Filming has reportedly resumed for MBC’s upcoming romance drama 20th Century Boy and Girl, with plans for the series to premiere on schedule despite the ongoing strikes at MBC and KBS. Han Ye-seul (Madam Antoine) and Kim Ji-suk (Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People) star as childhood sweethearts who reunite in adulthood as very different people on the outside—he’s a successful businessman and she’s a beloved starlet—but not a day more mature than when they were teens. Hee, I love immature romance.
The new drama from writer Lee Sun-hye (junior writer from the Answer Me series) and PD Lee Dong-yoon (All’s Well With a Happy Home, Fated To Love You, Queen’s Classroom) is about a group of close-knit girlfriends who hit 35 and find that they’re still struggling with the very beginning of their love lives. Han Ye-seul stars as a former idol who became an actress with superstar-level fame. She’ll be a character who can be a diva on set, but when she’s with her lifelong girlfriends, she’s just one of the gang.
Kim Ji-suk plays a self-made man who returns from spending most of his life abroad, but he’ll reenter the heroine’s life with a bang (and with roses, apparently), bringing out the youthful side in both of them. Ryu Hyun-kyung (The Lover) and Lee Sang-hee (Our Love Story) play the heroine’s best friends who also grew up with Kim Ji-suk’s character.
Lee Sang-woo (All’s Well With a Happy Home) is reuniting with the director for the third time and costars as a former idol who had the opposite trajectory as Han Ye-seul’s character. He managed to survive in the industry but only barely, and even as an actor on daily dramas, he drives himself to the broadcasting station and often gets blocked at the entrance by security because nobody recognizes him. Aw, sad. I feel for him already!
So far on paper this drama sounds a lot like One More Happy Ending, with the former idol stars, focus on thirtysomething girlfriends, and childhood sweethearts to boot. It has a good cast, so I hope it’s as cute and feel-good as well.
20th Century Boy and Girl airs on Mondays and Tuesdays following The King Loves on September 25.
