Believe it or not, I wasn’t generally really into OCN’s offerings before this year, but ever since Tunnel, my weekends are never complete without a thriller to creep me out. OCN is gearing up for its next weekend show, Black, and they are definitely playing to their strengths — dark and stylish — if this first teaser is anything to go by.
While currently airing Rescue Me doesn’t really include a sci-fi element, its predecessors Tunnel and Duel certainly did, and as a fantasy geek, I’m pretty excited to see the supernatural component back in this newest OCN show. Song Seung-heon (Saimdang, Light’s Diary) will star as a grim reaper who falls in love with a human, played by Go Ara (Hwarang), thus violating the rules of heaven and is subsequently punished by having his existence erased. Harsh, but those dramaland deities have been known to be just that.
This first look at the show doesn’t reveal much about the plot details, but it’s quite beautiful, in a gothic kind of way. It starts with a close-up of some pink roses, which quickly wither away and turn gray. The director-writer duo, PD Kim Hong-sun of Voice and Choi Ran of God’s Gift–14 Days, get a mention, accompanied by a backdrop of stormy clouds. Then, there’s a brief flash of a burning skull and Song Seung-heon doing what he does best — brooding — while the chyron reads, “The dead one protecting death.” Go Ara’s reads, “The woman who predicts death,” as we see a super close frame of her eyes.
I have to admit, when I first heard about the leads joining this show, I was a little wary given their track record acting-wise. But, by all accounts, Song Seung-heon put in a decent performance in Saimdang, and if the previous character descriptions for his grim reaper are accurate (“stoic, blank-faced” and “expressionless”) I can see him being a very believable reaper. I’m also just glad Go Ara’s character isn’t another plucky, cheerful type, ‘cause I’ve seen her play that role a lot. Her character is a foul-mouthed shut-in who finds it hard to communicate with others, but is also prone to crying a lot. The duality sounds pretty comical, and I look forward to her take on the role.
The first script reading for Black was held last month, and I really like the supporting cast the show has lined up. Lee El (The Lonely Shining Goblin) will play a mysterious ER doctor connected to the grim reaper, and Kim Dong-joon (Shining Eun-soo) will become a second generation chaebol who is ironically more used to serving rather than taking. Other actors include Kim Won-hae (Criminal Minds) and Jo Jae-yoon (Rescue Me), who are both currently creeping me out in their respective shows. It’s a strong lineup, and I’m pretty excited to see them all inhabit this world.
OCN’s Black will follow Rescue Me on Saturdays and Sundays, and will premiere on October 14.
