Nam Hyun-ho’s debut work was The Fiery Swordsman Do Tae-su.
The Genius Copywriter, Yoon Seo-eun was written by author Min Woo-hee, and her debut work was also The Fiery Swordsman Do Tae-su.
In a strange audition by PD Yoo Myung-woo, where I secured my role, it seems that Nam Hyun-ho was the first actor to shine. In a way, he might even be considered my direct senior.
The reason PD Yoo Myung-woo didn’t give up on that strange audition was because of the extraordinary output of Nam Hyun-ho. To me, he was quite a deeply connected actor.
But you know what? His name isn’t Nam Hyun-ho—it’s Namgoong Hyun-ho.
The Sword King of the Namgoong Family had three sons, and the youngest of them was Namgoong Hyun-ho, also known as Jade Faced Foolish Sword.
In martial arts circles, the term “sword-obsessed” refers to someone who is crazy about the sword. It means they hardly care about anything else except swordsmanship.
However, the reverse of this term, “foolish sword,” roughly translates to someone who foolishly holds a sword. Namgoong Hyun-ho was exactly such a person.
Even though he was the heir to the Namgoong family, he was an utter failure when it came to martial arts.
Instead, Jade Faced Foolish Sword, Namgoong Hyun-ho, excelled in everything except martial arts.
With a nickname like “Jade Face,” his appearance was remarkable. He was also adept in poetry, calligraphy, painting, music, and even singing and dancing. In other words, this was an extraordinary human being.
When I first heard this story, I thought to myself, “This guy was born in the wrong era. If he were born in modern times, he would definitely have accomplished something significant.”
And yet, he really did.
Nam Hyun-ho, the modern version of Namgoong Hyun-ho, is a celebrated actor recognized by everyone.
My discovery of Nam Hyun-ho was purely by chance.
Knowing about Namgoong Hyun-ho doesn’t naturally lead to finding Nam Hyun-ho, especially when the latter operates under a different surname. I happened upon this information while casually browsing other actors’ highlight reels before delving into the work for this production.
When I recognized his face, I was reminded of the supporting role he played in The Fiery Swordsman Do Tae-su, where he carried the movie entirely on his own. His performance still resonates online with GIFs that occasionally make their rounds.
“Still, I never expected Nam Hyun-ho’s name to appear in this project…”
Of course, given that we both operate in the entertainment industry, I did consider the possibility of us crossing paths in a project someday. But I didn’t expect it to be in this one.
Is Yang Yuli trying to turn this drama into a “Martial Arts Assembly”?
While it’s slightly better than her “New Religion Assembly,” the concept of a “Martial Arts Assembly” isn’t particularly appealing either.
“Nam Hyun-ho is a flawless actor, but this is a supporting role.”
“I vaguely recall that Hyun-ho isn’t the type to nitpick over such things.”
“But the truth is that this role is smaller than Nam Hyun-ho’s stature. We also need to consider the production budget.”
“We don’t need to worry about the production budget. Why do you think I went straight into optional contracts?”
When Yang Yuli dropped the bombshell that was Nam Hyun-ho, discussions began among the staff about whether he was a viable option.
To me, it seemed likely that Nam Hyun-ho would indeed accept the role.
Why would the youngest son of the Changcheon Group act for money? He simply acts because he enjoys it.
For an actor who acts purely based on interest, a script with a somewhat unfamiliar but well-crafted backdrop like “Joseon + Steam Punk” would not be ignored.
Don’t we have someone similar at our company? Like Heavenly Yuah?
Even Yuah, when she read the script, was intrigued and pondered the supporting role of Wolhee.
Since Nam Seok-joo’s role is more substantial and the character is quite appealing, any actor who loves acting would definitely consider it.
“But does this really suit Nam Hyun-ho…”
“Upon reflection, isn’t this character a butcher?”
“Nam Hyun-ho is less of a ruggedly handsome man and more of an elegant youth…”
At this point, I thought it seemed like everything was tilting too much toward Nam Hyun-ho. I didn’t exactly appreciate how this casting was shaping up like an “Martial Arts Assembly.”
Then Yang Yuli, that troublemaker, immediately shot back.
“What we’re talking about here is Nam Hyun-ho. Despite having an elegant youth’s face, his body is incredibly strong—it’s the gap-moe effect. Let me state this: the character Nam Seok-joo will have double the impact if Nam Hyun-ho plays it.”
What does “elegant but strong” even mean? And what about gap-moe? Where’s the ‘gap’ in all this?
Yang Yuli was spouting off incomprehensible things while everyone around her nodded in agreement.
“True, Hyun-ho does enjoy working out in his free time.”
“He definitely has a great physique, and his action skills are solid. In his last role…”
“He performed all the actions himself, no stunt doubles needed. Undoubtedly…”
The atmosphere shifted entirely in favor of Nam Hyun-ho, and everyone concluded that if he were to accept the role, this would be the best choice.
Even though it feels slightly wrong, if this is the general trend, then I will have to accept it too. It seems Yang Yuli, who has created this miraculous “Heavenly Demon New Religion + Namgoong Family” Martial Arts Assembly, is the true winner of this game.
“Bison Choi is considering Leo for the role, what do you think, writer?”
“Leo from Nuclear? That’s fine. What about their album activities?”
“Oh, they’ve postponed their album a bit because of the debut of a new girl group from their company.”
“Eh? There’s going to be chaos then?”
“It won’t be that bad. If they were entirely inactive, there might be chaos, but two members are releasing solo albums, and Leo is taking a hiatus to focus on acting. That’s why they are currently looking for roles, preferably in genres or high teen dramas, watched by young audiences.”
Another familiar name emerged: Leo, who worked with me on my first project.
And if the upcoming girl group from Nuclear’s company is our friends, then it seems the album’s delay is due to a junior member.
Surely, the Nuclear fandom won’t let this slide without reacting. It looks like Mozi and her team will have a tough fight ahead.
“In that situation… will he accept the role?”
But with such circumstances, the probability of him taking on this role increases.
The company wouldn’t want Nuclear’s fandom to attack a new idol group. Therefore, both Leo and other members need to showcase their true potential.
If the company sees that, it gives them a valid argument.
With a fresh backdrop like Steam Punk and billions poured into production, coupled with the addition of Heavenly Yuah, this could serve as a great opportunity for Leo to take a temporary hiatus from his album activities.
Of course, fans might not believe this excuse outright, but if the drama becomes successful, the reasoning may gain credibility.
“But if that happens…”
The burden may shift toward the leads, including myself.
It was the Nuclear fandom that caused a fuss over any romances involving other girl groups. They certainly won’t take kindly to a rookie grabbing the leading role.
Though I’m not the type to care too much about others’ opinions, I don’t want it to negatively impact the drama.
“I may need to start being closer to Leo. I should appear on his SNS more often.”
That senior seems to be avoiding me for some reason, but if necessary, I may need to grit my teeth and try to get along, perhaps even with the help of Yuah.
“Alright. So the next thing is…”
“Ah, so…”
“Yes, how about this person?”
“Hmm, looks good. Let’s make this person our top pick.”
With Nam Hyun-ho and Leo in mind, a list of top-tier candidates for some key roles is being finalized.
There were actors who were completely unfamiliar and some who were somewhat familiar. I didn’t have specific thoughts in mind, so I just let it flow.
Really, except for Nam Hyun-ho, this was entirely normal for me.
The only unexpected thing was that the subject of Wolhee’s casting hadn’t arisen yet. Shouldn’t Wolhee be up next after Bison Choi and Nam Seok-joo?
“Well, let’s leave the casting of Wolhee to the writer, shall we?”
“Yes, you can trust me. There’s genuine interest. This is something that, if it works, will be a massive success, so there’s no way I can let it go.”
“In that case, we’ll just wait until the response from our top picks comes.”
“If no response comes by then, I’ll check with someone else.”
The mood suggested the casting offer for Wolhee had already gone out.
But something feels off.
I’ve had a similar experience in the past, hadn’t I? Perhaps when I first met Team Leader Seo?
I asked her if I was Flame’s first actor, and she mentioned that they were negotiating with someone who would surprise even me.
At that innocent moment, I thought they were recruiting a famous actor. However, later, it turned out to be Heavenly Demon. That was a moment where I literally fell off my chair.
Now, with this familiar vibe, it feels like something similar is about to happen.
While I was thinking about this, Director Bang, who hadn’t chimed in at all, finally spoke, sharing an intriguing idea that even caught my attention.
“Speaking of Wolhee, I’d like to add a few scenes, if possible.”
“Yes? What kind of scenes?”
“Flashbacks. Specifically, parts where young Wolhee is trained rigorously by the organization. Ideally, as brutal as possible. If possible, you could even incorporate elements of gaslighting.”
“Ah, I see what you mean. It’s about adding plausibility. Why Wolhee can’t defy the organization’s orders.”
“And in doing so, Wolhee’s ultimate betrayal will shine even more.”
“The love for Eun that overcomes all these will make the scenes even more powerful.”
Wolhee truly loves Eun, but she keeps betraying him by continuously reporting his activities back to the organization.
Though frustrating for viewers, and undesirable for the writer who wants Wolhee to be remembered fondly, Director Bang suggested adding plausible elements to why Wolhee is unable to defy the organization.
Viewers would potentially sympathize with her if Wolhee’s early traumatic experiences are well portrayed.
This seemed to be something that Yang Yuli had overlooked.
“In that case, won’t we need a child actor for the flashback scenes? They work better when younger.”
“That’s true.”
“A child actor. Could this work? Given the character of Wolhee, her upbringing might have included training in singing, dancing, or assassination. Can a child actor manage that? Especially someone too young?”
Now that’s a challenge.
If done poorly, it’d be better not to include it at all. And the scenes are too complex for a child actor. I can understand why Director Bang’s tone was cautious.
“Perhaps it can be done. Please give me some time. We need to revise the script, and I also need to look into a few things.”
“In that case, let’s hold this until the first round of casting. We’ll look into it seriously.”
“Alright, that sounds good.”
I think this might be difficult, but Yang Yuli requested time to explore.
She seems to have some thoughts in mind.
What child actor could handle such complex material?
Even for an inexperienced writer, it’s unlikely such an actor exists…
“Could it be… that girl…”
Is she planning to summon a young prodigy from the New Religion temple?
Somehow, I have a feeling that if it’s her, she could manage it.
I sense another event on the horizon.
