| TvN's 12-part series "Navillera," starring actors Song Kang, left, and Park In-hwan, ended on Tuesday. Courtesy of tvN |
By Lee Gyu-lee
TvN's subtle, heartwarming series, "Navillera," starring actors Park In-hwan and Song Kang, finished its run Tuesday, failing to garner a successful viewership rating despite a compelling performance by veteran lead actor Park.
The 12-part series saw a 3.7 percent rating nationwide and 4 percent in the metropolitan area. The viewership rating from people in their 20s through 40s, the main target of the network, only reached 1.8 percent nationwide.
The story is based on the popular webcomic of the same name and follows 70-year-old retiree Shim Deok-chul (Park) with lessons about living life to the fullest and not giving up on one's dream. The program took off on March 22 with a 2.8 percent rating, which increased about one percent by the fourth episode. But soon after, the rating dropped back to 2 percent and peaked in the final episode.
The series was directed by Han Dong-wha, known for leading the action series, "Bad Guys," and scripted by Lee Eun-mi, the writer of the thriller, "Tunnel."
| Scenes from tvN's "Navillera" / tvN |
After dedicating his life to raising three children, Deok-chul goes on a journey to pursue his longtime dream of ballet with the help of a 23-year-old ballet dancer, Lee Chae-rok (Song Kang).
The final episode showed Deok-chul finally making it onto the stage for a ballet performance with Chae-rok, despite his worsening dementia.
Song, who played an aspiring ballet dancer who rekindles his passion by teaching Deok-chul, expressed gratitude for fans and fellow cast members for the series' wrap. "A lot happened during the five months of the series' production, performing ballet and acting at the same time," he said through his agency, Namoo Actors, Wednesday.
"From the beginning until the end, working on 'Navillera' was filled with very pleasant and warm memories. I'm so grateful to have acted with such a great director, staff, and veteran actors who I learned a lot from. 'Navillera' is a series I will remember for a long time."
Park also thanked the viewers of the series, wishing them to find joy in their life as his character did. "I thank everyone who loved 'Navillera' and supported us," he said. "I also extend my gratitude to Deok-chol for working hard to accomplish his dream of performing ballet in his 70s."
Another veteran actress, Na Moon-hee, who played Deok-chul's supportive wife, said working on the series felt like a gift. "In the webcomic, my role did not have many parts, so I thought it would be an easy part to play. But thanks to the director and other staff, who created my character to be an important role, I felt like bringing home a huge gift after filming each episode," she said. "I really liked being part of the series, and am sad to see it go."