Here's another interview of Siwan in the Japanese website Oricon News - with main focus on Summer Strike, when it was released on U-Next.
This article was released on 1st June 2023, I had missed it... because, well, I don't know Japanese! Sigh. Here is the article. Below is the English translation using Google Translate.
Im Siwan, ``When I don't want to do anything, I just laze around'' Talking about role preparation and filming episodes (with comments)
The healing love story "I Don't Want to Do Anything - Stop and Fall in Love" (now available on U-NEXT), a healing love story in which Kim Seo-ryung co-stars with Korean actor Im Si-wan for the first time, will be released on June 2nd . will be released on the day. To commemorate the release, an interview with Im Siwan has arrived.
This work revolves around Yeo-reum (played by Kim Seo-ryung), who comes to a seaside town after a difficult life in the city, and Dae-beom (played by Im, a shy but kind-hearted young man who works as a librarian at a small library in his hometown). Siwan). A healing love story about two similar people who are serious and only care about others, but as they get to know each other, they also face themselves and gradually become attracted to each other.
--Please tell us why you decided to appear in this work. The reason I decided to appear in ``I Don't Want to Do Anything'' was first and foremost because of the impression I got from the drama as a whole. For me, it felt like it gave me comfort, like breathing. I think many people will feel this through this drama, but I decided to appear in the drama in the hope that it would give them a break in their busy lives. --What is the charm of the character Daebum? The character Daebum is a shy character with many secrets. Daebum is very pure, and his purity gives people around him a sense of peace, as if they are taking a break. Especially, for Yeo-reum (Kim Seo-ryung), who declared her life on strike and suddenly came to the countryside, Dae-beom is a soothing presence. I think that's part of his charm. --What are the similarities and differences between your character and yourself? Daebum is not a man of many words. Generally speaking, in relationships, people try to break the silence when they are with someone. For that reason, we end up talking nonsense and having light conversations going back and forth. While this certainly softens the atmosphere, it can also lead to unnecessary talk. Sometimes it can even be suffocating. Daebum is not the type of person who makes an effort to break his silence. Actually, I want to be like that too. Dae-beom and I are similar, so I want to understand Dae-beom even more as a person. I think he is a fascinating person and I would like to use him as a role model. --What kind of preparation did you do for the role? Daebum has a visual setting that looks like something out of a manga, so I tried to get it as close to that appearance as possible. I thought I would look better by reducing body fat rather than weight, so I ate only chicken breast. --How much body fat did you lose? It dropped by about 5-6% or more. I wanted it to look moderately toned. ――Please tell us about the important points such as hairstyle and clothes. I tried my best to express the mood of the original webtoon as much as possible. Daebum is a librarian who lives in a rural area, and I thought it would be nice for him to wear clothes that were simple but not too shabby. The director had the same opinion as me, so we talked many times and tried on various clothes to decide on the costume. --Please tell us your first impressions of Kim Seo-ryung, who plays Yeo-reum, and your impressions of co-starring with her. Seolhyun is still as beautiful as she was in my first impression. I had high expectations because many of the people I worked with in her previous works had praised her, saying that not only was she beautiful on the outside, but also that she had a beautiful heart, but when I met her in person, I was really impressed. When I looked at her, she was much more than that. She also has very interesting points about acting, and her perspective on acting is very intuitive. She goes beyond logical points of view and values her feelings. What she told us to do intuitively was often accurate. Seolhyun is an impeccable and perfect person with excellent intuition in her acting. ――During the shoot, what left an impression on you? The director's way of acting (not just following the script, but asking for flexible acting on-set) made me feel at ease while acting. I felt like I could do it that way, and it was fun to act. --What was the most enjoyable episode? ``I Don't Want to Do Anything'' was mainly shot on location in rural areas, so naturally I lived in a hotel, and when I wasn't filming, I spent time with everyone, but once I invited everyone to the place I was staying. There is a small tent set up in front of the hotel where you can cook. We invited the actors and staff there and treated them to food. I dared to talk about it and try to appeal to them (lol). --Are you good at cooking? I have no experience in cooking, but I like cooking. These days, detailed recipes are available on the Internet, and if you follow the recipe, you won't make any mistakes and it will be delicious. Thanks to that, I was able to entertain everyone with my home-cooked meals. --Who was the mood maker? It's a dog called Kyouru (lol). To be honest, that dog is better at acting than us. He understands ``action'' and ``cut,'' and even knows where the camera is. And when I get a ``cut,'' I voluntarily take a day off. It seemed like the set had already been checked, and when he heard the ``action'' part, he moved around and sat on Yeo-reum's lap, which was not a coincidence, but happened every time. I was able to go home early on days when Kyoru was on duty a lot (lol). --What's your favorite line? My favorite line is "Youreum is looking beautiful." I acted realistically. It was so beautiful that I didn't have to practice saying my lines, and it was the most famous performance that I could say just as I felt it, it felt like acting, but it wasn't acting. --What is your most memorable scene? This is the scene where Yeo-reum gets drunk. In that scene, the path between Dae-beom and Yeo-reum was not determined. I remember this scene because we shot it through trial and error in rehearsal beforehand, coming up with ideas. --How do you solve a problem when you don't want to do anything? When I really don't want to do anything, I want to completely turn off my brain. For example, when I watch a movie or drama, I end up thinking about something. That's why I don't watch any movies or dramas, but instead watch things that I can just laugh at and enjoy, like variety shows. I sank into the sofa and just lazed around. That's how I spend my time in my room. --How was the filming location? When I visited Gurye this time, I realized that it is a very attractive place. It is truly a place where the mountains are beautiful and the water is pure. The hotel I stayed in faced the lake, and every time I woke up in the morning, I thought to myself, "Mountains behind me, water in front of me." First of all, the scenery is beautiful. There are also many delicious foods. Additionally, scenic spots in rural areas are often far away from cultural facilities, but there are also movie theaters and sports centers nearby. The facilities are well-equipped, so if I have time someday, I might go to Gurye as part of my vacation. --What are the recommended points of this work? I believe that many people in Japan lead busy lives just like in Korea. Before you know it, it becomes something you take for granted, and you want to take a break, but when you do, you end up falling behind those around you. Even if everyone really wants to declare a life strike, they probably find it difficult to do so. Please experience a life strike through this drama. This drama also features many beautiful places that even we who live in Korea didn't know about. Japan is a country not far from Korea, so I think this drama can be used as a reference when traveling to such a beautiful place someday. --Finally, please give a message to the viewers. Hello. This is Im Siwan, who played Ahn Dae Beom in ``I Don't Want to Do Anything''. I also had high expectations for this drama. This is because, even though I live a busy life and cherish the word "rest" in life, I cannot easily put it into practice, so I decided to appear in this drama because I wanted to fulfill my desire to put it into practice. Ta. I hope that this drama will give everyone who watches it a break in their busy lives. Also, please pay attention to Yeorum, who will be at the center of the story's development. There are a lot of similarities between Yeo-reum's character and Seolhyun's real face. Actors play the roles they are given, and meeting characters similar to themselves is a good opportunity for both the actors and the viewers, and I think this is one of the highlights of this drama.