Thirty But Seventeen is an upcoming SBS drama directed by Jo Soo Won (I Hear Your Voice, Pinocchio) and script writer Jo Sung Hee (High School King of Savvy, She Was Pretty). The production company Bon Factory has secured Yang Se Jong (Temperature of Love) and Shin Hye Sun (My Golden Life) as the lead actors, supported by actors such as Ahn Hyo Seop (Queen of Ring), Wang Ji Won (Hospital Ship), Ye Ji Won (Should We Kiss First), Jung Yoo Jin (Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food) and Yoon Chan Young (Doubtful Victory).
As far as we know, the casts have already carried out a script reading session. All we need to do is wait for the official announcement. The drama is scheduled to air on July 16 every Monday-Tuesday after Greasy Melo.
First off, seeing the resume’s of both director and writer, I think the production is in good hands. Although the director has had a couple of past misses such as Gapdong and The Time We Were In Love (the worst remake, ever!), but I think those two dramas failed because of the story-telling, not because of direction. More importantly, most of his other works did produce fairly good results. As for the casts, the combination of the leads are refreshing. They both made it to this day with their own strong, solid performances in past projects—we should therefore expect less of those nonsense about how one is riding on the fame of another. The secondary casts are a bit less uneven: some younger actors are weaker in acting where others are scene stealers, so its an interesting mix. It’ll all depend on how well the script is to allow them to shine.
MAIN CASTS
Yang Se Jong
Yang Se Jong plays Gong Woo Jin (30), the hero. He is a stage designer who believes he is responsible for the death of the heroine. Since then, he shuts himself off and avoid contact with people and the world. Due to the trauma 13 years ago, he hates interacting with outsiders.
It felt like a decade of wait, and boy am I glad to have Yang Se Jong back in action… er, I mean acting. Although I was hoping he would not take on another romance centric drama, but he did, and now we’ll have to wait and find out why this particular drama called out to him, and hope to see he is given a better character than On Jung Sun. With the character description, I do see why he would be attracted to the role. A character with psychological trauma who may exhibit fear of going out (if the accident makes him confine himself indoor), or he’s a sharp, distant, cold and eccentric person. Whichever it is I hope it’ll be good although it is concerning seeing in She Was Pretty, the hero also has a trauma, which is used as a convenient gimmick to pull the hero and heroine closer more so than exploring the depth of, or the mechanism behind the trauma.
Shin Hye Sun
This lady is no Stranger (pun intended) to me. Before she rises to popularity because of My Golden Life and Secret Forest / Stranger, she already made a deep impression since the days of Oh My Ghost, Legends of the Blue Sea and She Was Pretty.
She plays Woo Seo Ri (30), once a 17 years old violinist with promising future who was about to enter a prestigious music school. But due to an accident, she was comatose and wakes up 13 years later. Although she is physically a 30 years old mature woman, her mentality is still of the age of 17, so she has trouble adapting to the new world.
I’m anticipating some laughters from Hye Sun playing this role. Hehe.
Ahn Hyo Seop
Ahn Hyo Seop plays Yoo Chan, a hot blooded high school student born in Germany. He has a gift for sports and is a hard-working genius. Although he may come across as vulgar, but he cherishes the people around him, and is a pure and simple-minded teenager. He’s said to be the ‘protector of Woo Jin‘.
Now why does a 30 years old man needs protection from a teenager? LMAO. I’m curious of these two’s relationship and how they even know each other. Give me a bloody good bromance this time, yeah?
Hyo Seop was initially confirmed for Clean With a Passion Now, but this drama was put on hold because his co-star fell sick, and required 6 months to recover. Recently, it’s reported that they will resume filming soon because she got better, but since it clashes with this drama, he has to decline his first leading role. It must have been a difficult decision to make—giving up a chance of a leading role over a supporting role. It might be for the best seeing how difficult it had been to secure the castings and filming for that drama.
Wang Ji Won
Wang Ji Won is Kim Tae Rin, born into a famous musical family and specialises in violin. She is a violinist and music director. Tae Rin wins numerous awards in competition with constant practice and standard performances without any mistakes. She then meets Woo Seo Ri at a competition whose performing style is opposite of hers, and was at the time, garnering attention. They became rivals.
Wang Ji Won doesn’t play very many lovable characters, but I’m sincerely hoping she isn’t playing an annoying one. Let it be a frenemy kind of relationship with Seo Ri, yeah?
But most importantly, I hope Shin Hye Sun and Wang Ji Won (or their younger counterparts) have started learning some violin techniques if they have to play a violin in the show. Nothing annoys me more to see actors fake-playing a violin. It’s too easy to tell, so for the sake of professionalism, I hope they would put some effort in actually learning the basics of violin playing.
SUPPORING CASTS
Jung Yoo Jin
Jung Yoo Jin plays Kang Hee Soo (30), who is also a stage designer. She is Woo Jin’s university classmate, friend and boss.
Well, I’m surprise a shut-down Woo Jin would be friend someone and work for her after the accident.
Aish, I hope this doesn’t mean she has a one-sided crush on Woo Jin, because after Pretty Noona and Temperature of Love, I’m in no mood for another bitchy secondary / tetiary female character!!!
Ye Ji Won
I was delighted of the news that Ye Jin Won joined this drama, because she is an awesome actress. Much like Hwang Suk Jung (She Was Pretty, Temperature of Love), she is also a scene stealer; I especially love her in Oh Hae Young Again.
Ye Ji Won is Jennifer/Hwang Mi Jung, and she plays a mysterious housekeeper. LOL, I wonder whose house she is housekeeping! Personally, I want it to be Woo Jin’s, so I get to see sparks flying between Ye Ji Won and Yang Se Jong, and Se Jong can learn more acting techniques from another sunbae.
Yoon Chang Young
Oooh, I remember this child actor! He played Rin in The King in Love against my favourite child actor, Nam Da Reum. He was good too, promising. He is set to play the younger version of Gong Woo Jin.
I wonder who will play the young versions of Woo Seo Ri and Tae Rin. I hope to see some familiar faces.
First Peek of the Script Read!
Can you spot Se Jong? I think I also see Ye Ji Won beside him. 🙂
Eukybear ♥ Dramas 
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