This pairing seems really obvious, but I have to say, it’s pretty perfectly matched in the popularity and talent arenas. Offers are out to Suzy (While You Were Sleeping) and Nam Joo-hyuk (Bride of the Water God 2017) to headline the new drama Come Here and Hug Me, which is currently in negotiations to secure a spot on MBC’s spring schedule.
The new series is about a man and a woman whose fates crisscross following a murder incident that leaves them both emotionally scarred. Nam Joo-hyuk is up for the role of a detective who graduated from police university. He’s described as cheerful and optimistic, and his sense of justice is so exceptional that he stands out sharply, like an awl. Suzy has been offered the role of a woman who dreams of becoming an actress like her mother, and though she endures a horrific incident, she overcomes it and becomes an actress. There were a few early reports that the part had been offered to Seo Ye-ji (Rescue Me), but those were refuted right away.
The plot and character descriptions don’t tell us much about the relationship, but it sounds like a romance melodrama, which has me a little bit worried. I like Suzy and Nam Joo-hyuk in romantic comedies, because they do well with light, funny, youthful characters (Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-ju, While You Were Sleeping), but heavier emotional fare can make them stand out in a bad way (Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, Uncontrollably Fond). So I’ve got my fingers crossed for some cuteness, for their sakes (and ours).
Come Here and Hug Me comes from PD Choi Joon-bae of King’s Daughter Su Baek-hyang, and writer Lee Ah-ram of drama special Land of Rain. It’s currently being considered for MBC’s Wednesday-Thursday slot following Let’s Hold Hands and Watch the Sunset, which puts the premiere sometime in May.