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Imagine coming home after a long day of work to immerse yourself in the world of virtual reality with the friend of your dreams. This is the (virtual) reality that Mi Rae, a stressed-out web anime producer played by Blackpink’s Jisoo, finds herself living in Netflix’s new K-drama, Boyfriend on request.
The series, which premiered globally on March 6, stars Jisoo and actor In Guk Seo, who plays Kyung Nam, Mi Rae’s classmate and rival webtoon producer. The show is described as “blending the challenges of everyday work life with a never-before-seen reality dating subscription show” to form a truly quirky and lovable limited series.
“Through this character, Mi Rae, I was able to show multiple sides of myself,” said Jisoo, who is sitting next to Seo. Hollywood Reporter on Zoom recently before the show was released.
Below, the pair’s breakdown Boyfriend on requestAnd share their ideal VR settings and how they see their characters.
How do you feel about the show? Are you excited to finally see people?
Jisoo We wrapped production last year, and I’ve been nervous and excited ever since. I’m even more nervous because the release is just around the corner now. We had a lot of fun filming it, so I think viewers will enjoy it a lot.
Search engine optimization Yes, we had a lot of fun filming this show. While I was watching the finished product, I thought it was a very grounded show – one that could be universally relatable. I hope this show can be therapeutic for many people and can be a source of personal growth. I hope it gives people a lot of food for thought.
This show has a lot of interesting things to say about working youth. What do you think is the main message of the series?
Jisoo My character, Mi Rae, was very afraid of trying new things and changing. She uses VR to escape her reality, but it actually helped her heal. The things she did in her past, she finally came to terms with. It takes the sinkers and takeaways from the virtual reality world and leverages them in the real world. While many people nowadays use AI and VR just as an escape, I believe they can take new ideas and experiences from VR and AI and use them in their real lives. Mi-rae goes through tremendous personal growth throughout the series. I think the main message [of the show] You put yourself in her shoes and make sure you feel that healing touch.
Where do you want to go in this virtual reality world?
Jisoo If I’m in a VR environment, I definitely want to go places that I wouldn’t be able to go in real life because I think that’s the advantage of VR. I would like to go on a dinosaur ride or go to outer space, and I would do it with boldness and courage.
Search engine optimization The date will be stealing an egg from a dinosaur or winning your battle with a T-Rex.
Jisoo (He laughs.)
Real Jurassic Park. You play very different characters. Jisoo, you play many versions of Mi Rae. In-guk your personality is very serious. What challenges did you find with these characters?
Jisoo I think it was easier for me to immerse myself in Mi Rae’s different characters, because everything around her would change. If she was the same person and in the same place, it would be difficult to portray new sides of her. You are in a different subject, in a different world, in a different uniform, in a different profession. It was really fun to immerse myself in this world.
Search engine optimization Kyeong-nam is a very poker-faced character. To play a cold character like that, I think an actor playing the opposite is really important because when you’re always so cold and having a poker face, people might not even recognize you and find you boring. But when there’s Mi Rae, who’s so expressive, so bold to do everything and make these big emotional changes and everything, there’s this contrast that makes her stand out. I want to thank Jisoo and Mi Rae. I think they were the perfect match.
