“I refuse to struggle to survive anymore”, says Choi Yee Jae (Seo In Guk) , a down-on-his-luck unemployed young man, as he decides to take the extreme step of ending his life.
Instead, he finds himself in a different scenario than his own and in the body of another man. He encounters a mysterious woman (Park So Dam) who tells him “You think I am a means for you to end the pain you are in?” She introduces herself as Death.
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SLL’s latest fantasy thriller Death’s Game, an adaptation of the popular webtoon Yi-jae Will Die Soon, tells the story of Choi Yee Jae, a frustrated job seeker who jumps to his death. Instead, he ends up facing an angry Grim Reaper, who is insulted by his flippant attitude towards death. She punishes him by making him go through death not once, but 12 times in the bodies of different people whose time is almost up. There is a catch, if he can prevent one of them from dying, he gets a new lease of life.
In an exclusive interview with The Hindustan Times via Zoom, Seo In Guk, last seen as the fraudulent shaman in Cafè Minamdang and a Grim Reaper in Doom at Your Service, confesses being drawn to time loop stories. However, it was the premise of the new show which left an impact on him.
“I was already a fan of the original webtoon, and when you watch the show you’ll know that we have a very strong message that we want to convey. The message hit me hard. And the biggest appeal for me was the narrative and story created around the two characters Yee-jae and Death.”
One of the most versatile actors, Seo In Guk has starred in popular hits such as High School King of Savvy, Reply 1997l, Shopping King Louie and The Smile Has Left Your Eyes says though there is no particular method to his craft, but he seeks an emotional resonance with the characters he plays on screen.
“I have to personally relate to the character, because if you don’t have that level of personal understanding of your character, you’re either not doing the job right or if you’re able to pull it off, then you’re an amazing actor. I never experienced 12 deaths, but acting begins with putting yourself in the character’s shoes and trying to relate to the character’s emotions. You start there and it leads to effective expression of the emotions and that leads to the characters becoming convincing to those watching, and that leads to the audience relating to the characters”, he says, flashing his famous smile.
Park So Dam, known for her critically acclaimed performance in Parasite, reveals she was keen to explore the fantasy genre. Describing her character Death as someone more in tune with Yee Jae’s predicament, “Death was someone who more so than anyone else was able to understand and deeply relate to the emotional struggles and life choices of Yee-jae. She wanted to give him an opportunity and learn a lesson. I also think Death wanted Yee-Jae to live his life to the fullest – she was rooting for him. Despite the fact Death is the one who gives him the 12 punishments, on an emotional level, they were more connected than anyone else”.
The multi-hyphenate Seo In Guk has also lent his voice to the OST with the mellifluous Though There’s No Miracle. The singer-actor recently made his return to theater in the musical Monte Cristo, says both the singer and actor in him complement the other.
“The vocal training that I do for my music helps a lot when I’m enunciating my lines in acting, and for the emotional portrayal as well, when I’m singing a particular lyric, there’s more light shone on them if there’s an acting aspect to it. So with each area of art…they create a lot of synergy.”
Park So Dam, who was diagnosed with papillary throat cancer in 2021 and had undergone surgery for the same, was last seen in the action thriller Special Delivery. She returns to television space three years after her last show, the coming-of-age drama Record of Youth.
“When I read a potential project, I’m drawn to the energy it exudes. Also, if there’s a particular message the story wants to tell and if the character I may portray contributes to delivering that message, I think that’s when I’m most drawn to them. This time around, the character’s emotional arc resonated strongly with me. I would cry at many moments…and I feel like being able to empathize with someone whether it’s my character or someone in real life is very important.”
The tense relationship between Yee Jae and Death comes through and both actors divulge that chemistry with one’s co-star is important for the show to succeed.
“Chemistry with your co star is very important. I think when there’s great chemistry and you can work well off of one another, creates a lot of synergies and leads to great performance. I think whenever there’s great chemistry, I find myself enjoying the act of acting while in the moment. And later on, when you monitor those scenes, they are the ones that make you proud of the results,” says Seo In Guk.
Park So Dam who has shared screen space with veteran actor Song Kang Ho as well as matinee idols such as Park Bo Gum, is all praise for Seo In Guk and what he brings to the screens.
“The energy you feed off of one another is important. With every project, I’ve worked with such great cast members and it was thanks to all of their help that I got to where I am today. This time around too, In-guk was so considerate of me and I felt like his authenticity and genuineness were moving. At times, I found myself being in awe of his performance, too. Getting that energy from him allows me to better portray Death. So I feel very lucky with my costars.”
Death’s Game has a starry ensemble which includes Lee Do Hyun, Sung Hoon, Choi Si Won, as well as Kim Jae Wook.
Death’s Game Part 1 is available On Prime Video. Part 2 will premiere on Jan 5 2024.
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