Lee Jun-ki looks at action noir for next drama

96 April 11, 2013March 13, 2014

by javabeans

Ooh. Lots of good stuff in this bit of news. Lee Jun-ki:

considering a new drama;
that’s a period romantic noir;
featuring action and fighting;
set in the 1930s, during the Japanese Occupation years;
based on a manhwa from the writer of Damo;
admidst the backdrop of Shanghai.

Excited yet?

The drama is titled Age of Feeling, although the meaning is more along the lines of “age of being emotionally moved.” But we couldn’t quite translate it as Age of The Feels, could we?

Lee Jun-ki’s reps have confirmed that he has received the offer, which he is “favorably considering” but has not yet decided on. The show hasn’t yet secured a broadcast slot, which probably contributes to his hesitation, but from the bullet points alone I think there’s a lot to be excited about.

Directing the project is PD Kim Jung-kyu, whose filmography has a number of lighter dramas like Sweet 18, The Man Who Can’t Marry, and My Country Calls. But (1) he did also work on the epic sageuk Immortal Lee Soon-shin, and (2) to put things into perspective, Gakistal’s director also did the fluffy Love and Marriage before going dark and epic, and then followed that with family show You’re the Best, Lee Soon-shin. So no worries on that front.

Lee Jun-ki totally won me over in Arang and the Magistrate with his thoughtful, sensitive and restrained intensity. I liked him before that show though I did have reservations about his tendency toward emotional excess, but Arang was so perfect for him and it made me a big fan. We’ve seen Lee Jun-ki doing action roles before, and darker shows (Time of Dog and Wolf), so he seems like a logical fit for a project like this. A Korean drama that’s a period noir in Shanghai? That’s such a rich tableau and rife with interesting possibilities.

Age of Feeling is in talks with KBS to potentially air in the second half of this year.

Via TV Report

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