'Yumi's Cells' Webtoon and Drama Take the Stage... "A Story for Us All" [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.

"'Yumi' is a story for us all."

The musical 'Yumi's Cells' has brought the emotional impact of the original work to the stage.

A press conference for the musical 'Yumi's Cells' was held on the 9th at CJ T-Wol Theater, Arts Center, Seocho-gu, Seoul. Tiffany Young, Kim Ye-won, Choi Jae-rim, Jung Taek-woon, Kim So-hyang, and Yuria attended the event.

Lee Dong-geon's 'Yumi's Cells,' which set an unprecedented record of 3.5 billion cumulative views on Naver Webtoon, has been realized on the musical stage. This project was completed through a five-year joint planning and development process by Sam Company and Studio N. The original work, beloved as both a webtoon and a drama, found a new space on stage, establishing its value as a new form of stage art.

The role of 'Yumi,' a protagonist living an ordinary yet special daily life, is played by Tiffany Young and Kim Ye-won. When preparing for the role of 'Yumi,' Tiffany Young cited 'empathy' as the most important focus. He said, "I focused on making 'Yumi' a character that audiences could feel was everyone's story," adding, "I am now feeling that I am completing this 'Yumi' together with the audience."

He further stated, "'Yumi' is not a perfect or special person; she is a lovable and beautiful character who hesitates, feels fear, and even lacks confidence. I wanted to convey the message that it's okay to move at your own pace."

He also expressed his affection for the role, saying, "After finishing each performance, I am struck by how amazing this work is. Through 'Yumi,' I too am growing, feeling many things, and learning. It is a role I look forward to every time."

Kim Ye-won revealed that she came to understand 'Yumi' more deeply while sharing the stage with the audience. He said, "'Yumi's Cells' is a work that draws much energy from the audience. Even though the seats are usually not visible, I can see the audience wiping away tears during scenes where Yumi and her cells meet."

He continued, "The more I feel that audiences are empathizing and finding comfort, the deeper my understanding of the character 'Yumi' becomes. I am once again realizing how important it is for this work to share energy with the audience."

He added, "'Yumi' is a character filled with love, parting, and growth that anyone can experience. I hoped that through this work, audiences would reflect on themselves and feel the way to love themselves. It feels like they have accepted our feelings as they are, and we too are stepping onto the stage receiving that energy."

The roles of the original musical cells '109,' which did not appear in the original webtoon and sparked curiosity, were cast to Choi Jae-rim and Jung Taek-woon.

The production team aimed not to simply convey the original episodes but to reconstruct the narrative three-dimensionally through the medium of the '109 cell,' creating an independent story that even audiences unfamiliar with the webtoon could immerse themselves in.

The production team did not stop at simply transferring the original episodes; they reconstructed the narrative three-dimensionally through the original character '109 cell.' This was done to build an independent story so that audiences who had not encountered the webtoon could naturally become immersed in the play.

Regarding the identity of the '109 cell,' Choi Jae-rim said, "Audiences came to the theater with many questions and learned the secret through the performance. Since many have yet to see the show, I did not reveal details until now."

He continued, "The meaning of the number '109' will be revealed during curtain calls starting this week. I hope the video spreads widely. Yumi's birthday in the play is January 9th, so it carries the meaning of a cell born on her birthday."

Regarding character expression, he said, "My ultimate goal is to act as cutely as possible. '109' plays the largest role in continuing the flow of the play and connecting scenes. To maintain that energy and carry it into the next scene without dropping it, I struggled with ideas before choosing a high-tension strategy."

He added with a smile, "Taking advantage of the setting as an apprentice cell, I am showing many awkward and cute moments. The costume was made cuter than expected, so that charm seems to be coming out even more clearly."

Jung Taek-woon pointed out that not only the growth of the '109 cell' but also the growth of other cells is an important emotional point of the work.

He said, "It's not just '109' growing; I feel moved watching other cells grow as well. Those moments seem to draw empathy from the audience. Many people seem to empathize with the process where various cells face adversity and overcome it."

The roles of 'Love,' the prime cell who is the leader of the cells and determines Yumi's top priority, are played by Kim So-hyang and Yuria.

Yuria described the 'Love cell' as "the only villain in our performance who isn't really a villain." He said, "Love comes in many forms and can sometimes appear like a villain. We incorporated that aspect into the character. By showing various aspects of love, she eventually reconnects most deeply with Yumi and finds her true self at the end. I thought showing these multiple faces was the core driving this work."

Kim So-hyang explained that the 'Love cell' is a character containing the most important message of the work. He said, "We felt it was our duty to show how far down the Love cell, Yumi's prime cell, can fall when she loses her way and collapses. Although she is the only character who turns dark, she is also the role that gains the most important message."

He added, "I felt proud of being able to show various aspects of the Love cell, and I focused my acting on that part."

Meanwhile, 'Yumi's Cells' will be performed at CJ T-Wol Theater, Arts Center, until August 23.

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*This content was translated by AI.