The web drama Vacation's Law, which garnered immense attention even before its broadcast due to the meeting of Hashimoto Kanna—Japan's unparalleled "Thousand-Year Idol"—and Korean actor Chae Jong-hyeop, who recently captivated Japanese audiences, has finally been unveiled. The news that these two representative youth stars from Korea and Japan were cast as the male and female leads was more than enough to raise the massive expectations of fans in both countries. In particular, domestic fans were highly curious as this was the next project for Chae Jong-hyeop, currently considered the hottest Korean male actor in Japan. However, upon opening the lid, the drama's unexpected plot development and the severely lacking screen time for his character have left viewers tilting their heads in deep disappointment.
A significant portion of the anticipation for this drama undeniably stems from the dazzling achievements and massive recognition Chae Jong-hyeop has built in Japan. Previously, Chae Jong-hyeop took on the role of Korean exchange student Yoon Tae-oh in the Japanese TBS drama Eye Love You, achieving a phenomenal success that bordered on a "mega-hit." While the reaction in Korea was mostly one of mild fascination—"Is he really that popular in Japan?"—the fervor locally in Japan was beyond imagination. He instantly captivated the archipelago with his signature large-breed puppy-like smile and affectionate charm, earning the nickname "Hyop-sama" among local fans and establishing himself as the undisputed representative Korean male actor in Japan with syndrome-level popularity.
The decisive secret to how Chae Jong-hyeop could make the Japanese archipelago go wild was that his character accurately and charmingly embodied the image of the "most ideal Korean man" that Japanese viewers dream of. He constantly radiated positive energy, showing the textbook example of a perfect younger man with gentle manners and deep consideration for his partner. Furthermore, because he was set as an exchange student who wasn't perfectly fluent in Japanese, the fact that he didn't speak much and pressed his sincerity into clumsy language actually stimulated a strange protective instinct, serving as an even greater charming point. Witnessing this dazzling settlement, some analysts even suggested that it would be far more advantageous for his career as an actor to focus his activities in the local Japanese market for the time being, rather than in the fiercely competitive Korean market.
However, considering the long-term expansion of an actor's career, remaining solely in the thoroughly domestic-focused Japanese market certainly brings clear limitations and concerns. No matter how explosively popular he became in Japan, perfectly expressing the subtle nuances and deep emotional lines of a foreign language through acting as if it were his mother tongue is a daunting task that is never easy. Moreover, today's Korean dramas possess a massive global ripple effect; once successful, they can instantly elevate an actor to a global top star via platforms like Netflix. Becoming famous in Japan carries the risk of being isolated as a local star. Most importantly, the fact that Chae Jong-hyeop still lacks a "heavy-hitting solo lead representative work" that perfectly captivates the Korean domestic audience remains a homework assignment he must eventually solve.
The other protagonist leading the drama alongside Chae Jong-hyeop in this project is Japan's top star Hashimoto Kanna, who is overwhelmingly famous under the modifier "Thousand-Year Idol." During her days as an unknown local idol, a legendary photo accidentally taken of her—dubbed the "Miracle Shot"—took the internet by storm, literally sparking a nationwide syndrome. She has received immense love for her flawless, doll-like appearance, but perhaps due to the massive impact that single powerful photo brought, there is also a cold evaluation that her ripple effect as an actress since then has somewhat stagnated compared to her past virality. Nevertheless, the mere fact that she, boasting the highest recognition in Japan, and the new trend Chae Jong-hyeop are stepping up as a dual-lead duo secured ample buzz for this drama before its broadcast.
Yet, the unveiled Vacation's Law adopts a very unique format that brings some bewilderment to viewers who were expecting the pacing of a traditional miniseries. This work is strictly a short-form web drama released through a specific internet platform in Japan. New episodes are released every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, but surprisingly, the running time of each episode barely exceeds 20 minutes, making them extremely short. Viewers who started watching without knowing this unique short-form scheduling are quite startled when the episode abruptly ends in a flash, even before the immersion of the story can fully build up. Looking solely at the number of 18 total episodes, it seems to cover quite a long narrative, but when adding up the actual total running time, it only amounts to the volume of about a 6-episode regular Korean drama.
Another interesting and unusual point that catches the eye regarding the production background of this drama is the fact that the director holding the megaphone is none other than the original manga artist himself. It is a very unprecedented move in the field for a creator who originally crafted stories on the flat medium of paper to directly write the video script, grab the megaphone, and take charge of the directing. Attempting a popular commercial drama for his first video directing debut is almost a massive adventure and gamble from the production company's perspective. Guessing from the peculiar atmosphere of the play and the unconventional global casting, it even leads to the reasonable speculation that the original creator and director, being a passionate Hallyu fan who consumes K-content fervently, actively recruited the currently most popular Chae Jong-hyeop, infusing the project with his own personal affection and bias.
Nevertheless, as viewers watch this drama, they reach a painful point where they express the greatest disappointment and doubt, which is the fundamental skepticism: "Was a top actor like Chae Jong-hyeop absolutely necessary for this role?" Although he was extensively promoted as the male co-lead who would solidly guide the drama, Chae Jong-hyeop's proportion in the play strongly gives the impression that he is closer to a passing supporting character rather than a protagonist. The absolute time he appears alone on screen is so laughably insufficient that it makes the title of protagonist meaningless. Furthermore, even the allocated amount of dialogue is so meager that, to speak coldly, it is hard to avoid the bitter criticism that even if some other unknown actor had played this role instead of Chae Jong-hyeop, there would have been absolutely no problem in the story's development.
The basic story forming the skeleton of the drama unfolds around the perspective of the protagonist 'Hoshino Midori', played by Hashimoto Kanna. When the beauty clinic she had been diligently attending and maintaining suddenly goes out of business, Midori leaves her complicated daily life behind and goes on a vacation with her friends to a quiet villa owned by her grandmother, intending to take a deep rest. And Chae Jong-hyeop takes on the role of 'Nishigami', the mysterious caretaker silently working at that very villa. As an ominous prediction falls that a massive natural disaster like a tsunami will occur in the area, the once-peaceful villa is instantly engulfed in a taut tension for survival—this is the core framework of the overall narrative.
The entire 18-episode short-form drama transitions its story by grouping small episodes roughly every few episodes, but in that rough process, the power of the male and female leads to actively dominate and lead the play is seriously lacking. Chae Jong-hyeop's screen time, in particular, is merely fleeting. Rather than playing a heavy role at the center of the story, one cannot erase the feeling that he is lightly consumed like an insert scene—simply refreshing the atmosphere of the play, appearing like a ghost with a 'whoosh', and then silently disappearing shortly after. Interestingly, the fact that the main theme song (OST) of the drama was sung by the currently trending Korean rookie girl group 'ILLIT' offers another glimpse into the special connection with Korea. In conclusion, rather than expecting solid acting skills from the actors or an intricate narrative, Vacation's Law remains a short-form content suitable for just lightly skimming through to kill time without much thought.
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