Shin Min-a, Kim Seon-ho satisfied with their chemistry in 'Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha'

Actors Shin Min-a, left, and Kim Seon-ho pose for pictures during an online media conference for the romantic comedy series “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha.” Courtesy of tvN

By Lee Gyu-lee

The new romantic comedy series “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha,” one of the most anticipated TV series this year, is finally set to take off this Saturday, with actors Shin Min-a and Kim Seon-ho as the leads.

The actors expressed high hopes for the series during an online media conference Tuesday, giving a glimpse of their chemistry.

“We have such great acting chemistry … Kim Seon-ho has such a great personality and is a type of a person who makes others comfortable,” Shin said. “I wanted to have flexibility in acting with this series and Kim was so considerate. I think we clicked very well.”

Adding that he enjoyed every moment of work on the show, Kim said: “Shin is very open to exchanging opinions and creating the scenes … She would always come up with funny ideas and would show them to us, which were really amusing.”

“Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha,” directed by Yoo Je-won, who led “Oh My Ghost” and “Tomorrow, with You,” is set in a peaceful, close-knit seaside village, called Gongjin.

Yoon Hye-jin (Shin), who is a successful dentist, moves from a big city to Gongjin to open up her own practice. As she tries to settle into her new neighborhood, she meets the town's handsome, jack-of-all-trades Hong Du-sik (Kim) who she finds to be her polar opposite.

Scenes from the series / Courtesy of tvN

“This is a story of a city woman Hye-jin settling into a town by a seaside, as she meets Du-sik. Because the two come from very different backgrounds, they bicker all the time, which brings them closer to each other,” the director said of the series. “And as they do, she learns to mingle with the town's people and Du-sik also grows from being by her side.”

He added the scenery of the coastal city and the sea will also give something for the viewers to enjoy. “Our series doesn't revolve around some dynamic elements or story, but rather it will offer small, intimate 'healing' moments,” he said.

This is the first romantic comedy series in about five years for Shin, who has made several hits within the genre, including the series “My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho.” She noted that she was looking to take part in a rom-com when she was offered the role.

“When I read the script, it was well-composed and the story of people in it was really interesting. And the biggest reason I chose this is because I was drawn to the character Hye-jin,” she said. “I've been doing works across genres to show different acting abilities. Now, I want to do a softhearted, feel-good series, so I've decided to join the series.”

Posters for the series / Courtesy of tvN

Kim's character Du-sik has no official job, yet he juggles multiple talents, lending hands to townspeople whenever they are in need.

The actor expressed that he had to learn various skills to portray his character.

“I thought it would be so fun to play a multifaceted character … Du-sik does a lot of things. So I took lessons on how to surf, and to brew coffee. As I was studying for the character, I learned different skills,” he said. “But despite his talents, he actually doesn't even have anything that he could call his profession. So I wanted my character to be well-blended with the neighbors.”

Actor Lee Sang-yi who recently made buzz as part of MSG Wannabe, a project group formed through the popular reality show "Hangout with Yoo," plays Ji Sung-hyun, the star producer of variety shows and Hye-jin's friend from college.

He noted the producer of "Hangout with Yoo,” Kim Tae-ho who is famous for leading the popular variety show “Infinite Challenge,” helped him to build his character.

“I watched a lot of variety shows to take reference for my character … Especially, while I took part in the MSG Wannabe project, I got to observe producer Kim by his side,” he said. “He wasn't much of a talker on the set. It was important to just see the overall picture from a step back, like giving the cast members room to have fun on the set.”

“Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” will premiere on Saturday at 9 p.m.