The standard male protagonist in romance dramas is usually bold and flawless. However, Park Min-jae, played by Choo Young-woo in the ENA Monday-Tuesday drama ‘Doctor of Love’, is a bit different. Operating within the cold robotics lab governed by formulas and algorithms, Min-jae serves as the lab director. Behind the glowing label of the ‘engineering campus crush’ lies deep inner wounds and clumsy pain. At the center of bringing this multi-dimensional character to life is rising actor Choo Young-woo.
In the series, Park Min-jae carries the hidden pain of having to give up his dream as a swimmer after losing one leg to osteosarcoma. On the surface, he laughs it off calmly, but he is an iron-walled man who tightly shuts his doors out of fear of getting hurt. Into his life crashes Lim Yu-jin, played by Kim Seo-hyun, who charges forward like a bulldozer. Choo Young-woo delicately portrays the side of the inexperienced Park Min-jae, who panics at Yu-jin’s eccentric and passionate advances while helplessly falling for her. In particular, his gaze acting, where subtle sweetness is buried within casual remarks, is more than enough to stimulate viewers’ romantic cells.
The recent 5th and 6th episodes were showcases where Choo Young-woo’s true value was fully displayed. Even in the face of realityβthe offer of a postdoctoral researcher position at a prestigious overseas universityβMin-jae recognized his feelings for Yu-jin and delivered a sincere confession in the pouring rain, easily ranking among this year’s top romance scenes. Saying, "You are like the sun to me. It’s hot," he honestly confessed his fears and finally confirmed each other’s feelings to begin a secret romance, showcasing exceptional pacing and depth in acting.
Having steadily built a solid filmography since his debut, Choo Young-woo is once again breaking his own limits and finding a life-defining character through ‘Doctor of Love’. By flawlessly digesting the intellectual atmosphere of a science and engineering doctoral student, the fluttering excitement of a fresh romance, and the inner growth of overcoming pain, he has solidified his status as an actor you can trust and watch. Choo Young-woo continues to charmingly portray the portrait of youth wandering between cold reason and hot emotion. Attention is focused on what kind of excitement and lingering emotions he will bring to the remaining story.
