PUBLISHED ONMay 14, 2021 9:35 AMByKwok Kar PengWe don't know why Lee Je-hoon isn't more popular than he should be, but maybe his new revenge thriller drama Taxi Driver — now showing on Viu — and his upcoming Netflix series Move to Heaven will change that.
For fans who select their K-drama playlist based on how good-looking the cast is — no shame in that, we stress — you'll get some good views of the actor's gloriously ripped body in Move to Heaven, where he plays a boxer.
And for those who go for unconventional and entertaining content, the 10-episode drama weaves a compelling story revolving around trauma cleaners and the heartbreaking stories of their deceased clients.
What it's about
Han Jeong-u (played by Ji Jin-hee) runs a trauma cleaning company Move to Heaven with his sensitive 20-year-old son Geu-ru (Tang Jun-sang), who has Asperger syndrome. They clean up the living space after a person has died, respectfully unravelling their untold stories and delivering the messages — and the deceased's most precious belongings — to the bereaved families.
However, Jeong-u dies suddenly, leaving the guardianship of Geu-ru to his half-brother Sang-gu, who is recently released from prison. Sang-gu hides his painful past behind a rough devil-may-care exterior and agrees to work at the company with his newfound nephew in order to get Jeong-u's money.
With each deceased person that he and Geu-ru help to clean up, Sang-gu's toughness and anger are chipped off, bridging the distance between him and his nephew.
'I wanted to show Sang-gu's violence'
[[nid:495814]]
Director Kim Sung-ho and the cast of the drama series — Je-hoon, Jun-sang, and Hong Seung-hee — met regional media on Wednesday (May 12) for a press conference and also round-table interviews. Seung-hee plays the very lovable Na-mu, Geu-ru's neighbour and friend who carries a torch for him.
(Fun fact: This is the first press conference and first leading role for 19-year-old Jun-sang, whose father is Malaysian Chinese. Remember him as one of the North Korean soldiers in Crash Landing on You?)
Je-hoon explained about his character: "Sang-gu was a boxer and is now an illegal MMA fighter and that's how he made ends meet. He's not afraid to have his body take a toll to make money, and it expresses the rough-and-tumble side of Sang-gu.
"When he comes across Geu-ru and the deceased clients, he goes through personal growth and is able to grow from his past, where he was extremely lonely and never had the chance to feel warmth from others."
The 36-year-old added that Sang-gu's appearance — a horrendous-looking mullet and Ah Beng demeanour — led to people avoiding him when he was working on set. "They say things like, 'What's up with him, why is he like that'. My visual appearance was one meant to intimidate people and put them off."
He also went through a lot of preparations for his demanding fight scenes in the ring, including three months of boxing lessons.
"There wasn't much time (for lessons) and I wasn't perfectly ready but I know the gestures and how to punch. It was a bit risky because I have so much power to show and I hurt my wrist, which was a pity," Je-hoon said.
"But I'm kind of proud that I was in this show and could be a boxer. It wasn't easy shooting the illegal matches and the violent action scenes. I didn't want to not get hurt because I wanted to show Sang-gu's violence, so even though I hurt my wrist, I'm still alive so it's ok."
Move to Heaven is not for escapism
Move to Heaven runs shorter than the usual drama series with only 10 episodes, each slightly less than an hour, but this might be due to the stories — seven clients and Sang-gu's back story — are likely to be emotionally draining for viewers. Je-hoon and Jun-sang admitted that they cried copiously while reading the script prior to filming.
Director Kim, who previously directed movies and is helming a drama series for the first time, confessed it was a daunting task to be in charge of a drama that sets out from the start to be dramatic and a tearjerker and hopes the show will comfort viewers.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-er_AJioOA&t=2s[/embed]
"There are a lot of lonely people in our society and a lot of solitary deaths happening. I think we can all be better citizens, neighbours and members of the community when we are able to think about these issues and look at each other in the eye," he said.
"A lot of content-watching these days is about escapism, but I think it can be a better experience if we use (Move to Heaven) as an opportunity to look at our reality instead of escaping from it."
The three actors also shared their favourite stories in the series. For Jun-sang and Seung-hee, theirs was the one in episode five, where a young promising doctor is killed in a hospital attack. While clearing his belongings, they come across a special item and set out to help close that chapter of the late doctor's life. We won't reveal more to prevent spoilers.
[[nid:528986]]
Jun-sang explained: "I felt emotional while reading the script, it's kind of like Sherlock Holmes, going through the clues to find out what had happened."
Je-hoon's favourite is the opening episode, where a young man is killed in an industrial accident, although his character Sang-gu hasn't joined the company Move to Heaven yet. He said he could relate to the "very realistic" and sad scenario, which left him wondering, 'what if'.
When asked about the difference between his roles in Taxi Driver and Move to Heaven, he said: "Taxi Driver is about taking revenge for the people who were hurt. In Move to Heaven, my character tries to listen and find out stories about the deceased and convey them to their families.
"The stories touch on social issues, solitary deaths, adoption, and dating violence… He used to be a pessimistic person and he later realises people are friendly, the world is still warm, and we should advance to such a society. He realises this and changes through the episodes."
Move to Heaven premieres on Netflix today (May 14). Watch out for our video on the press conference coming next week!
kwokkarpeng@asiaone.com