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New Live-Action Series 'Soul Mate' Stars Hayato Isomura and Ok Taec-yeon
Destiny works in mysterious ways, and a chance encounter may just mark the beginning of a love story. The live-action drama series Soul Mate, starring Hayato Isomura and Ok Taec-yeon, explores this profound journey of souls connecting and enduring over the years despite the distance. Written and directed by up-and-coming creator Shunki Hashizume (Scroll, More Than Words), this series is a heartfelt depiction of love and its complexities, including joy, pain, and unexplainable deep bonds.
Traversing the cities of Berlin, Seoul, and Tokyo, Soul Mate tells a 10-year-long love story between two young men. It all starts when Ryu Narutaki (Hayato Isomura), who left everything behind in Japan, is saved by a boxer named Johan Hwang (Ok Taec-yeon) in a foreign land.
What is it like to encounter someone with whom you share such a soul, who brings a warm feeling to your heart just by thinking of them? The idea for the series began with a conversation over coffee between Hashizume and executive producer Dai Ota, leading them to decide on the title Soul Mate early on. "We arrived at the ultimate destiny story, where people from different cultures and backgrounds meet in a foreign land and their lives intersect," Ota says. "The story, filled with life's joys and pains, combined with the exceptional performances from Isomura and Taec-yeon, will warm the hearts of viewers."
Isomura (Extremely Inappropriate!, (Ab)normal Desire, The Moon) shares his enthusiasm in portraying one of the lead roles. "The script moved me with its story of love amidst sadness and pain, and the incredible 10-year story arc crafted by director Hashizume has truly immersed me in the character. Working with Ok Taec-yeon has been inspiring; his charm draws me in more each day. Filming in Japan, Korea, and Germany gives the project a truly global feel."
Seeing this as the perfect opportunity to broaden his horizons and explore new characters, Taec-yeon of Korean boy band 2PM (Vincenzo, La Grande Maison Paris) took immediate interest in the project. "The character of Johan Hwang intrigued me, and his inner struggles and pain stayed with me long after I read the script. To prepare, I lost weight and underwent boxing training, and I've continued to train diligently during filming to portray Johan as best as I can.
As Hashizume reflects on the true meaning of love, he continues to marvel at the connection that ties the production team together, saying, "The time spent weaving this story with our lead actors, cast, and crew has been challenging but blissful. Everyone involved in this project is a soulmate."
Stay tuned for the release of Soul Mate, only on Netflix.
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