Actor Ma Dong-seok has now established himself as an irreplaceable icon in the Korean film industry. His name is naturally followed by modifiers like "Ma Dong-seok-style action" and "Mavely," and he has built a unique character domain that only he can portray. What's remarkable is that this persona was not created by others, but was personally crafted by the actor himself through relentless effort and challenges. Initially, he had the image of just a large-statured supporting actor, but he gradually began to receive public affection by maximizing his physical strengths and combining them with his own brand of humor.
The pinnacle of his character-building narrative is undoubtedly "The Outlaws" film series. Through this work, he solidified his image as a gratifying hero who punishes evil with overwhelming power. Comparing his filmography before and after "The Outlaws," one can see that it's not just his physique that has grown; the density and depth of his characters have completely changed. The unique, deadpan humor he delivers so effortlessly alleviates the tension of the action scenes and brings great laughter to the audience, becoming a key factor in the success of the "Ma Dong-seok genre."
Of course, not all of his challenges have been successful. He has yet to produce a clear box-office hit in the full-fledged comedy genre, but the humor shown in "The Outlaws" has sufficiently proven his potential for comedic acting. Building on this success, he has taken on another challenge. The recently released "Holy Night: Demon Hunters," a work combining exorcism and fantasy, signaled the beginning of a new universe that Ma Dong-seok aims to build. This move reveals his ambition to expand his influence beyond the existing crime-action genre into the realm of fantasy.
And now, Ma Dong-seok has moved his stage from the big screen to the small screen. The drama "Twelve" is produced by STUDIO X+U, which has recently been gaining attention for its unique and experimental works, and is scheduled as a KBS2 Saturday-Sunday drama, drawing high expectations from viewers. Despite the highly anticipated "The Tyrant's Chef" airing in the same time slot on tvN, the power of his name is so immense that many viewers have chosen Ma Dong-seok's first leading drama role as their first choice.
"Twelve," planned for a total of eight episodes, begins its story with a somewhat slow pace in the first episode. As can be inferred from the title, the drama is based on the 12 animals of the Eastern zodiac. It opens with a narration explaining that 12 guardian deities who saved the world by fighting demons in ancient times now live among us as ordinary humans. An interesting point is that they are called "12 Angels" instead of the 12 zodiac guardians, adding a touch of Western fantasy. The first episode briefly shows how each angel is adapting to modern society, sparking curiosity about the story to come.
The protagonist 'Taesan,' played by Ma Dong-seok, is a character who runs a loan company called 'Angel Capital.' The setup of an angel running a loan shark business is interesting in itself, but his business methods are even more unique. He only lends money to "bad guys" like gangsters and criminals. Although he explains that "it's actually easier to collect from them," this is interpreted as a device showing the human anguish and self-justification of angels who accumulate wealth by targeting villains. His position on the borderline between good and evil adds a three-dimensional quality to the character.
Given the nature of the fantasy genre, the importance of post-production, especially visual effects (VFX), cannot be overstated. The filming period, which ran from October 2024 to February 2025, suggests that the production team put considerable effort into post-production. However, it is difficult to say that the VFX revealed in the first episode fully met expectations. In some scenes, the fact that it was computer graphics was too obvious, which was a shame as it hindered immersion. Whether they can show improvement in the remaining episodes will be a key point.
"Twelve" is filled with unique actors besides Ma Dong-seok. Seo In-guk, who showed fantastic chemistry with Ma Dong-seok in the drama "Squad 38," has joined forces with him once again. Park Hyung-sik has taken on the role of the powerful villain 'Ogui,' who seeks to dye the world in evil, heralding a powerful acting transformation. Additionally, Taiwanese actress Ren Jia Le adds a fresh touch by appearing as one of the 12 angels. The first episode concludes by showing the scattered 12 angels and finally the re-emergence of Ogui, signaling the true beginning of the fight.
"Twelve" has already succeeded in capturing initial buzz purely on the strength of actor Ma Dong-seok's name and the fresh subject matter of the 12 zodiac signs. With the work ready to meet a global audience through Disney+, attention is focused on whether it will be Ma Dong-seok's grand entrance to the small screen and the first successful piece in his fantasy universe. Everyone is anticipating a new legend, wondering if his fists can deliver a knockout blow to the viewership ratings this time.
댓글
댓글 쓰기