 |
| ▲ This photo provided by tvN on Nov. 27, 2024, shows Jung Ji-in, director of period series "Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Nov. 27 (Yonhap) -- The recently concluded tvN drama "Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born" received acclaim for its viewership ratings and buzz, but it also faced criticism, particularly for excluding a key character, Kwon Bu-yong, from the original webtoon.
In a written interview commemorating the show's conclusion on Wednesday, director Jung Ji-in explained that the decision to remove Bu-yong’s character was made to focus on the protagonist’s growth narrative.
"The original source material is vast, and we couldn’t include everything. Instead, we chose to center the story on the protagonist's growth and life within the Maeran National Theater troupe," Jung stated.
She noted that discussions about the adaptation process included the original webtoon author. "When I joined the project, we were at the crossroads of deciding whether to include Bu-yong. There were extensive discussions with writer Choi Hyo-bi and the original creator about how to streamline the story within 12 episodes."
Bu-yong, who was Jeongnyeon’s first fan, love interest, and the playwright of the troupe’s production "Legend of the Twin Towers," was ultimately omitted, with her role redistributed among other characters.
 |
| ▲ This photo provided by tvN on Nov. 27, 2024, shows Jung Ji-in (L), director of period series "Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born," and its lead cast Jung Eun-chae. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
In the drama, the romantic angle with Jeongnyeon was given to Hong Joo-ran (played by Woo Da-bi), while the task of convincing Jeongnyeon to stay in Mokpo, originally Bu-yong’s role, was reassigned to Heo Young-seo (Shin Ye-eun).
Jung remarked, "Bu-yong’s identity as a fan, queer figure, and autonomous woman from the original work was reflected across the drama rather than being confined to a single character." However, she did not elaborate on where or how these aspects were represented.
Instead, greater focus was given to Young-seo’s character. Jung explained, "We wanted Young-seo to be someone Jeongnyeon could admire and be captivated by, a formidable rival." She worked closely with writer Choi Hyo-bi to fully portray Young-seo’s strong yet wounded persona from the webtoon.
Regarding Young-seo’s striking entrance in Episode 2, Jung said, "It was crucial to show her proclaiming her status as the ‘royalty of Maeran’ to both Jeongnyeon and the audience. Filming the scene where Young-seo performs Bangja in "The Tale of Chunhyang" sent chills down my spine."
Jung also emphasized her dedication to introducing the unfamiliar genre of women’s gukgeuk (traditional Korean opera) to the audience. "We poured our hearts into every gukgeuk scene. The moment in episode 10 where Jeongnyeon’s mother Yong-rye (Moon So-ri) sings "Chuwolmanjeong" by the sea was particularly memorable."
She recalled that they carefully timed the scene to align with sunrise, sunset, and tidal schedules, filming it twice over several months.
"One of our biggest challenges was introducing the relatively unknown genre of women’s gukgeuk to viewers. Because the material might feel unfamiliar, we aimed to make the story and characters as relatable as possible."
(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved
