Yeo Jin-goo, Cho Yi-hyun talk romance in film ‘Ditto’
Remake film shows young adult life, love
““Ditto,” a film from 2000 which garnered popularity with a subtle, time-traveling romance, is being picked up for a remake with the same name about 20 years later, getting a present-day depiction of young adult life and love.
Led by filmmaker Seo Eun-young, whose previous work includes the drama film, “Go Back” (2021), the new romance film revolves around Yong (Yeo Jin-goo) from 1999 and Mu-nee (Cho Yi-hyun) from 2022 communicating across time through the radio.
Yong is a mechanical engineering student who finds the love of his life when he meets a freshman, Han-sol (Kim Hye-yoon).
He borrows his friend’s ham radio and ends up communicating with a sociology major attending the same school who claims she’s living in 2022.
Despite the time difference, Yong and Mu-nee become closer and end up in a romantic relationship.
Actors Yeo and Cho said that they are extremely satisfied with playing their characters in this romancegenre film about young adults.
“I really wanted to add a young adult romance genre to my filmography during my 20s,” Yeo said during an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in central Seoul, Wednesday.
“Because I’ve mostly taken part in heavy genre works since I was young, I wanted to diversify my filmography. I was hoping to play a role that will capture myself in my 20s … I wanted to share the side of myself that I’ve never shown before, like a comfortable side.”
Cho, who became globally recognized through Netflix’s zombie apocalypse series, “All of Us Are Dead,” said that she also has been wanting to play an ordinary character.
“I liked how this film is being released after ‘All of Us Are Dead’ because the characters (I played) are completely different,” she said. “I decided to take this role the first time I read the script. I got a very good feeling. This was the type of melodrama that I wanted. It felt easier to get into the role and for viewers to enjoy.”
The actors shared that the film has made them think about love in their own lives.
Yeo, who has been acting since the age of eight, said that he felt like he has been avoiding romance in his life due to work.
“It was interesting to see the film depicting how young people nowadays approach love and how they tend to be wary of love like I am. I personally think I’ve been wanting to be in love. I’m still a bit lost when it comes to the concept of love and youth, so I’ve learned a lot from seeing Yong in the film,” he said.
“As I’ve been working since I was young and had my career, I did tend to avoid romance, like it was either love or work … But from seeing Yong, I feel like love can be the purpose of life in your 20s.”
Cho said that her character is similar to herself in the way she approaches love.
“Looking back at myself, I put work before love, which is in a sense similar to Mu-nee,” she said. “I sympathized with the character in how she couldn’t confess her love (to her crush) due to real issues and friendship.”
“Ditto” is set to hit local theaters on Nov. 16.