TV series 'Bossam: Steal the Fate' off to good start

MBN's new period series, “Bossam: Steal the Fate,” reached a 3.1 percent viewership rating with its premiere on Saturday. Courtesy of MBN

By Lee Gyu-lee

MBN's new period series, “Bossam: Steal the Fate,” has gotten off to a good start, scoring a 3.1 percent viewership rating with its first episode on Saturday. This viewership rating is the highest for a series premiere in the network's history.

The series, set in the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), revolves around the lower class Bau (Jung Il-woo), who is left with his son, after his wife deserts him for another man. Struggling to make ends meet, he works as a handyman who carries out “bossam,” the ancient practice of kidnapping a widow in a blanket to bring her in as his wife.

Bau's life turns upside down when he mistakenly kidnaps the wrong person, who happens to be Princess Soo-Kyung (Kwon Yu-ri).

Soo-Kyung originally had an arranged marriage with the brother of her lover, as part of her father's political agreement with her father-in-law. But her marriage doesn't last, because her new husband dies on their wedding day.

Scenes from the series / Courtesy of MBN

Actress Kwon, who is better known as Yuri of the K-pop group, Girls' Generation, took on the first period series of her acting career with this show.

“Every part (of working on this series) felt strange, because it was the first for me. The words and lines were also hard to pronounce,” she said during a media conference Friday. “But, as I was filming it, the setting and customs helped me put myself into the character better. I came to learn about the charms of period series through 'Bossam,' which is completely different from other modern series.”

The drama, which is a special project to mark the network's 10th anniversary, was directed by Kwon Seok-jang, who is known for leading the hit romantic comedy series, “Pasta,” and co-written by scriptwriters Kim Ji-soo and Park Chul.