It is no big surprise that KBS2's "Descendants of the Sun" is one of today's hit Korean drama across the globe. Now, producer Lee Eung Bok looks back on the drama's meteoric rise and talks about the success of the show.
In mid-2015, KBS2 took a gamble when it gave the green light to a complete pre-produced TV series before airing, which is a takeoff from the live-shoot production format that describes most Korean drama. Thus, some critics did not think that the said drama would work, adding that the people behind "Descendants of the Sun" were insane.
However, New Entertainment World's Chief Executive, Mr. Kim Woo Taek, believed on the drama's content and said that "Descendants of the Sun" contains the universal values of humanity, sacrifice and love, The Straits Times reported.
After a slow start, "Descendants of the Sun" is now critically lauded by fans all over the world, drawing more than 1.1 billion viewers from South Korea and China. With the previous episode 11 and 12 reaching the 33 percent mark for viewer ratings, PD Lee said that the viewers' warm response to the drama is like a dream come true to all the staff members, Soompi has learned.
PD Lee included that the reason behind the unfathomable success of "Descendants of the Sun" is a direct result of the drama's entertaining yet deeply moving factor and as well as the inclusion of the screenwriter, Kim Eun Sook, who brought the hit series' "Lovers and Paris" and "The Heirs."
To stimulate a better plot, the co-screenwriter took an alternate melodramatic point in depicting a plot of romance, humanism, and justice, as opposed to the usual predictable stories. In addition, PD Lee said that the casting of the lead stars, Song Joong Ki and Song Hye Kyo, is part of the deciding factor for the success of the drama.
"Not everyone, including the writer, actors, and production staff were first priority picks, but they ended up being the best choice," he revealed. Check out the video below:
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