Budiey
[dropcap]E[/dropcap]very once in a while, a Korean drama series with a truly marvellous story to tell, excellent writing, a brilliant cast and stunning visuals to match, sweeps us off our feet. Those elements made shows such as Winter Sonata, Jewel in the Palace and Boys Over Flowers – to name a few – the all time hits that they are. The breathtakingly beautiful brand new blockbuster series That Winter, The Wind Blows is the latest TV gem.
The romance series features a stellar cast led by Jo In Sung (Spring Day, Memories in Bali) and Song Hye Kyo (Full House, The World That They Live In) who make their comebacks to the small screen following hiatuses; with heartthrob Kim Bum (Boys Over Flowers) and Jung Eun Ji (Reply 1997) of K-pop group ‘A Pink’ also in the mix.
That Winter, The Wind Blows stars Jo as Oh Soo, an orphan who gives up on life after the loss of his first love, gets obsessed with gambling, and becomes a con-artist. His next target is Oh Young, played by Song, the sole heiress to a large corporation after tragically losing her parents and her eyesight. He tries to get near Oh Young by pretending to be her long-lost brother and henceforth, these two individuals – isolated in their own ways from the world – begin to understand the meaning of life, together.
That Winter, The Wind Blows is Jo’s first TV drama in eight years since Spring Day in 2005, and first acting project since completing mandatory military service in 2011. He expressed his happiness at the opportunity to work on such a ‘high quality production’ after a long wait.
It is also Song Hye Kyo’s first project since The World That They Live In in 2008, as she reunites with screenwriter Noh Hee Kyung and director Kim Kyu Tae who were also behind that drama series. Immersing herself into her role of a blind heiress of a large company who has to battle on alone after losing her father, Song revealed that she often feels lonely during shoots, and confessed that it was a ‘struggle’ at times to play a character that cannot see.
Kim Bum takes the part of Park Jin-sung, Oh Soo’s best friend and right-hand man. The hot-headed Jin-sung is scraping together sufficient resources to purchase a cattle farm for his father. Jung Eun-ji plays Moon Hee-sun, the younger sister of Oh Soo’s first love Hee-joo. She is a quirky, tomboyish girl who is deeply fond of flowers and her sister. Although Hee-sun tries to despise Oh Soo, she finds that she is unable to.
That Winter, The Wind Blows is based on the 2002 Japanese drama I Don’t Need Love, which was previously adapted into the 2006 Korean film Love Me Not starring Moon Geun Young and Kim Joo Hyuk in 2006. Setting it apart from previous versions, That Winter, The Wind Blows unfolds against an icy, wintry backdrop that reflects the lead characters’ sad pasts, and also contrasts with the warmth of their love, as revealed by screenwriter Noh, who has been acclaimed for her ‘sophisticated portrayals of human relationships and poetic lines’ in her previous works.
As promised by the production team led by director Kim Kyu Tae That Winter, The Wind Blows delivers ‘beautiful cinematography’ and a story to match to offer a ‘movie-like experience’ for viewers.
