Kim Go-eun & Park Ji-hyun Shine in 'Eun-joong and Sang-yeon' with Nuanced Performances, Gaining Traction Through Word-of-Mouth
Netflix's original series 'Eun-joong and Sang-yeon' is captivating audiences with its profound emotional depth and the actors' detailed portrayals. The drama, which chronicles the intertwined lives of two friends, Eun-joong (played by Kim Go-eun) and Sang-yeon (played by Park Ji-hyun), from their meeting in a 1990s new town well into their forties, goes beyond simple friendship to delicately depict a complex relationship filled with admiration, jealousy, love, and resentment.
Comprising 15 episodes, 'Eun-joong and Sang-yeon' focuses on the characters' emotional shifts rather than rapid plot progression. It slowly follows how a seemingly casual remark can leave a deep scar, and how possessive affection can hurt each other. Kim Go-eun anchors Eun-joong's unwavering core, while Park Ji-hyun masterfully portrays Sang-yeon's fluctuating psyche, enhancing the drama's immersion.
Initially, the series didn't garner significant attention. However, it has shown sustained momentum through positive word-of-mouth, climbing to second place in overall TV-OTT drama buzz. Viewers are flooding online communities with praise, such as "The 15 hours flew by just watching Kim Go-eun and Park Ji-hyun's acting" and "It left a deep resonance that overlapped with my own memories." The drama offers a profound emotional echo, illustrating life's contradictions and paradoxes, and how admiration and resentment can stem from the same place.
Kim Go-eun, a former child actor, made a powerful debut as an adult in the film 'A Muse'. Since then, she has received acclaim from both audiences and critics for her versatile acting in various projects like 'Guardian: The Lonely and Great God', 'Tune in for Love', and 'Little Women'. Park Ji-hyun honed her skills in independent films before gaining recognition with the drama 'Nae Il's Cantabile' and the movie 'Gonjiam'. She has since emerged as a rising star with her distinctive performances in dramas such as 'Do You Like Brahms?' and 'Reborn Rich'.