whether he can deliver the same catharsis on the small screen.
However, in response to criticisms that his action is similar to previous works, Ma Dong-seok said, “While it may look similar in that it uses fists for action, if you look deeper into the content, it’s different. In the most recent release ‘Holy Night’, it involved being possessed by a demon, but here, it shows the action of a tiger angel. I’ve incorporated the setting of ‘Tiger Fire’, and as the story progresses, I believe it will feel different from my previous works.”
Regarding viewership ratings, he said, “I’m not sure,” but added, “There are interesting stories. Each character has different actions. The characters and exhilarating actions of the angels are something we haven’t seen much on TV. I hope viewers will appreciate it.”
As KBS has faced repeated low ratings recently, they are aiming for a turnaround with Ma Dong-seok’s ‘Twelve’ as a weekend mini-series, and attention is focused on whether Ma Dong-seok's fire fist power can captivate the small screen.
‘Twelve’ will air on KBS2 at 9:20 PM on the 23rd and will be available on Disney+ immediately after the broadcast.
[Yang So-young, Star Today Reporter]
