[Suhyeon’s (Child Actor) Direct Review
Saw Suhyeon yesterday at the ㅁㅁ Artist Street.
They were filming a movie, but it looked pretty shabby with just a few low-ranking people and equipment lying aroundㅋ.
Anyway, I was waiting to see if any celebrities I knew would show up when suddenly a kid came running out.
I thought it was a mistake and got worried with my friend, but the kid had such a pretty face (really pretty, like a doll, truly adorable).
I thought the halo effect was CGIㅋㅋ If a child actor is that cute, top-tier celebrities must be not human at all… (omitted)…
When the kid suddenly picked up a violin, I realized it was definitely a film shoot, so I sneaked a look. The kid struggling with the equipment was cute, tooㅎㅎ.
…There was a time when I thought like that.
But seeing the kid made me feel how unfair God is. I never thought I’d feel a sense of deprivation from seeing a six-year-old show such amazing acting skills. Is he a genius or what? From face to talent, he has it all ㅂㄷㅂㄷ.
The atmosphere was just like a concert…
I learned for the first time that a six-year-old could make their hands tremble while playing the violinㅇㅇ.
(ㅁㅁStreet_Performance.avi)
It was amazing, so I filmed it, but the video quality is poor, and you can’t hear the musicㅋㅠㅠㅇㄲㄴ.
The piece was really good, and they say the director composed it. The director’s got talent tooㅠ.
The movie’s title is Shadow Road, but they won’t tell me the release date.
Anyway, I’ve become a fan today. The kid’s name is Suhyeonㅎㅎ
Suhyeon, fighting! Noona supports you.
└I was with you, rememberㅋ. After the performance, Suhyeon said, “Hello!” and it was just so cute.
└Reallyㅠㅠ I didn’t know kids could be that cute. I don’t watch dramas, but I heard the kid’s famous.
└ㅇㅇ Suhyeon is really famous. He mostly does dramas and a few commercials, so some people don’t know him, but his acting is ㅎㄷㄷ.
└You’re so mean. Why didn’t you tell us? Are you kidding? So when is it going to come out?
└I really don’t know… They said it’s undecided.
└Oh myㅋㅋㅋ. Sorry, sorry, I thought…
└Ahhhh…
└ㅋㅋㅋ]
The street where the filming took place was known for frequent street performances.
As such, there was a lot of foot traffic, and even managers from entertainment agencies were often present.
To think I’d receive business cards.
Suhyeon neatly placed the business cards he received that day on his desk.
From well-known entertainment agencies to those he’d never heard of.
Eight crisp cards greeted him.
When Sangil-hyung brought up the agency talk before, I thought I didn’t need it yet… but should I start considering it?
While rookies needed agencies for casting information and systematic training, those without needing to worry about casting opportunities needed them for legal, accounting, and tax issues.
As his earnings were increasing, it seemed wise to join a suitable agency to make things easier by next May.[1]
The problem is finding a decent agency, but none of them offer fair shares to child actors.
Child actors, being young, have much to learn and many aspects to be mindful of.
Agencies that ignored popularity were known to exploit this weakness, which was also why Suhyeon was contemplating hiring just a manager.
Alright, let’s put it off for now. My future self will decide.
It wasn’t an urgent matter, so Suhyeon postponed the decision again today.
If he was confident that conditions would only improve, delaying wasn’t a bad choice.
Hmm, public opinion is great. It was definitely a good decision to make an impression there.
He checked the eyewitness accounts posted online.
He was cute, it was a shame someone who could play like that was just a child actor, his playful mannerisms made people want to see him on variety shows…
There wasn’t a single bad comment.
– “Hello! I’m child actor Kang Suhyeon! I’m six years old! I’m here for filming today!”
After the shoot ended, Suhyeon introduced himself and asked for understanding from the onlookers.
He left such a big impression by showing a bright and youthful demeanor, even going so far as to show consideration to those around him by helping the staff.
It was a strategy to imprint the name “Kang Suhyeon” on those that gathered, and it worked effectively.
At times like this, being six years old is like a cheat key.
Being young easily broke down people’s defenses.
Especially since no one expected a six-year-old, who hadn’t even started school, to make such a cunning move.
Then it’s game over.
Suhyeon fully utilized his adorable looks to captivate those watching.
To those who let their guard down, he was more than capable of delivering a targeted ajeossi-ajumma smile with his looks, talent, and cuteness.
But was the filming really successful? Since we didn’t do any retakes, I guess it’s all set to go… I should trust it, right?
Suhyeon recalled the scenes he was in.
Cameras had captured him from various angles.
Even though he checked the footage in real-time, he couldn’t imagine how all those angles would connect.
The studio shoot afterward had fewer cameras, so I can roughly picture it, but I really can’t tell with this one. I think I should trust the capable person in charge…
No matter how much he pondered, there was no answer.
He was frustrated with thoughts that always seemed to hit a wall somewhere.
Just earlier, being young was an advantage, but it was frustrating to miss out on certain aspects because of it.
Humans are so fickle…
Briefly adopting the air of a philosopher, Suhyeon jumped up when he heard Jiyeon’s voice calling him for snacks outside.
His excitement at the word “snack” was unmistakably that of a six-year-old.
* * *
“You’re really good.”
“Thank youuu!”
“No, seriously, your acting skills are impressive, but the violin… doesn’t your mom say anything?”
As the filming progressed, the actors had more opportunities to hear Suhyeon’s performance.
Even though it was mostly the same piece repeated, his skill was evident.
“I like acting more! Mom says that’s fine too!”
“Your mom is really not ambitious. If you were my son, I’d already be looking for opportunities to study abroad.”
Even to those unfamiliar with music, Suhyeon’s talent was extraordinary.
Just like his character Jiseok, Suhyeon seemed like a real musical genius and the staff and actors found it fascinating that he insisted on being a child actor despite his talent.
Since the set was primarily run by adults, it was harsh on child actors.
Even though he was treated as a lead, it was only marginally better than other child actors, so people couldn’t understand why Suhyeon was willingly enduring hardship at an age when sweet compliments should be enough.
“Hey there! Come over here!”
While Suhyeon was bonding with the senior actors, Eulhong called him over.
As always, with an angry face, she had a poor attitude towards children.
“You know we’re doing the competition part the day after tomorrow, right?”
“Yes.”
Suhyeon nodded quietly.
The season had already shifted from summer to autumn.
During that time, Suhyeon had filmed various scenes with other actors.
From the scene where Jiseok entered the agency and learned music in a systematic way, to the scene where he accidentally met his mother and they built emotions without knowing they were mother and son, to the part where the villainous aunt appeared had also been filmed.
And now all that was left was the climax—the competition.
“Did you practice well with Kijin?”
“Yes! Thanks to hyung, it went well!”
Suhyeon nodded, recalling Kijin, who played the role of Jiseok’s accompanist.
Kijin was a student majoring in piano, specially recruited by Eulhong for the role.
He was skilled enough to skillfully cover Suhyeon’s physical limitations.
It turns out her connections in the music world are still alive and well.
On set, Suhyeon often overheard stories from the people around him.”
Common rumors and backstage stories were abundant, but on the set of Shadow Road, stories about Eulhong were overwhelmingly prevalent.
Thanks to this, Suhyeon learned that she had been in the music industry but had a conflict with a professor and so switched to films.
“Yes, you remember well.”
Eulhong, who had been asking a few questions, nodded uninterestedly and scanned Suhyeon with sharp eyes.
“Do you know the piece for the first scene of the competition?”
“Know it…?”
“Can you play it well?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, even though it’s a different piece from what you’ve played so far, you’ve practiced for almost a month. It’s an easy piece. Anyway, you can go right into recording, so play your best.”
Suhyeon looked at the director with a puzzled expression as she explained something so obvious.
It wasn’t like her to call him over just to say something so trivial, but today Eulhong’s behavior seemed suspicious.
“Go on.”
“…?”
He looked at the director, who gestured for him to leave after saying her piece, with an anxious look.
Even though the filming was smoothly reaching its conclusion, he felt strangely uneasy.
* * *
Whether he felt anxious or not, the day for shooting the competition scene arrived.
Suhyeon looked at his reflection in the full-length mirror.
It was a suit he had borrowed in a hurry because the tuxedo he wore at the NBC awards had become too small, but it looked surprisingly good.
Well, not that a kid’s physique would be anything impressive.
He adjusted his bow tie and glanced awkwardly at his slicked-back hair.
It was a hairstyle he often wore as an adult, but with his younger appearance, it looked odd, as if a child were mimicking an adult.
Of course, even so, my looks are still on point… really nice.
He reminded himself not to forget his daily dose of self-admiration as he held the instrument in his hand.
Even though there were filming a movie, being dressing up and standing in a realistic location setting made him feel like he was actually about to perform in a competition.
Ah, is this what it means to get into character?
While Suhyeon was lost in thought, a man entered the dressing room.
It was Ha Kijin, who was playing the accompanist today.
“Oh! Suhyeon, you look great today.”
“Thank you!”
“The tailcoat suits you well.”
“You too, hyung!”
“Thanks.”
He responded to Suhyeon with a slightly nervous smile.
“Hyung, even if you mess up, we can shoot again. Don’t worry too much.”
“Huh? Oh, right… yeah.”
“The director can be just a little scary, but you’re not an actor, hyung. You’re fine just playing well!”
Suhyeon interpreted his smile as nervousness.
It was a look he often saw while practicing scenes together, and he felt sorry for Kijin, who still seemed awkward.
“Suhyeon, you can do well!”
“Yeah. You know the people playing the judges, right?”
“Yes!”
“Even if their words are harsh, it’s just lines, so don’t be too scared.”[2]
“…?”
Suhyeon looked at Kijin, who was making a big deal out of something obvious, with curiosity.
He wondered if there was really something he didn’t know, or if Kijin was just trying to scare him unnecessarily.
The judges’ lines were blank in this scene…
The competition Jiseok participated in within Shadow Road was the first event sponsored by the protagonist’s parents.
Despite that, it’s depicted like a famous competition.
The judges blatantly left evaluations, which was unusual considering in real competitions, judges quietly gave their scores and discussed amongst themselves separately.
It’s just a cinematic expression. But is there something there? I thought it was left blank intentionally, so the reviews would feel more convincing after the performance was heard.
Despite his doubts, he moved diligently.
He stood in front of the camera and performed in front of those playing the judges.
Am I in form today?
Though he seemed tense, Suhyeon was satisfied with how he appeared on screen.
He made a mistake by hitting the wrong note midway, but he continued the performance naturally without panicking.
Since it wasn’t live, the performance served only as a device to help him immerse himself in the role.
No matter how much it felt like a real audition, he didn’t confuse acting with reality.
“Very nice. How long have you practiced for this performance?”
“…A week.”
After the performance, someone asked a question, and Suhyeon quickly thought on his feet.
Although it was unexpected because it wasn’t part of the setup, he managed to handle it with wit.
“The emotion in the notes is expressed very well. You’ve got the basics down.”
“Thank you.”
The people playing the judges left fairly ordinary evaluations and asked questions.
The problem was that the questions were so ordinary and plain that they failed to show Jiseok’s personality or narrative at all.
The restrained appreciation and lackluster questions were too bland to highlight the protagonist’s uniqueness.
…Why are they here? Shouldn’t there be questions like “Did you come to show your parents?” Why are they evaluating the music for real?
Suhyeon resisted the urge to look towards the director.
He couldn’t afford to be the first to cause an NG after doing so well.
“Do you have a formal teacher? If not, I’d like to teach you.”
However, regardless of his patience, someone playing a judge twisted the plot first.
[1] The tax filing season in S. Korea is May 1-31.
[2] There’s a bit of mixed up in the dialogue flow.
