The first broadcast is less than a month away, but it's already hot.
ENA's new monthly drama “iShopping” (screenplay Ahn So-jeong), which is about to be broadcast for the first time on July 21, left a strong impression with a trailer and teaser poster, and elicited an explosive response. Viewers continue to respond that “the trailer alone is creepy” and “it tastes like waiting,” and expectations are also drawn to the extraordinary transformation of actors Yeom Jung-ah, Won Jin-ah, and Kim Jin-young (Dex).
“iShopping” is a survival action thriller in which children who narrowly survived the brink of death after being abandoned by their foster parents take revenge on their offenders. It is a drama based on the original webtoon, and it is also a popular production that has recorded 51 million views on Kakao Webtoons and won the Best Creative Award at the 'SPP 2017' Webtoon Awards in the international content market. Since it was a drama adaptation of the original work, it is already considered one of the “most anticipated works” in the content industry and fans.
On the 25th, the production team released the teaser poster and the first teaser video at the same time. First, the poster immediately caught my eye. A shocking image with the phrase “I want to refund my child” was revealed on the shopping cart, which hinted at the drama's worldview. The extreme setting of “children buy and sell like a product” sent a heavy message with just one image, and the attempt to directly break through social taboos elicited “the biggest poster of all time” and “really fresh and scary” responses online.
The first 30-second teaser video, which was released together, was even more intense. The video begins with Kim Se-hee (Yeom Jung-ah), the actual head of an illegal adoption trade organization. Se-hee, who controls the organization with her sober eyes and restrained tone, overwhelmed the atmosphere from the beginning. Meanwhile, Kim Ah-hyeon (Won Jin-ah), who managed to survive after being refunded after being adopted, screams, “How can anyone do this,” and the children shout desperately, “Please save me.” The survival story of children thrown at risk in a cruel reality unfolded, and the level of immersion was extremely heightened for a short period of time.
Especially in the second half of the teaser, Yeom Jung-ah's lines “What if I come back here. He should have died then.”It perfectly imprinted the character's cold-blooded nature and the genre color of the drama with just one line. The scene quickly spread as a clip video on social media, and caused explosive reactions among viewers saying “I see this unconditionally” and “I'm really looking forward to the villain Yeom Jung-ah.”
The performances of Yeom Jung-ah, Won Jin-ah, and Kim Jin-young, who played central roles in the drama, are also a hot topic. Yeom Jung-ah finished preparing to become an icon of the 'Absolute Villain' once again by playing Se-hee, a character with both charisma and coolness, and Won Jin-ah heralded another character in her life through this work with an emotional performance that lifts her up at the end of her life. Kim Jin-young, who is well known for her entertainment image called “Dex,” was cast as Jeong Hyun, a human weapon within the organization, and left a strong impression on her first serious acting challenge.
In the teaser that was revealed, Kim Jin-young also appeared, digesting the chase scene with her slender body movements, creating a strange sense of tension as a character who confronts Ah Hyun in the drama. Viewers are also paying attention to her potential as a performer with positive responses such as “I'm a real soldier, so the action is realistic,” “Dex's acting beyond expectations,” and “her eyes are different.”
The audience response was overwhelming. Comments mixed with many expectations were poured into the online community, such as “I'm already horrified by the teaser,” “Dark water perfect for summer,” “I'm looking forward to seeing Dex Action,” “Yeom Jung-ah feels like a legend again,” “It's a teaser, but it really tears my emotions,” “Won Jin-ah is crazy, really,” and “I missed this kind of thriller.”
Writer An So-jeong, who wrote the screenplay, revealed that she is a fan of the original webtoon and wrote the work inspired by real-life events. “I was outraged every time I saw news about parents who regard their children as possessions or instrumentalization,” he said. “Although the drama is fiction, I wanted to capture the alarm that something similar might be happening somewhere.” In particular, he added, “I hope this work will make viewers remember once again the fact that 'there are no perfect parents or perfect children. '”
Key keywords include “illegal adoption,” “bad parents,” “narcissist,” and “revenge.” Artist Ahn stated, “It is a story where abandoned children take revenge against adults who are perpetrators, and depicts a world where exhilaration and cruelty coexist.”
The behind-the-scenes casting is also very eye-catching. Artist Ahn said, “The character Se-hee was written with actor Yeom Jung-ah in mind from the beginning. Se-hee, who was actually played by Yeom Jung-ah, was much more like Se-hee than the script,” she said, showing a strong sense of satisfaction. Won Jin-ah and Kim Jin-young were also praised for “showing a sync rate that fits accurately into their own narratives.”
“iShopping,” which contains a message and emotion that is more than just a genre, has already gone viral and is highly anticipated even before the first broadcast. The actors' enthusiasm, unconventional setting, and strong sense of subject matter combine to increase the possibility that it will become another problematic film that will hit home theaters this summer.
ENA's new monthly drama “iShopping” will be broadcast for the first time on Monday, July 21 at 10:00 p.m., and will also be shown on OTT platform TV.