Modern-day Rapunzel

IN the K-drama Jinxed At First, K-pop girl group Girls’ Generation’s Seohyun (pic) tackles a Rapunzel-like tale of magical powers and romance.

The 31-year-old plays Seul-bi, a woman descended from a long line of female shamans who has the ability to see someone’s future when she touches him or her. One day, she runs into Gong Soo-kwang (Na In-woo), a fishmonger known for his bad luck.

In an e-mail interview, Seohyun talks about five things to know about the series.

Webtoon to television

Jinxed At First is adapted from online Web novel The Jinx’s Lover, which Seohyun happened to read before realising she would be starring in the adaptation.

As a fan of the original work, she says: “You can imagine and picture scenes while reading a webtoon, you can express and feel the emotions of characters while creating a drama.

“I wanted to keep the inherent charm of Seul-bi that I saw in the webtoon while adding life to her through my acting.”

Perfect fairy-tale princess

In the series, Seul-bi’s powers are a source of suffering.

She is cut off from society against her will by an evil man seeking to monopolise her powers, causing her to be extraordinarily naive.

In a press conference held for the series, director Yoon Sang-ho (River Where The Moon Rises, 2021) said the character was difficult to cast, but Seohyun was the perfect woman for the job.

The actress says: “Yes, he told me I was perfect for the role the first time we met and I appreciate it. I think I fit the look and energy of the Seul-bi he had in mind and that gave me a lot of confidence in portraying her.”

She adds that they have their similarities.

“I think we both see the world in a positive way. We like people, we know clearly our likes and dislikes, and we want to take control of our own destiny.”

Lively co-star

Seohyun is working for the first time with Na, in what is only the actor’s second leading role. The 27-year-old’s first leading role was in River Where The Moon Rises.

Seohyun says: “What hasn’t changed since I first met him is that he is a thoughtful and responsible actor. But he is much more active than I expected.

“He can liven up the atmosphere and is very funny. We can communicate and share with each other problems we run into during shooting, so I’m very grateful and happy to work with him.”

Comedic role

The role of Seul-bi is also memorable for Seohyun for being her first comedic role. She says she put plenty of thought into making each scene interesting and often improvised on set.

“All the scenes that were shot with the fish market folk featured a lot of improvisation, especially those scenes where Seul-bi sells fish and fights with other people,” she recalls.

Fresh acclaim

While Seohyun may be best known as a music idol, given the popularity of Girls’ Generation in K-pop, she has proven herself to be a capable actress too.

She was recently nominated for Best New Actress at the prestigious Baeksang Arts Awards for the sexy romantic comedy Love And Leashes (2022). The prize went to Lee Yoo-mi for Young Adult Matters (2021).

Seohyun says she is open to trying new roles. “I set no limits on what roles I play, so anything is possible. I want to try to play an extremely pragmatic woman or an emotionless villain.” – The Straits Times/Asia News Network

Jinxed At First is available on IQIYI.