Script Book and Scriptwriter Interview

I am basically adding the google translation of things I have found and so some things may be wrong. I have added links to the original sources. Other than the ones there are direct pages given for, the authenticity of the information may be suspect so please take the details with a pinch of salt. The script book is said to contain the unrevised manuscript. This and the final drama had several differences as usually happens.

• High-res preview pages on [link] (can be zoomed into)
• [dcinside] - these are the ones with no screenshots from pages, only details described in Korean

General Notes on all (some are not from the script book):-

• Apparently in the interview there is allusion to budget difficulties
• Most of the characters share the actor’s birth dates(albeit the years are a bit different) with the exception of Min Ju-yeong(entirely different)
  • In the script book Min Ju-yeong’s age is given as 36 but in the drama his age is 41 (birth year 1984)
  • Drugmon’s fake passport(Kim Yeon-ha)'s shows her birth date as 18th Feb, 1992 (fake age 33)
  • The personnel files of Dong-ju, Han-na, Jong-hyeon, Gwang-se, Ju-yeong and Ji Ho-cheol were visible in the drama
  • Stats (most are even on namu wiki):-

• The drama begins around 11th May 2025 and the final episode occurs around October 2025
• Kim Jong-hyeon [X] He attended the same Uni as Han-na but 4 years prior
• Jae-hong’s family:- His wife Kim Yoo-jin was a former volleyball player. The children:- Ha-min, Ha-jun, Ha-yool and Ha-young
• Jae-hong's tryst with Misha was a little different. The script apparently called for him throwing some type of LPG at Min Ju-yeong’s car to stop it in the final arc. [x]
• The Russians apparently may or may not have been allies of Min Ju-yeong at the end.
• From Gwang-se's actor's [interview], Gwang-se’s role was extended to be uptil the end whereas he was supposed to only be there till the middle. Mama's grace truly is a miracle. Instead, the character was so appealing they saw fit to let him live to the end.

Yun Dong-ju

Highlights:-

• Mother's name:- Choi Seong-hui. She reportedly died while Dong-ju was being detained after a big fight so it hit him harder(possibly the scene we see of him in the PS with Man-sik).
• His father was an alcoholic and gambler who squandered the mom's insurance money. Whereas the drama doesn't clarify if he simply deadbeated or died, in the script book, he died as well when Dong-ju was young.
• Gyeong-il got a cerebral hemorrhage due to their match

Translated character page:-

Personnel Record:-

Sources:-

1. Preview
2. qoo
3. Twitter/ X

Ji Han-na

Highlights:-

• She got interested in shooting because of her dad
• Her mom wanted her to be a child celeb and was equally glad to do it with her shooting career
• She has Ménière's disease

Translated character page:-

Personnel Record:-

Director's Comments:- 

"Actress Sohyun is a remarkably intelligent actress. She's powerful and adept at action scenes. I was particularly impressed by her physical prowess. She's also very adaptable, so I was able to try out whatever I wanted. And when I finally got to do it, I felt a great sense of joy."

"Also in the 8th episode, there is action in the tunnel. We tried filming in a rather primitive way, where we (the staff) moved and the actors waited and then did the action. All the actors worked really hard. Actress So-hyun in particular had a hard time, getting splashed with water in the cold weather." (it was filmed on christmas day)

Source:- 

1. Preview
2. Twitter [X] [X] [x] [X] [X]

The Love Story

• Many of the scenes in the drama are added/ad-libbed or changed from the original scenario
• Some of the scenes had notable clarifications fans found to be of note:-
  • Han-na fell for Dong-ju first during their athlete days, she wanted to catch his attention when they were running. The scene seems to be how Dong-ju fell first and quite literally- but it wasn't.
  • The scene where he shades her from the sun during the police function is different apparently
  • As was some details in the boxing ring kiss scene, etc
• Han-na had apparently already found out about Dong-ju's condition from her mom who found out because she was handling Dong-ju's insurance process.

Translated Page:-

Sources:- [X]

Min Ju-yeong

• He attended a foreign language high shcool(passed out 2003) and in the script he went to Seoul National University while in the drama he went to Hanguk University(class of 2003, department of Economics)
• He joined the Korean Customs Service in 2004
• MJY and Kim Yu-na's romantic relation went a lot further than mere cafe dates and flowers...
• The script MJY was not about to kill himself in any way(neither gun nor drowning) to avoid arrest. Instead, he bet on the chance that getting arrested would be more beneficial to him in the long run since he could get out of jail and by turning himself in willingly the protags didn’t ‘win’. He didn’t jump into the water willingly but jumped with Dong-ju to escape the Russian mafia on the ship.
• He apparently ate the cucumber gimbap 
• His death is certain unlike in the drama and who killed him is apparently revealed (not elaborated on by the fans)

Translated pages:-

• Character Page 

• Director's Comment on Oh Jung-se 

"And senior Jung-Se: I was often surprised when I was editing the footage. He's completely unperturbed on set, yet his acting is incredibly detailed. I thought there was so much to learn from him. He's usually humorous, but once filming begins, he reveals a sharp and cool-headed side. I found his self-focus truly admirable. It's a shame I can't mention everyone, but I think those who watched it will understand better how wonderful each and every one of the actors were. I think the actors made up for the directing's shortcomings."

Sources:-

1. dcinside
2. twitter / X {1, 2, 3, 4, 5} [x]

Lee Dae-il (script writer) Interview 

(partial)

Highlights: Inspirations for the drama and character of Yun Dong-ju:-

1. Shounen manga (boy’s comic) MCs in general (소년만화)
2. Slam Dunk (Kang Baek-ho is the korean version’s name of Sakuragi Hanamichi)
3. Public Enemy (2002) [mdl] [wiki] [imdb]

Q. The special team is comprised of athletes who excel in various sports. From boxing to discus throwing, the characters' stories capture the context and characteristics of each sport. I imagine you've studied each sport extensively.

A. When creating the characters for the special team, I had a lot of trouble deciding which sports to choose. First, I thought it would be nice to have a team of athletes from individual sports, rather than unpopular sports or team sports. Then, by assigning various sports to characters one by one, I came up with Dong-ju for boxing, Hanna for shooting, Jong-hyun for fencing, Man-sik for wrestling, and Jae-hong for discus. Since my favourite sport is soccer, the sports I chose required a lot of study. I studied international competition rulebooks to familiarize myself with the terminology. and I referenced match videos, athlete interviews, and academic papers on injuries and trauma to incorporate them into the characters.

Q. A video of the actors practicing their respective skills was also released. As a writer, it must have been quite emotional to see the actors preparing so intensely.

A. As I was working on the latter half of the script, I heard the actors were undergoing what amounted to special training, and I became anxious. I was in big trouble. I worried that their sweat and effort would fade in the script. I became more careful with my writing and lines, and I reread and revised everything I'd written. The actors' intensity and passion were a great motivator for me.

Q. Good Boy Yun Dong-ju <illegible> The protagonist’s gradual growth as the story unfolds is also a key point to watch in this work Looking at Yun Dong-ju-an influential character who acts without regard for consequences or distinction. I am reminded of Kang Back-ho from Slam Dunk Jam curious about how the character Yun Dong-ju was created. Were there any other works or characters that influenced him?

A. My favourite sports manga is Slam Dunk. When I think of Dong-ju, the first character that comes to mind is Kang Baek-ho from Slam Dunk. So, Dong-ju reflects a lot of Kang Baek-ho's personality, and the other main characters also resemble characters from Slam Dunk to some degree. And there's another character who was influenced by the condensation: Kang Cheol-jung, played by Seol Kyung-gu in "Public Enemy." If Dong-ju hadn't had Mi-ja, Han-na, Man-sik, Jong-hyun, and Jae-hong, what would have happened to him? Had he quit boxing and become a police officer, perhaps he would have become like Kang Cheol-jung. This somewhat amusing fantasy led me to perfect the "good-natured" Dong-ju.

Q. There's a rumor going around among viewers that "Writer Lee Dae-il is good at bullying/manipulating(?) male protagonists." This time, too, there are many scenes where the main character Dong-ju rolls around in the mud, falls into water, jumps, gets hit, and rolls around, making the viewers root for him. Is there a reason why the male protagonist is given so many hardships? I'm curious about your thoughts on this kind of story. 

A. I didn't know there were such rumours, but looking back, I think they're true. In <Good Boy>, I really pushed Dong-ju's body and mind a lot. (Laughs) It wasn't intentional, but since the main character has a lot of screen time in the stories I write, I think it seems that way even more. In Dong-ju's case in particular, because I focused on his growth like a protagonist in a boys' comic, I think I gave him even more trials. I feel unnecessarily sorry.

Q. Since Dong-ju is a character that has to show so many different sides, I think you must have been worried and excited about which actor would be cast. What do you think? 

A. I wrote the character, but I thought it would be difficult for the actor to portray it, as it required a lot of emotions as well as various actions. Fortunately, actor Park Bo-gum liked that aspect of the character, and he was able to shine even brighter as Dong-ju.

Q. Since it's a story about youth, romance was inevitable. So, despite being a detective drama, there was a significant portion of romance. The response was enthusiastic every episode. Did you anticipate such a passionate response?

A. I expected the two actors' chemistry to be great, but it seems they've created a much more delicate and innocent image than I expected. The two actor's detailed performances are what made Dong-ju and Han-Na so lovable in the end.

 Q. This is your second meeting with actress Kim So-hyun, who plays Hanna. She said she chose this project without hesitation when she heard it was written by writer Lee Dae-il. How did you feel when you heard the news of the casting?

A. When actress So-Hyun was cast in my first project, I had mixed feelings. When Bo-Gum was cast first and we talked, I immediately pictured So-Hyun for the role of Han-Na. I thought So-Hyun's image, which is cold and awkward, yet passionate and intense, fit perfectly. I worried about what if she turned me down when I offered her the role? What if she had bad memories of my previous projects? I was worried, but thankfully, she readily accepted, so I'm grateful.

Q. Jihanna, another main character, is carrying a rifle. The cool "gun action" adds to the fun of watching each episode, and since we haven't seen many female characters wielding guns yet, it feels even more impactful. How did you create Hanna's character

A. When creating the character of Hannah, I wanted to create something explosive. Having suffered from excessive public attention and academic pressure since childhood, I wanted Hannah to feel a sense of liberation, even if only when she fires a gun. That's why I chose a powerful rifle over a pistol, and the reason there are so many gunfight scenes is because I wanted her to release the pain and stress she's endured for so long.

Q. There were scenes that hinted at Joo-young's anger toward a "happy family". However, his actual family background and related narratives weren't revealed much. Is there a reason for that?

A. Min Joo-young's past was a narrative, but it wasn't specifically written into the script. I was wary of it from the planning stage, as his unfortunate circumstances seemed to justify and absolve him of his current wrongdoings. While the narratives of other villains were added as the story progressed, I wanted Min Joo-young to face the law's judgment at Dong-ju's hands without any excuses. That's why I included a dialogue scene in episode 16, scene 55.

Sources :-

1. Naver blog
2. Twitter / X [Q. 4-5] [Q. 6] [Q. 7] [Q. 8] [Q. 9]

Part B

My Musings

This is regarding Min Ju-yeong, Leo and Ji Ho-cheol(Han-na's dad)'s storyline.

 Oh Jung-se drops this one of a kind imported watch he had stolen from his old man while he was dumping his murder victim in water. This watch is found by a nosy cop who is also found murdered shortly after and people suspect the cop’s integrity till the truth is finally revealed clearing the doubts about this possible theory. 

This was Oh Jung-se's character and the story in The Good Detective. No watch cartels, neither any dysfunctional cousins, but still...

Also, I have never watched The Fiery Priest in its entirety (only hop-skip-jumped through the episodes) but I was thinking of Hwang Cheol-bum with Leo. The bare bones are once again similar:-

 Ko Jun deeply respected the person he was suspected of killing in earlier episodes, and in fact he hadn't been the one to kill him and there was crucial video evidence of the murder proving he was an unwilling but culpable accomplice to the murder. A sadistic but humanised gangster who cares for his ‘family’, rues his life choices and starts to resent being used. 

Putting the two together somehow makes complete the wonky story with Han-na’s dad…

(An aside- I read a comment calling Leo similar to Sonny Corleone from The Godather (their personalities are similar indeed) and its interesting that 'Misha' in Russian is a dimnutive for Michael...)