Lee Seung-gi to return to KBS for the first time in 16 years… Will he be able to save KBS dramas from the current sluggish performance?
Singer-actor Lee Seung-gi will make his first comeback on KBS in 16 years since the famous weekend drama “The Famous Chil Sisters”, which recorded the highest viewer rating of 44%.
Lee Seung-gi, the rookie actor who challenged his first traditional drama acting at that time, has already established himself as a “trustworthy actor”. As expected, Lee Seung-gi, who is about to return with a “modern rom-com” after playing many heavy characters for a long time, has already aroused keen interest and attention. Many drama fans are wondering if he could become a relief pitcher for KBS dramas, which have recently seen sluggish performances.
After transforming himself successfully by taking on the role of a villain and psychopath through tvN’s “Mouse” last year, Lee Seung-gi decided to choose KBS2’s new Monday-Tuesday drama “The Law Cafe” as his comeback work. “The Law Cafe”, which is scheduled to broadcast its first episode on the September 5th, is a Lawmance (Law+Romance) drama that tells the story centering on former prosecutor Kim Jung-ho (Lee Seung-gi), who owns the Hanryang building, and Kim Yu-ri (Lee Se-young), a lawyer with a four-dimensional personality who buys the building. Based on the web novel of the same name by Noh Seung-ah that recorded more than 25 million views, the story was reborn as a drama with the collaboration of director Lee Eun-jin and screenwriter Im Eui-jung.
Above all, “The Law Cafe” is drawing keen attention because it marks the first time Lee Seung-gi plays a character who is an ordinary person after a while. It is because he has mainly focused on fantasy and action acting through various series, such as “The Korean Odyssey”, “Vagabond”, and “Mouse”, since his military discharge. Lee Seung-gi finally returns to the modern romantic comedy genre without fantasy 7 years after the 2015 movie “Love Forecast”.
Of course, the setting of Kim Jung-ho, which will be portrayed by Lee Seung-gi in “The Law Cafe”, is still far from reality. This character, who entered law school as the top student, got a pass while attending school, and also completed the Judicial Research and Training Institute as the top lawyer, has everything, including a genius brain, outstanding appearance, and great resources, enough to be called “monster genius”. He has not only excellent skills but also an amazing wit and a good sense of humor since he likes playing pranks and teasing others.
Casting Lee Seung-gi to play Kim Jung-ho is said to be a perfect choice. Author Noh Seung-ah of the original web novel also expressed expectations, saying “I think no one can play the role better than him”, adding “I’m happy that Lee Seung-gi will portray this character, a smart person who is superior in all aspects and has unexpected charms. I think the casting is perfect”.
The chemistry of Lee Seung-gi and Lee Se-young in this romance is also a point to look forward to. Lee Se-young emerged as a popular actress after starring in her previous work “The Red Sleeve”, raising drama fans’ expectations for her performance in “The Law Cafe”. This will also be Lee Seung-gi and Lee Se-young’s first reunion in 4 years since “The Korean Odyssey”.
Attention is also focused on whether Lee Seung-gi’s appearance will save the current underperforming situation of KBS dramas. “Café Minamdang”, starring Seo In-guk, drew attention and gained a high viewer rating of 5% at the beginning with its interesting topic of a former profiler-turned shaman, but fell to the 3% range due to prolonged developments, excessive comical setting, and boring story with familiar cases. “If You Wish Upon Me”, which was released for the first time on August 10th as a follow-up drama to “Jinxed at First”, also performed poorly as it also stays in the 3% range.
In other words, Lee Seung-gi’s comeback with “The Law Cafe” is considered the hidden card of KBS, which is having a big slump. The viewers are looking forward to Lee Seung-gi’s “rom-com” acting and seeing whether Lee Seung-gi, who returns to KBS after 16 years, will bring about a great performance that meets the viewers’ expectations.
Source: naver
