In the television drama ‘Pick Seonjae and Jump’, the male protagonist Ryu Seon-jae (Byeon Woo-seok, right), a high school student, holds a blue umbrella, while the female protagonist Lim Sol (Kim Hye-yoon) looks at Seon-jae with affection. The two take turns holding each other’s umbrellas on rainy days. Presented by tvN
“Before I knew it, water was gathering around my ankles, and the tears I was holding back were gathering in the corners of my eyes.“
A high school campus in a flood in 2008. When the male protagonist, Seon-jae (Byeon Woo-seok), puts a blue screen on the female protagonist, Sol (Kim Hye-yoon), the t -singer Younha’s song ‘Umbrella’ playing. This song was sung by Epik High and Younha in 2008 and became very popular, ranking first on various music charts at the time. In the drama where the romance between Seon-jae and Sol unfolds, a song sung by Younha alone in 2014 is played, but it is enough to bring out the 2000s sensation. It feels like I went back in time in a time machine.
The way Seon-jae and Sol look at each other is like a romance story. Presented by tvN
● ‘Seonuptu’ aimed at Cyworld awareness in the 2000stvN drama ‘Jump on Seonjae’s Back’ The story of Sol, who lived in 2023, returns to 2008, 15 years ago, and struggles to save the life of his idol Sunjae, who killed himself.all. In author Kim Bbang’s original web novel ‘Tomorrow’s Best: Jumping on Seonjae’s Back’, which has been serialized on Kakao Page since 2019, Sol returns from six years ago. Web novels that cover relatively recent stories and dramas that cover the 2000s have different backgrounds.
Thanks to that, in the drama, Sol is recorded as an MP3 player. Listen to Brown Eyes’ ‘Jeomjeom’ (2002) and ‘I guess so’ by Kim Hyeong-joong (2003). Loveholic’s ‘Loveholic’ (2003) and Girls’s ‘Tell Me Your Wish’ (2009) are played everywhere, capturing the hearts of the viewers. Also, in the drama, Sol chats with a friend while eating shaved ice with a red bean at the ‘Can More’ cafe. Go to Seonjae’s ‘Cyworld’ and apply for Ilchon. Converse shoes and G-Shock wristwatches also appeared. As it is set in 2008, the appearance of Park Tae-hwan, the first Korean swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal at the Beijing Olympics in China, also brings back memories for the viewers.
‘Pick up Seonjae and Jump’ recreates a retro sensation setting in the 2000s. Presented by tvN
The highest viewership rating for the drama is 4.8%. First place in the topic of TV-OTT drama in the first week of May, announced by Good Data Corporation Fundex, an online competitiveness analysis group. The reason why a strong fandom called ‘Seonjae-crazy’ (those who are crazy about Seonjae) was created online was because it brought out the retro feeling. It attracts not only teens and 20s who love high-teen romance, but also people in their 30s and 40s.
While the online video service (OTT) Coupang Play drama ‘Boys’ Generation’ was set in the 1980s and attracted middle-aged viewers, ‘Seonjae and Jump’ is set in the 2000s and is estimated that it has captured viewers in their 30s and 40s. . Kim Seong-su, a popular culture critic, “The scene where Seon-jae and Sol use an umbrella together reminds me of the movie ‘Temptation of Wolves’ (2004), based on the internet novel of the same name published by Gwi Yeoni in 2002,” he said ‘ set in the 1980s and 1990s.He said.
The cover of the web novel ‘Tomorrow is the Best’. Provided by Kakao Page
● Those days like ‘Temptation of Wolves’ Embrace your feelings“Suddenly, as soon as the new year started, I was transported back to 6 years ago. No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t call this a dream. This was just a very normal day. “Before I know what’s going to happen in the next six years.”
In the original work, Sol expresses his situation six years ago: In this way, the original work is a ‘return’ in which the protagonist returns to the past and solving future problems. It is a genre that is treated as a common noun in domestic web novels these days. Furthermore, as far as he knows the future, Sol sincerely expresses his fear of Seonjae’s death in many places. The scenes where Sol is afraid are expressed in a delicate writing style.
“I felt like my heart was going to explode with anticipation and fervent hope. Even if it was just a dream, I wanted to tell you if I met Seonjae. There are so many people in this world who love you, but they just don’t have voices as loud as mine. “You are such a lovely person.”
In the drama, Seonjae is injured while working as a swimmer. Presented by tvN
Sol tries to warn Seon-jae of the impending danger, but fails. I tried to write a letter saying, “I have insomnia, so I look for sleeping pills, but even if it is hard to bear, please do not take any medicine for that day ,” but the phrase was deleted. This is a situation that does not warn about the future.
Another point to note is that there is a special awareness for web novels. “If Seon-jae looked like a dog, Baek In-hyuk looked like a cat, and one way or another, they both had beautiful, handsome faces. “Seeing that face so close, I felt overwhelmed both mentally and physically.”Reading Sol’s monologue, I remember the novel ‘Temptation of Wolves’ published by Gwiyeonni in 2002. Another difference from true literary novels is that it uses everyday idioms that high school students often use without hesitation.
The drama is believed to have revived an old sensation like Cyworld. Presented by tvN
● Expanding ‘fandom culture’ into a universal love story
In the drama, Seonjae’s group is called ‘Eclipse’, but in the original version it is called ‘Potato Pancake’. In the original work, Seonjae was criticized for joining the group midway and ruining the group’s image, but in the drama, he was a member of the group from the beginning. In the original version, there was a scene where Seon-jae suffered because he couldn’t appear as an idol, but in the drama, it was changed to show that Seon-jae was a swimmer, but let he retired due to injury and became an idol. . In the original work, Sol’s current job is as an assistant director at a broadcasting company. In the drama, they were transformed into job seekers, emphasizing the harsh reality of Korean youth who find it difficult to find work.
Poster for the drama ‘Jumping on Seonjae’s back.’ Presented by tvN
Another difference from the original drama is that Sol is disabled in the drama. In the original work, Sol appears anxious only because he cannot learn and succeed in society, but in the drama, a new situation has been added to increase Sol’s frustration. Another difference in the drama is that a new character named Kim Tae-seong (Song Geon-hee), whom Sol loved in the past, is created and a love triangle is created. creation While Sol’s love for Seon-jae stands out in the original work, the interaction between Seon-jae and Sol in which they care and protect each other stands out in the drama Jeong Deok-hyeon, pop culture critic “We gained popularity not only because there was an idol fandom culture, but also because it was transformed into a universal love story.”He said.
The response abroad to the drama is also enthusiastic. The drama recorded a rating of 9.2 on IMDb, a global film criticism site. Kim Seong-su, popular culture critic, “It’s also worth noting that dramas that touch the sensibilities of the 2000s are very popular, especially in East Asian countries that are familiar with Korean pop culture.He said.
Have you ever watched the drama ‘Moving’ and then turned on your smartphone and watched the original webtoon? Have you ever done a ‘virtual casting’ after hearing that the web novel ‘Omniscient Reader’s Perspective’ was being made into a movie? ‘Content that crosses the line’ provides in-depth reviews of original works such as novels, web novels, comics, and webtoons, as well as works made into films. As the original text is converted into an image, we analyze from different angles what has changed and what are the interesting points to appreciate.
Reporter Hojae Lee [email protected]
