[KA] Cha Seung-won: I am Dokko Jin

What’s the reason for people loving Best Love?
“The scripts are good, and I have a good rapport with [Gong] Hyo-jin.
Hyo-jin goes after a natural, realistic acting style and I’m a
technical actor, but together our different styles match remarkably
well.”
What are the basic qualities a romantic comedy leading man must possess?
“There’s a flow to a romantic comedy hero. In the past, gentlemanly
and pure men were emphasized, but these days they’re mostly ‘bad guy’
types. But Dokko Jin is different from the romantic comedy leading men
we’ve seen so far. He’s laughable, but also cool. He’s entertaining and
sometimes mischievous like a child, but on the other hand I wanted to
show that he’s a romantic.”

There was a notable scene where you shouted at Ae-jung, ‘Give me my panties!’ What do you keep in mind while you’re acting?
“On top of being a romantic comedy, there are a lot of manhwa-like
elements, and Dokko Jin has a prankish side, but I’m trying not to cross
the line. Overexaggerating the laughs turns faces to frowns, and
overdoing the melodrama makes people shrink away. There are scenes where
the feeling and expressions can turn a total 180 degrees. Simply put, I
try to keep my acting in halfway between starring and supporting
level.”
Why do you suppose top star Dokko Jin falls for the unliked singer Gu Ae-jung?
“At first, I think it’s sympathy. After seeing Ae-jung trying to work
hard at something, without realizing it he feels pity for her. That
leads to interest, and that leads him to seeing her positive traits, and
that leads him to see her as a woman, which develops into romantic
feelings. At first he really disliked her, but after several encounters,
she doesn’t seem like a bad person, and the sight of her working as
diligently and sincerely as she can stirs his feelings.”
How would you feel if you met Gu Ae-jung in real life?
“I think I’d like her. [Laughs]”

What kind of feeling should a romantic-comedy drama give its viewers?
“Watching the drama should make them feel aflutter with excitement.
In particular, when men watch, it should make make them think, ‘Ah, so
that’s what women like, I should do that for them.’ I’m learning a lot
through this drama, too. When Ae-jung is sleeping in her car outside the
nightclub, Dokko Jin sees her from outside the window but holds his
hand up to the glass as though to prop up her face. Seeing how much the
women viewers like that scene, I learned something. [Laughs]”
In real life?
“I wouldn’t do that. [Laughs]”

Best Love didn’t grab me as quickly as some of the Hongs’
other dramas — I definitely laughed through the earlier episodes, but
wasn’t invested in the relationships or characters right off the bat —
but with this past week, I’ve felt the familiar heart-tug back in full
effect. I think it’s the balance Cha mentions; he had shown us glimpses
of that inner romanticism from time to time (the window, the movie
theater, the potatoes) through Episode 5, but Jin was also way too wacky
for my taste.
I’d argue that Cha did cross that line a few times with the
exaggerated drunk crankypants drawl and the wild gesticulations, and
there were moments I felt alarmed at his crazy. (Like, full-on “Call the
cops!” crazy.) But with Episode 6, he toned down the deranged egotist
persona and got me pulling for his character.
It was also the first time I rooted more for Jin than for the still-adorable Pil-joo (I know!),
although I’m still pretty sure I’ll weep for the poor doctor at a later
date. It doesn’t hurt that Cha is totally turning on the sex appeal —
phew!, that man is pure charisma. He and Gong are both actors you really
have to see in action to feel the effect of their pull — hers is
natural and genuine, while his magnetic enough that I swear he’s
generated his own gravity.