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For actor Sakaguchi Kentaro, What Comes after Love holds various meanings.
Not only is it a project created through a rare collaboration between Korean and Japanese artists, but it also marks the Japanese actor's first filming experience in Korea.
In a recent interview held at a café in Seoul, he shared his thoughts on filming in Korea, saying, "It was cold. It was really cold."
"When we were filming in Korea in winter, the tree branches were bare, all the leaves had fallen, and the water was frozen. This cold atmosphere seemed to perfectly match Jungo's emotions."
In the series, Sakaguchi Kentaro plays the role of Aoki Jungo, who parts ways with Choi Hong (Lee Se Young) after a fateful love. The two reunite after five years. While on a business trip to Korea, Jungo happens to meet Hong by chance.
The story of Hong and Jungo meeting for the first time was mainly filmed in Japan during the warm spring. However, the story of their reunion was filmed in the cold winter of Korea. Sakaguchi Kentaro recalled that Jungo's unresolved feelings for Hong mirrored the cold atmosphere of the Korean winter.
Regarding the project, Kentaro said, "I was first offered it as a film about 4 or 5 years ago. I wondered if it would be possible to capture the emotions of the two characters in a one or two-hour film, so I decided to produce it as a series."
Was there any pressure about visualizing What Comes after Love, which has been a bestseller for 20 years? He responded, "Even though it's a work from 20 years ago, I believe it would still be popular as a drama today. Back then, people couldn't reach each other immediately, so they would often wonder, 'What are they doing?' and think more about each other." He continued, "The only difference now is the distance between Korea and Japan. Otherwise, not much has changed from 20 years ago."
Talking about the nuances of the Japanese language, the actor shared that he proposed reducing the number of times the phrase aishiteru (愛してる), meaning "I love you", appeared in Jungo's script.
He explained that in Japan, the expression of love is reserved for important and decisive moments, and suki da yo (好きだよ), meaning "I like you", is usually used.
He said, "I thought it might be a cultural difference." "At first, both the director and Lee Se Young wanted to use the expression 'I love you' more often, but later, the director said, 'If Kentaro feels that way about Jungo's character, then that's the right answer,' so we ended up using the expression less number of times."
Kentaro has consistently shown a variety of sides to the public, regardless of whether he plays leading or supporting roles. When asked about his criteria for choosing projects, he responded, "It just turned out that way. I didn't set out to carefully choose projects from the beginning. I've worked on projects that I felt affection for. Whether it's a lover, friend, family, or teacher — I've chosen projects I can feel affection for. Feeling affection for a project also means being able to love the project."
As for his preferred genres and roles, he said, "Affection is what's important. There might be something within me that leads me to certain genres, but I don't have a particular genre that I favor. In a way, I think affection itself could be considered my genre."
The actor also said that through his recent filming experience in Korea, he developed an interest in playing a bodyguard role, due to the fact that a bodyguard was with him at all times during his stay in Korea, including the filming period. He said, "Everything they did seemed so cool," adding, "I want to take on a project that tells the story of people like them, those who work out of the spotlight."
He also talked about his friendship with actor Park Bo Gum.
Sakaguchi Kentaro recalled how he and Park Bo Gum first met: "We met at the music awards ceremony MAMA and became close." "At our first meeting, we just exchanged greetings, but we got closer when we met again in Osaka."
He added, "I meet Park Bo Gum every time I come to Korea," and, "If the opportunity arises, I'd love to work on a project with him."
With the rapid rise of OTT platforms, the boundaries between countries, in terms of genres, are disappearing. Kentaro explained, "As the number of streaming platforms increases, so does the number of projects. As competition intensifies, we’ve entered an era where only good works get recognized. I definitely think there's been a change."
Despite his growing popularity in Korea, Kentaro has previously mentioned that he doesn't quite understand why he's popular. He admitted, "It's true that I've gained a little confidence. Even when I heard I was popular in Korea, I felt it was a bit ambiguous to say that, since I hadn't worked on a project here. But as the barriers to entry [between the two countries' cinemas] have lowered, I want to be more confident when I say, 'Yes, I'm popular in Korea.'"
What Comes after Love will premiere on September 27. The K-drama will be available to stream on Viki.
