[Dispatch=Reporter Lee Ah-jin] "It's a dreamlike drama with manga-like settings unfolding!" (Kim Young-gwang)

Actors Kim Young-gwang and Chae Soo-bin present a sweet romantic comedy. A chaebol heir and an ordinary woman—a relationship that begins by chance gradually transforms into a love that embraces each other's wounds.

Added to this is a special device: 'electrical ability.' A woman who could never hold anyone's hand meets a man who desperately needs her touch. By layering fantasy elements onto familiar romance, the story expands into an even more fateful love.

The clichés are given variations to enhance the viewing experience. Director Park Soo-won explained, "We reconsidered each cliché" and "worked with the actors to find scenes with a slightly different touch."

Netflix original series "Charge Me Up" held a production presentation on the 1st at Hotel Naru Seoul M Gallery in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Director Park Soo-won, Kim Young-gwang, and Chae Soo-bin attended.

"Charge Me Up" is a romantic comedy based on a webtoon of the same name. It tells the story of a man whose artificial heart battery is drained and a woman with electrical abilities growing their love.

Kim Young-gwang plays Baek Ho-rang. Baek Ho-rang is a chaebol heir but has a weakness—an artificial heart. In the midst of fierce disputes over management rights, he meets a destined person who can charge his heart.

Kim Young-gwang said, "When I first received the script, it felt like reading a pure romance manga" and "The manga-like settings and interesting situations appealed to me," revealing his reason for choosing the role.

Having primarily showcased genre works, it took time to adapt to romance acting. Kim Young-gwang recalled, "At first I was shy," but added, "Once we started filming, the set was so enjoyable. My heart melted completely, and later I performed with genuine pleasure."

Effort was put into costumes to bring out the chaebol heir setting. Kim Young-gwang emphasized, "Most of it was custom-made," and noted, "In particular, there's a scene where Baek Ho-rang enjoys his own morning routine. I wanted to maintain stylishness in that scene, so I suggested silk pajamas."

Chae Soo-bin plays Na Bo-bae. Na Bo-bae is a drama writer with electrical abilities. Due to the special ability that emerged from childhood, she has never properly held anyone's hand her whole life. Then she meets Baek Ho-rang and begins to know love for the first time.

She was drawn to the diverse appeal of the work. She said, "I felt the story was cute and bouncy yet warm," and explained, "In particular, the director said, 'I'm confident I can make the familiar taste even more fun,' which convinced me to appear."

The process of Na Bo-bae opening her heart to Baek Ho-rang is depicted delicately. Chae Soo-bin said, "Both characters carry deep pain," and elaborated, "Baek Ho-rang appears perfect in front of others but shows his cute side only in front of Na Bo-bae. I tried to express the emotion of affection deepening toward such moments."

The emotional changes also appear in stages. She noted, "At first, she meets someone her electrical ability doesn't work on and thinks it's destiny," and continued, "Then in the middle part, she feels unpleasant emotions toward Baek Ho-rang. I wanted to show her going through various emotions."

The key point to watch is the changing relationship between the two protagonists. Initially, they dislike each other enough to be angry with one another. But as the series progresses into the middle, they begin to find joy in being together, and by the latter half, they develop into a relationship where they embrace each other's pain.

Baek Ho-rang has three 'heart-fluttering' moments. Kim Young-gwang said, "Among them, the moment I remember most is episode 6," and hinted, "It's when Baek Ho-rang truly begins to feel, 'What do I do?'"

The two actors' comic chemistry is also worth anticipating. Director Park recalled, "There are many scenes where their chemistry is properly displayed," and noted, "We didn't intentionally cut on set and just watched how far they could take the ad-libs—their acting synergy matched so well."

Chae Soo-bin also said, "The director let me freely display the acting I wanted to do," and added, "So with Kim Young-gwang, we created each scene on set. I was able to try the acting I wanted to do freely."

The protagonists in the scripts that Na Bo-bae writes in the drama were also directly acted and dubbed by the two of them. Kim Young-gwang raised expectations by saying, "Chae Soo-bin completely immersed herself in that character," and remarked, "She was so good it was remarkable."

Finally, Chae Soo-bin said, "It's a work where you can receive warm comfort and meet pleasant stories if you watch casually. I hope you'll enjoy it."

Director Park also expressed, "I made this with the hope that viewers feel entertained with each episode," and concluded, "You'll be able to feel your heart being charged."

<Photo=Reporter Song Hyo-jin>