Jung Hae-in ♥ Ha Young's "Single Love"... 'This Candy-Like Love', the Taste of Knowing [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.

"The taste of knowing is terrifying."

Starting as a romantic comedy and expanding into melodrama, thriller, and action, "This Candy-Like Love" confidently promised familiar yet never predictable entertainment.

A press conference for the Netflix series "This Candy-Like Love" was held at a hotel in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the 5th. Director Kim Jang-han and actors Jung Hae-in, Ha Young, and Heo Sung-tae attended the event.

"This Candy-Like Love" is a romantic comedy depicting the sweet and sticky cohabitation life between prosecutor Go Eun-sae (played by Ha Young), who suffers from amnesia, and boxing coach Jang Tae-ha (played by Jung Hae-in), who insists on being her self-proclaimed boyfriend.

Director Kim Jang-han, known for his delicate and sensory direction through works such as "Are You Listening to Brahms?" and "My Demon," takes the helm, while writer Mo Ji-hye, reuniting with Director Kim after four years since "You Raise Me Up," has written the script, drawing high expectations.

Director Kim Jang-han explained that "'Candy-like' itself was a hooking point" regarding the unique title, adding, "Since Eun-sae goes through a period of denying her fandom toward Tae-ha, their first meeting literally represents a 'candy-like' situation."

He continued, "Candy is both sweet and sticky. I thought this characteristic could serve as a medium to express the love between the two, so I chose this title," and revealed, "The enduring bond between the two characters is also expressed through candy."

Furthermore, he added, "Candy can produce various flavors depending on the ingredients used, and I felt our drama, with its mix of emotions and events, resembles that."

Jung Hae-in first shared his initial impression of the work's unconventional title. He said, "At first, I thought the title was unconventional, but since candy is also a traditional Korean sweet, I accepted it as 'a love like candy'."

He then cited the narratives of Jang Tae-ha and Go Eun-sae as the reason for choosing the project. Jung Hae-in stated, "Above all, the story of Tae-ha and Eun-sae was the most attractive," and revealed, "The more I read the script, the more curious I became about what would happen next, and I read it with full immersion."

He further explained, "Although it starts as a romantic comedy, it later showcases diverse genre appeal including melodrama, thriller, and action."

Jung Hae-in portrays "Jang Tae-ha," a self-proclaimed boyfriend of Go Eun-sae and a somewhat suspicious boxing coach, delivering a passionate performance.

Regarding Jang Tae-ha, Jung Hae-in said, "He is the most pure-hearted character I have ever portrayed," and introduced him as someone who "continuously does his best to protect the person he loves in any situation."

He continued, "As a single since birth, he is somewhat awkward, and his way of treating a woman he likes is also clumsy," adding, "These qualities actually became Jang Tae-ha's charm."

He also put effort into the character's transformation and action scenes. Jung Hae-in stated, "I had to show various aspects depending on the situation the character faces," and revealed, "We discussed extensively to create a different tone from previous action works."

He further added, "While performing actions, I kept in mind not to cause significant harm to others," and noted, "As he meets Eun-sae, I paid close attention to costumes and hairstyles so that Jang Tae-ha's gradual changes would feel natural."

Ha Young took on the role of elite prosecutor Go Eun-sae, who suffers from amnesia. Before losing her memory, her name was Go Ji-won, and while tracking a violent organization to seize an opportunity for success, she gets unexpectedly involved in an accident.

Ha Young also cited the script's absorbing quality as a reason for joining the project. He said, "The script was so interesting that I could read it all at once where I sat, and during the reading process, the characters seemed to come alive."

He further added, "It was impressive that we could unfold the material of 'candy' in this way," and noted, "While reading the script, I naturally empathized with Eun-sae's perspective."

Additionally, Heo Sung-tae took on the role of Baek Sang-gil, the boss of an organization chasing the whereabouts of the living Go Ji-won.

Regarding his character, he said, "I can confidently claim this is the most vicious role I have ever played," and explained, "It's so intense that one could tell Jang Deok-su from 'Squid Game' to step aside. He is an incomparably powerful character."

He further added, "Although I have played various villain roles before, including a prosecutor involved in sexual harassment, Baek Sang-gil is the most ruthless among them."

Regarding the reason for casting Heo Sung-tae, Director Kim Jang-han said, "From a visual standpoint, he looks scary, but in reality, he is an actor who is very shy and pure."

He continued, "While this aspect may not be directly highlighted in the work, Baek Sang-gil is the character holding the key to the twist," and revealed, "When I saw Heo Sung-tae's true self, I thought he could express that side well, so I proposed his casting."

Regarding the relationship between Jang Tae-ha and Go Eun-sae, Jung Hae-in explained, "Just as candy sticks more tightly as its temperature rises, Tae-ha and Eun-sae also overcome hardships together with an even stronger and stickier bond."

Ha Young, who is making his first foray into romantic comedies with "This Candy-Like Love," described the two's relationship as "a love story between an anxious girlfriend and a stable boyfriend." He said, "Eun-sae is a character who inevitably feels anxious due to her situation," and added, "As Tae-ha offers steadfast and unwavering love beside Eun-sae, she comes to feel true love herself."

Jung Hae-in cited Ha Young's wit and positive energy as his charms. He revealed, "In reality, he laughs a lot, and not only with me but also when filming with other senior actors, he naturally blends in and responds well to others' reactions."

He further added, "He carefully cared for the on-set staff and played a major role in creating a warm atmosphere," expressing affection by saying, "As a partner, there were many moments when I felt secure and grateful."

Ha Young also expressed satisfaction with his chemistry with Jung Hae-in. He said, "First of all, he is too cool," and added, "He created an emotion so natural that I could immerse myself completely without even thinking about how to act."

He further stated, "Although there were many difficult and challenging scenes, I was able to trust him and follow along without worry," expressing gratitude by saying, "As a senior actor, he provided much help and advice, carefully overseeing every aspect of the set. He created an environment where I could act freely."

Finally, Director Kim Jang-han said, "They say the taste of knowing is terrifying; I hope our drama becomes a terrifying one," while Jung Hae-in emphasized, "There will be no room for boredom. I am confident that viewers will enjoy it thoroughly by maintaining the overall pacing of the story."

Meanwhile, "This Candy-Like Love" will be available exclusively on Netflix starting August 7.

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*This content was translated by AI.