66

Ji Chang-wook to return to dramaland as cryogenic man for tvN

Ji Chang-wook (Suspicious Partner) has confirmed his first post-army project will be the tvN sci-fi romance, Melt Me. The drama is about a man and woman who volunteer to take part in an experiment to be cryogenically frozen for 24 hours. Things don’t go to plan however, as someone mysteriously conspires to leave them frozen for 20 years. When they’re re-animated, they must keep their body temperatures at a chilly 88.7° Fareneheit (31.5° Celsius) in order to survive.

Prior to being frozen, Ji Chang-wook’s character was a hugely popular variety show PD named Ma Dong-chang. (So…Ma PD. I hope one of Ma PD’s signature shows will be 2 Nights 3 Days.) Every show he created turned into a huge hit, and his next variety show was called The Frozen Human Project. He volunteered to take part in the filming and be frozen, assuming he’d awake in 24 hours. 20 years later, he awakens to find that decades have passed and all of his loved ones have aged–while he looks the same as he did all those years ago.

Though Ji Chang-wook is confirmed, his costar has yet to be announced. PD Shin Woo-chul (Secret Garden, Lovers in Paris, A Gentleman’s Dignity) will be partnering up with writer Baek Mi-kyung (Strong Girl Do Bong-soon, Woman of Dignity).

Melt Me is scheduled to premiere on tvN in the second half of the year.

Via Sports Seoul

RELATED POSTS

Tags: ,

66

Required fields are marked *

Wookie's coming back in a sci-fi rom-com! My favorite blend of genres. As wacky and fun as this sounds, I hope it's a little grounded too. I mean, it's gotta be kind of devastating to lose 20 years in a blink, right? Wook has the perfect blend of brightness and vulnerability to make it work.

6
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

Devastating? Maybe, if he would aged too, but the character doesn't.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yeah but the world would have moved on without him as if he was dead or in a coma, like in 30 but 17. He would have missed the lives of his loved ones - some might even have died - and his amazing career would be over. Pretty devastating!

5
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Well, when you put it like this, it does sound devastating. I rather see the glass half full.😉

1
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Watching it might be amusing, but actually experiencing it? Parents could have passed on without our knowing. Properties owned might have gone to other people. If you have a boyfriend/girlfriend, they would have been married to other people and have kids. Imagine how utterly lonely and so very alone you could become. Imagine trying to get a job with all your legal documentation either gone, lost or obsolete. If youth and looks are the only things that matter to a person, well there you go.

0

Sooo excited to see Wookie again in a drama. Reading the plot, it seems to be an interesting storyline mixing sci-fi and rom-com. Rooting for you oppa. Forever my Healer! ❤️

3
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm excited because it's JCW and not excited because those writers are not it, at least for me.

1
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

He's back, people... He's back.. T.T
Now our heroine... let's see,,

3
5
reply

Required fields are marked *

Why do i feel like his training was so fast while Lee Min Ho’s are slow? Haha!

1
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

Lee Min-ho is out too!

2
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

@yayabean,
I had this fantasy that upon their discharges perhaps JCW and LMH would work together on a drama (action preferably). Alas it is not to be.
Welcome back both JCW and LMH.

2
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Together in a drama like a City Hunter/Healer?! That would be amazing!

1

Exactly! Since I am biased I would have called the drama HEALER MEETS CITY HUNTER.

0

His hotness could melt that!So happy he is back and hope he will have a equal parter for his heroine!

2
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Kim Seul Gi. For the love of anything and everything holy, give this girl a proper series female lead opportunity already.

7
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Great idea! I can just imagine how much fun Kim Seul-gi will have in a stainless steel dewar full of liquid nitrogen. ;-)

4
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yay yay yay! Suspicious Partner was the first k-drama I watched and enjoyed. It's still one of my favorites. I have high expectations for Ji Chang-wook.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I love his chemistry with Nam JI Hyun I shipped them to ne together in real life :D

1
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Agreed, although it seems like I always ship Nam Ji-hyun with her co-star (I zealously shipped her with Do Kyung-soo after 100 Days My Prince). I'm eager to see who he'll work with on this one.

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

The writer can give us either a really well written plot or a fluffy rom-com. I guess it's going to be more in SWDBS vibe

1
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I don't think SWDBS' strength was on the writing tbh. The writing was okay, but the Show was really really elevated mainly by the PD's comedic sense and tone, and the winsome actors.

2
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'd have to agree on that. SWDBS was pretty straightforward in its writing.. The directing and acting made it quirky fun. And the chemistry I still can't get over with :3

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Wow, I feel a 30 but 13 vibe here!!! And I actually like very much this plot, although it will be heartbreaking. 😐

4
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Excited to see JCW again, but ugh on this drama, by the writer of SWDBS, which is the absolute worst of all the Kdramas I have tried to watch. Just horrible. I could barely make it through the first 6 episodes, and dropped it without ever finishing it. I couldn't even watch it fast forwarding through the bad parts, because pretty much ALL of it was bad.

5
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

OH NOE. I was so excited JCW announced he was in a drama I totally skipped over who the writer is. I HATED SWDBS. It was so so so horribly written and just straight up bad. The only reason I finished it was because I was watching with my Mom and brother (who also both hated it but we were in it together). My joy has now taken a nosedive 😭

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

YES! I just finished re-watching Healer and I needed more Bong Sookie in my life! Welcome back my sweet Healer!

What a beautiful smile he has in that picture 😍❤️

4
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

*squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee*

Is all. :)

7
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thank you for the reports from South Korea this week!

2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Lol I knew this was coming.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Am I that transparent? I have a reputation to uphold. 🤣

Have just returned from SoKor, so another post should follow soon!

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

You've been squeeing over Ji Chang-wook way before EMPRESS KI so yes.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Melt me indeed!

4
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I want to say, I don't care what he comes back in, I just want to see him. But then I remembered K2. 😂. Sigh. Regardless, can't wait to see you back Wookie!

5
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

screammmmm.....swooon......melt......sigh......WELCOME BACK CHANGWOOK-SSI!

2
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I Love the one in the Banner....welcome back JCW, indeed you are Back, back to us. This might save my kdrama drought nowadays!

1
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm so happy he's back!!!

2
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

These are exiting news!

I like all three involved with the drama, Ji Chang wook, the PD and the writer! Can't wait!

1
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

His agency said he received many offers, so I guess he tried to choose the best script and director to work for his comeback project. The director is a good one. I hope the female lead is great too. I don’t mind if he acts with an older actress. Jang Nara is fine too.

1
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I kinda like and have hope for the writer, but man, that PD. Im side-eyeing him/her hard rn.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I mean, not to sound shallow or anything (me? shallow? never!) but....him having to stay chilly doesnt sound promising for the obligatory post-military shirtless scene.

Now, with that out of the way: YAY I like him loads! He's a great snuggler and I hope to see that portrayed in this new drama (I didnt move very far from the shallow end of the pool did I? But, in my defense, he had great post sexy times snuggles in Healer and Suspicious Partner!)

3
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'd say if he's trying to stay cooled off you have a better chance of shirtless than snuggly.

3
reply

Required fields are marked *

i reallyy hope they can cast chae soo bin

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Nice way for Wookie to show off his six pack after the army training...I assume the getting frozen part will involve in some shirtless action. I approve!

3
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Comment was deleted

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

The last few photos I saw of him while still in the military made it look like he'd gained weight, and not muscle weight. Or maybe it was just those hideous black glasses he was wearing (not a good look for him).

I think JCW loves to eat, and hates to work out. I read an article in which he was complaining about the shower scene in The K2, not because he had any ethical objection to it, but because of the timing of the filming meant he had to keep in shape/working out longer than expected, or WTTE. It was kind of funny.

(I found the quote: "Ji Chang Wook explained that he was worried about it for many different reasons. “I told the director, ‘It’s considerably difficult to maintain my body.’ I had to exercise every day and control what I ate. As filming progressed, it became hard to do both.” the actor confessed.

He said that he personally asked that it be filmed early on because of these reasons, which is how it ended up being the very first scene he filmed in the whole drama.")

But if his face looked like he'd put on some weight in those recent photos I saw, he looked gorgeous in his official "release/exit walk" out of the military, where fans were waiting to greet him. The man is beautiful.

4
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yes, I did read about that. That is apparently one of the reasons why he decided to start doing rom-coms because the physical training for all the action packed thrillers was getting too much.

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

i REALLY hope they don't do a thing where his heroine was a baby or something before i just don't want that at all

2
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

No, apparently the woman volunteers as well to take part in the experiment. They both get defrosted 20y later. I assume there will be a bond since they are both in the same situation.

2
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Aw, I would find it more interesting if it was an entirely new person with no prior connection to him. Writers shouldn't be afraid to tone down the drama-trope-bingo every now and then! 😂

3
reply

Required fields are marked *

That sounds like a really stupid, trite, over used plot. Ugh.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Glad he's back!

The premise is different and could potentially be interesting, but I'm split on the writer. I liked Woman of Dignity but really disliked Strong Girl Do Bong-soon.

So JCW was just released and has a drama lined up. Im Si-wan was recently released and has a drama lined up. Where are you, Joo Won? It's been almost three months.

1
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Also, where is Lee Min-ho? He got out just a week or so - maybe days - before JCW, and I haven't heard of him being signed up for a new drama yet. Or did I just miss the news?

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Why does this plot make me sad :(

4
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

Does it sound like a plot or just a situation? There will need to be more than two people trying to keep their body temps down. I have hopes for a plot-rich story, however, because if anything Strong Woman had too much plot! In different genres. But always interesting, so tone that down a bit, writer, and this could be perfect.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

It reminds me of Thirty But Seventeen. The leads will wake up and everyone and everything in their life would have passed by/moved on. Like my favorite Avenger. T___T

1
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Also thinking about THE BEST HIT.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Because it sounds stupid and completely unoriginal?

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I’m really excited about this news,!! I have missed him so much,,,,, I just hope that this writers put their heads and hearts in this project.... I need a drama that makes my heart skip a beat, as healer did,!... is still one of my favorite top 3 in my list....

1
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Awww Wookie it’s been too long!

Welcome back -me- to the drama land. That face, that smile,.. aiiii it’s really been too long for a drama land without JCW.

1
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

My main hope is that he has a good role that challenges him on the acting front. He was great in Healer and Empress Ki, but didn't have to push any boundaries in K2 or Suspicious Partner. I have the same complaint for Lee Min Ki. These two are really good actors that can pull off almost anything, I don't want to see them playing cold emotion-less characters anymore. The great thing about the writer I think is that she wrote super fun male characters for Strong Woman so hopefully Wook finds that in this script too.

2
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Hopefully Lee Min-ki is very carefully considering scripts and looking for something new to stretch his acting and showcase his chameleon-like abilities. To be honest, I hope his next project is not romance.

However, I would not be sad to see him as a antihero, or a straight up villain with a mohawk. (sorry @mindy)

2
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

You will never let the mohawk thing die, will you? You do realize that I physically recoil from my screen every time I see the word, even more so when linked to Minki?

Anyway, I really hope he chooses Everybody’s Lies, it sounds so potentially good and seems like it will be a nice change of pace for him. I think he did two back-to-back rom-coms because he suggested in a recent interview that he realizes his own mortality now that he’s in his mid-30s and that his days as a romantic leading man are kind of numbered. But he also said that he doesn’t want himself or audiences to get bored of him doing similar roles, so I’m sure whatever comes next will be different. Thank goodness. Nam Se-hee is the actual greatest but I’d rather not talk about Beauty Inside... please help me erase that from my memory, Minki. Pleaaaase.

...sorry, who’s this article about again?

2
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

(I’m kidding, of course. I love JCW too! I just can’t resist talking about Minki...)

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

"So…Ma PD. I hope one of Ma PD’s signature shows will be 2 Nights 3 Days." >>> LOLed so hard on this. Will be looking forward to all the meta in this drama!

2
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Oppa's character should never take a trip to India. He wouldn't survive the car ride from the airport

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Okay, okay... I'm kinda excited.
Now let's wait for more info, shall we?
God, I sure hope this will be a comedy.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *