"All In": Song Kang Returns After Discharge, Lee Jun-young Enlists in School Uniform for 'Four Hands' [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.

Actors Song Kang and Lee Jun-young are rewriting the coming-of-age story of youth with "Four Hands."

On the afternoon of the 25th, an online production conference for tvN's new Saturday-Sunday drama "Four Hands" (script by Shin Yi-won) was held, attended by director Park Hyun-seok and actors Song Kang, Lee Jun-young, and Jang Gyu-ri. The event was pre-recorded in July due to Lee Jun-young's military enlistment schedule.

On the day, Director Park opened with, "I feel good and happy to introduce a work we made with great actors who put in effort," before highlighting what sets "Four Hands" apart: "The actors are truly outstanding."

He continued, "While there have been music dramas before, I don't think any drama has covered music, youth, and growth like ours. The term 'Four Hands' refers to two people playing one piano, and I felt it was fitting for a story about the journeys of two characters, so that's how we chose the title."

"Four Hands" is a drama depicting the friendship, love, competition, and growth of young people who meet at an arts high school filled only with musical prodigies. It has drawn attention as Song Kang's first return role after his discharge in October last year and Lee Jun-young's final leading role before his military enlistment.

In "Four Hands," Song Kang plays pianist Kang Bi-o, who has followed an elite path; Lee Jun-young plays rookie Choi Jeong-yo, who rose like a comet; and Jang Gyu-ri plays violist Hong Jae-in, who recognized the two's genius talent sooner than anyone else.

Returning to "Four Hands" after his discharge, Song Kang stated, "I took piano lessons for several months as a baseline, but since I couldn't take classes during filming, I prepared by watching piano videos from teachers. Also, to express the character's emotions, I communicated extensively with the director."

Lee Jun-young enlisted in the Army on July 21 last year and is fulfilling his military obligation. In the pre-recorded video, Lee Jun-young joked, "I'm probably training hard right now. Please take care of me," eliciting laughter.

Regarding the impression he wants to leave with "Four Hands," his final leading role before enlistment, Lee Jun-young said, "I want to show that 'this kind of person is possible.' The public tends to remember me with a strong impression, but this character I took on is surprisingly like Pyongyang Naengmyeon and has diverse emotions. I hope you can see that point well. I don't know if I did well, but I gave my all. I can say I put everything on the line."

So, what adjective does Lee Jun-young want to gain through "Four Hands"? When asked, he joked, "I haven't thought about adjectives. I focused differently; compared to other actors, I look a bit older, so I paid a lot of attention to skin care. There are parts that effort can't fix. I approached it with the mindset of just acting well."

Jang Gyu-ri transformed into Hong Jae-in, a violist with exceptional musical sensibility. Regarding her character, Jang Gyu-ri expressed affection: "I think viewers will smile when they see the character Jae-in. She is a friend who gives her all to someone she opens her heart to and loves once, so that's a part of her I wanted to emulate."

Director Park has demonstrated his ability to navigate diverse genres through previous works such as "Thieves: The Sound of the Blade," "Hometown," "Stranger 2," "Tunnel Girls," "Careless Affection," and "Spy." Regarding this, he showed confidence: "Music genre dramas were also unfamiliar and difficult for me. However, thanks to the actors and others who provided musical help, I was able to do a challenging yet enjoyable job."

He also mentioned the reasons for casting the three actors. Director Park said, "The synergy between the actors and their roles is really high. The chemistry among the three was good, and we could discuss the work deeply. Just seeing the three of them laughing and chatting on set made me happy," revealing his affection for Song Kang, Lee Jun-young, and Jang Gyu-ri.

Song Kang also recalled the filming period: "It was my first script reading since discharge, so I was nervous enough to shake my hands, but Lee Jun-young handled it so well. From then on, I suddenly felt stable and filmed very comfortably. I received great help from Jang Gyu-ri in terms of acting, so I was able to finish filming very happily," expressing gratitude to Lee Jun-young and Jang Gyu-ri.

He also shared behind-the-scenes anecdotes. Song Kang said, "Every moment with Lee Jun-young was good, but the scenes where we play the piano on one chair were fun, warm, yet uncomfortable. (Lee Jun-young) isn't small."

In response, Lee Jun-young wittily retorted, "It was really uncomfortable. Song Kang is in great shape. He always comes to set after working out when we film together," drawing laughter.

Through "Four Hands," the actors express two periods of time—ages 17 and 27—in their acting. In this regard, Song Kang revealed, "Bi-o at 17 was a character who knew nothing but rain and piano, craving only his grandfather's attention, but meeting Jeong-yo brought new competition. Jeong-yo is the one who breaks Bi-o's mold. At 27, everything becomes deeper for Bi-o."

Regarding this part, Lee Jun-young joked, "First, I want to thank Director Park and the production company for giving me the opportunity to graduate from school uniform," before holding back on how the narrative changes, saying it's a secret, thereby heightening anticipation.

He also spoke about the instrument practice process. Lee Jun-young explained, "I didn't know how to play the piano well, so I memorized the entire piece. I made an effort to check moments that required acting, and Director Park even memorized the whole piece himself. When directing, he gave meticulous instructions by counting the measures of the music. I received great help."

Jang Gyu-ri, who had to handle the viola, shared her struggles: "I learned violin when I was young, so I thought the viola would be easy, but reading sheet music and hand spacing were different, which actually confused me. The most difficult part was using my body naturally while playing the instrument. We filmed videos with the teacher as if dancing to exchange feedback and practiced."

Finally, they shared viewing points. Lee Jun-young said, "I hope viewers watch it with the thought of listening to one piece and savoring it. The viewing points are Song Kang's handsomeness, Director Park's cold yet delicate direction, Jang Gyu-ri's lively appearance, and her dazzling playing skills," proudly adding that he drew laughter.

Song Kang said, "All the actors, including the three leads, have emotional arcs. How about if you watch the entire work with attention to the piano and viola performances as well?"

Director Park stated, "I really want to talk about the actors. The actors' looks are truly excellent, and since the production team captured them beautifully, it will feel like viewing a beautiful picture book," showing strong confidence.

Meanwhile, "Four Hands" will premiere on the 29th at 9:10 p.m.

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*This content was translated by AI.