Coupang Play, the OTT service of Coupang, which is akin to Amazon, appears to be reaping the rewards of their persistent content creation endeavors. Apart from SNL entertainment, Coupang hadn’t prominently showcased original content.
The buzz around “Boyhood” has sparked numerous YouTube videos and discussions, with comments seeking where to watch the the series. Could “Boyhood” potentially boost the count of Coupang Play subscribers?
Broadcasting of “Boyhood”
“Boyhood” has been airing on Coupang Play, releasing two episodes every Friday at 8 PM KST since November 24, 2023. The series comprises 10 episodes, and the last two episodes are scheduled for release on December 22, 2023. Moreover, it’s accessible for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Interestingly, despite depicting a story about teens, it’s rated as not suitable for youth, meaning R18+
official trailer of “Boyhood”
synopsis of “Boyhood”
In 1989, amidst the survival-of-the-fittest mentality, high schoolers in Buyeo, Chungcheongnam-do, were entrenched in a power struggle between Buyeo Agricultural High School and Sanggo High School. Losing ground in this battle, Buyeo Agricultural High School began to stir with anticipation upon learning about the transfer of Asan White Tiger, a student well known for fighting from the nearby city of Asan.
casting of “Boyhood”
Im Si-wan(임시완) as Jang Byeong-tae (aka. Onyang Nerd)
A timid individual from Onyang, lacking any combat skills but often sparking physical altercations with his words. His family’s relocation to Buyeo places him under the same roof as Ji-yeong. Through a chain of events and misunderstandings, he’s mistaken for Asan’s infamous fighter, White Tiger. Unintentionally, he begins relishing the life of a celebrated fighter in Buyeo
In the first episode of ‘Boyhood,’ the impactful scene of Im Si-wan’s emotional breakdown within a taxi due to family matters resonated deeply. While “Incomplete Life” introduced Im Si-wan as an actor, “Boyhood” has the potential to be his defining work.
Despite his seamless delivery of the Chungcheong dialect in the series, Im Si-wan hails from Busan, using a different dialect. He was born in Seoul and relocated to Busan at the age of 6, where he attended university.
Born in 1988, he’s currently in his mid-30s, yet his portrayal of a high school sophomore in the series feels authentic. Even moments where he’s mistaken for a middle schooler don’t seem far-fetched.
For those unfamiliar, Im Si-wan was a former member of the renowned idol group ZE:A, notably serving as the lead vocalist
Lee Seon-bin(이선빈) as Park Ji-young(aka. Boo-yeo Black Widow)
Undisclosed to her parents, she’s a certified fighter among the high school girls in Buyeo. Despite her composed exterior, she finds herself increasingly drawn to the awkward and timid Byeong-tae, who shares her living space.
Just as the impressive acting of Im Shi-wan, Lee Seon-bin is also demonstrating remarkable acting skills in “Boyhood,” marking a pivotal point in her career.
Out of the four leads in “Boyhood,” Lee Seon-bin is the sole native of Chungcheong Province, hailing from Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do. Her fluent Chungcheong dialect and reputation for straightforwardness lend her portrayal of Boo-yeo Black Widow akin to method acting.
Unlike Im Shi-wan, who’s more recognized for his past, Lee Seon-bin is also a former idol group member turned actress. She joined the girl group JQT as a replacement member after passing an audition, but the group disbanded before their debut.
Lee Si-woo(이시우) as Jung Gyeong-tae(aka. asan White Tiger)
A legendary fighter known for his formidable presence across schools in Chungcheong Province, Asan White Tiger loses his memory in an accident just before transferring to Buyeo Agricultural High School. As he gradually regains his memories, Byeong-tae starts feeling uneasy about playing the role of a fake Asan White Tiger.
Kang Hye-won(강혜원) as Kang Seon-hwa (aka. Buyeo Sophie Marceau)
Buyeo’s ultimate beauty, often regarded as the trophy of the strongest person in Buyeo. She captivates the hearts of both the fake Asan White Tiger, Byeong-tae, and the real Asan White Tiger, Gyeong-tae.
production crew of “Boyhood”
SBS series “Punch” and “The Fiery Priest” renowned director, Lee Myung-woo, helms the direction, with the script penned by writer Kim Jae-hwan.
behind the scene of “Boyhood”
- “Boyhood” distinguishes itself from other dramas mainly through its use of the Chungcheong Province dialect throughout the narrative. Chungcheong Province dialects can differ slightly across regions, and for those native to the region, there might be nuances that stand out. However, from an audience perspective, almost all the actors seem to be doing an excellent job of portraying and delivering the dialect.
- The use of Chungcheong dialect to this extent, apart from the movie “The City of Violence,” hasn’t been prominent. In comparison to dialects from Gyeongsang or Jeolla provinces, the frequency of hearing Chungcheong dialect in Korean movies and TV series has been notably low, even rarer than North Korean dialect. Considering this, encountering it in “Boyhood” feels both welcoming and refreshing.
- In the previous drama ‘The Fiery Priest,’ directed by Lee Myung-woo, actor Eum Moon-seok gained considerable popularity portraying the character Jang Ryong, who used the Chungcheong Province dialect. As news circulated about filming the series in Buyeo, Chungcheongnam-do, Eum Moon-seok reportedly contacted Director Lee Myung-woo multiple times, expressing his interest in making a cameo appearance.
- The series has been rated as not suitable for youth, R-18+, due to violence, alcohol consumption, and smoking. Director Lee Myung-woo mentioned in an interview that he could have toned it down to make it suitable for younger audiences, but he felt that the smoking, drinking, and fight scenes were integral to the story and didn’t want to compromise on that aspect.
- It appears that the episode titles are inspired by titles of well-known movies or TV series. Initially, the first episode was titled “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” and it was intended to be the title for the entire series.
- 1st Episode: “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”
- 2nd Episode: “My Love, Don’t Cross That River”
- 3rd Episode: “Unstoppable stubbornness of No-gu”
- 4th Episode: “One Fine Springday”
- 5th Episode: “Love and War”
- 6th Episode: “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once”
- 7th Episode: “Love Me Once Again”
- 8th Episode: “A Bloody Battle for Revenge”
- It seems like, excluding veterans like Lim Siwan and Lee Sun-bin, there are many unfamiliar rookie actors compared to other dramas. Despite the handicap of needing to handle roles with substantial weight and using the Chungcheong dialect, they are noticeably contributing significantly to the drama. Director Lee Myung-woo deliberately chose to cast many rookie actors for this purpose.
- The backdrop is set in Buyeo City, Chungcheong Province, but the main filming locale reportedly resides in Chuncheon City, Gangwon Province. The decision was influenced by Buyeo’s substantial urban development, posing challenges in authentically portraying the 1989 setting.
- “Boyhood” is set against the backdrop of 1989, with the main characters portrayed as second-year high school students. Interestingly, the director, Lee Myung-woo, was also a second-year high school student in 1989.
- After the release of Episode 6 on December 8th, viewership exploded, marking a staggering 934% increase based on internal standards. Moreover, following the release of Episodes 7 and 8 on December 15th, the Coupang Play server suffered an outage for about two hours.
Coupang is arguably one of the most beloved companies in Korea, but it has also faced controversy due to its harsh treatment of subcontractors and employees. Despite this, many in Korea rely on it for its convenience and wide variety of products. To get a glimpse of Coupang and Coupang Play in Korea, please visit https://www.coupang.com/
“This film is primed to make a big splash in the Korean box office scene. https://triviaaboutkorea.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=871&action=edit
