That title doesn’t quite roll off your tongue, does it? There’s a new drama in the works over at tvN called That Psychometric Guy, and we’ve gotten our first stills of the titular character, played by GOT7’s Jinyoung (Legend of the Blue Sea). He’ll be joined by fellow labelmate Shin Ye-eun (A-Teen) who will be more familiar to those of you who check out web dramas.
The plot sounds like a mish-mash of coming-of-age, teenage romance with a bit of fantasy woven in. Which sounds like a fun ride, if pulled off correctly. Jinyoung will star as a high school student with the gift of ‘psychometry,’ which initially confused the heck outta me, ‘cause psychometrics is defined as the science of measuring mental capacities and processes (thanks, Google). The way the word is used in this drama is a tad different, with Jinyoung’s character having the ability to read people’s memories through touch. He’ll encounter Shin Ye-eun’s character, who keeps a big secret to herself. Ah, the old lock-and-key, opposites-attract trope.
Though I’m tentatively looking forward to our two leads fall in love at school, I’m much more excited to announce the casting of rapidly rising star of a rookie, Jo Byung-kyu. SKY Castle, which he’s currently starring in, has been absolutely killing it lately, breaking records left and right, and officially dethroning tvN’s Reply 1988 and The Lonely Shining Goblin as the highest rated cable drama ever. And I’m so pleased to see that the praise and ratings are translating into opportunities for its stars already, though I wish this casting happened under better circumstances: Jo Byung-kyu will be replacing Jung Yoo-an (Come Here and Hug Me), who dropped out of production due to sexual harassment allegations.
That Psychometric Guy will be directed by PD Kim Byung-soo, whose credits elicit a sort of mixed reaction, which includes Bride of the Water God and Bubblegum. In charge of the script is writer Yang Jin-ah, who likewise makes me slightly apprehensive given her range of credits, from the unfortunate Moorim School to the vastly better Vampire Prosecutor. We’ll just have to wait and see whether this duo are in their best form for this drama.
That Psychometric Guy will premiere on March 4 and will take over tvN’s Monday-Tuesday slot following The Crowned Clown.
Jo Byung-kyu
