MBC‘s new Friday-Saturday drama ‘Motel California’ Na In-woo’s extreme diet story is drawing attention.

MBC‘s new Friday-Saturday drama ‘Motel California’ (planned by Jang Jae-hoon/directed by Kim Hyung-min, Lee Jae-jin/written by Lee Seo-yoon/produced by HB Entertainment) is a first love remodeling romance about a woman who was born and raised in a motel in the countryside and reunites with her first love in her hometown she ran away from 12 years ago. ‘Motel California’, based on the popular 2019 novel ‘Home, Bitter Home’ by Sim Yoon-seo, has been foreshadowing the birth of a new ‘fan drama’ from the first week of its broadcast, capturing the 23-year first love story of the main characters Lee Se-young (as Ji Kang-hee) and Na In-woo (as Cheon Yeon-soo) with a dense storyline and emotional directing full of the scent of winter. Furthermore, it is emerging as a dark horse in the New Year’s home drama war by coming in 2nd place in the news category in the TV-OTT topicality survey for the 2nd week of January announced by Good Data Corporation, a content topicality survey company.



Among them, ‘Motel Cali’ production team is drawing attention by releasing a still cut of Yeon-soo‘s harsh dieting story. Na In-woo plays the role of ‘Cheon Yeon-soo’. He is a handsome veterinarian who is the number one son-in-law of the Hana-eup farm owners, and a pure-hearted man who has waited for his first love, Kang-hee, for 12 years. In particular, Yeon-soo is called ‘Gomtaeng-i’ by Kang-hee, and on the night of her twenties when she ran away from home, she was threatened with “Gomtaeng-i, don’t lose weight.” However, in the released stills, Yeon-soo arouses interest by tearfully training hard for dieting, contrary to Kang-hee‘s request. Since Yeon-soo is usually a goner whenever Kang-hee says something, curiosity is rising as to what motivated her to lose weight like this.

Along with this, Yeon-soo’s dramatic visual change as she returns as a handsome veterinarian is drawing attention. Yeon-soo is nowhere to be seen as a chubby ‘bear’ visual, boasting a firm body and sharp jawline. As Kang-hee felt a strange thrill towards Yeon-soo, who had changed beyond recognition in episodes 1 and 2, attention is focused on what kind of perceptual changes will occur in Kang-hee and Yeon-soo‘s ‘23-year-old first love story’ as adults.

Meanwhile, Na In-woo became the biggest fan of the home theater with his all-time ‘sticky acting’ in just the first week of ‘Motel Cali’. When Na In-woo played the role of the 120kg ‘bear‘, he garnered favor with his innocent and harmless charm, and when he played the role of Yeon-soo, a handsome veterinarian who is considered the number one groom candidate in Hana-eup, he shook up women’s hearts with his gentle masculinity. Among them, Na In-woo‘s unique clear and warm eyes and cozy low voice stand out, making the image of the all-time pure man ’Cheon Yeon-soo‘ even more attractive.

Meanwhile, the well-made first love romance MBC Friday-Saturday drama ‘Motel California’, which is mass-producing ’Motel Peans‘, airs every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 PM.

Choi Yoon-na, Donga.com Reporter yyynnn@donga.com