[Interview] "My Mistake".. 'Sweet Home' Director Responds to Adaptation #Song Kang #Pyeon Sang-wook #Warriors #Season 2 (Comprehensive)

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Director Lee Eung-bok responded to the disappointed voices and curiosity of ‘Sweet Home’ webtoon fans.

On the morning of the 21st, Director Lee Eung-bok shared stories about the Netflix original series ‘Sweet Home’ during an online video interview.

‘Sweet Home’ is a Netflix original series depicting the bizarre and shocking experiences of Hyun-soo, a reclusive high school student who loses his family and moves into a new apartment.

Based on the webtoon of the same name boasting 1.2 billion views, the series was completed by Director Lee Eung-bok, who also directed ‘Mr. Sunshine,’ ‘Goblin,’ and ‘Descendants of the Sun.’ The cast includes Song Kang, Lee Jin-wook, Lee Si-young, Lee Do-hyun, Go Min-si, Park Gyu-young, Go Yoon-jung, Kim Kap-soo, and Kim Sang-ho.

Regarding ‘Sweet Home,’ which was released on the 18th, Director Lee Eung-bok said, “I have been continuously monitoring the reactions. I appreciate the interest,” adding, “I wanted to satisfy the original fans, and that was the biggest pressure.”

Having mainly directed romance dramas, Director Lee Eung-bok challenged the creature genre for the first time through ‘Sweet Home.’ He confessed, “Honestly, I thought even if it failed, I would at least break even, so I filmed it with fun and enjoyment.” He continued, “I believe Korean elements are global. Monsters don’t exist in reality, but sometimes humans are described as ‘monsters.’ I wanted to contemplate the monstrous aspects within humans and the perspective on that.”

Director Lee said, “The idea that desire turns one into a monster was fresh, and I wanted to bring that to life through visuals. I aimed to expand the worldview to highlight the monstrous traits reflected in human conflicts rather than a battle between humans and monsters,” adding, “I wanted to portray it more warmly than the original.”

Unlike Western creature stories, ‘Sweet Home’ carries Director Lee Eung-bok’s unique style. The 10-episode series has a strong romance element, which has divided opinions. When this was mentioned, he said, “The romance and melodrama parts are about empathy and respect for humans, extended to men and women. I thought it would resonate,” but also added, “I didn’t intend to depict melodrama specifically. I just wanted to portray tired people, but the actors’ chemistry highlighted the melodrama aspect.”

Director Lee Eung-bok admitted, “Honestly, I wasn’t someone who watched many creature films.” He continued, “I couldn’t watch creature films because they were gross. While adapting ‘Sweet Home,’ I thought a lot about expanding the material and storyline.”

The director said, “During the drama adaptation process, many parts of the webtoon original were omitted or jumped over. Watching the original will help understand parts that might be confusing.”

In the original, Hyun-soo (played by Song Kang) has a large role, but in ‘Sweet Home,’ other characters have almost equal importance. Some original fans found this a bit unfamiliar. Director Lee said, “I wonder if that was a mistake,” and added, “I thought various characters should be mixed with Hyun-soo, and this is where the difference from the webtoon lies.”

Also, Pyeon Sang-wook, who is a detective in the original, is portrayed as a gangster in the series, showing some differences in character and importance. The character Lee Eun-hyuk (played by Lee Do-hyun) also differs somewhat in emotional portrayal and ending from the original. Since both Pyeon Sang-wook and Lee Eun-hyuk were beloved characters in the original, some expressed regret over these changes.

“Original fans may feel some disappointment, but these settings were to create dramatic tension and to depict the story more dramatically. Pyeon Sang-wook’s character was changed to emphasize his monstrous side and loss of humanity.”

The grand and lively song ‘Warriors’ plays throughout the introduction and ending of ‘Sweet Home,’ but some viewers felt it disrupted immersion by interfering with the tension that should have exploded in the scenes. Director Lee said, “I chose this song to cheer for the fragile and small humans fighting against huge monsters in the lyrics, but I acknowledge that it didn’t resonate with viewers who were familiar with the music,” and added, “Please listen carefully to the lyrics.”

Finally, when asked about the possibility of producing season 2, he said, “(Regarding some character portrayals) I have left the possibility of season 2 somewhat open,” and expressed his intention for production, saying, “If given the opportunity, I want to carefully gather and reflect on parts I’m not satisfied with in the results.”

Photo = Netflix