[INTERVIEW] Ji Chang-wook nails magic, music and acting in Netflix's 'The Sound of Magic'

Actor Ji Chang-wook plays the role of a mysterious magician in Netflix's original series, "The Sound of Magic." Courtesy of Netflix

Actor says he could resonate with story

By Lee Gyu-lee

Actor Ji Chang-wook has had to multitask performing magic, singing and acting, while taking on the role of a mysterious magician, Lee Eul, in Netflix's new original series, "The Sound of Magic," which hit the streaming site on May 6.

"Performing magic and singing was important but the character of Lee Eul itself was also important. And for the character, singing and showing magic was such an inseparable part (of the character) so I got a lot of help from people around me," the 34-year-old actor said in a recent interview with The Korea Times. "I learned and practiced magic for about three to four months. Magician Lee Eun-gyeol helped me a lot to design the scenes where (Lee Eul) performs magic shows."

The fantasy musical series, based on the 2010 popular webcomic of the same name by Ha Il-kwon, follows the story of two teenagers ― disenchanted Yoon Ah-yi (Choi Sung-eun) and her classmate, Na Il-deung (Hwang In-yeop) ― and magician Lee Eul, who lives in an abandoned amusement park.

Ah-yi is the sole caretaker of her young sister, after her father left them amid going bankrupt. Struggling through a harsh, debt-ridden life, her only dream is to become an adult so that she can get a proper job to make ends meet.

One day, Eul comes into Ah-yi's life out of nowhere and starts introducing her to hopes and dreams.

The series, directed by Kim Sung-yoon, known for leading the 2020 hit series, "Itaewon Class," has debuted at No. 8 on Netflix's official weekly Top 10 chart for non-English series, two days after its premiere. In the chart released by the streaming analytics platform, FlixPatrol, it soared to fourth on Wednesday.

A scene from "The Sound of Magic" / Courtesy of Netflix

The actor said it took time to get into such a complex character as Eul, who is whimsical and keeps the innocence of a child but also seems to have a mysterious past.

"In some way, Lee Eul might seem mentally unstable and because he was such a complex character with fantasy factors, it was hard and I had to discuss him with the director a lot," Ji said, adding that the process was still fun.

"When I worked on previous pieces, I would always ask questions like, 'Why did this character take this action?' or 'Why does he say this?' But for this, instead of asking questions, I just let all the emotions out straightforwardly, acting happily when the character feels happy and angrily when he's angry. It felt like I was at the amusement park (metaphorically)," he said.

Ji said he resonated with the story personally, saying that it is a story about "all of us."

"When I read the script for 'The Sound of Magic,' it felt like my own story, and just reminded me of the feelings I went through when I was young," he said, adding that he could empathize with the struggles Ah-yi went through during adolescence. "There have always been tough times. Even when I faced choices. There were times I struggled financially, and times I was under a lot of stress."

He added that he chose to take part in this series, hoping to offer a message of comfort to those who are in situations like Ah-yi.

"It seemed hard but it was interesting. I felt a mix of confidence, anticipation and excitement that I could do a good job portraying the character so I decided to take the role," he said. "Even before this series, I've been asking questions about myself, like what kind of person I am and what I like, or what kind of person I want to be. And by working on this series … I was able to have a chance to think more deeply about it."

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