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Kim Haneul and Rain fight for a better world in Red Swan

by tccolb

Disney+ has been generously dishing out promos for the action-melo Red Swan, readying us for the angst-ridden chaebol battles in new character posters and a long teaser this week. Like children in a playground, it’s a squabbling war over what’s mine versus yours, but as Kim Haneul (Nothing Uncovered) and Rain (Ghost Doctor) experience firsthand, the stakes – and consequences – are significantly scarier when our power-hungry players also have secrets to hide.

Opening on our heroine in the teaser, Oh Wan-soo (Kim Haneul) proudly introduces herself as South Korea’s goodwill ambassador and chairwoman of a charity foundation. As a former pro-golfer and wife to the Hwa-in Group’s heir, Wan-soo’s fame and public image is marketed as the face of the conglomerate.

Despite being used like a trophy wife, though, Wan-soo is genuine in her pursuit to do good and she’s lauded by the industry for her international business accomplishments. This prompts Seo Yi-sook’s (Knight Flower) President Park Mi-ran to admonish Wan-soo for overstepping, saying, “This isn’t your work to do.” But our heroine firmly defends her stance, stating, “This is my work. I’m going to fight until the end for a better world.”

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Flipping on the ~dramatic~ action switch, Wan-soo’s new bodyguard and ex-cop Seo Do-yoon (Rain) next enters the scene, whose real reason for entering Hwa-in is to investigate his friend’s death and sniff out the murderer. Convinced that this same person is now out for Wan-soo’s blood, Do-yoon warns her not to trust others while also vowing to protect her.

Indeed, Wan-soo’s husband Kim Yong-gook – played by Jung Kyeo-woon (You’re Too Much) – is one such distrustful slimeball who claims, “It’s not that I’m not able, I’m just not responsible. Isn’t it natural that I’m like this when I’ve never had to take responsibility for anything in my whole life?” Although he professes to love his wife, he alarmingly yells that she’s “his” and is angered by Wan-soo’s indifference when he’s caught cheating.

President Park is prone to tantrums as well, declaring Hwa-in as “hers” like a toy that can’t be shared. The people around her are calculatingly treated like playthings as well, easily thrown away when they no longer serve her amusement. But while she is the one giving the orders, it falls to Yoon Je-moon (Nothing Uncovered) playing lawyer Han Sang-il to carry them out. It’s unclear how much he’ll dirty his hands, as he does deflect when asked about murder. But he’s clearly displeased by Do-yoon’s presence and the suspicious sequence suggests that Sang-il is at least connected to the culprit Do-yoon is chasing.

Adding fuel to the fire… er… figuratively but maybe literally as well, Ki Eun-se’s (Now We Are Breaking Up) character Jang Tae-ra is determined to upend Wan-soo’s life and make it hers. She certainly is something, having the gall to demand that Wan-soo get divorced. What our heroine should do is a different discussion, but it is a little satisfying to hear Tae-ra being told to stay a concubine, followed by President Park’s scream for Tae-ra to scram.

As the teaser comes to a close, we watch as Wan-soo finally lets her guard down with our hero, admitting that, “My marriage was already in ruins. Since a long time ago. This place is hell.” Do-yoon then leaves us with the question of what Wan-soo is trying to protect and whether it’s worth risking her life, and Wan-soo reveals her resolve to stand by her charity foundation.

Helmed by PD Park Hong-kyoon (Hwayugi) with scripts written by Choi Yoon-jung, Disney+’s Red Swan will be premiering next week on July 3.