Netflix Korea bets on thriller project to replicate success of 'When Life Gives You Tangerines'
Netflix Korea's star-studded April release "Karma" will feature dark, high-stakes storytelling -- a dramatic turn from the popular human drama "When Life Gives You Tangerines" that launched in March.
The six-part thriller delves into the sinister, interwoven fates of six individuals, including an unnamed man who witnesses an accident (Park Hae-soo) and a woman burdened by deep emotional scars (Shin Min-a). The characters' lives collide, leading to an unexpected climax.
Director Lee Il-hyoung, known for his work on the hit crime-comedy "A Violent Prosecutor" (2016) and as the screenwriter for the historical action film "Kundo: Age of the Rampant," makes his series debut with "Karma." The drama unfolds through six episodes, each told from a different character’s perspective.
Lee emphasized the importance of character relationships in shaping the viewing experience, noting that he meticulously structured the narrative to maintain suspense and deliver twists.
"I also tend to lose focus and think about other things if a drama doesn’t make me curious about the next episode," he said, during a press conference held in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Monday. "I kept thinking about how to make it impossible for viewers to resist clicking on the next episode immediately."
Veteran actors Jo Jin-woong and Kim Nam-gil make special appearances in "Karma," according to Lee.
"Their roles are significant, but their screen time isn’t extensive. They needed to make an impact, and since we had a connection, I reached out to them. They helped enrich the project and maintain the tension until the very end."
"When Life Gives You Tangerines," which recently topped both Netflix Korea's and the platform's global rankings, the series' creator stated that "Karma" is set to maintain the momentum of the resounding success of "When Life Gives You Tangerines."
While acknowledging the pressure of following up such a hit, Lee remains confident in the series' distinct appeal.
"It would be a lie to say I don’t feel any pressure. We’re meeting viewers back-to-back, but our series has its own unique genre appeal. If audiences enjoyed the warmth of humanity in the previous work, they might find the ‘spicy flavor’ of this one even more satisfying," he said.
"Karma" is adapted from a popular Kakao webtoon of the same name.
"What drew me the most when I first received the script was that the extreme and intense story unfolds in one breath," Park Hae-soo said.
He went on to say that the complexity of his character was a major factor in his decision to join the project: "(My) character is dogmatic, terrifying and repulsive, yet there’s a foolish side to him that feels almost comical, which intrigued me."
"Karma" premieres on Netflix this Friday.
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