fachai Taiwanese teen classic ‘Secret’ gets fresh Korean spin starring Doh Kyungsoo
Updated:2025-01-20 05:15:02 Views:54
(From left) Director Suh Yu-min, actors Shin Ye-eun, Doh Kyung-soo, and Won Jin-ah pose for a photo at a press conference for “Secret: Untold Melody” held at CGV Yongsan in Seoul. Image: Yonhap via The Korea Herald
For many millennials who grew up in the 2000s, Jay Chou’s “Secret” brings back memories of grainy bootleg downloads and impromptu music class screenings. The 2008 Taiwanese romance about young musicians at an elite conservatory carved out an unlikely niche here, where Chinese-language films rarely break through. Even those who couldn’t tell their Chopin from their Liszt know the film’s famous piano battle scene by heart — a signature moment that must have sent piano lesson sign-ups through the roof.
Now, the beloved tale gets a Korean makeover with “Secret: Untold Melody,” which screened for press Tuesday at Seoul’s Megabox COEX.
777 casino no deposit bonus Article continues after this advertisementDirector Suh Yu-min comes to the project as a superfan who once pilgrimaged to the original’s filming locations across Taiwan. “I was quite nervous when the remake offer landed,” she said. “But I felt drawn to introducing this story to a wider audience.”
FEATURED STORIES ENTERTAINMENT Janno Gibbs defends VMX after Jinggoy Estrada calls out platform ENTERTAINMENT Showbiz Roundup: Vic Sotto, Darryl Yap face off in court; MMFF 2024 box office ENTERTAINMENT Barbie Imperial on what matters most amid romance with Richard GutierrezThe film drops its romantic fantasy into a Korean college setting, tracking piano prodigy Yu-jun (Do Kyung-soo) and the enigmatic Jung-ah (Won Jin-ah) through their fateful encounters. Doh, better known as EXO’s D.O., threw himself into piano basics, starting from scratch: “I could barely read sheet music,” he said. “I just wanted to nail the simpler pieces myself for authenticity.”
Won livens up her role with a fresh energy that breaks from the original’s more reserved heroine. “I played up the cute, bubbly side,” she said, nodding to how the romantic genre has evolved in twenty years. Feature film newcomer Shin Ye-eun, now making waves in TV dramas, taps into her violin background as Yu-jun’s lovestruck classmate. She lit up as she talked about seeing her name in the credits: “It felt so unreal.”
ChocoVron Vice President Marissa Lourdes Yala told the Philippine News Agency on the sidelines of the US-PH 2024 Trade Mission Conference at The Manila Hotel on Friday, October 18, that the P500 million (US$8.75 million) expansion plan of the company will triple the capacity of its production facility in San Pedro, Laguna.
While the Marcos administration has been exerting efforts to attract more green power developments to the market, the sector may be dealing with some hitches as the projects are now “being processed for termination” due to the companies’ failure to meet committed timelines, the agency noted Sunday.
While keeping the original’s framework and theatrical flair largely intact, Suh weaves in threads of uncertainty and doubt before the big reveal. The remake dials up the swoon factor with tried-and-true K-drama flourishes, and scores bonus points by fleshing out supporting roles — notably Bae Seong-woo, who injects welcome laughs as Yu-jun’s father.
Classical pieces lift everyday scenes nicely, though some song choices are questionable — like dropping Deulgukhwa’s 1985 “With You Everyday” into contemporary-set scenes. The show-stopping piano battle now packs in heavyweight numbers from Liszt and Rachmaninoff, but the choppy filming painfully gives away its reliance on hand doubles.
Subscribe to our daily newsletter
- Last：fachai Blackpink’s Rosé denies dating actor Jaden Smith
- Next：None
