KBS2 broadcast capture
Kim Hyung-mook dominated the small screen in ‘Prescribing Love for You,’ displaying overwhelming acting prowess that moves freely between comedy and serious drama.
In episodes 9 and 10 of the KBS2 weekend drama ‘Prescribing Love for You,’ aired last weekend, Kim Hyung-mook played Yang Dong-ik, who unleashes long-festering emotions with his 30-year archrival Gong Jeong-han (played by Kim Seung-soo), pushing the tension of the story to its peak.
After a golf appointment with Assemblyman Hwang was canceled, Yang Dong-ik went to see Gong Jeong-han, grabbed him by the collar, and said, “Are you even eyeing my city council seat?” When Gong Jeong-han snapped, “Severe paranoia,” he jabbed a finger and poured out his rage: “How did I end up like this? Because of you, who took everything that was mine.” With just a few scenes, Kim Hyung-mook starkly captured Yang Dong-ik’s inferiority complex and victim mentality, drawing attention.
The scene where he erupted in fury after learning that his brother-in-law Min Yong-gil (Kwon Hae-sung) and Gong Dae-han’s (Choi Dae-cheol) wife were in an affair was the highlight of the previous broadcast. Yang Dong-ik sought out Min Yong-gil, who had hurt his sister Yang Dong-suk (Jo Mi-ryeong) and once again entangled the Yangs in an uncomfortable relationship with the Gong family, and rained down punches, saying, “Are you even human?” Then, quietly resting in the arms of his wife Cha Seri (So Yi-hyun) with a sorrowful expression, he conveyed Yang Dong-ik’s deep-rooted wounds and the weight he bears as head of the family, leaving viewers heavy-hearted.
Kim Hyung-mook’s true value also shone in details that adjusted the pacing of the drama. Before going to a coin toss with Gong Jeong-han with a house move on the line, the scene of him practicing feverishly alone at the clinic and solemnly saying, “The fate of our family is at stake,” highlighted Kim Hyung-mook’s signature rhythmical comic acting.
At the ending of episode 10, Gong Jeong-han deliberately dropped the coin at his feet, lost the bet, and declared that he would move. Yang Dong-ik, who did not grasp Gong’s intent and stared at him in bewilderment, doubled the fun of the story.
From an ambitious figure aiming beyond the merchants association to a city council seat, to an elder brother striving to defend a family honor in tatters, Kim Hyung-mook completed a three-dimensional portrait of Yang Dong-ik’s emotional highs and lows. With a performance each episode as if riding a blade, Kim Hyung-mook is serving as an energy source for ‘Prescribing Love for You,’ and expectations are building for his next moves.
The KBS2 drama ‘Prescribing Love for You,’ featuring a passionate turn by Kim Hyung-mook, airs every Saturday and Sunday at 8 p.m.
