by Hazel Jung, July 11, 2023
28

In the tvN's weekend drama See You in My 19th Life, where the story nears towards its conclusion, Shin Hye Sun takes on the role of Ban Ji Eum, who remembers her past life spanning a thousand years and lives her 19th life. She showcases her outstanding performance at the center of the drama, elevating the abilities and charm of her character to the highest level. Her dedication to the work shines through, astonishing the audience.
In each project she takes on, Shin Hye Sun devotes herself to becoming the character completely, starting with thorough script analysis in and putting in extensive practice despite her busy schedule to achieve perfection in portraying the role. She has previously taken on roles such as a violinist, a genius ballerina, and a character with a reversed gender, making great efforts to imprint the characters themselves on the public, rather than being recognized solely as Shin Hye Sun.

In the K-drama See You in My 19th Life, Shin Hye Sun embarked on creating a new character, Ban Ji Eum, who has acquired various abilities through a thousand years of experience and 18 reincarnations. To portray this versatile character, she had to put in tremendous effort behind the scenes.

For the interview scene with MI Mobility's new employee in Episode 1, Shin Hye Sun practiced Arabic, Spanish, and Hungarian. She received guidance from experts to achieve fluent pronunciation and diligently listened to and imitated recorded files until she became familiar with the languages. In Episode 2, the flamenco dance she performed to escape Lee Ji Seok's (played by Ryu Hae Jun) attention, and the waltz she danced with Moon Seo Ha (played by Ahn Bo Hyun) at the beach in Episode 5, were also the result of Shin Hye Sun's dedication to practicing the dances for over two months. Thanks to her efforts, she was able to showcase the character's uniqueness and create beautiful and memorable scenes.

Furthermore, the piano-playing scene where Ban Ji Eum reveals her past life to Moon Seo Ha in the previous episode was another testament to Shin Hye Sun's hard work paying off. Despite never having played the piano before, she memorized the finger positions perfectly through consistent practice and played the piano herself. Her passion was fully displayed in the broadcast, intensifying the audience's immersion in the scene.

Shin Hye Sun's dedication to her roles and her multifaceted efforts are palpable, leaving us curious about how far her transformation and limitations can go.

With her broad acting skills and relentless efforts, Shin Hye Sun creates a captivating Ban Ji Eum. As we approach the conclusion with only four episodes remaining, we eagerly await to see how she will continue to mesmerize viewers.

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