[Kim Ji-yeon's Treasure Box] Best Practices for Using Actor Images, 'Ms. Incognito' Joo Hyun-young

It has been a while since a stylishly funny and crazy drama has come out. If I had to describe the drama 〈Ms. Incognito〉 in one word, it would be 'young makjang'. "Countdown to life reset: 3 months! A poor girl, a bodyguard, dreams of a big break and enters into a contract marriage with a terminally ill chaebol chairman, needing to survive for 3 months by changing her identity while avoiding those who are after the massive inheritance"—despite this logline reminiscent of a so-called 'daily drama-level development', 〈Ms. Incognito〉 is consistently a comedy drama filled with many twists.

〈Ms. Incognito〉 has given a twist to the common makjang material with its uniquely vibrant characters. The stories of the characters are so engaging that I would want to see them in a separate spin-off, with characters like Seo Hyun-woo as Lee Don, who says, "I’m a lawyer who charges 10,000 won a minute, why is this happening?" and Seo Jae-hee as the unlikable yet lovable principal of Lee Seon-yu Kindergarten, Lee Mi-sun, being representative characters that provide the 'twist'. However, if we talk about the character that breathes life into 〈Ms. Incognito〉, we cannot overlook Joo Hyun-young as Baek Hye-ji.

Joo Hyun-young has truly met her 'life character' in 〈Ms. Incognito〉. The character Baek Hye-ji is likely to be remembered as the best example of utilizing an actor's image effectively. Usually, when an actor's image is utilized, it often just replicates the existing image or results in a self-replicating character lacking freshness. However, Baek Hye-ji is a model case that utilizes Joo Hyun-young's charm without being confined to her existing image.

Starting her career with 〈SNL〉 and 〈Crime Scene〉, actress Joo Hyun-young has expanded the spectrum of her comedic charm as Baek Hye-ji in 〈Ms. Incognito〉. Working as a helper in Chairman Ga's mansion and being Kim Young-ran's (Jeon Yeo-bin) roommate, Baek Hye-ji is filled with a complex and unpredictable charm while being comedic. Baek Hye-ji embodies coolness, chilling moments, and a comical yet sly face all at once. For instance, when asked by Kim Young-ran what she truly wants, she responds, "Compensation is something the giver thinks about. Let’s eat, drink coffee, and watch a movie together. That’s all I need. Of course, you pay for everything," showing a meaningful yet lovable expression, which is a scene that clearly showcases actress Joo Hyun-young's charm. Joo Hyun-young's Baek Hye-ji is armed with a strange tension that makes it hard to tell if she is an ally or an enemy to Young-ran, along with a bouncy, unique personality that compels viewers to binge-watch the drama until the end. This is perhaps the right way to effectively utilize an actor's image.

***** Starting with 'Joo Sung-cheol's Locker' which overemphasizes the meaning of objects in movies, the actor's user manual 'Kim Ji-yeon's Treasure Box' expecting a rise, the movie music appreciation room 'Choo Ah-young's Music Box' that moved my heart, and the subculture merchant's purchase log 'Sung Chan-eol's Comic Books', Cineplay reporters will begin bi-weekly serialization with their own tastes and perspectives. *****