‘Avengers’-style superhero tale in poignant K-drama series ‘Moving’
Cast of “Moving” (from left): Ryu Seung-ryong, Han Hyo-joo, Zo In-sung, Lee Jung-ha, Go Youn-jung and Kim Do-hoon at the fan event in Seoul —PHOTOS COURTESY OF DISNEY+
The star-studded K-drama series “Moving” has got its work cut out for it. After all, the Disney+/Star Original adaptation is based on writer Kang Full’s hugely popular webtoon that has so far generated more than 20 million views—and that’s certainly something to crow about.
The 20-part show, which debuts today with a seven-episode rollout on Disney+, follows Bongseok (Lee Jung-ha), Huisoo (Go Youn-jung) and Ganghoon (Kim Do-hoon), teenagers who are coming to terms with high school life and their emerging powers.
Helping the trio deal with adolescent hijinks, young love and other teenage concerns are their parents, Juwon (Ryu Seung-ryong of “Miracle in Cell No. 7” and “Kingdom”), Mihyun (Han Hyo-joo of “Happiness”), Doosik (“Escape from Mogadishu’s” Zo In-sung in his first series after a seven-year hiatus) and Jaeman (Kim Sung-kyun of “Reply 1988”), who intend to hide their kids’ superhuman abilities at all costs.
Why the secrecy? In the 1990s, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) established a black ops team of superpowered individuals tasked to carry out classified missions. But one day, the elite team suddenly ceased its operations, never to be heard from again—until this year, when its remaining members are drawn out of the shadows and killed one after the other by an invincible assassin!
At the heart of this cautionary modern fable are people dealing with the repercussions of immense power, flight, enhanced senses or super strength.
Understandably, seeing his characters brought to palpable life has been a significant experience for Kang Full.
“It’s a mixture of feelings… I am moved by the fans’ eager anticipation,” the webtoon creator said at last week’s press con, which was also attended by director Park In-jae (“Kingdom” Season 2) and the main cast.
Asked why the series has 20 episodes, Kangfull explained, “I thought it would only have 12, 16 episodes, so I wasn’t going to write the script myself. But I decided to take it on when they decided to have 20 episodes for the pilot season.
“I am used to writing web comics, whose stories are pretty long. What’s important for me isn’t just the narrative, but also the characters in them—and 20 episodes allow you to dive deep into each character’s backstory.”
More than anything, Kang Full wanted to explore a story about family. “I believe that people are inherently good,” he said in a separate Q&A. “And so, that’s something I wanted to reflect in the story. But regardless of my message, my top priority was to create something fun. If it’s entertaining, then people would gravitate toward the work and take on the message I’m trying to share.”
Key to the webtoon’s jump to the screen is a seasoned director who can balance the action with the characters’ humanity.
Director Park shared, “What determines the intensity of action sequences is the level of anger that each character feels in a given situation. I remember Mihyun saying something along the lines of, ‘I can be a monster for my child.’ Lines like that explain why a character decides to unleash his or her superpowers, which gave me more room to push the limit of how far an action scene could go.
“Any experience of anger or fury when it comes to protecting one’s family is universally relatable. This premise on why the characters use their powers made it easier for me to create action sequences that are more convincing.”
With that being said, the director got challenged by the degree of complexity he had to hurdle to bring this story to life. “With 20 episodes long, there’s so much detail in the characters and their individual narratives,” he said.
Kang Full added, “And within those 20 episodes are three chunks of stories. So it’s like a three-in-one season.”
‘A quality production’
When the actors were asked how their characters’ issues resonated with them, Seung-ryong said, “There are a number of characters with superpowers in this series. Juwon, my character, has regenerative abilities and doesn’t die, no matter how much he gets beaten up.
“As you can imagine, it was a physically demanding role! He used to waste his powers, then he met his wife Jihee. But when she dies, his daughter Huisoo becomes his sole purpose in life.
“This is truly a quality production. If you look at its running time, it’s like 10 movies in total, right? So the budget is big… as we all know. And we’re like the Avengers team (laughs).”
Indeed, as one journalist pointed out, the production is rumored to be worth 50 billion Korean won—that’s approximately P2.1 billion—although the director refused to discuss the budget.
For Hyo-joo, the show required so much more from her as a performer. She said, “The series was challenging in a way that excited me because of the multifaceted nature of my character—as a mother, a woman and a government agent.
“Mihyun, my character, has enhanced senses. She can see and hear things at a superhuman level. She is the youngest NIS agent in history, and my secret mission is to keep Doosik under my watch. But then, we fall in love, and I eventually give birth to our son, Bongseok.
Kim Do-hoon as Ganghoon
“What I found most challenging when I first approached this character was her maternal instincts. I’ve experienced some aspects of her life and lived through similar time periods, but playing a mother was a daunting challenge for me… so much so that I even contemplated turning down the project.
“I was so nervous about this role that, a week before shooting began, I wasn’t able to eat or sleep. But even though I was nervous, I drew a lot of inspiration from my mom when playing the role. I remember all the sacrifices she made for me—and that’s how I connected with Mihyun in the end.”
Own interpretation
The dashing In-sung wanted to bring his own interpretation of Doosik by connecting to their similarities.
“I play black ops agent Kim Doosik, who has the ability to fly. He’s also a great marksman. But after he meets Mihyun, he finds himself making a lot of important decisions for his loved ones.
“The version of Doosik I play in the series is the one who’s very much like me. He’d probably be portrayed differently if another actor had played him. But I tapped into my own inner world and personality to build this character. I’m sure that readers of the original webtoon have their own versions of Doosik, but I hope they keep an open mind and appreciate my iteration of the character.
“‘Moving’ is a story about family… it’s about our mothers and fathers, and we’ll all reach their age one day. I hope this series will give viewers the chance to think about family and what it means to them.”
While most of the aforementioned characters have a specific superpower, Bongseok, played by Jung-ha, has been gifted with two metahuman skills.
“As Bongseok, I have superhuman senses, which I inherited from my mother, and I can fly, which I got from my father. But ever since I was a little boy, I’ve always lived with pressure from my mom forbidding me to reveal my powers.
“But when I meet Huisoo, who just transferred to Jeongwon High School, my powers begin to manifest out of control—and that’s when Bongseok’s true nature unravels.”
Jung-ha said he was thrilled to have the award-winning Hyo-joo portray his mother.
Go Youn-jung as Huisoo
He recalled, “During emotional scenes, even though the camera was only on me, Hyo-joo would continue to perform with me to help me ‘stay in the moment,’ even shedding tears! I was very moved and it really helped me immerse myself in the scene. Whenever I struggled with a scene, she would also share advice with me.”
And while Bongseok adores his self-sacrificing mom, his relationship with his “absentee” dad is contentious.
Similar traits
“I think Bongseok probably resented his dad, because he watched his mom struggle to raise him by herself,” Jung-ha reasoned. “But ultimately, Doosik is someone that Bongseok misses the most.”
On the other hand, Youn-jung’s character Huisoo inherited her father’s regenerative ability. The actress said, “She’s very brave and warm-hearted. But Huisoo only realized the enormity of her power due to a certain event that deeply hurt her. While she’s a character who wants to connect with other kids, she knows she isn’t like them.
“As far as our similarities are concerned, once we have a clear goal in mind, we both tend to dive in without overthinking things—that’s the trait Huisoo and I have in common. So, when I first read the script, I was able to understand her from the get-go.”
Meanwhile, Do-hoon’s character Ganghoon has superhuman strength and speed.
The young actor said, “Being the president of his class, Ganghoon looks like an old soul who always puts up a very brave front. He’s responsible and always acts like a grown-up, but deep inside, he’s just like any other high school kid.
“In terms of physical abilities, we’re very different. But I also used to take on leadership roles in school—and I loved being a leader. Moreover, being an affectionate son to his mom is another similarity we share.” INQ
