Forget the character from 'The Outlaws'... Jin Seon-gyu writes a new chapter in villain history with '100 Days of Lies'

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Actor Jin Seon-gyu transformed into Sato Shinichi, a character who hides suspicion and cruelty behind a smiling face.

In tvN's 20th-anniversary special weekend drama '100 Days of Lies,' which premiered on the 10th, Jin Seon-gyu appeared as Sato Shinichi, the newly appointed Political Chief Inspector of the Jo Seon (총독) Bureau.

Sato's first appearance was composed. Dressed in uniform, he emerged at the platform of Keijo Station, where high-ranking officials of the Gyeong Chal-gwa (총독) Bureau were waiting to greet him. He received a warm welcome with his gentle smile and informal jokes. His natural ability to lead conversations even amidst strict security and formal protocol revealed the composure of a figure who does not question his own power. Jin Seon-gyu laid the foundation for the threat that would later emerge by portraying Sato's gaze, which observes and judges others, within this soft first impression.

Even when he directly requested a handshake from Philip Yoo (played by Lee Mu-saeng), a correspondent for an American news agency, or offered words of congratulations to Yoo So-ran (played by Kim Hyun-ju), Sato's attention was directed toward the other party's status and reaction. His act of checking whether they understood Japanese showed that even a kind greeting could serve as a means to assess the other person. Jin Seon-gyu left an undercurrent of wariness in his seemingly friendly tone, making it difficult for those facing Sato to easily let their guard down.

This character trait became even more distinct in the meal scene. While praising Yoo So-ran's cooking skills, Sato asked about the number of dishes and observed her hand gestures. What sounded like an everyday question turned out to be a test to gauge the other person's identity. Jin Seon-gyu portrayed Sato continuing his suspicion while maintaining a smile, injecting tension into an ordinary dinner conversation. The gap between his affectionate demeanor and his unwavering gaze revealed Sato's meticulousness.

In flashback scenes, the cruelty hidden behind that friendly face was exposed. Sato grabbed young Hideo and pressed him, then calmly pulled the trigger after accusing another boy of being a pickpocket. Later, at the present-day dinner table, he asked Hideo (played by Park Jin-young) with a smile if he remembered that day. His casual attitude toward bringing up an event that remains an indelible terror for someone added to the scene's eeriness.

In this scene, Jin Seon-gyu showed Sato's cruelty not only through violent actions but also through his demeanor afterward. The fact that he continued the conversation without wavering in the face of another's pain revealed how accustomed Sato was to violence. The composure of the man who had exchanged greetings and praised cooking skills persisted even as he brought up cruel memories, making the friendliness built up since his first appearance feel like a threat.

This transformation involved preparation aimed at creating a new character beyond the impression of previous villains. Earlier, at the press conference, Jin Seon-gyu stated his goal for the work, saying, "I want to erase the character from 'The Outlaws' a little." He explained that he created the character through sufficient conversations with the director, lived in Japan for two months, memorized the script for seven hours a day, and took lessons with Japanese teachers to learn the flow and feel of the language.

In the first episode, Jin Seon-gyu maintained Sato's attitude of observing and testing others even within conversations that switched between Japanese and Korean. He infused different intentions into each greeting, compliment, and question, connecting foreign-language lines to the character's personality. His approach of getting close to others with a soft tone while never relinquishing control of the conversation showed both Sato's power and his suspicion.

Jin Seon-gyu's portrayal of the villain in '100 Days of Lies' drew its strength from the natural continuity between a kind attitude and a cruel nature within a single character. Attention is now focused on how Jin Seon-gyu, who embedded threats within smiles and jokes from the very first episode, will unfold Sato's suspicion and desires going forward.

Jin Seon-gyu, who has recently showcased different characters through 'Aema,' 'UDT: Our Neighborhood Special Forces,' 'The Price of Confession,' and the film 'Husbands,' has once again expanded the range of his acting as Sato. If he showed humor and action as Kwak Byung-nam in 'UDT: Our Neighborhood Special Forces' and Chung-sik in 'Husbands,' and demonstrated the qualities of a lawyer as Jang Jung-gu in 'The Price of Confession,' this time he transformed into a ruthless power figure who probes others with a kind attitude. Expectations are high for how Jin Seon-gyu, who revealed both Sato's smile and cruelty from the first episode, will drive the suspicion and conflict between characters going forward.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original