"Love Rain"│How does love change

The cast and director of TV series "Love Rain" pose during a photocall of a press conference held in Daegu, Korea on December 13, 2011. [Chae Ki-won/10Asia]

"I want to raise the level of purity than intensity and speed," director Yoon Suk-ho said at a press conference for TV series "Love Rain" held in Daegu on Tuesday. "Love Rain," through which Yoon is working with screenwriter Oh Soo-yeon, his partner of KBS' "Autumn Tale" and "Winter Sonata," for the first time in ten years, still speaks of sacrificial love. Art student Seo In-ha (Jang Keun-suk) comes to love Kim Yoon-hee (Yoona) but they end up separating due to the entangled emotions between them and their friends and Yoon-hee's illness. And then 32 years later, their children Seo Jun (Jang Keun-suk) and Kim Hana (Yoon) meet. The story of love and growing pains that two college students experience in the 1970s, the coincidental meeting between their children 32 years later, and the reunion of their parents, contains the keywords seen from director Yoon Suk-ho's past projects.

Scene from "Love Rain" [Y Tree Media]

Hence once may sense a strong deja vu was from "Love Rain" but what draws one's attention first is the collaboration of the 'prince of Asia' Jang Keun-suk, Girls' Generation member Yoona and director Yoon Suk-ho who brought about the boom of Korean dramas in Asia. It will be worth looking forward to whether director Yoon Suk-ho, who said he "cannot help but be conscious of my nickname Hallyu-maker" will be able to create a character that will leave an impression that is as strong as that like Jun-sang's from his hit project "Winter Sonata" and whether it will help Jang Keun-suk will be able to solidify his status as the 'prince of Asia.' it will also be interesting to see whether Jang, who despite his actively led career will be appearing in a romantic drama for the first time and Yoona, who will be taking on acting for the first time in two years following MBC's "Cinderella Man," will pull off their double roles. "Love Rain" is set for a premiere early next year.

Director Yoon Suk-ho, actor Jang Keun-suk, actress Yoona talk "Love Rain"

Director Yoon Suk-ho: The 1970s is about when I went to college. And the year 2012 is about people around the ages of actors Jang Keun-suk and Yoona. But whether it is then or now, love is still the same. There's a scene where In-ha and Yoon-hee watch a scene from movie "Love Story" which is about 'You don't say sorry when it comes to love.' And that's the main theme to this drama. When it's set in the 1970s, it'll show how love was something so precious that it was hard to just hold the hand of the person you love while when it's set in 2012, Jang Keun-suk will play a character that befits someone of his age -- energetic and youthful. But I still like the fantasy-type of love that will make people will say, 'There's no such type of love.'
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Jang Keun-suk: "Love Rain" is a project that can show both digital and analogue love. I was very worried about how to depict on art student Seo In-ha when the drama is set in 1970s because he would also be that much more sensitive and sentimental. But on set, I exist only as the character I'm playing, I need to leave my actual self behind, so I'm trying hard to become the perfect fit for the role by doing a lot of discussing and creating new levels and tones of emotions. What I'm relieved about but is also interesting is that I'm the same age as Kim Shi-hoo and Seo In-guk who are also in the show. We play characters that do music together so when even we meet off the set, we'll have our guitars, sing while drinking and come up with weird songs as well so we've become very close which makes the shoot easier.
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Yoona When I first saw the script for the show, I was confused about whether I'd be playing Yoon-hee or Hana but I was told both. [laughs] And I haven't acted for two years but really wanted to. I wasn't too worried about playing Hana from the year 2012 because she's bright and cheerful which is similar to how I am but I worried a lot about playing Yoon-hee from the 1970s because I don't know a lot about those times. Luckily though, the director gave me directions for each and every scene and he told me about a lot of his own experiences so those helped a lot as well. I'm almost done shooting the scenes from the 1970s but I myself have been surprised at how well I've been able to express Yoon-hee.

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