Well this is turning into a big cast production with each new announcement of the cast. K-actress Kwon Nara has been confirmed to be in the upcoming K-drama Knock Off starring Kim Soo Hyun and set during the 1997 IMF crisis in the world of counterfeit luxury goods. The drama earlier announced actresses Jo Boa and Kim Shi Eun in the cast along with veterans Yoo Jae Myung and Lee Jung Eun. The drama is billed as a black comedy and will air in two parts of 9-episodes each. The drama is from the PD of Secret Forest 2 and the screenwriter of Bad Guys.
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Another unique beauty, looking forward to this.
This is a surprising update. Wasn’t expecting yet another actress to be cast.
Her role sounds very fun too (possibly her character might be end game for KSH’s character?): “She is set to play the role of Moon Yoo Bin, a young woman who starts making and selling counterfeit goods with her brother.
She becomes the mentee of Kim Sung Joon, who helps her experience the real taste of money. Moon Yoo Bin is the kind of woman who relentlessly works to achieve her dreams and believes in the power of good thoughts and attitude towards work.”
@Sunn: I doubt Kwon Nara is his end game. She did not get casting articles released and the info got out due to the media seeing her in the script read this week. My inkling is that Kim Si Eun has the biggest role amongst the three. I say that both due to her character description + the timing of her casting announcement. She was the first cast member to be announced after KSH which is an honor mostly reserved for the female lead. Jo Bo Ah was announced long after YJM and LJE.
Actually I don’t believe any of the ladies are a true female lead in the traditional sense. Its going to be male lead focused which was clear from the initial reports and the writer track record.
Such a packed line up! The drama also stars Kim Hyeeun who was stellar in twenty-five twenty-one and I’m really excited about her in the 90s setting again. I have not seen Kwon Nara in a while but I thought she outshined Kim Dami in Itaewon Class. I bet she’ll do the same in this drama too!
Exciting Twitter gossip from a K-netizen who saw the Knock-Off cast at dinner yesterday. It seems like Kim Nam Gil might have a role in the drama!
““After training, I ate with my close friend and watched as many celebrities as I could. Kim Soo-hyun, Kwon Nara, Kim Nam-gil, Jeong Man-sik, Yoo Jae-myeong, Go Gyu-pil. I guess it was a dinner party for a new drama.”
https://x.com/kshingx/status/1811746502215369105?t=-sUPwZ8Gkh4mxdmcSPaWFA&s=19
https://x.com/ksymemory/status/1811729481293496470
How many female leads does a drama need lol
Anyway I am looking forward to it a lot. I hope Nara gets the main love line no matter how minor since I imagine KSH and her would have loads of chemi. The drama is shaping up so well from a production and casting perspective.
From the character description I posted and the dinner sighting I think her character will be the FL.
I used to put her in the yet another talentless idol actress category but to my surprise I really liked her performance in Itaewon Class. This is an unpopular opinion but I also thought she had much better chemistry with Park Seo Joon than Kim Da Mi. Kim Da Mi is a very good actress but I found her and PSJ were a completely unconvincing couple. I just wish Nara hadn’t touched her face so much. She used to be so pretty but now her face is so sharp and shiny.
Speaking of Itaewon Class, I just realised this is a Itaewon Class reunion with one of my favourite actors, Yoo Jae-myung!
@Sunny
Not an unpopular opinion by any means, she had loads of chemistry with Park Seo Joon. I felt she was always supposed to be end game, as Kim Dami had the dynamic of a kid sister. It felt that PSJ-KDM end game was tacked on at the end for whatever reason. And PSJ looked bored in those scenes. It personally, palled the drama for me a little.
@Xoxo:
That makes me feel better! It felt like because KDM was the Chungmuro It Girl with the fashionable character she had a lot more supporters and got all the publicity as main female lead but when I was watching I found Oh Soo Ah’s character a lot more likeable, realistic and sympathetic. She also had great chemistry with Park Seo Joon and their character’s backstory and connection felt so much stronger. At least Oh Soo Ah got a cute potential new love interest in the end with Park Bo Gum’s cameo!
It never felt like Park Sae Ro Yi had romantic interest or attraction in Yi Seo. He seemed to just end up with her because she was there and the script said so. I agree about PSJ looking bored during their romantic scenes compared his great acting in the rest of the drama. He was just going through the motions compared to some of his previous dramas where the chemistry was chemistrying with his FL. It didn’t help that PSJ and KDM seemed quite awkward with each other in real life.
I totally agree and its not an unpopular take either as far as I saw back then. Kim Dami was just a miscast. I dont know her dynamic with PSJ, but they had no chemistry and her acting was awks overall.
Nara always has chemistry with her costars. I hope she is the FL but the love line is going to be very minor so guess it wont matter in the long run. As long as she has a good character and has significant scenes with KSH, thats going to give her exposure for better projects in the future.
This isn’t a romance so the female “leads” are more like supporting characters. A true female lead will not be announced after the supporting cast.
No one is a “true” female lead and it has been made clear from the moment the drama synopsis was announced. Knock Off is a “one-top” drama as Koreans call them. But that does not equate to it not having a female lead at all. RR was also a one-top drama and SHB was still called the female lead. Fiery Priest still had Lee Honey as FL and Knight Flower had LJW as ML.
But were those leads announced months after all the side characters, the day of the script reading?
Who cares?
Why would official articles call all these actresses female leads when if they were not? But okay, lets run with your narrative. KSE is the lead then as she was announced right after KSH and before the “side characters” as you call them (but who are actually the supporting cast).
You obviously do and I never said KSE is the lead. I was just responding to your examples of leads in other dramas where their roles were not announced after all the side/supporting characters. There is actually another female actress that plays KSH’s sister and I would call her a side character but even she was announced a long time ago.
Oh I obviously do? Okay sureeee, LOL.
And yup, you never said KSE is the lead. I said that based on YOUR assumption that timing of announcement is apparently what decides who the female lead is. As for the sister, the name you are looking for is Choi Gyuri and regardless of when she was announced – even if it was before KSH’s announcement – never has any article called her the female lead. So, your point is…?
I suggest you believe what you want and I will do the same. I “obviously care” who the FL is and you obviously dont. So I’m sure thats easy enough for you to do.
You so do care. At least I’m not fantasizing about a love line with a just a mere description of a female character joining the cast as someone the ML recruits to help his business.
You so do care too, so welcome to the club! At least I’m not fantasizing and manifesting no female leads when the production team and the media have explicitly stated otherwise – thrice.
Production company said she’s the lead? There’s one whopping article about her casting on Naver and no where did it say she’s the lead.
Sure KK. Sureee lets say Kwon Nara is just supporting or a side character.
‘Cept I am referring to two other woman being “Female leads”. Did you already forget the topic at hand or you have nothing to say on KSE and JBA? Go to Naver and check again, you will see articles upon articles claiming both are leads (:
@Deedicous
Agreed. There is definitely a female lead who will be second billed. That is always the case with Kdramas as long as an actress is cast. My gut tells me the vagueness is strategic. JBA’s character description says she is KSH’s first love and a customs officer so she might feature more in Part 1 of the drama whereas Kwon Nara’s character works with him in the business so she will likely be featured more in Part 2. Maybe thats also why the casting news for her was released late. Kim Si Eun is a wild card, but my guess is she has no romantic entanglements and is more of a constant friend.
Anyhoo, no point trying to figure out who is what. Its early days yet. We’ll know when the promos are out.
@KK
I see no one claiming Kwon Nara is the FL. The point here is that there infact IS a female lead – just that no one knows who it is yet. Although some may want Kwon Nara to be the end game but personally dont care for a love line at all. If it makes sense for the story, I’m indifferent. I just dont want anything shoved down our throats for the sake of it.
knock off casts just had dinner after script reading yesterday and Kim Nam Gil was there. Maybe Kim Nam Gil as cameo or surprise cast?
KNG worked with the PD / writer in their last drama so it’s not out of nowhere if he plays a short but crucial character. KSH and KNG on screen would be so lit
I also read rumor that Kim Nam Gil was spotted with KSH and half of the announced cast… Not sure if this rumor a true though, or this can be just a cameo role.
I actually prefer Kwon Nara when she does supporting roles. She was so lacklustre in Bulgasal but I a firecracker her in Itaewon and Suspicious Partner. She cannot carry a drama but shines alongside good costars of which she has abundant here. Looking forward to KnockOff ~ this cast is insanely talented and packed to the brim. I hope it delivers because it’s at the top of my most anticipated upcoming dramas.
You are so right! I love Kwon Nara, but her acting never rings true when she’s the female lead. She’s much better off as a supporting actress where she can bounce her energy off her costars. As there are many veterans in this drama, it’ll be interesting to see.
Agreed. Kwon Nara is so bland when she plays nice or weepy characters but comes alive with grey characters or those that give her more sustance. She’s very similar to JBA in that sense and I hope both of them have good characters to play.
I agree with this assessment. I think that’s why I have liked her much more in supporting and 2nd lead roles but not so much when she was the lead like Bulgsal (although that drama had plenty of other problems that were not Nara’s fault). This character sounds like a firectaker too and she fits these stronger roles much better.
The cast list keeps getting better and better. I know it’s too early to be excited, but I am. I so am!
kim moo yeol also confirmed for knock off and I think he is gonna be the villain , he was amazing in The Roundup. The casts just keep getting better and bigger now.
Are you referring to the actor who played ChangGi in the most recent Outlaw movie with Ma DongSeok? If so he was fantastic and the movie hit 10M+ viewers (anyone in two minds about it watching it, don’t hesitate it’s so good!) Knock Off has a very impressive cast indeed.
He is a great actor. What a cast!
Everytime I hear about Knock Off, I keep thinking that I cannot picture what it will do from a luxury PPL standpoint. Im fixated on this one thing LOL. For sure multiple luxury brands will be the focus, but how are those then blended in when the main character practically starts an industry that goes against the very essence of the brand.
Counterfeit = bad = our ML is technically is a villain.
There is also the comedy aspect coming into play which means it won’t be taking itself too seriously and becoming all preachy, thank god. I’m fascinated by how the writer will handle everything. Please be good!!!
Oh, I can see KSH holding a counterfeit Luis Vuitton bag and then the real thing and saying to Kwon Nara “look at how beautiful the real one is compared to the fake, the colors, the lines, the materials, it is magnificent! 😆
True. The moral implications are kind of wonky considering we want to support them as our protagonists but what they are doing is a deceitful, criminal act.
I think maybe they will create fictional designer brands which have similarity to well-known brands (e,g. fictional brand with iconic monogram like Louis Vuitton, fictional brand with iconic It bag like Hermes Birkin etc) which will make it seem less bad if there aren’t any real world victims.
@Sunny I get what you are saying but isnt it a stretch to call billion $$ luxury companies victims? Not to get into |that| debate lol, but they themselves are a huge scam in a different way so its difficult to view them sympathetically. Back to the main topic; supporting morally corrupt protagonists is a very common concept and all kinds of criminals are romanticized from thieves to mafia/gangsters to politicians to chaebols lol. I expect KSH’s character to be entirely suave and charismatic with an ability to charm the socks out of absolutely anyone.
Pretty sure KSH’s character is going to be one of those anti heroes who’re morally corrupted but with good intentions of helping those who suffered from the 1997 IMF crisis recover. Agreed with the others that there will likely be a fictional brand as they do need a bad guy which a real brand cannot be LOL.
I am convinced the script of this drama is amazing. Kim Soo-hyun signed up before QoT ended, Jo Boa and Kwon Nara both agreed to take on supporting roles. Kim Moo-yul who is coming off a high profile movie and performance is part of the cast. Lee Jung-eun is also very well received in her current drama. Unsure on if and how Kim Nam-gil is involved tho regardless no way in hell they get this line up without a really strong script. Still not into the seasons, but I am seated for the cast regardless.
I was travelling last week and missed out on all the unofficial info everyone has LOL. Kim Nam Gil even doing a short cameo would be amazing. If he is part of the cast as a special ala Yoo In Young in MLFTS or Yoo Jae Myung in Vincenzo, then that would be SO EPIC!
I feel like I’ve been saying this drama has a solid cast for literally months now. But they keep adding amazing actors to the mix. I’m really excited for it. The only downside is that this is a Disney+ exclusive ughhhh.
@Bree The counterfeit world itself is fascinating. I am not ashamed to admit I own a couple of fake LV wallets *shrug*. And I got them legally-ish, in person while I was in Asia. Have yet to see a true superfake which I assume we will see in featured in the drama.
The world of counterfeit is murky. Parts of EU takes it very seriously meanwhile Asia has bad quality fakes sold openly in flea markets and good quality hidden in open-secret-backrooms. I was going to watch the drama anyway because KSH is always a must-see but the subject matter is super interesting with all the exposure tiktok and social media has recently given the counterfeit market. Hoping the drama keeps it as realistic as they can despite the PPL game they will obviously play.
Right with you there. It’s curious too if we look at how consumers view fakes in different parts of the world. In parts of asia, the general public is cool with openly wearing fakes and admitting them to be. But in NA, most try to get the best versions because they want it to look like the real thing. And most won’t ever admit to wearing fakes. Obv generalized comments here but considering the character description for KSH describes him to eventually claim the title of king of global counterfeit products, that difference in perceptions may come into play too. I hope we get some more info on the direction the series is planning to take. I’m endlessly fascinated at how they’ll go about this.
Filming have not even started yet and people are fighting already. LOL. I pray the day this finally premiere.