After making us swoon as the reliable Cha Sung-hoon in Business Proposal, Kim Min Kyu is finally returning to the screen; this time, as his own leading man! The 28-year-old is set to steal the hearts of both K-drama and K-pop fans as a mystical priest trapped in the body of a struggling idol. Sound intriguing already? Scroll through for more!
Here are 5 things you need to know about "The Heavenly Idol":
1. It’s based on a webtoon
Much like his last K-drama, The Heavenly Idol is also based on a webtoon of the same name by Shin Hwa-jin. This fantasy rom-com follows Min Kyu as the dedicated Pontifex Rembrary, a revered high priest from another universe. His whole life turns upside down when he wakes up one day in the body of a five-year idol named Woo Yeon-woo. Stuck in Yeon-woo’s world, he has no choice but to persevere in the K-pop industry while trying to find his way back home.
2. Min Kyu will star alongside Go Bo Gyeol
What’s a K-pop idol without his loyal fangirls? Playing the role of Yeon-woo’s biggest fan is Go Bo Gyeol, whom you might remember from the emotional 2020 drama Hi Bye, Mama. Here, Bo Gyeol will star as Kim Dal, a working woman who learns of the current Yeon-woo’s secret. In order to save her bias, Dal becomes the manager for his unsuccessful group, Wild Animal.
In an interview with 1st Look magazine, Bo Gyeol described her character to be the “cool career woman type.” She explained, “She’s good at her job, she’s mature, and she’s also humorous to boot. She has a lot of pride in her work, but it all comes crashing down in one instant. While living like that, she winds up meeting Rembrary, and the two grow and mature together.”
Homemade Love Story star Lee Jang Woo rounds up the main cast as Shin Zo-woon, the vice chairman of an entertainment company. His body is soon overtaken by Lumena, a vengeful demon from Rembrary’s world.
3. The role of a K-pop idol isn’t new to Min Kyu
In case you missed it, this show isn’t Min Kyu’s first foray into the K-pop world. He’s done the whole song and dance before, albeit briefly, as an actual idol trainee. In an interview with Radio Star, Min Kyu shared that he was working on debuting with a group that had some of the current members of Seventeen.
It turned out the idol life just wasn’t for Min Kyu as he quit being a trainee after just one month. He admitted, “I wasn’t extremely good at singing to the extent of becoming a singer, and I’m really bad at dancing. I also had a thirst for acting that never went away.”
4. The press conference for the show will be pre-recorded
Last November 2022, it was announced that Min Kyu will be enlisting in the military ahead of The Heavenly Idol’s premiere. In preparation for his temporary departure, his agency announced that some of his promotional interviews for the series will be recorded in advance. We think it’s sweet he’s leaving fans with something to sink their teeth into while he fulfills his mandatory service.
5. "The Heavenly Idol" will premiere on February 15, 2023
The tvN drama will be available for Philippine streaming on Viu this February 16, just a day after the show's launch.
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