A recent trend in South Korean dramas is the blending of romantic stories with sci-fi elements, usually related to some kind of new and exciting technology. Examples include last year's I'm Not A Robot, a romantic comedy about a relationship between a human and a robot, and Memories Of The Alhambra, a tragic love story set in the world of augmented-reality action gaming.
Now Netflix has launched Love Alarm, an original K-drama series filled with teen romance and eye-catching tech innovations, not least the titular app that alerts users to possible love matches. The eight-episode series is based on the popular 2014 Korean webcomic of the same name by Chon Kye-young. The live-action version is directed by Lee Na-jeong, and stars Kim So-hyun, Song Kang and Jung Ga-ram.
The director and three stars discussed the new project with international media at a recent press conference in Seoul.
"I grew up reading Kye-young's comics. I've been her fan for a long time," said Na-jeong, whose previous works include Snowy Road and Fight For My Way. "[Love Alarm] is a romance, but Kye-young's comic wasn't all lighthearted fun. It also had depth in terms of its exploration of love. It was different from the usual romcoms and teen romances. I was fascinated by the depth with which the original story explores the love, pain and loneliness of the main characters."
In the series, the Love Alarm isn't another dating app like Tinder, but a completely new invention, able to allow users to see how a person is feeling. This way, the app can notify users if there is someone who has romantic feelings towards them within a 10m radius. Nobody can hide their feelings anymore.
The app becomes a phenomenon throughout Korea. But inevitably, it creates serious problems. Jojo (So-hyun) is a high school student, who, as a result of a traumatic childhood, prefers to keep her feelings to herself. But as a result of the app, she finds herself caught up in a love triangle between her childhood friend Hye-young (Jung Ga-ram) and his bestie Sun-oh (Song Kang).
"Jojo's been through a lot in her life. But she's never lost her positivity and confidence," said So-hyun. "That made me feel sympathetic toward her. Jojo has so many layers, people will want to find out more about her. I tried not to present her as too sad. I was worried that she might come across as someone you just pity. She doesn't want anyone's pity. Nor does she need to be protected. I made a conscious effort to make sure that she wasn't represented in that way."
According to Na-jeong, So-hyun was the first actor that Kye-young thought of when the adaptation was announced. According to several online polls, she was the fans' pick as well.
"I'm thankful to be given this opportunity. Jojo is such a great character, I wanted to do her justice," So-hyun said.
Some 900 hopefuls auditioned for the part of Sun-oh, a troubled boy from a rich family. Many well-known models, actors and K-pop singers wanted the part. In the end it went to Song Kang.
"He's a rich kid, but he's basically empty inside. Growing up, Sun-oh was emotionally scarred by his parents, so he bottles up his feelings. That was quite challenging to play, because he's not very talkative and mostly expresses his feelings through his face and eyes," said Song Kang. "I regret some auditions I did in the past, because I didn't give 100%. But I did my best when I auditioned for Sun-oh. I'm very glad I did."
Ga-ram, who plays Hye-young, admits that he's a huge fan of the original webcomic, especially the character that he ended up playing.
"I'm definitely a fan of the original. When I met the director, I shared with her a lot of my ideas for Hye-young. We shaped the character together for the show," he said. "There's a lot of pressure on us for the series, because the original has so many dedicated fans. In playing Hye-young, I had to convince myself that my interpretation of the character was the same as other fans, so that I could believe in what I was doing."
With Netflix now available in 190 countries, Love Alarm is being released to a truly worldwide audience. The actors expressed their excitement at being a part of such a big project.
"I still can't quite believe that it's going to be watched by not only Korean fans, but also by fans all over the world," said So-hyun. "It's all a bit surreal. I think I'll start checking the internet to see how the series is received."
"I'm very curious to see what foreign audiences think of the show, especially how the uniquely Korean aspects are interpreted by viewers in different countries," said Ga-ram.
The show ends with many questions unanswered, giving fans hope that Love Alarm might return for a second season. According to Na-jeong, it all depends on how well-received the first season is.
"If season one does well, then we'll produce season two," she said. "We tried to end it in such a way that the audience will want to return for another season."
