INTERVIEW: Seo In Guk and Park Bo Young open up about their electric chemistry & more in Doom At Your Service

Two of the biggest stars in the world of Korean entertainment have finally come together to lead one of the most highly anticipated K-Dramas of 2021, Doom At Your Service. There can be no comparison to Park Bo Young“s immeasurable grace and beauty. At the same time, Seo In Guk is a multi-dimensional artist for whom, not even the sky is the limit. Both artists have brought us immense love, laughter, and joy with all the varied characters they have played over the years and it is truly a dream come true to see them join forces to portray a love story beyond time and space in the upcoming drama Doom At Your Service. Seo In Guk incomparably plays Myul Mang who exists somewhere in between creation and destruction. He’s ephemeral, everywhere and nowhere but when Tak Dong Kyung, played by Korean dramas’ resident queen Park Bo Young, summons him out of desperation for her own life, they end up risking their all for one hundred days. Doom At Your Service will start airing on and from the 10th of May, 2021 and will take over tvN’s Monday & Tuesday 21:00 time slot previously occupied by Navillera.

Doom At Your Service is produced by Studio Dragon. Studio Dragon is South Korea’s largest scripted television studio whose businesses involve everything from planning and development to financing, production, and distribution. The company was founded in 2016 as a division of CJ ENM Media Content and has created over 179 series with its team of 231 creative professionals, consisting of writers, directors, and producers. In the end of 2020, Studio Dragon will have produced 28 series for both Korea’s terrestrial and cable broadcasting networks, and Netflix. In addition to its recent global hit Netflix series, Crash Landing on You (2019), Studio Dragon is also credited in the creation of The Arthdal Chronicles (2019), Mr. Sunshine (2018), and Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016). The New York Times listed Stranger (2017) in The 10 Best Shows of 2017, while Mother (2018) was included in the official competition selection of the Cannes International Series Festival. The 10 Best KoreanDramas to Watch on Netflix, an article recently published by Time magazine, listed five Studio Dragon series: Crash Landing on You (2019), Mr. Sunshine (2018), Hi Bye, Mama! (2020), Signal (2016), and Stranger (2017). Studio Dragon, having established its US branch in early 2020, hopes to collaborate with leading global production companies to plan and produce local TV series for the global audience.

With such a stellar cast and an incredible production crew behind them, there is no doubt that Doom At Your Service is expected to break records and create new ones left and right. Moreover, the plotline of the drama is more novel than anything we have ever seen, amplifying the anticipation for the same. In an interview, both actors opened up about their impressions of each other, their inimitable chemistry, and all the ways they made their characters uniquely their own. Keep reading to find out what they had to say!

Seo In Guk (Myul Mang)

1. You’re returning to TV after three years. Tell us why you chose “Doom at Your Service” as your comeback project and how you feel about returning to TV.

I was intrigued by the script and the character. I found the concept of the one who destroys everything falling in love very interesting.

2. The character, Myul-mang, is the reason for the disappearance of all existence. What’s the most difficult part of playing a character that is a transcendental being? What did you focus on most when playing this character?

Finding the appropriate range of emotion is tough. It is difficult to suppress the indifference and coolheadedness of a character that has been in existence for an unknown amount of time.

3. Was there any special direction the director or writer gave you for your character? Please share if there is any.

They wanted my character to have all the charms: cool, sexy, naive, cute, and fearsome.

4. If you only had 100 days to live like the character Dong-Kyung, and you were given just one wish, what would you wish for? Please tell us why you would make such a wish.

I would beg to just be able to stay healthy for the 100 days.

5. You mentioned before that you would like to work with Park Bo-young one day. Why did you want to work with her? How is the chemistry between you two? What about with other actors and actresses?

I heard a lot of good things about her from a director who is close to me. Since she and I both admire Director Kwon, I knew we’d work on a project together sooner or later. There are a lot of actors who want to work with her. There’s a lot to learn from her while working together.

6. Is there any particular scene that you look forward to watching, or any scene you found fun to shoot?

I’m looking forward to the romance between Dong-Kyung and Myul-mang that is limited to 100 days. But I’m also looking forward to showing a new side of Myul-mang when he fulfills his real duties.

7. What should the viewers look forward to? Please share a word with the viewers.

I hope you show the drama a lot of love. Please look forward to the 100-day romance between Myul-mang and Dong-Kyung that will be like nothing you’ve ever seen.

Park Bo Young (Tak Dong Kyung)

1. You’re returning to TV after two years. Tell us why you chose “Doom at Your Service” as your comeback project and how you feel about returning to TV.

When I choose a project, I focus on whether I find it interesting, relatable, and whether it makes me wonder what will happen next. I chose to star in this project as it fulfills all those factors. Most of all, I’ve always wanted to work with the writer Im Me-a-ri and the director Kwon Yeong-il, so I didn’t hesitate to choose this project.

2. What are the charms of your character Dong-Kyung? What are the challenges of portraying a character that can only live for 100 days? What do you focus on most? Was there any special direction the director or the writer gave you for your character? Please share if there is any.

I think her charms are revealed through how she spends the remaining days of her life. Her honesty and energy when making decisions that I would have found difficult to make has left a lasting impression on me.

It was hard for me to portray Dong-Kyung accepting her fate because I couldn’t imagine what it would feel like to learn that you only have 100 days to live. So my focus is on trying to express to the viewers what specifically makes her want to continue to live.

3. What are some of the similarities and differences between you and Dong- Kyung?

Interestingly, our personalities have a lot in common. A difference would be that Dong-gyeong only has 100 days to live. (laughs)

4. If you only had 100 days to live like the character Dong- Kyung, and you were given just one wish, what would you wish for? Please tell us why you would make such a wish.

I’m reminded of a scene where Dong-Kyung makes a wish. She wishes for the people she leaves behind to forget her so that they would not be overwhelmed by grief after she’s gone. Just like her wish, I would wish for those left behind to not feel sad because of me.

5. You said “The time has come” when you partnered up with Seo In-guk for this project. What was the reason behind that statement? How is the chemistry between you two? What about with other actors and actresses?

The entire cast has good chemistry. Whenever I watched In-guk’s performances, I always thought I would work with him one day. And we finally met through this project. Lee Soo-hyuk, who plays Cha Ju-ik, is my boss in the drama, and we’re always laughing on set because we work great together. Shin Do-hyeon, who plays Ji-na, is younger than me in real life, but her character is older. We have great chemistry and we like to joke around together. Dawon plays my younger brother, Seon-gyeong, and it feels as if he’s my real brother.

6. Is there any particular scene that you look forward to watching, or any scene you found fun to shoot?

There’s a scene where Dong- Kyung opens up to Myul-mang for the first time. I’m both nervous and excited to see how that scene turns out.

In-guk and I had to walk backward while others walked forward for a scene that shows Dong- Kyung and Myul-mang as the only ones moving forward in a world that is going backward. That was an unusual and fun scene to shoot.

7. What should the viewers look forward to? Please share a word with the viewers.

“Doom at Your Service” is a story that centers around Dong-Kyung, whose days are numbered, and what happens after she offers her life in a deal with Myul-mang. Keeping an eye on the way Myul-mang and Dong- Kyung change one another will help you enjoy it a lot more. I hope our drama can energize your life by giving you joy and excitement. Please look forward to it.

Are you excited to watch Doom At Your Service? Share your thoughts with Pinkvilla in the comments section down below!

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