So Ji-sub, a new father, takes on his first villain role with Ju Sang-wook in the revenge action drama 'Manager Kim,' which aims to surpass 'Taken' [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.

Spicy and intense action returns. 'Manager Kim' features fiery action and the cheerful chemistry of all the 'dad universes.'

On the 25th, a production presentation for SBS's new Saturday-Sunday drama 'Manager Kim' (script by Nam Dae-jung, directed by Lee Seung-young) was held at the SBS Hall in Mokdong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. The event was attended by director Lee Seung-young, along with actors So Ji-sub, Choi Tae-hoon, Yoon Kyung-ho, Ju Sang-wook, and Son Na-eun.

'Manager Kim' is a dad-universe revenge action drama about the world's most ordinary father who becomes the world's most dangerous man to fight for his only daughter.

In the drama, So Ji-sub plays Manager Kim, who works as an ordinary employee at a small and medium-sized savings bank but is actually an agent who has been dispatched on countless special operations. Choi Tae-hoon and Yoon Kyung-ho portray Sung Han-soo and Park Jin-cheol, respectively, who are Manager Kim's longtime friends. Ju Sang-wook plays Ju Kang-chan, a legendary figure who starts as a loan shark enforcer and rises to Joo Hak-geon-seol (Chairman). Son Na-eun plays Jeong Sang-a, Manager Kim's colleague, as a representative at Sangsaeng Savings Bank.

Director Lee Seung-young introduced 'Manager Kim' as "a drama about a very ordinary father raising a high school daughter, easily found in everyday life, who struggles desperately to find his daughter."

'Manager Kim' is based on a webtoon of the same name. Director Lee Seung-young explained, "We tried to preserve the strengths of the original work. We also made every effort to bring over the characters with well-constructed narratives and arcs. Not only the characters but also the style were excellent. We had many discussions with the people in charge of the style to preserve that style. However, the webtoon genre has its limitations; it feels unrealistic. So we aimed to create something stylish yet grounded in realism. Additionally, some characters had unrealistic elements, so we worked to build them in a way that feels real."

The cast members shared their reasons for joining the project. So Ji-sub said, "I wanted to do an action drama again. I started reading the script because of the action, and I found the challenge in Manager Kim's narrative and the mindset of a father raising his daughter alone and setting out to find her."

Choi Tae-hoon said, "This is my first time doing formal action. While I've done small action-like things before, this is my first time doing proper action, so it was a challenge. When I saw the great director and actors, I felt I couldn't say no."

Yoon Kyung-ho said, "There were many reasons. First, being able to work with So Ji-sub and Choi Tae-hoon was significant. I also liked the themes of fatherly love and the dad universe. I had worked with director Lee Seung-young before, playing a minor role as a homeless person. I was grateful that he allowed me to do the kind of acting I wanted to do. As an actor I hope to be seen for a long time, I was grateful to be able to repay that. It has been 25 years since 'The Age of Heroes' that I could return to SBS. I also wanted to work with Ju Sang-wook and Son Na-eun."

Ju Sang-wook, who is taking on his first villain role through 'Manager Kim,' said, "This is the first time I've played such an overt villain. That's why I found it charming. It remained fresh and fun until the end of filming."

Director Lee Seung-young explained the reason for casting Ju Sang-wook as the villain Ju Kang-chan. He said, "Many actors were considered. But fate led us to actor Ju Sang-wook. I can confidently say that Ju Sang-wook's acting career will be divided into before and after 'Manager Kim.' I think you can look forward to his performance."

Ju Sang-wook said, "This is the first time I've been hit so many times," and also hinted at the intense action scenes with So Ji-sub.

Son Na-eun also shared her reason for joining the project. She said, "It's a new genre I haven't tried before, so I'm excited. There were also senior actors I really wanted to work with, so there was no reason not to join."

She also shared her impressions of being the only female cast member alongside So Ji-sub, Choi Tae-hoon, Yoon Kyung-ho, and Ju Sang-wook. Son Na-eun said, "Acting with seniors was both joyful and burdensome. But on set, the seniors welcomed us and shared fun stories, making it a pleasant experience. We prepared well and delivered the acting together. Although being the only girl was burdensome, in the end, I was glad to be the only girl."

So Ji-sub revealed the unique charm points of 'Manager Kim.' He said, "There are refreshing, satisfying, and diverse action scenes. Each character has their own story, which is fun just to watch." He added, "Since his daughter has disappeared, Manager Kim cannot be purely cheerful, but when he meets with his friends, there is a cheerful atmosphere that allows him to breathe."

'Manager Kim' has attracted significant attention as the Korean version of 'Taken' even before its premiere. Regarding this, director Lee Seung-young said, "I think it will surpass 'Taken,'" but immediately added, "Just kidding." He continued, "'Taken' is a real-time chase thriller, but our story spans 10 hours. We take the strengths of 'Taken,' but 'Manager Kim' also includes narratives about peripheral characters that 'Taken' does not have. It is fun and cheerful."

Additionally, director Lee Seung-young hinted at a different kind of fun compared to his previous work, 'Beautiful World.' He said, "'Beautiful World' had the taste of a sweet cake, while ours is spicy and refreshing. We will compete with a different flavor."

Director Lee Seung-young said, "It's about kindness prevailing over evil, not revenge. To maximize that narrative, we could have made the episodes sensational, but we are different in nature. We focus on how strong a person can become to protect what is precious." He added, "We didn't intentionally try to provoke 'catharsis.' Viewers will be able to feel a father's love that everyone can empathize with, as well as the friendship with his friends."

Meanwhile, 'Manager Kim' will premiere on the 26th at 9:50 p.m.

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*This content was translated by AI.