Known for her pure and lovely image, which earned her the title of “Romantic Comedy Queen”, she is now boldly shedding her former persona. Many are eager to see how her daring attempt to break away from this typical image will be received.
Park Shin-hye will make her return to the small screen with SBS’s Friday-Saturday drama “The Judge from Hell”, which will premiere on Sep 21st. The drama is about the coexistence of good and evil, where Kang Bit-na (Park Shin-hye), a devil from hell who enters the body of a judge, meets detective Han Da-on (Kim Jae-young), who is more human than anyone else in a reality that is more hellish than hell, and is reborn as a true judge by punishing criminals.
Kang Bit-na is a character full of malice. She embodies the principle of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”. As her core is that of a devil, she has no sense of duty or responsibility as a judge. Once convinced a criminal is destined for hell, she deliberately issues nonsensical verdicts, returning the criminal to society instead of locking them away, only to punish them in “her own way”.
Park Shin-hye portrays Kang Bit-na with a cynical, mischievous gaze and a wicked smile. In the teaser, she’s seen wearing a judge’s robe and casually declaring, “Justice is dead.” At one point, she confronts Kim Jae-young, her eyes wide open as she coldly states, “Just die.” This is a complete departure from her usual image. Notably, her character is shown brutally beating a villain and smiling with blood splattered on her face, making it hard to distinguish whether she’s the hero or the villain.
Her transformation feels even more striking given her previous role in “Doctor Slump”, which ended in May, where she portrayed a doctor struggling with depression who finds love and begins to heal. Although Park Shin-hye has ventured into darker roles before, such as in Netflix’s films “#Alive” and “The Call”, this is her first time playing a character whose very nature is evil. Previously, she was best known for her roles in hits like “The Heirs” and “Memories of the Alhambra”, where she played innocent, intellectual characters, solidifying her image as a romantic comedy heroine.
Her agency, S.A.L.T Entertainment, shared, “This character has a completely different feel from her past roles. Even visually, she will show a new look, wearing flamboyant outfits. Since the character is a devil, she focused on expressing the character’s nature through voice, mannerisms and facial expressions. She worked hard to find the right balance.”
In the teaser, Park Shin-hye is also seen walking elegantly, ignoring comments that she’s a “crazy psycho” and cheekily saying “How do I look? Pretty, right?“, effortlessly turning the character’s evil into a charm. She showcases the character’s unpredictable nature by sporting bold, colorful outfits like yellow, pink and red tweed suits, highlighting her dynamic appeal.
There’s also anticipation around how Park Shin-hye will portray the role of a judge. She has previously played professional roles such as a reporter in “Pinocchio”, a doctor in “The Doctors” and “Doctor Slump”, and a lawyer in the film “Heart Blackened”, all of which she handled flawlessly. However, in those roles, she typically portrayed righteous characters, whereas in “The Judge from Hell”, she plays a devil judge who doesn’t believe in justice, presenting a character where good and evil coexist.
Pop culture critic Ha Jae-geun commented, “Actors with a strong image of being cute and lovable often find their existing image holding them back when they try something completely new. However, Park Shin-hye has shown stable acting in various projects and has continued to challenge herself with new roles. If these attempts continue to receive positive reviews and accumulate, she could establish herself as an actress capable of portraying an even wider range of characters.”
Source: Daum
