Kang Hanna sets her sights on a Frankly Speaking Go Kyung-pyo

by solstices

Another teaser is out for JTBC’s romantic comedy Frankly Speaking, showcasing our heroine’s efforts to turn an excessively blunt newscaster into a variety star. Filled with petty remarks and physical antics, the show is unabashedly committing to the wacky embarrassment of its premise.

When the newscaster Song Ki-baek — played by Go Kyung-pyo (D.P. 2) — is struck with an accidental electrocution, he’s left with a peculiar affliction unlike any other. Every time he opens his mouth, he can’t stop his candid thoughts from spilling past his lips. It certainly gives new meaning to his newscaster’s creed of conveying only the truth with the utmost integrity, except his brutal honesty also winds up violating social etiquette more often than not.

Luckily for Ki-baek, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Fascinated by his rare condition, the variety writer Ohn Woo-joo — played by Kang Hanna (Red Heart) — sets her sights on his comedy potential. “I want to cast Ki-baek,” she declares, and the next thing he knows, he’s participating in a game of dodgeball with cameras all around the court. Next up is an outdoor game of soccer, which naturally ends with Woo-joo falling on top of Ki-baek.

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Between calling out foot odor and screaming for someone to disappear, the electrocution has transformed Ki-baek into a grumpy Grinch. Woo-joo can’t help but wonder if an electric shock can really alter someone’s personality to such an extent, and she eventually admits that she can’t get him off her mind. It’s not hard to see why — while Ki-baek’s affliction often has him stepping on others’ toes, it also spurs him towards earnest confessions. “When I see your face, everything feels better,” he admits to Woo-joo.

Ki-baek’s prickly outbursts may push others away from him, but Woo-joo has faith that his genuine self will appeal to the viewers. She’s banking on him to rescue her program’s floundering ratings, except it turns out she may have another option. Eight years after they last spoke, Woo-joo crosses paths with her ex-boyfriend Kim Jung-heon — played by Joo Jong-hyuk (Extraordinary Attorney Woo) — who’s earned himself the title of the nation’s son-in-law with his trot singer fame and variety prowess. He doesn’t seem to have gotten over her, but Woo-joo’s heart is already leaning elsewhere. “Let’s give it a shot,” Ki-baek suggests, and whether he’s referring to the variety program or a new romance, Woo-joo seems inclined to agree.

Helmed by PD Jang Ji-yeon (Off the Course) and written by Choi Kyung-seon, Frankly Speaking premieres on May 1.