Lee Do-hyun plays math prodigy in upcoming drama 'Melancholia'

Actors Lee Do-hyun, left, and Lim Soo-jung in a scene from tvN's upcoming drama, “Melancholia” / Courtesy of tvN

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Math and romance look like an odd combination, but tvN's upcoming drama, “Melancholia,” applies mathematical formulas to define relationships and love.

Set in a private high school that is a hotbed of corruption, the series explores the controversial topic of romance between a teacher and a student. A free-spirited teacher, Yoon-soo (Lim Soo-jung), falls in love with math prodigy Seung-yoo (Lee Do-hyun).

Lee plays the role of Seung-yoo, considered to be a math prodigy who was accepted to MIT at the age of 10. Dropping out of college at 12, he now follows the standard education system and disguises himself as a failed student at high school.

The 26-year-old actor reflected on the difficulties of understanding his character.

“I think Seung-yoo is a blunt and straightforward character. He's immature and lacks empathy, but is smart and considerate. To portray a math prodigy, I actually studied math with a private tutor. Since he appears as an outcast at school, I tried to express that lack of enthusiasm in my character,” he said through a statement from the series' network, Thursday.

“The process of learning math formulas and filming at the same time wasn't easy, but there were times when I benefited from studying math, especially in scenes where I solve difficult math problems and have to explain the full process,” he added.

Writer Kim Ji-un, known for her previous works such as, “Hyde Jekyll, Me” (2015) and “Doctor John” (2019), said she was inspired by a math documentary.

“Although I had no interest in mathematics, I was amazed by the noble efforts of mathematicians who devote their careers to solving unsolved problems,” she said.

The writer said that she came to learn more about mathematical beauty as she was developing the story.

“I was bad at math, so I consulted with advisors and learned from them while writing the screenplay. I even participated in the process of creating math problems for the drama.”

Kim revealed that she was thrilled to hear that Lim and Lee had been cast for the drama.

“Lim was the first person I had in mind when writing the script. Lee does an excellent job at expressing Seung-yoo's feelings, even more than what's written in the script,” she said.

Expressing her hopes that the series will intrigue viewers, the writer said, “Viewers don't need to have substantial interest in math or understand the math problems featured in the series. It's just a tool for what I want to convey in the story, which is finding joy in the present moment and unraveling the secrets of the two characters.”

“Melancholia” is scheduled to air on tvN on Nov. 3.