Yoon Se-ah and Kim Byeong-cheol meet again, challenge to break the masterpiece of a lifetime

There are an increasing number of cases where couples from dramas that were well-received by viewers are reuniting in new works. Following 'My Happy End', which aired earlier this year, 'Perfect Family' heralded the reunion of beloved couples in the second half of the year. As they were recognized for their excellent acting chemistry in their previous work, the news of their reunion is receiving great attention. The burden is increasing as expected.

Promotion for KBS2's new Wednesday-Thursday drama 'Perfect Family', which will premiere on the 14th of next month, is in full swing. This work is a mystery thriller drama in which a seemingly perfect family becomes increasingly suspicious of each other due to their daughter's murder. This 'Perfect Family', based on a webtoon, was directed by Japanese master director Isao Yukisada.

The casting lineup includes Kim Byeong-cheol, Yoon Se-ah, Kim Young-dae, Park Joo-hyun, Choi Ye-bin, and Lee Si-woo. Kim Byeong-cheol and Yoon Se-ah play the roles of married couple Choi Jin-hyuk and Ha Eun-ju in the drama. The two worked together once in JTBC's Friday-Saturday drama 'Sky Castle', which ended in February 2019.

'Sky Castle' is a crime, thriller mystery, and family work, and is similar in genre to 'Perfect Family.' In 'Sky Castle', Kim Byeong-cheol and Yoon Se-ah played the roles of parents to Cha Se-ri (Park Yu-na), Cha Ki-jun (Jo Byeong-gu), and Cha Seo-jun (Kim Dong-hee). They stimulated the interest of many people by telling a suspenseful story related to harsh educational institutions and the eldest daughter's lies. The chemistry between the patriarchal character of Kim Byeong-cheol and the character of Yoon Se-ah, who appears to be obedient on the outside but is actually training her husband, boasts individuality and increases immersion in the play.

'Sky Castle', which started with a 1.7% rating for the first episode, recorded a viewership rating of 23.8% for the final episode and is still talked about five years later. Kim Byeong-cheol and Yoon Se-ah's passionate performances were evaluated as playing a big role in making the work such a huge success. At the 'Perfect Family' production presentation held in August last year, Kim Byeong-cheol expressed his expectation, saying, "If I work with Yoon Se-ah, I think we can show a good ensemble with a different feel from previous works."

Although some viewers are happy about the news of the actors' reunion, there are also voices of concern. Kwon Sang-woo and Choi Ji-woo, who created the hit 'Stairway to Heaven', worked together again through 'Temptation', and Jang Na-ra and Son Ho-jun met again after 'Confession Couple' with 'My Happy End', but it was not even half as good as the previous work. This is because the record was disappointing.

Why do drama production companies not shy away from ‘reunion’ despite the risk? Culture critic Ha Jae-geun said, "As the variety of works has become so diverse, it is not easy to inform the public even when a new work is released. In a situation where many cases are buried, it is important to have a point that can arouse interest in viewers. The couple's 'reunion' can be used as publicity. “It does,” he explained.

On the other hand, Kim Heon-sik, a pop culture critic, said, "These days, viewers value story and directing more than the casting lineup. No matter how great the chemistry was in the previous work, it is difficult to succeed with actors alone." At the same time, he said, "There is also an aspect of casting based on the solid energy that has led to the creation of popular works in the past. It may be safe, but it also appears to be complacency."

Regarding her reunion with Kim Byeong-cheol, Yoon Se-ah joked, "I'm trying to be greedy by continuing to meet as a business couple like Choi Bul-am and Kim Hye-ja." It remains to be seen whether their reunion will make people experience the saying, "Memories are beautiful when left as memories," or whether they will renew their new life's work and become a "reliable combination."

Ten Asia Reporter Lee So-jeong forusojung@tenasia.co.kr