It took a decade for the webtoon “Sound of Magic” to get its live series adaptation. Show director Kim Sung-yoon (“Itaewon Class”) was impressed by the original webtoon’s story that depicted the characters wavering between dreams and reality and how magic alleviated their hardships.
The original webtoon was written by Ha Il-kwon. And Director Kim made sure that the original writer was part of the early planning stages.
“I was excited and truly happy watching the adaptation of my original story.” He added, “The Sound of Magic is a story about dreams and the reality of young people and adults. Languages and cultures may differ, but I believe these key themes can resonate with everyone,” said Ha.
Kim says working on the hit series “Itaewon Class” gave him a better understanding of the rift between a webtoon and live series. Series writer Kim Min-jeong, along with Ha met with Kim to share ideas and set the right direction and tone.
“I thought integrating music into the magic theme could effectively convey the story’s message,” said Kim.
Emotional Impact
By weaving in music, choreography, and CG to the original narrative, he created attractive visuals and a compelling narrative that can eventually drive emotional impact.
“The necessary process of revising detailed elements was not easy. It simultaneously required matching the song lyrics to the plot line context, convincingly depicting the character’s emotions, and aligning the right kind of magic for the character Ri-eul,” said Min-jeong.
Min-jeong focused on bridging the gaps between the webtoon and the live series, paying close attention to details to suit the overall production.
Sung-yoon and Min-jeong agreed that they needed to preserve the message of the original webtoon. And through the story, they focused on delving into the question of what it means to dream and become a true adult. Min-jeong hopes viewers can see the different types of adults from Ah-yi and Il-deung’s perspectives and reflect upon what it means to be a good grown-up.
“The series conveys a message about what it means to become a proper grown-up. I hope this message can become a gift for young and old alike during this delightful season of May,” said Sung-yoon.
“Sound of Magic” stars Ji Chang-wook, Hwang In-yeop and Choi Sung-eun.
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