Cable network tvN hosted a press conference at the Imperial Palace Hotel in Seoul for its upcoming romantic comedy, "Melting Me Softly," which will air its first episode this Friday.
From left, Ji Chang-wook, Won Jin-ah, Yoon Se-ah, and Lim Won-hee at the press conference held at the Imperial Palace Hotel last Friday.
The series stars Ji Chang-wook and Won Jin-ah, who were present at the conference along with actress Yoon Se-ah and actor Lim Won-hee.
The story begins in 1999 and follows 32-year old Ma Dong-chan (Ji Chang-wook), one of the most popular producers in the entertainment industry.
For his show, director Shin Woo-chul creates a 24-hour frozen human project, in which he and other participants are frozen for an entire day.
Events take a turn when he and Go Mi-ran (played by Won Jin-ah), another participant, wake up not 24 hours but two decades later.
They are preserved perfectly in their young physical state and must learn to adapt to 2019 and reconnect with family, friends, and co-workers, who have all aged 20 years since the incident.
Dong-chan and Mi-ran must also deal with the physical consequences of the experiment, including maintaining their body temperatures below 33 degrees Celsius to stay alive.
Romantic comedy is a new genre for Ji, who usually appears in melodramas and thrillers.
At the press conference, he shared his thoughts on returning to the screen for the first time since completing his military service. "It was more difficult than I had imagined to grasp the tone of a comedy," he said. "But when I received the script, I thought the story was original and entertaining… comedies are a new challenge for me and since I had just returned from my service, I was quite nervous, but I'm having a lot of fun with it."
Actress Won Jin-ah also talked about taking on a new role. "Until now, all of my characters were really calm. To be honest, I have a lot of energy and a fun side too. I think this character is the closest to my actual personality," she shared on Friday.
Director Shin mentioned the challenges of incorporating both comedic and dramatic elements as well as noted the importance of frequent discussions with the actors.
Meanwhile, screenwriter Baek spoke about keeping the story believable and realistic despite being a fictional story. "Melting Me Softly" will be a 16-episode series that airs every Saturday and Sunday on tvN at 9 p.m.