Kim Young-kwang, Chae Soo-bin Lead Netflix K-Rom-Com 'Take Charge of My Heart'

Netflix is leaning back into familiar territory with another K-romance series, this time built around an unusual hook. "Take Charge of My Heart" follows a man with an artificial heart and a woman whose body can generate electricity. The show sticks to the familiar beats of the genre, but its team says the goal is to offer comfort to viewers carrying their own insecurities.

A press conference for the Netflix series was held on Oct. 1 at the Hotel Seoul Naru M Gallery in Mapo district, Seoul. Actors Kim Young-kwang and Chae Soo-bin attended alongside director Park Soo-won.

"Take Charge of My Heart" centers on Baek Ho-rang (played by Kim Young-kwang), whose artificial heart battery has run out, and Na Bo-bae (played by Chae Soo-bin), a woman with the power to generate electricity. Director Park Soo-won said he hopes viewers "enjoy the drama with a light heart, like they're getting charged up themselves, without anything heavy on their minds."

Park walked through what to watch for in the first and second halves of the series. "Early on, they can't stand each other, but they need each other so badly it's maddening. That's the fun part," he said. He added that he focused on "how to show two people who dislike each other but decide to stick together because they have no choice."

The later episodes dig into the leads' insecurities and old wounds. "When their scars come out, there's this moment where they just hold each other for who they are," the director said. "It goes beyond a contractual charging relationship. The healing part is what I think will feel comforting."

Kim Young-kwang plays Baek Ho-rang, a third-generation chaebol heir who lives by a strict plan. He carries the burden of relying on an artificial heart, until he meets Na Bo-bae and starts recharging it with her electricity.

"Reading the script felt like opening a comic book for the first time as a kid," Kim said. "The setup felt like a shojo manga, and the situations were funny. I thought it would be fun to be part of it."

Kim also put serious work into the look of his character. "We made almost all of the costumes," he said. "I'm walking around in these stylish silk pajamas. We paid a lot of attention to the visuals."

The director was effusive about his lead. "He has everything you'd want in a male rom-com lead," Park said of Kim. "He looks like he stepped out of a comic. He has the visuals and the physicality. He seems chic, but he's actually playful." He added with a laugh, "He has every quality female viewers love. I don't think he knows it himself. That's what makes him perfect."

Chae Soo-bin plays Na Bo-bae, a cheerful, free-spirited drama writer. She writes romance for a living but has experience it herself. A past accident left her body running with electricity, which makes it hard for her to get close to people.

Chae, who has built a career on lovable rom-com roles, said the decision to take the part wasn't easy. "I had fun reading the script, but I hesitated because of the genre," she admitted. "I'm grateful I even get to do romance, but I worried about being boxed in and not being able to try other genres." Still, she said, "Once I signed on, I never regretted it."

Park praised his lead actress too. "She was so cute. Every time we filmed, the male crew members would say how cute she was," he said. "In a rom-com, if your female lead is cute and lovely, that's the whole game. I feel lucky to be working with these two."

"Take Charge of My Heart" premieres on Netflix on Oct. 9, with all episodes set to drop at once.