The cast of the “Cheer Up” crew is delighted with the upcoming drama and their mutual understanding!
On September 27, the new SBS drama “Cheer Up”, broadcast from Monday to Tuesday, held an online press conference with actors Han Ji Hyun, Pae In Hyuk, Kim Hyun Jin, Jang Gyuri, Yang Dong Geun and producer (PD) Han Tae Sob. . The mysterious romantic comedy tells the story of a group of college students who immerse themselves in a story of passion after joining Theia, their school’s support group, which turns into ruins after the days of its glory are left behind.
To describe what distinguishes “Cheer Up” from other dramas, producer Han Tae Sob shared, “By participating in the support team, when these college students are on stage, they can communicate with the audience. Unlike other youth dramas, we wanted to capture the pure emotions of young people as they move towards the same goal.”
He continued, “[drama’s] strengths are music and dance. The actors created the performances after they had rehearsed their dance parts. Conveying to the audience the exact excitement they experienced after hearing the greetings from thousands of people is both the meaning and the charm of [the drama].”
The four main characters of the drama play the roles of Theia participants: Han Ji Hyun plays Do Hae Yi, Pae In Hyuk plays Park Jung Woo, Kim Hyun Jin plays Jin Sung Ho, and Jang Gyuri plays Tae Cho Hee. Yang Dong Geun will play Pae Yong Un, a former team member who hangs out at Yeonha University at the Cheers pub he runs next to the school.
About their decision to join the drama, Han Ji Hyun explained, “I was shocked when I came to the meeting and auditioned. Since Do Hae Yi and I had so much in common, I thought I just needed to demonstrate myself. I chose this project to show a vivid image.”
Pae In Hyuk shared: “I thought the theme of the support group was unusual. This aspect seemed charming. It was a theme that was different from other youth and university dramas I had played in before.”
Kim Hyun-jin shared that he was attracted to his character’s refreshing charm and added, “Jin Sung-ho’s character had a lot in common with me. I wanted to appear because I thought I could show a lot of aspects of this character.”
Chan Gyuri said that she romanticized a similar drama on campus, and commented: “It was refreshing and especially the fact that the theme of the support squad was touched upon in “Cheer Up”. I also personally thought that if I played Tae Cho Hee, I would naturally be able to show a type of game that I haven’t demonstrated yet.”
With a short and sweet answer, Yang Dong Geun explained: “I saw the name of this drama during COVID-19. When I saw the name, I thought that this is the road I should follow.”
Reflecting on the difficulties of learning and improving the choreography of the support group, Han Ji Hyun shared: “We have been doing choreography since February of this year. Real members of the support group came to teach us the movements. At first it was physically very difficult. It was hard because I was using muscles that I didn’t use regularly. It was difficult to dance for two or three hours.”
However , the actress optimistically added: “By continuing to do this, I adapted. When I was on stage, I was so excited. Because the choreography was synchronized and the music was playing, it was exciting.”
Bae In Hyuk shared his slightly different experience, saying, “Han Ji Hyun said she adjusted, but no matter how much I did, I couldn’t adjust. Since I am playing the role of a leader, I had to prepare myself physically carefully. I practiced so much that I wondered if I was playing to dance, or if I was dancing to play. Even on vacation days, I always practiced dancing. Since I had such practice, I was able to demonstrate a stable image.”
Having gone through all this together, the young actors naturally got closer both on and off the screen. Han Ji Hyun put the chemistry of the actors at 100 points and explained: “During the joint rehearsals, there were so many improvisations that were not in the script. That’s how great and friendly our chemistry is.”
Bae In Hyuk then described the drama’s set as a “marketplace,” explaining: “That’s how great our tension and energy is. Even if you look from afar, you can see the passion.”
