Love and Leashes stars were "refreshingly shocked" by their unique characters

Netflix is all set to be home to yet another Korean title, Love and Leashes, starring Lee Jun-young and Seohyun. But unlike the reigning series like Squid Game and All of Us Are Dead, this film is set to have a unique storyline.

Based on the webtoon, Moral Sense, by Gyeoul, the series will tell the story of Ji-hoo, played by Lee Jun-young, and Ji-woo, played by Seohyun. Ji-woo, a hardworking public relations team employee, harbors romantic feelings for Ji-hoo.

The latter is hiding his own secrets and one day, due to a mix-up of deliveries, Ji-woo finds out about it. But instead of passing judgment, she understands him, thus kickstarting the beginning of their unusual romance.

Recently, director Park Hyun Jin shared what made it impossible to say no to Love and Leashes. While she loved how the story is different from the common theme in romantic films, she particularly adores the character of Ji-woo. She says,

“I read the webtoon after receiving the offer and it was so interesting. Not only does it deal with sexual tastes, but it’s also humorous and doesn’t miss out on parts you can sympathize with. The female character, Jung Ji Woo, was charming."

"She is a character that is usually criticized for being blunt to people and not acting cute or forcing a fake smile. But Ji Hoo thinks that Ji Woo is cool. I thought that I could tell a story about the ‘normalcy’ of establishing a relationship with a character who is outside of the ‘ideal female image’ that is expected and demanded.”

Love and Leashes stars found its plot unique

As for the lead cast of the film, they were “refreshingly shocked” after reading the challenging arcs given to their respective characters. For Seohyun, the best thing was that despite the unique subject matter, she sympathized with many parts of the role. She said,

“As you watch one man and one woman live with each other’s differences, understand each other’s differences, you see the tension in their emotions as well as the difference between ideals and reality."

"You start to think about this on your own, and come to understand yourself as well as others. This was portrayed in a refreshing way in the drama, so I thought it would be fun.”

Like his co-star, Lee Jun-young also found that the different aspects of the role of Ji-hoo enticed him and he chose it to “challenge [himself] as an actor.” He shared,

“When I first read the script, I enjoyed it. I concentrated and read the script maybe four or five times. I looked at it for a long time, but among the scripts I’ve recently read, I think it was the shortest in a long time."

"As Seohyun said, I also had a desire to challenge myself as an actor, and I think the process of respecting and matching each other’s differences, rather than pointing out and disregarding them, is very nice. So I chose it.”

Love and Leashes is all set to debut on Netflix on February 11, 2022.