Jaejoong goes back to high school for Manhole

27 August 4, 2017July 5, 2021

by tipsymocha

I mean, I’m not sure I would ever go back to high school myself, but if it’s in the name of lurve, I guess Jaejoong (Spy) doesn’t find it as daunting to become a teenager again. We’ve got a whole bunch of promo material for upcoming time-slip comedy Manhole, which is a week away from its premiere, including a new poster, some stills, and a preview for the first episode of the wacky youth rom-com.

The poster is a pretty straightforward depiction of what we can expect from the show: Jaejoong will travel back in time through the titular manhole in order to stop UEE (Night Light), his crush of 28 years (dude…), from getting married to another guy. Oh, and the wedding is scheduled to take place one week away. They make up half of the “ddol-vengers 4,” a way of saying Crazy 4 Avengers, so named for their weirdness (“ddol” = crazy). The other half is made up of Baro (Angry Mom) and Jung Hye-sung (Chief Kim).

Baro looks like he shows a soft side to UEE, carrying her bag for her when they’re in high school, but is perpetually looking for ways to one-up Jaejoong. Not that he ever succeeds, to our amusement. Jung Hye-sung’s character, on the other hand, is described as the leader of the “ddol-vengers,” with a direct, sharp way of speaking. I’m looking forward to her character the most, ‘cause she sounds like a blunt space cadet, a little bit out there but also insightful and refreshing at the same time.

The teaser pretty much shows what we know of the plot so far: Jaejoong crashes UEE’s wedding and shouts out his objection to her union, in what must be a nightmare since his very loud interruptions disturb absolutely no one. He gets admonished offscreen, “You couldn’t get her even if you took 280 years, let alone 28.” Ouch. UEE in uniform tells him to get a grip, and when he yells at the manhole that he wants to go back, he gets a line of worried looks from his friends. No wonder she thinks he’s lost it, when he grabs her shoulders with his crazy eyes and asks whether she’s from the present or the future.

Haha, is Jaejoong becoming a gangster one of the unintended butterfly effects of his time-traveling? If it is, that is one subplot I hope they keep around for a while. He must have told his friends about his time-slips, because Baro immediately calls him a crazy person and Jung Hye-sung repeats his words incredulously. I kinda love the casual hair-pulling going on while Baro just sits there on the side, nonchalantly parroting, “Crazy guy.” Jaejoong ends the trailer telling himself, “I can do it! I have one week left!”

This is one drama where the romance is probably going to take a backseat for me; I’m really here for the comedy and the friendships between the four adorable weirdos, and if my favorite Manhole teaser is anything to go by, we can expect a lot of the funny.

Manhole will premiere next week in KBS’s Wednesday-Thursday slot, on August 9. Ddol-vengers unite!

Via iMBC, Osen, Top Star News (1), Top Star News (2)

Required fields are marked *

1 Kamila

August 4, 2017 at 12:29 PM

I can't wait.

Required fields are marked *

2 carmen lunae

August 4, 2017 at 12:49 PM

I seriously can't wait for this drama. I really hope it'll turn out as a really good drama and will be well recieved by public. This season I can't seem to find a drama to keep up with, to me they couldn't hold on to their hype.

Required fields are marked *

3 hannaehh

August 4, 2017 at 12:56 PM

I definitely can't wait for this drama. Jaejoong, my first crush when I entered kpop world 10 years ago.

Required fields are marked *

4 Gledis Sotiri

August 4, 2017 at 1:05 PM

Ok. I am honestly not ashamed to admit that I want to watch this drama only for JaeJoong.
He's so pretty, he deserves people to watch his drama without any idea what it talks about :P

PS. Kang Dong Won is still the prettiest thing in Korea ever, but since he and his amazing talent (pretty, talented, smart) is still not coming back to dramaland, I have to be satisfied for other visuals :D

Required fields are marked *

5 ladykrueger

August 4, 2017 at 1:43 PM

I'm so eager to watch this! Teasers and posters look promising, I'm happy to see UEE again, veeery happy to see Baro and Jaejoong (whom I'm going to see onscreen for the first time so I'm super excited) looks sooo damn fine after his return from army. Can't wait!

Required fields are marked *

6 bluedoe

August 4, 2017 at 1:44 PM

Sooo awesome! Can it please start already?

Required fields are marked *

7 CatoCat

August 4, 2017 at 1:52 PM

same trailer english subbed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCghkIKrTKE

show is looking pretty good except for UEE being a high school girl an that chief Kim girl is also here to spice up the comedy.

Required fields are marked *

PakalanaPikake

August 6, 2017 at 2:09 PM

Thanks for the link with English subtitles. This looks like the kind of lunatic therapy I need stat! ;-)

Required fields are marked *

8 Pickwick12

August 4, 2017 at 2:24 PM

I mean, total kudos to the marketing for taking me from absolute disinterest to fomenting excitement...

Required fields are marked *

9 mindy

August 4, 2017 at 4:20 PM

Oh, this looks like so much FUN. Please please please at least be entertaining the whole way through. I'm not asking for much. I just want to laugh every week. I need a good comedy.

Required fields are marked *

10 oneandthree

August 4, 2017 at 4:45 PM

Crazy 4 Avengers after Fantastic Four and we also have The Riders from Strongest Deliveryman. KBS I LOVE YOU! ;)

Required fields are marked *

11 earthna

August 4, 2017 at 10:32 PM

Never knew I need this in my life but I want it now!

Probably an unpopular opinion... I wanted to go back to high school. I still think it's the happiest part of my life so far.

Required fields are marked *

salt N pepper

August 4, 2017 at 11:07 PM

I loved high school as well. I sometimes wish I could go back to those carefree, fun days.

Not a fan of Jaejoong (for no apparent reason) but the promos for this drama have been really good that it's making me want to check it out.

Required fields are marked *

mindy

August 5, 2017 at 6:40 AM

I also loved high school! I met my best friends in my high school days and did lots of fun extracurriculars. And I liked my school and most of my teachers. I can never relate when people talk about high school as if it's hell. My high school experience was nothing like the stereotypical American high school teen movie. I had a lot of fun!

Required fields are marked *

acciokdramas

August 5, 2017 at 6:44 AM

Totally relate to this. I guess I never realised how awesome high school is until I have to leave it and go to university. :/

Required fields are marked *

Thegoodol'days

August 5, 2017 at 7:22 AM

Me too! I missed being a spontaneous, crazy, free, wide-eyed, innocent me.

Required fields are marked *

12 Rose

August 5, 2017 at 5:59 AM

I need this drama in my life RIGHT NOW!

Required fields are marked *

13 jahella

August 5, 2017 at 6:33 AM

Was there a japanese drama wiht similar plot years ago?

Required fields are marked *

Meowth

August 5, 2017 at 7:26 AM

Yes! It was proposal daisakusen or operation love. I remembered it was a happy ending in that one..

Required fields are marked *

14 acciokdramas

August 5, 2017 at 6:43 AM

OK, this show seems funny and hilarious and all that, but the full title "Manhole: Feels So Good" just...just...oh my god, I have to do it. I HAVE to make the joke. OK, here we go: haha, that's what she said.

I'm gonna go now bye

Required fields are marked *

15 korfan

August 5, 2017 at 7:23 AM

This does look like it will be fun. I already get the feeling that the actress from Chief Kim will be a scene stealer!

Required fields are marked *

PakalanaPikake

August 6, 2017 at 2:07 PM

I agree. I just got around to watching CHIEF KIM, and totally enjoyed Jung Hye-Seong's performance as undercover investigator Hong Ga-Eun. I liked her in that role much more than in MOONLIGHT DRAWN BY CLOUDS. ;-)

Required fields are marked *

16 goodskye

August 5, 2017 at 9:09 AM

I can't wait to see Jae Joong in drama again. Is the plot kind of similar with Yoo Seung Ho's drama? I forget the title, it's a remake of Japanese drama (The title of Japanese drama is Proposal something... I can't really remember). In that drama Seung Ho also try to go back into the past to cancel his best-friend-turned-into-crush's wedding.

Required fields are marked *

17 SuSu

August 5, 2017 at 6:02 PM

I'm so excited and can't wait! the drama is gonna be hilarious!

Required fields are marked *

18 redfox

August 5, 2017 at 10:24 PM

this looks wackier and wackier by the day. I remember snorting monsters when watching Protect The Boss. Jaejoong definitely has that comedic element in him. and I wish people weren´t so hard on UEE. she always tries her damnedest! she seems really devoted and hardworking.

Required fields are marked *

19 Rose

August 6, 2017 at 4:44 AM

I don't know why I got so sentimental just now and whenever I watch the teasers, it's TVXQ, After School and B1A4... :)

Required fields are marked *

20 PakalanaPikake

August 6, 2017 at 2:21 PM

Thanks for the reminder, tipsymocha!

Initially the title turned me off, but now that I think of the hints at Alice Through the Looking Glass, I can dig it. Earlier reports called it MANHOLE: WONDERLAND'S FEEL (with the practically-mandatory pun on the lead's name, Pil). At least the extended title differentiates it from another production about a serial killer who stashes his victims in manholes. *shudder*

http://asianwiki.com/Manhole_(Korean_Drama)

Now that SEVEN DAY QUEEN is behind me, I'm looking forward to laughing my butt off. ;-)

Required fields are marked *

Manhole