Veteran actress Lee Bo Young continues to impress with her performance in the currently airing drama “Hide,” solidifying her reputation as a “professional actress.”
Lee Bo Young K-Drama “Hide”: Thrilling Story & Refreshing Female Lead
“Hide” is a remake of a British TV series that has been produced up to season 3, and its solid story is its charm. It maintains the consistency and persuasiveness of the characters even with its fast-paced development full of twists and turns. The directing is also tasteful, but it maintains an appropriate balance without being excessive. Leaving aside the ratings, if you look only at the craftsmanship, it is the most well-made weekend drama of April.
What is most appealing is the character of the female lead, who is rational and hard to find in Korean dramas.
The protagonist, Na Moon Young (Lee Bo Young), is a former prosecutor who is married to Cha Sung Jae (Lee Moo Saeng), the son of a prestigious legal family, and has a young daughter. In name, she runs a law firm with her husband, but in reality, she does not work in order to raise their child. Cha Sung Jae is a friend who comforted Moon-young when she was having a hard time due to her father’s suicide as a child. Moon-young’s trust in Cha Sung Jae was that deep.
However, one day, Cha Sung Jae disappears before an important trial. The client and witnesses imply that Cha Sung Jae has a dirty secret. It turns out that the law firm is on the verge of bankruptcy due to a huge debt. The mother-in-law, who adored her son, somehow stops her from reporting him missing.
Soon, Cha Sung Jae is found dead in a fire, and Moon-young, who was tracking the case, realizes that the world she knew was completely a lie.
“Hide Unveils a “Wolverine”: Lee Bo-young’s Fierce Performance
Na Moon-young’s performance in the early and middle parts of “Hide” is so refreshing. Joo Shin-hwa (Kim Kook-hee), a friend and local prosecutor who assists him in both public and private matters, says that Moon-young’s nickname when she was a prosecutor was “Wolverine”.
Even though she was busy with work, the scene where she rushes to pick up her daughter from kindergarten at the mention of her mother-in-law picking her up makes Moon-young look like an ordinary daughter-in-law. However, from the moment she firmly declares to her mother-in-law, who is trying to stop her from reporting her husband missing, “I will find Mr. Cha Sung Jae,” the Wolverine’s blade comes out.
His appearance, running around to clean up the mess his husband made, is a stark contrast to the other female protagonists of Korean dramas who are overly righteous, family-oriented, and private whenever they have to deal with something. He doesn’t wallow in self-pity, saying, “Everyone I love is dead,” even though he has lost both his father and husband in the same way.
When her husband, whom she thought was dead, returns alive, Moon-young does not waste time by talking about family or love, but instead immediately urges him to turn himself in. In the process, the desires of her respected human rights lawyer father-in-law and her husband’s cowardice and meanness are revealed.
Cha Sung Jae, who thought he would be tried and sent to prison, is released by the mastermind behind the incident, and Moon-young, who learns that Ha Yeon-joo (Lee Chae-ah), who is part of the cover-up, and Cha Sung Jae are having an affair, is shocked but instead of collapsing or wallowing in self-pity, she gets in her car and charges at them.
Lee Bo Young’s Performance
The elegant, human, but powerful charm of the character Na Moon-young is maximized through actress Lee Bo Young’s aura. Lee Bo Young is an actress who is excellent at controlling the pace. In the first episode of “Hide,” Moon-young, who is suddenly put on the job and enters the office, gives instructions to her employees and takes the initiative to grasp the situation. This scene, which may seem meaningless, adds reality to the character by the way Lee Bo-young speaks as if she is spitting out words that have been on her lips for a long time without self-consciousness.
Genre Queen Lee Bo-young Takes on Ma Gang in Thrilling “Hide” Standoff
Living up to her other nickname of “Genre Queen,” Lee Bo Young definitely exudes charisma when she needs to put her strength into a scene. Ma Gang (Hong Seo Joon), a thug-like figure working for the villains, feels very threatening due to his macho image.
He intimidates Moon-young with a condescending tone, like a superior to a former prosecutor, and even threatens to harm her child. Moon-young counters with calm and intelligent words, pushing back and putting him in a corner by threatening him with a lawsuit. This stand-off between masculinity and femininity, physical strength and intelligence – two equally dangerous but functioning in different ways – is an interesting combination that is depicted with tension in “Hide.”
In the latter half of “Hide,” Moon-young faces a new rival, Ha Yeon-joo. Unlike Ma Gang, who appears more gentle and composed, Ha Yeon-joo is a more dangerous presence. It will be interesting to see how Lee Bo Young takes control of the screen in this face-off. While Lee Chae-ah, who gained popularity among young female viewers after “VIP,” doesn’t have many lead roles, it will be exciting to see if she adds a memorable villainous role to her portfolio.
“Hide” airs on Fridays and Saturdays at 10:00 PM on Coupang Play and at 10:30 PM on JTBC. It is also available to watch on Viki.
