Latest news with #Geumju
Forbes
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Second Shot At Love' Cast Discusses Drama's Fun Yet Serious Premise
When Sooyoung's character returns to her hometown, she encounters her first love, played by Gong ... More Myung. The playful title of the drama A Second Shot At Love relates to the character Geum-ju, a woman whose relationships suffer because of her drinking. The Korean title, Geumjuleul Butaghae, is also a play on words. It can either mean Take Care of Geum-ja or Please Stop Drinking Alcohol, since the name Geum-ju is a homonym for the Korean phrase 'stop drinking.' Korean dramas usually portray drinking events as a way to bring people closer together or to let characters say things they might ordinarily lack the courage to voice. The consequences of k-drama drinking are rarely serious. That's not the case for Geum-ju, the character played by actress and Girls Generation member Choi Sooyoung aka Sooyoung. She has become too dependent on alcohol to successfully deal with her problems. At a recent Seoul press conference the drama's cast and director spoke about the story's fun yet serious look at drinking culture. 'I don't think alcohol is absolutely bad,' said director Chang You-jeong (Honest Candidate, Finding Mr. Destiny). "But I do believe it clearly has risk factors. When we're seeking comfort or feeling empty, don't we tend to depend on something? Some people turn to books, others to exercise, or maybe to watching videos—but the dangers of becoming obsessed with alcohol are quite serious. I felt there was a need to address that.' The drama deals with those risk factors, sometimes cheerfully and sometimes more seriously, without becoming too preachy. The first step in dealing with an alcohol problem is to admit you have a problem, but Sooyoung's ... More character does not see a problem. 'Just as we turn to alcohol when we need comfort or when we're happy, this drama also includes stories about healing and recovery—about people who are overly fixated on something or buried in pain, and how they heal and recover with their family or partner,' said Chang. Sooyoung (Not Others, If You Wish Upon Me, Run On) plays a car mechanic, whose struggle to survive in a male-dominated industry has led to long hours and lots of stress. 'As a result, her drinking increased and she ended up becoming an alcoholic,' said Sooyoung. "She can't fall asleep without alcohol—she enjoys drinking, but she also depends on it.' Geum-ju returns to Bochun, her hometown, and tries to quit drinking. 'At first, I had many conversations with the director about how to portray and set the level of alcoholism,' said Sooyoung. "When you look around, there are people who don't seem like it at all, but upon closer observation, they are alcoholics. By watching those people or recalling them, I tried to portray a realistic depiction of alcoholism—something that could truly exist in the people around us.' Gong Myoung, plays Seo Ui-jun, a doctor at the public health clinic in Bochun Village. He still has feelings for his first love Geum-ju. She has no idea she was his first love. Its too difficult for him to express his emotions, so he never confessed. Gong Myung's character has loved Sooyoung's character since high school. He can't work up the ... More confidence to tell her. 'In terms of his emotional line with Geum-ju, Ui-jun is not someone who easily reveals his true feelings or expresses himself directly,' said Gong (Way Back Love, Lovers of the Red Sky, Be Melodramatic). And because the words 'first love' carry a lot of weight, I spent a lot of time thinking about how to best convey Ui-jun's feelings for Geum-ju and the emotional flow to the viewers.' Gong says he has a lot in common with Ui-jun. In this situation, however, he would behave differently. 'It's half and half,' said Gong.' Ui-jun's personality — how he approaches people comfortably, stays calm, and gives off a sense of trust — is similar to mine. But the way he hides and holds back his feelings for Geum-ju is quite different from me. I'm the type who goes straight ahead when I like someone, so playing Ui-jun in that regard was a bit difficult. When he holds back or rejects Geum-ju's advances, I had to work on understanding him more deeply, because if it were me, I would've been much more direct.' As the story progresses Ui-jun has plenty of emotional scenes. "Toward the later episodes, the inner pain of Ui-jun really starts to unravel,' said Gong. 'And that storyline is just so sad. Even when I wasn't monitoring my own scenes, watching the other characters in those moments really hit me emotionally. I hope viewers also look forward to those parts of the story.' Like his character Gong doesn't really enjoy drinking. 'So, I don't have many people around me who drink,' he said. 'Even my Extreme Job senior actors don't drink. Still, I really hope they watch Second Shot at Love.' Sooyoung wanted to realistically portray a character who really loves alcohol. 'There was a scene where Geum-ju searches for water the morning after heavy drinking," said Sooyoung. "But from what I've observed, real heavy drinkers often cure their hangover with more alcohol — not water. So I suggested to the director, 'Can I change it to alcohol instead of water?' and she loved the idea. So we shot it with her drinking more alcohol, and I even thought watching it, 'She really needs to quit drinking.' I tried to include those kinds of detailed observations to realistically depict dependency.' 'Sooyoung is really good at portraying those nuances,' said Chang. 'Even though I know she actually doesn't drink well. Each drink — soju, beer, wine, tequila — has a different aftertaste, and so the sound or expression someone makes after drinking it is different too. But she captured all of that so well, and I really appreciated that detail. That's why I said she gives the best portrayal of drinking in Korea.' While filming this drama, Sooyoung considered what she might be addicted to. 'It's not just about alcohol — there may be addictions inside us that we don't even recognize,' she said.'This project made me reflect on those things we keep reaching for, almost like reapplying a bandage to a wound we can't face directly. In my case, it might be overworking — feeling anxious when I rest could be my own form of addiction. So I really hope a lot of people, especially my colleagues in the entertainment industry, watch Second Shot at Love and find some healing from it.' Sooyong had fun filming a romance that allowed her to wear a school uniform again. 'In our story, we meet in high school, again in college, and then reconnect in our 30s,' she said. 'I feel grateful for the chance to wear a school uniform, a college outfit, and also portray an adult — all in one project. To do that alongside Gong Myoung as a co-actor made it even more meaningful. Honestly, I feel like this might be the last time I ever wear a school uniform on screen, so I'm especially thankful for the chance to play a character who is the embodiment of first love through all those stages of life.' The Studio Dragon drama airs on in the U.S. A Second Shot At Love also features funny performances by Kim Sung-ryung (A Virtuous Business, Mrs. Cop), Kim Sang-ho (The Haunted Palace, Hide, The Kidnapping Day), and Jo Yoon-hee (The Escape of the Seven).
The Review Geek
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
Second Shot at Love – K-drama Episode 4 Recap & Review
Episode 4 Episode 4 of Second Shot at Love begins with Hyeon-ju and Jeong-su finding a drunk Geum-ju. She claims she is a lost cause. Father and sister join her as they don't want her to drink alone. Ui-joon spots Gwang-ok and they head to the rehab to check on Geum-ju. The trio is missing and they split up to find them. Of course, Gwang-ok finds them first and a dramatic chase ensues. The trio splits up and alone, Geum-ju starts spiralling as she thinks of Ju-yeop. That's when Ui-joon finds her and she cries. It rains and he shelters her with his coat. She says something and he is shocked. Once she sobers, he asks about her statement. Unfortunately, she doesn't remember. As the Hans head home, a desperate Gwang-ok turns to the Church for a solution. The pastor preaches love and patience but Gwang-ok has a hard time following it as the alcoholic trio keeps testing her limit. Seon-wook and the nurse end up gossiping about the failed rehab stint. They wonder if Geum-ju is to blame and Ui-joon reprimands them. Wanting to help, he convinces Geum-ju to take an alcoholism test. The basic score is 20 and she scores a shocking 40. She calls the test faulty and insists that she is an alcohol enthusiast. Meanwhile, Hyeon-ju and Seon-wook head out for coffee after class. There is a poster for Jang Beom-june's concert. Hyeon-ju laments as the tickets are sold out. There is a free giveaway but there is another contender. Seon-wook reveals he wants to confess to his crush at the concert. Touched, the owner suggests a race and Seon-wook rushes to his location. The other contender is none other than Young-woong who is trying to get tickets for his wife, Seon-hwa and Hyeon-ju. He messes up and never makes it. Seon-wook reaches and sees the owner is his colleague, Kim who teases him. But he does give him the tickets. Ui-joon is holding his next lecture on alcoholism. He tells Gwang-ok who forces her family to attend. He talks about blackouts which bores the Hans. Geum-ju thinks it is a dig at her. She wonders if she hit on him and is embarrassed. Having had enough of Gwang-ok's solutions, the Hans try to put their foot down. Since she is advocating love, they think she will yield. Unfortunately, they cross the line and she starts beating them. A while later, Young-woong is busy and Geum-ju fills in for him at the garage. She stops a car owner from scamming someone and he roughs her up. To cheer her up, Ui-joon secretly buys her favourite food from an expensive place. As they eat, she misses alcohol and he admonishes her. She believes his life is all sunshines while hers sucks, which is why she needs alcohol. He looks sad and hopes she doesn't hurt too much. Confused, she wonders if he is talking about her physical injuries. Elsewhere, Yoong-woong finds out that Seon-wook is the giveaway winner and is surprised that he still likes Hyeon-ju. It cuts to a 2018 flashback where Seon-wook is about to confess but Hyeon-ju announces her marriage. At present, Young-woong disapproves since she is their friend's sister. Annoyed, Seon-wook points out that Seon-hwa is his sister. Geum-ju keeps wondering about her blackout conversation when she realises it is the day of her canceled wedding. Jeong-su looks sad as he throws his speech which she spots. She cries as it states that he is a pitiful dad. However, he hopes she can find happiness with Ju-yeop. To make matters worse, she forgets to cancel the party bus meant for the town. Gwang-ok is humiliated and tries to disown Geum-ju. Ui-joon covers for Geum-ju and goes on a drive with her. The bus is full of alcohol and she imagines how everyone would have had fun at her wedding. She comments that Ui-joon is right and she has been hurting people. She throws him out and heads to the city. She wants to crash Ju-yeop's wedding and hit him. Instead, she drinks. Back in town, Hyeon-ju feels guilty as she thinks Geum-ju is taking the fall for the both of them. Had she not divorce, she believes no one would have been so hard on Geum-ju. Seon-hwa comforts her while Seon-wook looks shocked. He gives the tickets to Young-woong. As for Ui-joon, he heads to Ju-yeop's wedding, hoping to find Geum-ju. Instead, he overhears guests gossiping about her. Upset, he parks his car in front of the newly weds' and they get late for their flight. It rains and it is night by the time Ui-joon finds Geum-ju. He brings her an umbrella and she is glad he is by her side. She finally remembers her words. She is ashamed and wants to quit drinking. She wants his help and he accepts. In the Second Shot at Love Episode 4 epilogue, a man drinks and watches the video of the blackout lecture. He smirks and comments that he has finally found Ui-joon. The Episode Review Second Shot at Love Episode 4 speeds up quite quickly, revealing Seon-wook's crush to Young-woong, the infamous wedding, the Hans being sent to rehab and Geum-ju's confession. We expected some more hijinks before she came to the realisation, but the wedding felt like a good final push for her to quit drinking. The Hans get their time to shine as well. Gwang-ok has been quite present from the start, but in this chapter, Jeong-su is noticeably hesitant as he tries to restrain himself for the sake of his wife and daughter. Then there is Hyeon-ju, who goes from a tag along with her own backstory with how she feels about the whole fiasco. We have been getting tidbits on how the single mother life is tough on her. And it makes sense that she feels responsible for Geum-ju as the older sister. Ui-joon gets his personal storyline too and it surprisingly takes a different turn. It involves an alleged murder, hiding from his old workplace and a stranger who is hellbent on finding him. Wonder how that's going to end… Previous Episode Next Episode Expect A Full Season Write-Up When This Season Concludes!
