[XportsNews Reporter Jeon Ahram] (Following Interview ①) "I hope (viewers can) throw away their pre-conceived notions of Acting-dols while watching (the show)"

(T/N: 'Acting-dol' refers to idol group members who act in formal productions like dramas and movies.)

PD Yoon Sungsik who is the director in charge of the KBS 2TV Monday-Tuesday drama 'Hwarang' conveyed this strongly to the viewers who have that bias towards Acting-dols. 'Hwarang' is a youth sageuk (*period drama) that depicts the hot-blooded passion, love, and dazzling growth of the Hwarang, men (as beautiful) as flowers, who lived 1500 years ago in the capital of Silla, Seorabeol. Among the main cast are Park Hyungsik, Choi Minho, and Kim Taehyung (V), who drew concerned reactions since before the broadcast as they are current idol group members.

Related to this, on the 21st PD Yoon Sungsik told Xports News, "(Some viewers) seem to have pre-conceived notions about Park Hyungsik, Choi Minho and Kim Taehyung as 'Acting-dols', but when I was deciding (the casting), as the actors obviously had to be good-looking, and also had to have a certain level of popularity, that's why I considered them. Actually, both Minho and Hyungsik have done a lot of acting. They've shown relatively stable acting so far. Hyungsik, especially, had done well in 'High Society' that I wasn't worried about him. I feel like he's someone who is more established on the acting side rather than being an idol. I was confident that there wouldn't be a need for concern among the viewers (for him). There were positive comments for the first and second episode, and he showed a variety of charms; in the future there will be more of Hyungsik's charms that will be shown. There is the romance with Aro (Go Ara), and the confrontations with Seonwoo (Moomyung/Park Seojoon) depicted through a variety of action scenes filled with tension. In the scenes where he goes up against Kim Jisoo (T/N: She plays Queen Mother Jiso, the regent) he did well as his manly charisma was also shown."

Following this, he said, "Hyungsik has many scenes in the second half of the show where his emotions deepen, and he did well to the point that there were no regrets, giving a stable performance. Minho, too, having had quite some acting experience, I thought he did well enough. I feel that Minho might have given a performance (in this drama) that's a step further compared to the acting that he has shown so far. He appears a lot from the 3rd episode onwards, as (his character) joins the Hwarang, and Minho will have more screen-time and his role will become more important. I think if you believe in him and continue watching, he will show you a new side of himself."

He had nothing but praises for Park Hyungsik, Choi Minho, and Kim Taehyung, going on to say, "As for Taehyung, he did not have any acting experience at all. Other than music videos, he hasn't filmed anything else. As (Hansung) is the maknae of the Hwarang, the role was the last to be cast, and (I) wanted a cute and bright face for the part. I was looking for someone like this, and while I didn't know BTS very well, as my daughter likes them I got to know them too. (They) are really handsome. So I got in contact with them, and Taehyung said that he would like to consider acting, so (we) considered him positively. On the day of the meeting, the expressions he showed through his eyes were good, and he was basically someone with many talents, so even though his acting technique might have been lacking, his emotions (while acting) were good. He did a short script reading, and while it wasn't perfect, he demonstrated a good sensitivity towards the emotions (required for acting). He had good sense. While thinking that we would have to get him to undergo a lot of training, the filming schedule was pushed back. So we were able to give him sufficient time to prepare, and Seojoon also doted on Taehyung a lot. He gave Taehyung much guidance, and also practiced acting together with him. As Taehyung has gotten some coaching from Seojoon, he got considerably better. I think he managed to (portray) his character well. His character slowly becomes more important towards the 2nd half of the show, where there is a key event that happens. It would be great if (viewers) looked forward to Taehyung's acting then. He showed acting that I am able to proudly put forward (to the viewers). Around episode 17-18, I think Kim Taehyung will receive great applause. He really did well. He was lovely."

PD Yoon added, "I hope (viewers can) throw away their pre-conceived notions of Acting-dols while watching (the show). In the course of the show, they were able to express and show a variety of emotions and sides (as actors), and also demonstrated their own individual charms."

Lastly PD Yoon revealed the message that 'Hwarang' wishes to convey to the viewers. "Our drama is one that deals with the growth story of youths. While it is indeed a drama dealing with love and friendship with a bright and cheerful tone, as the theme carries some weight, it could be hard to watch (simply). However, the message we would like to convey is, to put it simply, 'Youths who dream are beautiful'. If you look at the characters in the drama, what we wanted to depict is (the story of) the affluent youths who lived without any direction or self-identity, gaining goals and an aim (in life) as well as becoming united as one. We wanted to express that when a person has a dream he seems youthful and becomes more beautiful. I think that is conveyed well, and when the drama ends (viewers) will be able to feel that the characters have changed and become deeper (in their thoughts). We want to convey the message, that (the period of) youth with dreams like that, is youth that is beautiful.

"The drama also contains hints of a political message, with Sammaekjong being a powerless king; he exists as a king who is weak, but I think he wants to (truly) be king. He doesn't want to simply sit on the throne, but actually dreams about what kind of king he will be. In the drama, there is a line that Sammaekjong says, 'A country where the people are enjoying themselves while the monarch is suffering. A country where the people do not worry about the nation while the monarch worries about the people. I want to live in a country like that.' The big dream that he holds, at this time being a weak and powerless youth living with a hidden identity; that dream's worth is what we wanted to talk about. We wanted to portray an enjoyable and wholesome story of affluent youths who once did not have goals in life, where as they started to have this dream, their hearts were filled with the heat of passion and love."

'Hwarang' is broadcast every Monday and Tuesday at 10pm.

The part at the beginning where it goes Ddoon ddoon ddoon ddoon and (the part where it goes) Na na na na na na, this is seriously good. The wait was worthwhile. You should really listen to it even just onceㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋI can't be the only one listening to thisㅋㅋㅋㄱㅋㅋㅋ

BTS' V and Jin have come out as the main protagonists of 'Hwarang's second OST track.

(The production representatives of) 'Hwarang' also announced on the 19th along with this that 'Even if I die, it's you" (sung by) BTS V and Jin will be released tonight at midnight as the second in the lineup for the OST of 'Hwarang' which is a new Mon-Tues drama on KBS 2TV.

'Even if I die, it's you' is Hwarang's theme song that 'Hwarang's music producer Oh Joonsung wrote and is a song in which you can feel the energy of the ambitious hwarangs. This medium pop song that's full of light grooviness is anticipated to capture the hearts of female (listeners) as the song lyrics contain a bold love confession from the youths. With the addition of the voices of the two members of boy group BTS, who are receiving love here in Korea as well as from all over the world, V and Jin, the song has become even more special.

V makes his full-scale acting challenge debut through the drama 'Hwarang'. With the name Kim Taehyung and not V, he grabs the attention of viewers with immersing into (the character) of, the cute and lovely maknae among the 6 hwarangs, 'Hansung' in the drama. In order to do this, Jin, who is also a BTS member, has come out as supporting fire (for V) through the OST. The song is even more charming with voices that are full of refreshment, of the two.

'Hwarang's second OST track and also Hwarang's theme song 'Even if I die, it's you' that V and Jin sings will be released tonight at midnight through various music sites.

On the other hand, 'Hwarang' is the first full-scale drama series about the Hwarangs of the Silla dynasty which was 1500 years ago, it is a full-scale historical youth drama that depicts the burning passion, love and breakthroughs of the hwarangs that are like flowers from Seolabeol, the capital of Silla at the time.‘Hwarang’ will be broadcasted through KBS 2TV at 10 PM every Monday and Tuesday night.




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Regarding his first time acting, Kim Taehyung said "Because it was my first time, it was really tough. I'm the first one to try out acting in BTS so I set a goal to do well in order to live up to that being the first member in BTS to act. My acting can give good vibes to BTS' image but the opposite can happen too" and "I couldn't have done it without Park Seojoon hyung. Thanks to Seojoonie hyung, I was able to do this much."

Do Jihan regarding the 6 hwarang members' drinking capacity, "Choi Minho is the best at drinking. I think it's in Minho's blood (to drink well). Next would be Park Seojoon hyung. Jo Yoonwoo, Park Hyungsik and I are all around the same (in terms of drinking capacity). I think maknae Taehyung sort of, let's himself go a little (when he's drunk). That kind of image was so cute."

It's because I've been watching historical dramas a lot recently, but these three (artistes) have been attempting acting in fusion historical dramas.
If you take a look at the roles that idols have taken, they all died (in the end)...it's also not that everyone except the main characters in historical dramas die...

But if you look at those who die (in historical dramas), the similarity is that the idols seem to tragically die towards the end + as this mischievous role that they took on in the first half pushes on towards the latter half of the drama, they make the viewers cry with heart-wrenching acting or death?
I guess it could be to garner sympathy
(Jinyoung had a lot of unrequited love scenes so it was heart-wrenching...of course, he also had a sense of humorㅎㅎ )

If you look at the roles that all three of them played, they’re not minor characters either
But regardless they do have a history of dying anywaysㅜㅜ..
So I think V too perhaps (will die)..?
To put it simply



Yoonseong(Jinyoung) (Joseon-Crown Prince Hyomyeong) likes Ra-on but his grandfather ordered him to kill her so he pretended to do so, he died sacrificing himself to protect Ra-on and as a result, the ending was that (Ra-on) and Leeyoung came together but.... sob...


It ended with a happy ending but it was sad. However, in the original, Yoonseong appears again but I think, in the drama, they intentionally made him dieㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜ





Wangeun(Baekhyun) (Goryeo-Wanggyu’s Uprising)
(T/N: It’s the uprising that started because Wanggyu wanted to get his grandson, Wangeun, up to the throne)
I looked up Baekhyun but there was no detailed records about the character Eun. However, his grandfather even killed his family around him for treason? because of the rise of the Wanggyu’s Uprising.

But there isn’t any record of this in books and there are no graves either..ㅎ
I think they let us know of the character Eun through Baekhyun’s acting. At first I didn’t know anything and thought the big general was his grandfatherㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㄱ I cried when Eunie diedㅜㅜ




V in (Silla-Hwarang) plays the last remaining true bone of the Seok family so
(T/N: True bone (Jingol) was the 2nd highest rank in the bone rank system, a system of aristocratic/royal rank used in the Silla Dynasty.)
Jingol is a bone rank system, a status system of the Silla era..
Probably towards the end of drama when V is about to rise to the king position, I think someone from another group will either kill him off or run him off thinking, “If we get rid of this guy, the power will be ours, etc.”

So, that’s the reason why we don’t have that many people with the last name Seok and V will probably have lots of villain characters who keep him in check. So I think that the Hwarang male actors play the people who is by his side and watches over him.



To Bangtan fans who are perhaps reading this post, these are 100% my speculations so they’re not evidence ..Don’t believe it, it’s only an assumption. Just that, they tend to die in historical dramas.. History wrote it (like this) so..

Anyways, while we’re at it, if you have time to spare and haven’t watched Love in the Moonlight or Moon Lovers, you should definitely watch it, they’re fusion historical dramas so they’re fun (to watch)ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
(Unintended promotionㅋㅋ)



One of the writer for Who Are You is also a writer for Love in the Moonlight so the genre is romance and the feeling of youth is really present and it’s sweet and fun (to watch). And Moon Lovers has an ending that’s a bit empty? Regretful but it was also really funㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜ



After watching (these) dramas, I came to have good feelings for Baekhyun and Jinyoung and they catch my eyesㅎㅎㅎ
And V-nim is coming out (in a drama) soon so I’m anticipating
With that, (please leave) some gifs of Baekhyun, V and Jinyoung-nim...
As long as it’s a historical drama gif..♡It’s alright too if it isn’t..♡

Will actor Kim Taehyung's challenge succeed?

V (real name Kim Taehyung), from the group BTS, will be starring in a new Monday/Tuesday drama called "Hwarang" (writer Park Eunyong/director Yoon Sung-sik) on KBS 2TV starting December 19th. This is a youth historical drama that takes place 1500 years ago at Silla's capital, Seorabeol, that showcases the hot passion, love and bright growth of flower-like men, Hwarangs. As it's the first time in  (Korean) dramas that the Hwarangs are being focused on as a main material, since before the airing of the drama, it has been gaining a lot of attention.

+) Heol TalkSeon daebak.. it's my first time....wow.. (T/N: TalkSeon is short for 톡커들의 선택 meaning Talker's Choice. It's when a post on Pann has lots of upvotes/downvotes and comments)
Thank you so much everyone!

Hwarang OST is
going to be sung by Hyorin-nim, Yoseob-nim, Bangtan members Jin.V, Bolbbalgan4 and Han Donggeun-nim!
There are so many songs you should listen to, oh yes!



Ah ah he's now not V but Kim Taehyung..!
The preview was uploaded so I saw it and...
It's really no joke...
He's really handsome..
He seems to be good at acting too, I'm so looking forward to Hwarang this time
Make sure to tune in on the 19th December!


http://m.tvcast.naver.com/v/1292745

↑ It's the video link!