Country bumpkin Im Shi-wan asserts his Boyhood

by solstices

Cuteness and comic relief abound in the first teaser for Coupang Play original Boyhood, featuring a bumbling country bumpkin trying to find his footing in a new town. At a short and sweet ten episodes, this action-comedy promises a fun blend of hilarious hijinks and retro nostalgia — I’m definitely looking forward to its release.

Im Shi-wan (Summer Strike) stars as Jang Byung-tae, who’s known for being “Onyang’s Loser,” ha. Timid and weak, he’s at the bottom of the food chain in school — every boy ought to have a dream in life, he declares, and his is to avoid getting beaten up. When his family decides to leave town one night, Byung-tae is devastated. A new school means a new pecking order, which will have him smacked into submission all over again.

There’s another new transfer in Buyeo — Lee Shi-woo (See You in My 19th Life) plays Jung Kyung-tae, whose reputation precedes him. Nicknamed “Asan’s White Tiger,” Kyung-tae supposedly defeated 17 opponents all on his own. Gossip spreads quick, and soon the entire school is nervously anticipating the White Tiger’s arrival — except it’s Byung-tae who steps out of the police car, thus kickstarting a hilarious case of mistaken identity.

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Byung-tae may be more of a meek kitten than a ferocious tiger, but his fellow students are so convinced by the rumours that they somehow manage to overlook his instinctive flinches and ineffective shovel-wielding. That is, except for Lee Sun-bin (Work Later, Drink Now 2), who’s fiesty as ever. Playing the infamous “Buyeo’s Black Spider” Park Ji-young, she’s the strongest fighter in the area — her fists will protect her ideals and the people she cares for.

Rounding out the main cast, we have Kang Hye-won (Seasons of Blossom) as Kang Sun-hwa. With her good looks, impeccable fashion sense, and gentle demeanor, she’s practically every guy’s first love, earning herself the moniker of “Buyeo’s Sophie Marceau.” We don’t see much of her yet, but she’ll be an interesting contrast to our gung-ho fighter trio.

It’s shaping up to be a wild ride for Byung-tae, who must manage both his fluffy bowl cut and his newfound stardom at the peak of the power hierarchy. With Ji-young out to test him, and Kyung-tae presumably out to reclaim his title, Byung-tae’s journey might be as bumpy as the fields he’s learnt to till — but perhaps at the end of it all, there’ll be a bountiful harvest awaiting.

Helmed by PD Lee Myung-woo (One Ordinary Day, The Fiery Priest) with scripts written by Kim Jae-hwan, Boyhood is slated for a November 24 premiere.