#20201223

This Year as Lee Yeon [1:16:20~] 

The final ‘2′ is: ‘This Year as Lee Yeon.’ Yes, that’s right. Well, truly this year, after Wook Talk* wrapped, I lived as Lee Yeon for nearly the full year. As of this week, it's been.. What is it? Three weeks since Tale of the Nine Tailed wrapped, right? Still, to think three weeks have already passed… 

At first, after it ended, for about one or two weeks, I was continuously listless; after it finished airing. But filming actually wrapped a while before then, so for nearly about a month, over a month, I've felt a bit empty, yes. And heartsick... (sigh) So, this year I lived as Lee Yeon. I received a lot of love, yes. And got to experience many new things; there were a lot of enjoyable things, yes. 

Humans really are like that. We're forgetful creatures, aren't we? While we were filming, it was intense and exhausting. I would think, ‘Gosh, when are we ever going to finish? Seriously, when are we going to film all of this?’ But now that we've actually wrapped, now that a month and three weeks have already passed since we finished filming... (nods) Now that I'm able to calmly look back on things, ‘It was fun,’ ‘It was enjoyable,’ ‘We really had a great time of it. We really worked hard.’ These are the things that have stayed with me the most.  

[*Note: This is the nickname for Lee Dong Wook’s 2019 talk show.]

Lee Dong Wook’s Affection for TotNT [1:18:18~] 

[Reading the live chat] Do I have a lot of love for Tale of the Nine Tailed? 

Yes. Most likely, of everyone in the world, I probably have the most love for Tale of the Nine Tailed. Of course, the fans of our drama that loved it, and my fans that loved me, probably have a lot of love for it as well, but it's possible that I love TotNT even more than our director and writer, yes. (nods) 

(Sigh) Since there's so much that went on behind the scenes that I can't even begin to tell you about... (nods) 

There's... Lee Seung Hwan, among Lee Seung Hwan hyung's songs, among Lee Seung Hwan sunbae's songs, there's one called ‘Even if I Write A Poem with Tears’ (눈물로 시를 써도). In the lyrics there's a line that goes, ‘A letter torn up for having far too many circumstances [to convey] / Do you know the meaning of that?’ Right now, that's precisely how I feel. There are so many circumstances, and since they're not all things I'm able to tell you about.. (nods) Yes, well, in any case, I believe of everyone in the world, I have the most love for Tale of the Nine Tailed. 

Sense of Responsibility [1:19:51~]

Tale of the Nine Tailed is... to me it was one of the dramas in which I had a large burden, a lot of responsibility to bear; in which an immense amount rested on my shoulders. From the very beginning, the director, the writer, and I spent quite a lot of time preparing just the three of us. Mm...so, while I'm only saying this now, before we even began, from the very start, I began this project with the feeling that, whether the drama succeeded or failed, I would have to bear the full responsibility for that. (nods) It was a drama, and a character, that I felt that much responsibility, that much affection for. 

So, yeah, we spent seven months filming, and the broadcast, too, ended well.  

The Final Scene [1:21:10~]

There are an awful lot of questions about the final scene. ‘At the end, is he a gumiho or a human?’ 

Honestly, I hadn't thought that that was something to be that shocked about. ‘They'll just think of this as a bonus cut.’ ‘Whether he's become a gumiho, or he's human but his powers remained, Lee Yeon will continue to eliminate the demons (ak’gwi) of this world, and Ji Ah will be with him, encouraging him and lending him strength.’ I thought people would think of it as just that much of a bonus cut, but, ‘He's become human,’ ‘He's a gumiho,’ ‘He lied to Ji Ah,’ ‘He deceived everyone.’ There was so much talk going around. So, ‘Ah, this.. I may have been somewhat mistaken.’ I did think that, yes. 

But that wasn't necessarily a decision made solely by the writer and director. My opinion is reflected in that as well, so, well, since it's all over and done with at this point, rather than blaming or not blaming someone, I think it would be best if we all just laid it to rest, yes.  

Six Years Later [1:22:37~]

Rather, I thought the focus would be on the happy ending: ‘Lee Yeon returned. And so, he and Ji Ah became a happy family.’ (nods) And, there is a bit more to it than that, actually, yes.  

Originally, hmm... We don't know if we'll be able to do the commentary [for the director's cut Blu-ray] or not, but if it turns out we do, we'll talk about these sort of.. yes, we'll talk about these things, so..  

To tell you a little bit up front, originally, in the scene at the park where I meet Rang-ie, that boy who is like a reborn Rang-ie, that's six years later, according to the script. As to why we didn't add that '6 years later' in as a chyron... If we had, our environment would have needed to change completely. At the very least, the smartphones Lee Yeon and Ji Ah use; their car, like, the cars driving about on the roads, all these sorts of surrounding items; the house we live in - so, well, that would be a set, wouldn't it? - all those things would have had to have changed, but we didn't have the time needed to physically make those changes. And, honestly, none of us know what sort of smartphones we'll be using in six years, do we? What car models will be released six years from now, how people will dress and go about six years from now. So, in wanting to keep true to those details, we thought it might be fine to just leave it at, ‘some amount of time had passed,’ and go with that. But now, well, thinking about it now, if we'd just added in the chyron, I think maybe it might have been easier for you all to understand, yes. 

Daughter [1:24:33~] 

And, ah, there was really a lot [of talk] about that. That's...of course, we, since that scene itself was deleted it's only natural that you all wouldn't know, but, ‘Lee Yeon and Ji Ah have a daughter.’ 

So, well, there were these photos of this child actress going about [the internet], but.. she's not our daughter. (laughs) She's just.. As to what that deleted scene was, it was a scene in which Ji Ah and I happily enjoy a picnic, just the two of us, at the park. I’d made delicious kimbap... 

And then, the little girl just passes by.. So, to put it simply, that little girl was an extra. But then, somehow, that scene ended up being deleted, and with all the curiosity over the ending, that just snowballed until people started saying, ‘That little girl was our daughter,’ ‘They had a daughter, but they didn't show her to us,’ that sort of talk was all over. 

But, yes. (laughs) That's not the case. Well, for this, since there seems to be a lot of misunderstanding, I thought I might set the record straight for you just this once, yes. 

[Reading the live chat] Yes, she's not our daughter! (laughs) She's a child actress who, yes, just came briefly to act as an extra for us.  

Lee Yeon’s Thread Rings [1:26:08~]

Oh! The thread rings, yes. I said in my previous VLIVE that, yes, that the color of the thread rings was of no consequence. They’re just one of Lee Yeon’s accessories that I had come up with from the very beginning. But after I began wearing the couple ring I no longer wore them. Also, in episode 16, when I return from the River of Three Crossings as a human, at that time too I’m not wearing the thread rings. But...well, after the 6 year time jump that only I know about, I’m wearing them again. The thread rings.

So they were actually a mark just for me that symbolized my abilities. I regained my abilities, and so, at the end, in the bonus cut as well, I’m once again wearing those rings, as always. So that was what I was referring to when I said that. But at that time, the broadcast was still ongoing, so I wasn’t able to explain these sort of specifics; the meaning of the thread rings.  

But that’s something that nobody knows. I’m the only one who knows that. The director, the writer, nobody else will know that. Because it’s something that I came up with all on my own, a detail I made all on my own, so that’s probably something that nobody knows. It was something that only I knew, yes.

‘Missing’ Behind the Scenes Footage [1:27:43~]

Well, I'm aware that there are a lot of other things you're curious about too. Regarding Tale of the Nine Tailed. But, well, I can't just go into each and every one of them here.  

Ah, right! The.. ‘The kiss scene, the bed scene, why was there no BTS footage of that?’ I heard that people have been saying this, but.. (chuckles, sighs). Yes, there's a bit more to the story there as well. 

So the thing is... that was the production team being considerate of us. They were being considerate of me and Bo Ah-ssi. As to why, it's because, before being actors, we're people. Of course, as part of acting we act out those sort of scenes, but there are times when we feel self-conscious. If a camera that isn't ours, another camera like a BTS camera or a still camera is filming that, the people who are taking that footage, those photos, are a bit, yes. They're hesitating for our sake. ‘Ah, is it okay for me to film this right now? To capture this?’ ‘Is this not, in some way, inconsiderate towards them?’ ‘Am I interfering with the filming of this important scene?’ Well, from that line of reasoning, they were being considerate of us.   

But, also... It was something that I wanted. “I would like it if you didn't film the BTS for these sorts of scenes.” This goes for me as well, but also, the actress could feel even more self-conscious and uncomfortable, so. Well, it was that sort of thing, yes. It wasn’t as if we were filming some sort of x-rated scene with a lot of exposure or anything, but - I'm sure many of you are aware - when it comes to those sorts of specialized scenes, only the essential crew remain while everyone else goes outside, yes. They vacate the space. But, well, we also did that when we filmed these sorts of scenes. So you can just think of it in that context. Of course, I know that wasn’t what you meant when you said you were curious about the behind-the-scenes [for these scenes] but, (laughs) well, I'd I appreciate it if you understood, yes.

Behind the Scenes Story? [1:29:52~]

Tale of the Nine Tailed behind the scenes [stories]... There are so many. Yes. But, well, honestly, it's not as if each and every last one is coming to mind right now. My thoughts are all jumbled. 

Inviting Questions [1:30:35~] 

Since we're on the subject of Tale of the Nine Tailed, if you’ll send me some of the questions you had about TotNT, I'll take a look and answer a few. Using this time. That would be, yes, I think that would be best. 

Iconic Scenes [1:31:03~]

[Reading the live chat] Iconic Tale of the Nine Tailed scenes? 

Oh, I can't pick one. Iconic scenes, iconic lines, anecdotes that stuck with me, I can't pick these sorts of things. There were just so so many. Yes, so much happened. And well, yes, so many memories are coming to mind that I can't pick just one. (nods) That's a bit... I'd appreciate if you would understand.  

But I’ll say this: from beginning to end, there wasn't a single scene, a single cut, that wasn't precious to me. Truly. (nods) Yes. Because I gave my all to the creation of every scene; because I had to take responsibility for more than I ever have in any other drama, all of it is precious, and all of it has stayed with me.

The First Scene Filmed [1:32:00~]

[Reading the live chat] The first scene we filmed? 

The first scene we filmed was the one where, in episode 1, after exterminating Yeo Nui at the wedding hall, I'm sitting in the park and, yes. He's revealed later as Soo Oh. The scene in the park I filmed with that kid, that was the first scene we filmed.

(Sigh) But that day, there was a high wind warning. A high wind warning. The wind was blowing really hard, and even though it was mid-April, even wearing a long parka, it was cold. On top of that, our hair and clothes were being blown about, so even though it wasn't such a difficult scene, it took a long time to film. 

So, although it was our first day filming, we really had a hard time of it, and it took a long time, and, conversely, it helped me adjust quickly [to what filming TotNT would be like]. It was that sort of scene. (chuckles)

The Red Umbrella [1:32:59~]

[Reading the live chat] You want to own the umbrella? 

Ah, the umbrella. (chuckles) The umbrella. It's expensive. Yes. That's, but, as I mentioned previously, promotional items aren't something I can do anything about... 

Wirework [1:33:31~]

[Reading the live chat] Did the wires hurt? 

Ah, they hurt a bit at first. They hurt a bit at first but, later, after doing wirework for about seven months, I got used to them. (nods) Later on, doing wirework action was a bit fun. Well, that is, the people rigging the wires, our stunt team, must have had a hard time of it, but for me.. (laughs) I sort of enjoyed it later on. It was fun. I mean, moving about mid-air is something that, frankly, we can't normally do, isn't it? Flying about like this for a long period of time.. (nods) Later on it got really fun.  

Imoogi SFX Makeup [1:34:50~]

[Checks the live chat and laughs] Hahaha Was the Imoogi makeup a sticker? 

That's (laughter) that's really, really expensive special effects makeup. It takes an hour to do that (nods, laughs again). Yes, it's not a sticker. It's special effects makeup. Specialists in our country who are extremely good at special effects makeup came and took an hour each time to painstakingly apply that makeup.  

[Checking the live chat] The questions are going by so fast. Hold on a second.

The Scene in which LDW Cried the Most [1:35:46~]

[Reading the live chat] Ah, the scene in which I cried the most? 

Ah~ The scene in which I write a letter to Ji Ah. Mm....In that scene where I write a letter to Ji Ah......I really did cry a lot, yes. 

And.... A scene where I cried when I wasn’t originally supposed to was...that, when I leave a video message for Rang-ie. Originally, crying there wasn't in the script. But, without even meaning to, tears came. 

Ah, so, if you watch that scene again... The part where I go, ‘This message will explode in 10 seconds... I'm kidding. I just wanted to try saying that,’ and end the video, the camera draws back from me, like this. But I suddenly start crying, and sob. So this camera draws back, and stops. Originally it was supposed to zoom all the way out, but it stops, and goes back in a little bit, about this far. They used a camera rig to film it like this, but.. That’s how I remember it, yes. If you try watching that [scene] once more, you'll see. Yes. They were tears that hadn't originally been planned on.  

Lee Yeon’s ‘Profession’ [1:37:51~] 

[Reading the live chat] Haha After he's restored, will Lee Yeon really be a stay-at-home husband while living off rent money? 

(Nods) He probably will, yes. (chuckles, nods) Lee Yeon has so much money that I don't think he'd bother working. And, I think he would focus all of his strength on protecting Ji Ah.  

The Video Messages [1:38: 31~]

[Reading the live chat] In the final episode, in the scenes where Rang-ie and I cry while looking at each other’s video messages, were we really watching each other cry? 

Yes. Rang-ie [Kim Beom] and I both actually recorded those messages on our phones. We really recorded them, and we each filmed while watching the video the other had recorded. So we really did watch them, and we really did cry. (nods) 

Who Has More Money? [1:39:18~] 

[Reading the live chat] (chuckles) ‘I heard that Lee Rang has more money than Lee Yeon~?’ 

Ah, it seems this was something Rang-ie said. (nods) That could be. I think that’s entirely possible.  

[Note: This is a reference to something Kim Beom said in his Instagram LIVE]

End of TotNT Question Time [1:39:56~] 

[Reading the live chat] I'm looking for a question I might be able to answer...but...nothing is really jumping out at me. 

Hmmm Hmmm... Yes, well, it seems like I'll have to wrap up talking about Tale of the Nine Tailed here, yes. I had wanted to answer more of your questions but...yes. I'm not seeing the sort of question I might be able to answer for you. Well, in any case, thank you so, so much for loving Tale of the Nine Tailed, and for liking it so much even now. 

Drama Memorabilia [1:42:12~] 

[Reading the live chat] Oh! ‘Did you ever want to own any of the outfits you wore while filming a drama?’ 

Oh this one, yes. I can answer this one. While filming a drama, key items, things that are associated with me, like outfits, I have them. Yes. Ah... I think I have an item from just about every [project] at home, yes. So, come to think of it, hmm...from Goblin, you know, that grim reaper...uh...costume? From the fedora down to the shoes - the suit, shirt, shoes, fedora; I have all of them. Just as they were. The coat, yes. So I have my reaper costume kept nicely at home, just as it was. And when I was filming Life, the name tag I wore around my neck all the time, that, ‘Ye Jin Woo,’ yes, that, ‘Emergency Medical and Health Services, Ye Jin Woo’ name tag is also at home. It's hanging on the fridge. And that, when I filmed Partner some years ago, at that time, I had a nameplate that read, ‘Lawyer Lee Tae Jo.’ That nameplate is at home, too. So I always keep at least one prop, one item that's associated with me that contains memories.  

I also have my grim reaper [death] list at home, even now. That list is really something that no one else will have. Yes. I'm definitely the only person in the world who has one. (chuckles) No, it's just, this is just another anecdote but, right around when we were nearly done filming Goblin, the staff had kind of made a lot of those lists, so there were extras. And they kept asking me to sign them. (laughs) But, originally, you're not supposed to write your name on there, right? You only, you know, write the names of people who are going to pass on, so I was like, ‘Even though I know this..is not the real thing, is it really all right for me to, ah, sign this?’ (laughs) Later I was like, ‘No, no I can't sign this,’ and turned them away. There was that anecdote. (laughs) 

Oh, and that, that umbrella sheath that Yeon-ie wore everywhere. You know that umbrella sheath he wore like this? That's... I made that. I designed it. Should I have brought that today to show you? Well, later, if there's an opportunity. But even though I only ever wore the black one on screen, there was actually another one that was brown. So I had those made out of high-quality leather, very expensively, yes, two of them. Yes, it was my idea. It was an idea my styling team and I came up with. ‘Since he's always carrying that umbrella about, rather than carrying it in-hand, what if I tried wearing it over my shoulder?’ I thought. So we had them made, and when I mentioned it to the director he said, ‘Oh, that sounds interesting,’ ..yes. Naturally, I have those. Those too, as you'd expect, are in my possession. And... [Reading the chat] Yes, I designed them, yes. I paid for them myself.  

And, oh. The umbrella that you all wanted so much. That umbrella, and the sa'ingeom, yes. I have them both. (nods) Ah, I should have brought them today. How much you all must have wanted to see them. I didn't think of it, I'm sorry. That umbrella case, the brown one that never aired, the umbrella, and the sa'ingeom, I have all of them. Later, if there's an opportunity, it'd be nice if I could give you a good look at them. Yes, well, from small things like the name tag to my reaper costume, these sorts of things, yes. 

[Reading the live chat] You’re envious, aren't you? Yes (laughs) Yes, well, anyway.  

~~~