Shadow Beauty, a new original drama on KakaoTV, held an online press conference on November 19 with director Bang Su In and cast members Shim Dal Gi, Bomin from Golden Child, fromis 9's Lee Nagyung and PENTAGON's Hongseok to discuss the show's premiere.
"Shadow Beauty," which is based on a webtoon, tells the story of a high school kid named Goo Ae Jin, who is tormented and isolated at his or her school (played by Shim Dal Gi). But she has a secret identity as "Genie," a social media celebrity and influencer who is recognized for her immaculate beauty (played by fromis 9's Lee Nagyung), and she lives a double life online as "Genie."
Each episode of the short-form drama "Shadow Beauty" is only 20 minutes in length, making it a perfect fit for Netflix. "I believe that a mid-form drama exists somewhere in between a movie and a drama," director Bang Su In explained. Because the episodes are broken into 20-minute halves, you can clearly observe the performers' emotions and the message being conveyed by the episodes. Because the webtoon is popular, I read a lot of reviews and considered how to make it more approachable."
Regarding the casting of the four leads, she stated, "Of course, I considered all of my options carefully, but Shim Dal Gi was the only one who could portray Goo Ae Jin for me." Her past filmography gave me the impression that she could portray Goo Ae Jin's enormous energy trapped within a petite physique. I was right.
As for Bomin, I emailed him the screenplay, and he was quickly cast as the next person to appear on the show. Nagyung is the only one of these four actors who was cast solely on the basis of an audition. When it came to casting the character of Genie, we went through a long process, but Nagyung was cast almost by chance on the very last day of the process, at the very end of the line. During the casting meeting, when I first saw Hongseok, I had the distinct impression that Jin Sung [his character] was heading toward me. "I was unsure whether I should change the lines in case he couldn't speak in dialect, but he did a good job," I thought.
Shim Dal Gi expressed his excitement at taking on the major role by saying, "The chance came far faster than I had anticipated." I was a little nervous at first, but after I got on set, it was a lot of fun. At first, I thought, 'This is too much fun?' but by the middle of the film, I had begun to comprehend the practical difficulties that come with being a leading actor. I've learnt that it's critical to maintain your stamina throughout the day. In addition, a character like Goo Ae Jin is difficult to work with. "It was one thing to play the lead, but it was another to play the role of Goo Ae Jin itself."
"[To prepare for the part], I researched a lot of real-life influencers and thought about how I might appear like a true influencer," Lee Nagyung explained. "[For my first acting assignment], I'm both nervous and enthusiastic at the same time, and I'm concerned about how it will end out on screen."
Kim Ho In, played by Bomin, is a model student and class president who is also a mystery-solving enthusiast in his spare time. "I'm not the sort of person who enjoys reading webtoons, but this was the first time that I paid for and read a webtoon," he explained. I was apprehensive about portraying a role I had never played before, but throughout the discussions with the production team, I acquired confidence in myself. It came to me that this individual is not at all like the rest of us. His thoughts and acts are out of the ordinary, and they are rather unusual."
"The [Golden Child] members are really lively, so if they catch me reading a screenplay, they'll make jokes about it in passing," he continued. They weren't able to assist me with my acting, but their teasing did help me relax and shift my perspective on the situation. Reading the screenplay was made more enjoyable for me by the actors' joking about and teasing one other. They provide me with counsel that isn't actually guidance whenever I begin a new acting assignment."
As Shim Dal Gi put it, "Bomin had the most delicate heart of all." I believe it was our second-to-last filming session, and I had heard that he had sobbed uncontrollably. The staff employees claimed that they were unaware that he was the kind to become emotionally attached." He said, "I'm quite sure he sobbed five times." Lee Nagyung agreed.
Hongseok portrays Lee Jin Sung, an idol trainee from Busan who has traveled to Seoul to further his career. He explained, "People might believe that playing a trainee comes easy to me, but I didn't actually train for very long before I started shooting." While I was playing Jin Sung, I was able to come to terms with a lot of new ideas. My brief traineeship was also a source of reflection for me." "I really wanted to attempt speaking in dialect since his dialect is such a crucial element of the character's attractiveness," Hongseok explained, noting that his father is from Busan.
When asked if the other members of the PENTAGON had given him advise, he said with a chuckle, "There's no one there who could give me counsel." My role is to provide them with guidance." "I used them as a practice group for my accent," he explained more seriously. Even in my regular life, I attempted to communicate in dialect, and they were supportive in my efforts. It is not difficult to communicate in dialect, however the dialect varies depending on where in Gyeongsang Province you are. The workers from Gyeongsang Province assisted me on set, and I was able to complete the project without incident."
The performers have made a pledge to each other if the drama receives more than 2 million views in the first two weeks. "We're going to make a dance copy of Golden Child's return song," Shim Dal Gi said. "We'll also cover certain songs by fromis 9 and PENTAGON," Bomin said. In order to commemorate each 1-million view milestone, the cast members agreed to create a cover video for each group, starting with the 2 million mark.
