From left, actors Lee Si-woo and Kang Hye-won, director Lee Myoung-woo, actors Lee Sun-bin and Im Si-wan pose during a press conference for the Coupang Play’s new original series, “Boyhood,” at Josun Palace in Gangnam District, Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Coupang Play
Singer and actor Im Si-wan is taking a stab at comedy with Coupang Play’s new original series, “Boyhood.”
The new teen comedy series, set to premiere on Friday, revolves around a high school student, Jang Byeong-tae (Im), living in South Chungcheong Province in 1989, a year after the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. He is bullied at school and tries hard to get through the day without getting beaten up.
One day, his father gets caught running an illegal dance studio, forcing Jang to transfer to a different school in a nearby city in the same province. At his new school, he goes from zero to hero when he gets mistaken for the best fighter in the city and meets a new life.
The 10-part series is led by Lee Myoung-woo, whose previous works include the hit comedy series, “The Fiery Priest” (2020), and the thriller series, “One Ordinary Day” (2021).
“With the script like ‘Boyhood’ making me smile, there was no reason for me to turn it down,” Im said during a press conference for the series, at Josun Palace in Gangnam District, Seoul, Monday.
“This character is the most unintelligent one out of all the characters I’ve played so far. It came as a new and meaningful challenge to me,” he added.
A scene from the series, "Boyhood" / Courtesy of Coupang Play
Im’s character goes through a drastic transition from a nerd to the most feared but popular kid in school. The actor shared that he focused on making a distinctive difference in style.
“With the character turning into a ‘fake’ fighter from a nerd, they had to show contrasting vibe and personality. So I mainly focused on putting that clear gap between them,” he said.
“To do so, I felt outfits would work well in showing that drastic difference, so I put a lot of thought into it … Jang takes punches very well after experiencing a lot of fights. This is his only asset. You’ll have to watch the series to find out whether this will make up for his weakness.”
The director praised Im for his efforts to create and immerse himself into the character.
“What impressed me about Im was that he put his whole heart into letting go of everything he had built to get into his character for this series,” he said. “Normally, actors bring in a few outfits they selected after fittings, but the ones Im chose were exactly what Jang would wear.”
Lee added that this drama will be enjoyable, while stirring the imagination of viewers.
“I used to daydream a lot when I was young, and as an adult, my childhood friends and I would recall our school days and talk about how we never got beaten up, which isn't true. Dramatic changes like the one you see in this series never happens in real life, but this is a piece that will make viewers imagine 'what if,'” he said.
“During the post-production, I put myself in the shoes of the audience as I watched the series. In that aspect, this series is unique. And I hope viewers will agree. It's the kind of show where you can sit comfortably on a couch and enjoy a bowl of delicious popcorn.”
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