"A Hidden Gem," Kim Young-kwang and Chae Soobin Add the Final Touch to a Familiar Romantic Comedy with "Charge Me Up" [Comprehensive Report]

*This content was translated by AI.

"Charge Me Up" leverages the chemistry between Kim Young-kwang and Chae Soobin to add a unique twist of fun to the appeal of a familiar romantic comedy.

Director Park Su-won, along with actors Kim Young-kwang and Chae Soobin, attended an event for the Netflix series "Charge Me Up" at a hotel in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the 1st.

"Charge Me Up" is a romantic comedy about a man whose artificial heart battery has run out and a woman with electrical powers.

"Charge Me Up," based on the web novel of the same name, brings together Director Park Su-won, who was loved for his witty direction in "Drunkard City Women 2" and "Postpartum Care Center," and newcomer screenwriter Song Yu-chae.

Director Park Su-won stated, "When I first received this script, what caught my attention most was that the female lead of a romantic comedy has electrical powers. Unlike other romantic comedies, while there is an element of falling for a man because he is handsome and exciting, I also found it interesting that they fall in love because their electricity connects as fate."

He continued, "Beyond the concept of electricity, the most attractive aspect of this drama lies in 'charging.' Doesn't everyone feel and crave the need to recharge while living?" He explained, "For us who work hard and live busy lives until we are drained, it evokes thoughts like 'I want to be recharged like that too' or 'It would be a worthwhile life if I could recharge someone else.' I believed that such emotions and comfort were the appeal of this work."

Regarding his focus in directing, Director Park Su-won stated, "I wanted viewers to feel that it was 'fun' after watching an entire episode."

He added, "While works with serious and grand worldviews also receive much love from the public, I wanted 'Charge Me Up' to be a work that could be enjoyed comfortably without overthinking." He explained, "I directed it with the hope that viewers would feel relaxed while watching and experience a sense of being recharged episode by episode."

The meeting between Kim Young-kwang, returning to romantic comedies after a long time, and Chae Soobin, who has established herself as a "romance goddess," is also a point of anticipation.

Regarding Kim Young-kwang, Director Park Su-won said, "He possesses all the virtues required of a male actor in a romantic comedy." He added, "He has a great physique and a visual that looks like he stepped out of a comic book, and while he appears chic on the outside, he is actually quite playful."

He continued, "He is sharp with others but acts affectionately like a large dog toward his woman, possessing all the elements female viewers would love, yet it seems only he himself doesn't realize it." He expressed his affection by saying, "Including that aspect, he is a complete package. I hope the work is released soon so many people can see how well he did and how handsome he is."

Regarding Chae Soobin, he shared, "She was truly too cute. After filming once, the male staff kept saying 'she's so cute' for every take."

Director Park stated, "Of course, she is a very talented and smart actress, but in a romantic comedy, if the female lead is cute and lovable, that itself becomes a great strength." He expressed his satisfaction by saying, "I felt truly blessed to work with these two actors."

He revealed, "The combination of their faces was like Nick and Judy from 'Zootopia,' which I liked. Not only did they have good romantic chemistry, but also good comedic chemistry, so there were times when I didn't call cut just to see what the two of them would do on set. There were many moments where they showed real chemistry in a fun, ad-lib style."

"Baek Ho-rang," played by Kim Young-kwang, is a chaebol third-generation heir who leads a resort under Korea's top conglomerate. He is a character who is perfect in both work and appearance but has an unknown weakness: possessing an "artificial heart."

Regarding his reason for joining the project, Kim Young-kwang stated, "The comic-like settings and situations were so interesting that I thought, 'How can all this happen?'" He added, "I decided to join because I thought it would be fun to try it out myself."

Kim Young-kwang, who has left a strong impression in genre dramas, said about his return to romantic comedies after a long time, "It feels good to do a romantic comedy again. It felt like my heart was melting completely." He added, "While viewers will enjoy watching it, we are also having fun while filming."

He continued, "In the early part of the drama, the setting itself felt comic-like, so there were parts that were ticklish and embarrassing." He explained, "Every time that happened, the director told me it was okay, which allowed me to act more comfortably over time."

Director Park Su-won recalled Kim Young-kwang's early adaptation period. Director Park said, "Since he had just come from genre dramas, he was very embarrassed when delivering ticklish lines." He laughed and added, "In the beginning, I even clapped to encourage him."

Chae Soobin shared, "The lines are not things we usually say, so they can feel awkward, and if handled poorly, they might sound cheesy." She added, "But my senior expressed them simply and well. While he did it stylishly, he showed signs of being embarrassed and struggling after finishing, which was also fun to watch."

Chae Soobin takes on the role of "Na Bo-bae," a drama writer with electrical powers, showcasing new charm. She said, "The script itself was interesting, but I had concerns about the genre aspect, so I thought a lot about whether to join." She added, "However, I was completely persuaded by the production team during our meeting."

She continued, "They said it is a familiar taste, but they were confident in making it well. Above all, the story was very cute and bouncy yet warm." She explained her decision to join by saying, "Drawn by that appeal, I decided, 'I must do this work.'"

Chae Soobin, who played a character with electrical powers, said, "The abilities of 'Na Bo-bae' were greatly helped by the camera and lighting teams. Rather than me struggling hard, I received a lot of help from those around me."

Director Park Su-won revealed that he had been thinking a lot from the beginning about how to handle the familiar romantic comedy conventions of the work.

Director Park said, "In a way, it is a 'familiar taste,' but just because it is familiar, I did not want to force it into a different flavor." He added, "Don't diets fail because they are a familiar taste? In other words, I believed that there is power in a familiar taste."

He continued, "So the important thing was whether we could give the feeling of 'This place is a hidden gem.'" He explained, "To achieve that, I thought most about clichés. Even within familiar settings, I tried to find 'something slightly different' that the actors and staff could deliver."

He cited the chaebol third-generation character played by Kim Young-kwang as an example. Director Park said, "The chaebol third-generation character itself was not absent from other dramas, but the character played by actor Kim Young-kwang has a raw kind of fun." He added, "Even for the same chaebol third-generation role, it takes on a slightly different texture when performed by actor Kim Young-kwang."

He added, "Through the actors' charm, the staff's ideas, and the synergy created on set, we continued to think about how to find that slightly different point even within familiar clichés."

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*This content was translated by AI.