JOURNAL 4

I auditioned for the role “Shin Ae Yoo” and I got the role.

At first, I wasn’t picked. The director and the writer were unable to decide, because they were looking for the person who can both act convincingly and look similar to Shin Ae Yoo in the webtoon. I don’t know about other candidates, but there’s no one that really resembles the fictional character; people have different imagination of how Shin Ae looks like in real life. According to Quimchee, the original creator, Shin Ae is an average-looking girl. However, the production team wants an a good-looking actress; audience prefer watching an attractive face that is certainly not of a non-celebrity. This is why celebrities are mostly beautiful people with star quality. On the other hand, I was complimented by the judge for my beauty; they said my face could draw attention. But the problem is that my face was not how Quimchee imagined Shin Ae to be. Thankfully, my acting and my deep understanding of the character I auditioned for enabled me to secure this role - people saw the potential in my acting performance and decided to give me the opportunity. I was crying in joy because I Love Yoo is my most favorite web comic and I have been a huge fan for almost ten years. From a passionate reader who obsessively re-read this webtoon out of boredom, I gained the chance to play the female lead - and I was ready to embody her. I was ready to tell her story. I wanted to make the fandom proud and of course, to bring the character to real life. I could not disappoint the production team and especially my favorite creator. She would be extremely ecstatic to see her life-long project on the screen - now her characters are not simply a lifeless, fictional humans - they are breathing, alive and emotional.

I auditioned for the role of Shin Ae Yoo, and eventually, I got it.

At first, I wasn’t chosen. The director and writer were wavering because they needed someone who could both act convincingly and resemble Shin Ae from the webtoon. I don’t know about the other candidates, but realistically, no one truly looks like a fictional character—everyone imagines Shin Ae differently. According to Quimchee, the original creator, Shin Ae is just an average-looking girl. However, the production team wanted a more attractive actress; audiences naturally prefer watching someone with a striking, camera-friendly face. That’s why most celebrities are beautiful and have that “star quality.”

The judges complimented me on my looks, saying my face could draw attention, but the issue was that I didn’t match Quimchee’s mental image of Shin Ae. Fortunately, my acting—and my deep understanding of the character—convinced them. They saw potential in my performance and decided to give me the opportunity.

I cried from pure joy. I Love Yoo is my all-time favorite webtoon, and I’ve been a devoted fan for nearly ten years. From a passionate reader who endlessly re-read the series out of love and comfort, I suddenly had the chance to play the female lead. I was ready to embody her. I wanted to tell her story. I wanted to make the fandom proud and, of course, bring the character to life.

I couldn’t let the production team down—and especially not my favorite creator. I knew she would be ecstatic to see her lifelong project on screen. Her characters would no longer be still and two-dimensional; they would breathe, feel, and exist.

On the first day, we attend the acting workshop. This is when I meet other actors and actresses. Everyone introduces themselves and the role they play. I am Shin Ae Yoo! I proudly say and I can’t not hide my excitement from the moment I say that name out loud. We read the script together and then act out while reading the lines. We start with easy scene first. I start with the actor who plays Nol, and we act the scene when these two first meet. It is a funny scene, which makes the atmostphere relaxing and filled with laugh. I enjoy starting with lighter scenes! Then I act with the actor who plays Kousuke. As I play the main character, I have to interact with other roles. Every scene in the workshop involves me.

I thought I was the only one who didn’t look like Shin Ae. The actor who plays Nol looks nothing like the Nol that Quimchee imagines; his hair is not red at all. His hair color is strawberry blond, then I guess it’s close enough? And his eyes are not green. Well Shin Ae’s eyes in webtoon are red but we all know that color in comics can be unrealistic. Anyway, he looks strikingly handsome. He looks so attractive that I almost gasp when I first saw him walking into the room. Without this introduction, I immediately know that he plays the male lead. He also has the same personality with Nol - friendly, easy-going, bubbly, and approachable. Imagine acting with him for months. I believe he’s a good fit for this role based on his appearance and characteristic alone. Oh, did I mention his height? He’s very tall. Of course, he’s European. While Nol is Irish, he’s actually from England. The height gap will kill me - while I’m taller than Shin Ae, I still feel the significant gap between me and the actor who plays Nol.

On the first day, we attended the acting workshop. This was when I met the other actors and actresses. Everyone introduced themselves and the role they would play. “I am Shin Ae Yoo!” I proudly said, unable to hide my excitement the moment I spoke her name out loud.

We read the script together and then acted out the scenes while reading the lines. We started with the easier scenes first. I began with the actor who plays Nol, and we performed the scene when these two first meet. It was a funny scene, which made the atmosphere light and filled with laughter. I loved starting with the lighter scenes! Then, I acted with the actor who plays Kousuke. As the main character, I had to interact with almost every role—every scene in the workshop involved me.

I thought I was the only one who didn’t exactly look like my character. The actor playing Nol also didn’t match Quimchee’s image—his hair wasn’t red at all. It was strawberry blond, so maybe close enough? And his eyes weren’t green. Of course, Shin Ae’s eyes in the webtoon are red, but comic colors can be unrealistic. Still, he looked strikingly handsome. I almost gasped when I first saw him walk into the room. It was clear immediately that he was the male lead. His personality matched Nol perfectly—friendly, easy-going, bubbly, and approachable. Acting with him for months would be a joy.

Oh, and did I mention his height? He’s very tall. Although Nol is Irish in the webtoon, he’s actually from England. The height gap is significant—while I’m taller than Shin Ae, I still felt small next to him.