[Sportschosun Jo Min-jeong] So Ji-sub, who is returning to the small screen for the first time in 13 years to a Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) Friday-Saturday drama that once fueled the Heo Nam-joon craze, is set to make his appearance. As SBS unveils its new Friday-Saturday series "Kim Bu-jang," attention is focused on whether the network, long known as a strong performer in the time slot, can extend its streak of ratings success once again.
The new SBS Friday-Saturday drama "Kim Bu-jang," which premieres on the 26th, is a revenge action series about a man who has lived as an ordinary family breadwinner and transforms into the most dangerous person in the world in order to find his missing daughter. Based on the popular Naver webtoon of the same name, the series has already drawn strong anticipation for how it will bring the original's intense action and weighty narrative to the screen.
The project also brings together writer Nam Dae-jung, who penned the films "The Last Ride" and "First Ride," along with directors Lee Seung-young and Lee So-eun. In addition, trusted actors including So Ji-sub, Choi Dae-hoon, and Yoon Kyung-ho have joined the cast, further raising expectations.
Above all, the biggest attention is on So Ji-sub, who plays the title role of Kim Bu-jang. He is returning to a webtoon-based action drama one year after Netflix's "Square" last year. In the series, he plays an ordinary section chief at a small savings bank, but in fact he is a former special agent who once ranked first on North Korea's blacklist, delivering powerful action scenes.
The recently released teaser poster and video have also generated strong online buzz. The image of Kim Bu-jang, consumed by rage as he searches for his missing daughter, signals the birth of a new kind of "fatherhood action" drama that sets itself apart from existing action series.
Choi Dae-hoon and Yoon Kyung-ho also add strength to the cast. Choi plays Sung Han-soo, a former secret agent and Taekwondo gold medalist, while Yoon takes on the role of Park Jin-cheol, the "god of the battlefield" whom even the state could not control. Together with So Ji-sub, they are expected to deliver explosive action chemistry.
For So Ji-sub as well, "Kim Bu-jang" carries special meaning. At a recent SBS media day, he said, "SBS is where I made my debut, so it feels like my hometown. I felt warm and happy to be doing an SBS drama again after 13 years."
SBS's ambitious summer drama "Kim Bu-jang" is now targeting home viewers. With a solid webtoon-based story, So Ji-sub's action performance, and the fresh concept of a father-universe revenge story, interest is growing over whether the series can continue SBS's winning streak in the Friday-Saturday slot.
Jo Min-jeong mj.cho@sportschosun.com
