[Dispatch=Reporter Jung Tae-yun] "Haven't we all experienced failure?"

Dreams were big, but reality was harsh. Three unnamed comedians endured 10 years. And now, they bid a passionate farewell to failure.

Jo Hyun-chul said, "We depict the process of failure without rushing to console or being too light," and introduced it as "a story anyone who has experienced failure can relate to."

tvN's 'A Passionate Farewell' held an online live production presentation on the 3rd. Kang Hoon, Jo Hyun-chul, Kim Jung-jin, Lee I-dam, Moon Hee, Yoon Gai, and director Jung Ji-hyun attended.

'A Passionate Farewell' is a coming-of-age story about clearing away failure. It depicts the story of three unknown comedians who were rushing toward their dreams meeting a mysterious woman and each finding their tomorrow.

Director Jung Ji-hyun, who directed 'To My Harry', 'A House with a Yard', and 'Twenty-Five Twenty-One', took on directing duties. Writer An Ah-reum of 'I've Been There' wrote the screenplay.

Director Jung Ji-hyun said, "It's a story about people in their 30s pursuing their dreams," and explained his directing motivation: "I felt attracted to how it's realistic and sad, yet reckless and brilliant."

He continued, "The original title was 'Asura Bal-bal-tan'. When we started filming, I saw that each character was saying another kind of farewell in their own lives. We changed the title to convey the feeling of bidding a passionate farewell and welcoming something new."

Kang Hoon plays 'Kang Tae-gu'. Tae-gu is the leader and breadwinner of the comedy trio 'Asura'. He endured 10 years of obscurity with passion for his dreams and sense of responsibility to Asura.

Jo Hyun-chul plays Kim Nam-il, the clever one of Asura. Kim Nam-il has been dating his girlfriend Na-yeon for 10 years, but faces conflict between his dreams and love.

Kim Jung-jin takes on Han Jun-seo, the homekeeper of Asura. Jun-seo is endlessly kind to Asura, but seldom gives himself to others.

Regarding the casting of the three, Director Jung said, "I heard rumors that actor Hyun-chul wanted to do melodrama, so I immediately gave him the script. I worked with Kang Hoon on three projects, and I wanted to do his first leading role together. For Jung-jin, I watched his previous works and believed he would handle the weight well."

Kang Hoon said about his reason for appearing, "I worked on 'To My Harry' with the director, and when I was contacted, I thought I absolutely had to work together again. Above all, I had a strong desire to support these characters."

Jo Hyun-chul was also captivated by the power of the script. "It depicts how these people failed without rushing to console, without being too light, and without being too sad. Yet they achieve accomplishments, which felt meaningful," he recalled.

He continued, "It was the first time I filmed with friends while joking around this much. I think that kind of relationship will be well embedded in the work," and added, "Through this project, I also awakened my melodrama acting instincts."

Kim Jung-jin also said, "The attitude of the three toward failure was how I wanted to be," and revealed, "I was going through a weak period at that time, and I remember crying a lot while reading the script."

To portray the comedy trio, the three visited actual comedians' offices. Jo Hyun-chul said, "I studied while watching their meetings. Comedian Song Phil-geun coached the comedy sketches in the play, but it was very difficult."

They acted while experiencing the concerns of real comedians. He added, "It wasn't easy to capture timing. It was clearly different from media acting. Under the anxiety of having to make people laugh, we kept exchanging ideas."

Kang Hoon took on the role of mood maker. "I heard rumors that Hyun-chul hyung likes to be quiet on set. But he received me well even though I talked a lot. Since Tae-gu is the leader of Asura, I tried to lead the atmosphere a lot," he explained.

Yoon Gai (playing Go Ji-young) said, watching the three, "I watched from the audience as they worked through the process of putting together comedy sketches with consideration, and I felt respect. Then I felt reassured that our drama would turn out well."

Director Jung also met Jang Dong-min to seriously tackle comedians in the drama. He said, "We had consultation and Q&A sessions. I listened to Jang Dong-min at length about the process of becoming a comedian. That process helped a lot in preparing for the work."

The directing point is tears that glisten within laughter. Director Jung said, "You will be able to think about the value of family and friends," and hinted, "I directed it so laughter is inevitable at the end. When I finished editing the final scene, I shed tears of happiness."

He also highlighted points to watch for. Kim Jung-jin said, "There are chapters you can relate to by retracing the fragments within each person's memories and stories," and added, "It would be good to have time to empathize while contrasting and seeing what your story is."

Jo Hyun-chul said, "Senior colleagues told me after reading the script that it felt like watching the story of their youth. Haven't we all experienced failure? Many will relate to how these people look," expressing confidence.

Finally, Kang Hoon urged, "I think it's a drama that fits well with winter. Please watch and love the brilliant appearance of these six youths."

'A Passionate Farewell' will air starting on the 11th, meeting viewers every Wednesday and Thursday at 10:50 p.m.

<Photos provided by tvN>