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| From left, actors Yoo Teo, Kim Ok-vin and Kim Ji-hoon pose during a press conference for Netflix's series "Love to Hate You" in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Netflix's series "Love to Hate You" is an unusual romantic comedy with elements of romance, drama, action and comedy. It has an enemies-to-lovers dynamic and reminds viewers that love can be found in unexpected places.
Directed by Kim Jung-kwon, the upcoming series follows the loathing-to-loving sparks between Yeo Mi-ran (Kim Ok-vin), a rookie attorney who hates losing to men, and Nam Kang-ho (Yoo Teo), an uptight actor who does not trust women. As they spend more time together under contract, their initial hatred and bickering turn into romance.
"'Love to Hate You' is a genre-bending drama about two quirky people, and it's really their love story. Viewers will be able to relate to the characters who eventually reconcile with their pasts and put their relationship on a new path," director Kim said during a press conference for the series, Wednesday.
Kim Ok-vin, well known for roles in action-thriller films such as "Thirst" (2009) and "The Villainess" (2017), said she chose to star in a light-hearted romantic comedy because she was getting tired of serious roles.
"It was a drag playing serious roles," she said. "The script for 'Love to Hate You' caught my attention because it made me laugh. It is perhaps the most relatable and humorous role in my acting career."
In the film, Yeo is depicted as a skillful martial artist who is also capable of riding motorcycles. "I wondered if screenwriter Choi Soo-young wrote the story thinking of me because Yeo and I have a lot in common," she explained.
Yoo, whose latest film "Past Lives" was selected for the 73rd Berlin Film Festival, said the series is as charming as it is weird.
"The plot is original and unusual in a manner distinct from typical romantic comedy dramas. However, it remains charming and deeply relatable," he said. "I'm really curious how international viewers will react to our story."
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| A scene from Netflix series "Love to Hate You" / Courtesy of Netflix |
Yoo also talked about his preparation for the role. Growing up in Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom, he mentioned that he struggled to pronounce Korean words correctly.
"I think practice is the key to success," he said. "I tried to learn Korean by going to a speech academy and acting academy. Even to this day, I have an acting coach. I try to recite each line about 100 times, so it sounds natural."
Actor Kim Ji-hoon, known for his role in Netflix series "Money Heist: Korea ― Joint Economic Area" (2022), stars as Nam's manager and the head of an entertainment agency.
He hinted that the series comes in the middle of a most consequential time for women's rights. "The concept that women are in control of their own life is inspiring," he said. "Yeo is a strong female character that a lot of women would connect to. I think it will resonate with women in their late teens to 30s."
"Love to Hate You" will be available for streaming on Netflix starting Feb. 10.
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