Source PRIME JAP.

Kim Hyun Joong, the lead actor in the Japanese-Korean co-production “Time Without a Girlfriend”, says: “I’m coming of age.”
We asked him about his early years and his “present”.

 

• Kim Hyun-joong enjoyed great success when he played the role of Yoon Ji-hoo, the equivalent of Hanazawa Rui, in the Korean version of “Boys Over Flowers” (2009). He stars in the Japan-Korea drama co-production “Time Without a Girlfriend”, which began airing on November 6.

 

Honestly, when I received the offer, I felt a bit of pressure. I’m not one to do something I can’t do well. After all, this job involves Japanese lines. I was worried that my Japanese lines would be awkward.

Eun-tae (Kim Hyun-joong) loses his beloved Japanese wife and is so disappointed that he loses his memories of her and the will to live. When he embarks on his final journey to search for memories with his wife, he meets a mysterious high-school girl (Tensho Amane).

Before I started shooting, I saw a video on YouTube of a Japanese woman and her Korean husband.

Watching it, I noticed that they both spoke Japanese and Korean, but when I was in a hurry or had to talk about something complicated, it was my mother tongue that came out.

Even if you’ve lived together for a long time, you’ll never be able to speak each other’s language perfectly. But we understand each other emotionally.
I really thought: “Ah, that’s the way it is”. Even if it’s a bit slow, your feelings can be conveyed clearly by your facial expressions and your acting. That’s what I thought.

 

• Eun-tae’s poorly flowing Japanese is very realistic. In fact, Hyun Joong can almost understand Japanese, but he’s not very good at speaking it.

 

I feel a lot of empathy for Eun-tae. I’m 38, so I’m neither too young nor too old. As an actor, I’ve experienced a lot of different emotions, so it’s difficult to act. “I think I’ve reached a good age.

It’s 15 years since he made his acting debut.

When I played in ‘Boys Over Flowers’ 15 years ago, I think he was really pure and innocent. No matter what he did, even if he got angry, he was “cute”.
He was a character I wanted to see.

On the other hand, I think that today’s times demand performances that have to convince the audience.
I’m sure that people who watch the film will see how he can become that person, rather than “Kim Hyun Joong’s target”.
I think I’ve acquired the necessary skills to do that.

• When he was young and now. I asked him what had changed,

When I was younger, everyone liked me just by going to the workplace.
Today, I can pay attention to the whole workplace.
I think I’ve grown in that respect,” he smiles.
The thoughts I’d like to be able to convey through this work are as follows:

I’m sure everyone has someone they love, and sometimes we take that person for granted.
Sometimes you want to get something, but you never let the people and things that are important to you get them.

This is the first time in six years that he has appeared in a drama series, either in Japan or Korea, since “When Time Stops” (2018).

“When I’m acting, I sometimes feel a bit empty when it’s all over.
When I’m filming, I live as someone else, not as myself.
I’ve been addicted to it for a long time, but I always come out of it again.”
At times like that, I think I don’t want to do anything more, or I want to take a break.
It’s hard to get absorbed in a character and live with that person.

 

• What can heal such an exhausted heart?

Fans from all over the world are waiting for me, friends who work with me and members of my family are waiting for me to come back.
As the leader of these people, I feel I have to come back.
The slogan “I can do this” motivates me.
It’s the reason I’m able to start performing again and get back on stage, and the fact that I can make people happy because of it gives me comfort.

 

• Finally, do you have a message for your Japanese fans?

“I think that in the future, there will be more and more dramas, music and musicals co-produced by Japan and South Korea.
Even though I haven’t been to Japan as often as I used to, the scope of my activities has widened.
I’m really grateful to all those who have made me what I am.
I want to show you something even more special in the future, so look forward to it!

(…)

Hyun- Joong: “Amane-san adapted to her role very quickly.
I’m the kind of person who needs a bit of time to get used to it.
I felt jealous of her when I saw that she concentrated instantly (laughs)”.

Tensho: “From the first time I met Hyun Joong, I thought he was extraordinary.
Eun Tae has a dark but loving atmosphere. However, there aren’t many funny scenes.
That’s why my first thought was: “Maybe not”. Are you used to smiling?
“But as the filming progressed, I realized that I was actually a cheerful person with a very kind smile, and I was relieved (laughs).”

 

• What are your impressions and memories of filming in Korea and Nagoya?

 

Tensho: “On the way to the shoot, my car got a flat tire on a road deep in the mountains of South Korea. However, a police officer worthy of the name arrived immediately. They put me in the passenger seat of a police car and we drove to the location. I went along (laughs).

Hyun Jun: “Although the countries are close, I felt that the sunlight and humidity were different. The first half was shot in South Korea and the second in Nagoya.
In Jeongsong (South Korea), I had the impression that the air was clear and bright.
However, the sunset in Nagoya at the end is really beautiful. Enjoy the beautiful images from Ryogoku.