tvN's 'Spring Fever' Wraps Up with Record Ratings: A Look into Ahn Bo-hyun and Lee Joo-bin's On-Screen Chemistry

"Joo-bin perfectly embodied the character of Yoon Bom. Her petite frame combined with her boldness and the protective instinct she evokes made it seem like she stepped right out of a web novel."

On the 11th, a wrap-up interview with Ahn Bo-hyun from tvN's 'Spring Fever' took place at a café in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam, Seoul. The drama, based on a webtoon, tells the story of Yoon Bom (played by Lee Joo-bin), a teacher with a cold demeanor, and Seon Jae-kyu (played by Ahn Bo-hyun), a man with a fiery heart, as they experience a hot pink romance that melts their frozen hearts. The show concluded on the 10th with its highest viewership rating of 5.7% (Nielsen Korea, paid households), marking a successful end.

Ahn Bo-hyun played the role of Seon Jae-kyu, a 'straightforward country heartthrob' who can melt even the coldest hearts. Known for his solid build at 187cm, Ahn was a former boxing athlete during his school days and worked as a model before becoming an actor. In contrast, Lee Joo-bin, who played Yoon Bom, is known to be 161cm tall. This height difference, along with the storyline, contributed to the 'size chemistry' that resonated with viewers. Both actors are of similar age, with Ahn born in 1988 and Lee in 1989.

Ahn Bo-hyun shared about Lee Joo-bin, "I met Joo-bin for the first time through this project. I was cast first, and Joo-bin joined after her preparation process. Initially, I only had the character information from the script and some web novel cover-like photos and illustrations from the internet. We did a couple of script readings, and our chemistry on set was so good that filming was very comfortable," he said. He added, "In comedic scenes, Joo-bin's reactions made Jae-kyu stand out even more," expressing his gratitude.

"People often talk about our size chemistry. At first, I wondered, 'Is it okay to have such a difference?' But people ended up loving it. The staff on set liked it, and when the show aired, the audience seemed to love it even more."

Ahn Bo-hyun also opened up about the challenges of playing Seon Jae-kyu. He said, "Jae-kyu is a character who believes he must carry all his burdens alone. There are scenes where he confesses his pain, his relationship with his father, and his guilt to Yoon Bom. I struggled with how to express these emotions."

He continued, "I didn't think Jae-kyu would be the type to shed tears easily. Even if he did cry, he'd probably wipe them away. I was concerned about how viewers would perceive this. So, I decided to portray him as someone who silently endures, and I discussed this a lot with the director. Maintaining this emotional tone consistently was challenging."

When asked about memorable comments, he said, "People often commented on our contrasting styles and how well we fit together visually. They also mentioned our natural chemistry, which was nice to hear."

"Friends and their wives often talked about it, and eventually, they said they became emotionally invested in Jae-kyu. They got so immersed in the story of Bom and Jae-kyu that they wondered, 'Is this something to cry about?' Hearing that someone's wife cried because of Jae-kyu's story made me proud as an actor."

Ahn Bo-hyun concluded, "I remember people saying they lost track of time because our chemistry was so good. Hearing that they were sad it ended quickly made me realize they were true fans. Comments about the show being too short at 12 episodes, with some thinking it was originally 16, and people subscribing to OTT platforms just to watch 'Spring Fever' were surprising and gratifying."

Lee So-jung, TenAsia Reporter forusojung@tenasia.co.kr