Siwan played Jang GeuRae much before the k-drama Misaeng.
Based on the already-famous webcomic - Misaeng - in 2013 - Daum created 6 short films specifically to be viewed on mobile phones - "mobile movie" Each film created a backstory of one of the key characters from the webcomic.
Yim Siwan played Jang GeuRae in the first film.
Siwan has not spoken any dialogue in the film - pure performance from eyes and his signature micro-expressions!
The film is beautifully shot and intelligently written. In short 8 minutes, you feel deeply for Jang GeuRae. It is also intelligently directed, for you can see that they haven't spent much on the production - but nowhere do you feel that it is a low-budget film.
Siwan is the only actor who is common between the prequel and the main series which was produced in 2014. Interestingly, I read in an article, that the fact that he was in the prequel was something that was against him when the casting of the main series was in progress. However, I need to verify the details (including the translations) before I can quote this!
In the frame below, we can see the signature Jang GueRae's smile. I am so glad that he has done both projects - as for me Jang GueRae is synonymous with Siwan.
Here are excerpts from the key description given on Daum's site - translated using Google Translate.
Jang Geu-rae (and others)... out of the monitor!
In order to bring the main characters of <Misaeng> alive outside the monitor, we started looking for actors who would satisfy both the synchro rate and acting skills. The main character, Jang Geu-rae, will be played by Im Si-wan, a member of Children of Empire. Im Si-wan is a rookie actor who has built up his acting skills by appearing in the drama 'Moon Embracing the Sun', 'The Equator Man', the sitcom 'Standby', and the movie 'The Attorney'. Hyunsik Lim appeared as a surprise cameo in the 'Unknown Security Guard' in Jang Geu-rae's episode, showing a short but mature performance.
Introduction of the Episode
19-year-old Jang Geu-rae, who left the baduk world after failing to join the team. Jang Ye-ri, who deliberately avoids the origins filled with his motives and seniors and juniors who succeeded in joining, and tries hard to forget the habits and obsessions he only knew about baduk. In that chaotic period, an incident that will call him to the world, who had been shrinking away from the world, begins. What was the first move he threw into the world?
Here is the trailer from the Daum Mobile channel.
PS - I reminisced about Summer Strike in the alarm clock shots... While it must be the other way around for his fans from the very beginning of his journey as an actor... It is a strange new experience for me to excavate information on Siwan - he has been so popular for so many years - every old information is actually new information for me!
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