The Netflix series ‘Fooled in a Box’ is proving its undying popularity by rising to 2nd place in the Netflix Global TOP 10 Series (Non-English) category, while also drawing attention by revealing well-made behind-the-scenes production footage, behind-the-scenes stills from the second act, and previously unreleased stills.

The Netflix series ‘Fooled in a Box’, which unfolds the adventurous lives of ‘the rebel’ Ae-soon and ‘the iron man’ Gwan-sik, born in Jeju, over four seasons, recorded 6,000,000 viewers (the number of hours watched divided by the total running time of the series) in its second week of release, rising to 2nd place in the Global TOP 10 Series (Non-English) category. Also, it is continuing its popularity rise both domestically and internationally, ranking in the TOP 10 list in a total of 41 countries including Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Turkey, the Philippines, and Vietnam as well as South Korea.

‘Bokssak Sokkasuda’​ vividly depicts stories from the 60s and 70s as if they were happening right before our eyes rather than in the distant past, evoking empathy both domestically and internationally and across generations. After the release of Act 2, it left a deep impression on children‘s viewers by reminding them of their parents’ stories and parents‘ viewers of the difficult times of the past.



‘Bokssak Sokkasuda’ production staff including director Kim Won-seok, art director Ryu Sung-hee, and cinematographer Choi Yoon-man put their heart and soul into realistically capturing the flow of time from Jeju in the 1960s to 2025. Art director Ryu Sung-hee of the films ‘Decision to Leave’, ‘Alien+Human’ added her touch to various spaces in ‘Bokssak Cheotsuda’, such as Dodong-ri village, a field of bright yellow rapeseed flowers, and the scenery of Seoul in the 70s. Director Kim Won-seok said, “With the incredible dedication and effort of art director Ryu Sung-hee, art director Choi Ji-hye, and the art team as well as prop manager Jang Jeong-woo and the prop team, we were able to create the details of the spaces,“ and conveyed the hard work of the art team and prop team who worked to bring each location to life. He explained the production intent behind the filming, saying, “With the cinematographer, we discussed how to film without as many breaks as possible so that the characters’ acting could continue naturally and without interruption. “We also avoided stylish camera work and editing as much as possible.” In the remaining 3rd and 4th acts, ‘Bokssak Cheotsuda’ will unfold the four seasons of ‘Ae-soon’ and ‘Gwan-sik’‘s life like a panorama, giving joy and comfort to the viewers.

The behind-the-scenes and unreleased stills that were released together show the actors who have perfectly immersed themselves in their characters and the sets that show the flow of time from Jeju in the 1960s to Seoul in the 1980s, bringing back memories of the eventful story that unfolded in the 2nd act. First, the innocent teenage days of ‘Ae-soon’ (IU) and ‘Gwan-sik’ (Park Bo-gum) catch the eye. The sight of ‘Gwan-sik’ participating in the 100-day celebration despite being a member of the athletics club out of pure love for ‘Ae-soon’ and ‘Ae-soon’ posing in front of a tree makes one smile. Also, the cute braided hair of ‘Geum-myeong’ (IU), ‘Ae-soon’ (Moon So-ri), and ‘Gwan-sik’ (Park Hae-joon), the three people who are as close as a real family make us feel the warmth shown in the drama. IU’s appearance, who took on a dual role, also catches the eye. The appearance of college student ‘Geum-myeong’ enjoying campus life with long hair and ‘Ae-soon’ with short perm hair at the Dodong-ri house give off completely different vibes, showing IU‘s effort to express the two characters. The child actor ‘Geum-myeong’ (Ahn Tae-rin) wearing the same clothes as college student ‘Geum-myeong’ makes us guess at the lively filming site. The appearances of the characters who colorfully fill the lives of ‘Ae-soon’ and ‘Gwan-sik’ also add to the joy. Na Moon-hee and Yeom Hye-ran, who play ‘Chun-ok’, show the passion of actors who are immersed in their characters, and Cha Mi-kyung, Lee Soo-mi, and Baek Ji-won, who play ‘Chung-soo’, ‘Yang-im’, ‘Kyeong-ja’, who breathe life into Dodong-ri Village, convey the cheerful atmosphere of the filming set.

‘Bokssak Deceived’ depicts the eventful life of ‘Ae-soon’ and ‘Gwan-sik’ from childhood best friends to parents, across four seasons. ‘Bokssak Deceived’, which will remain as a classic in people’s hearts with the addition of the veteran production team, will be released exclusively on Netflix on March 21 (Friday).

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

This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.