Last, Time of Dog and Wolf writer returns with Night Light

18 August 16, 2016October 19, 2016

Last, Time of Dog and Wolf writer returns with Night Light

by javabeans

It’s funny how much it matters how you frame information: When you tell me that the writer of well-received thrillers Time of Dog and Wolf and Last is coming back with a new drama, I get excited; then you tell me that the writer of disappointing historical shows Dr. Jin and Road No. 1 is doing a new project and I’m much less impressed. Then you tell me that the same guy wrote all four dramas and it’s enough to make you scratch your head.

That scriptwriter is Han Ji-hoon, and his new project will be for MBC, closing out its Monday-Tuesday lineup this year. The drama is titled Night Light (working title), and centers around “the sleepless, ambitious beams of light [metaphor for people] and the fierce battle that unfolds as they strive to become the owners of that light.”

The description adds that the drama will portray “the bare face of ambition” as it “grabs for an even higher place and an even stronger power.” That’s a lot of flowery talk, but I think we can cut through all the metaphor and figure that the drama is about people vying for power in a cutthroat environment.

It’s a fairly vague description, though it’s probably safe to expect a suspenseful, dramatic type of drama, given the writer’s past works. That resumé is mixed enough that I don’t know quite how excited to get, though I always try to err on the side of optimism, and I’d certainly welcome another Last or Time of Dog and Wolf. And depending on the casting (and the actual plot), my interest level could swing fairly drastically. Hopefully upward. Let’s not think of the less happy scenarios, shall we?

Night Light has been granted the post-Woman With a Suitcase timeslot on Mondays and Tuesdays, which is the slot currently home to revenge drama Monster. It will premiere in mid-November.

Via TV Daily

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1 seora

August 16, 2016 at 3:03 AM

Wow, he is back! Haven't see last but I super love Time Between Dog and Wolf. I do not like Dr. Jin too. Anyway if this is a revenge drama under MBC, bring it on!

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2 MGasol33

August 16, 2016 at 3:09 AM

Time Between Dog and Wolf was co-written by Ryoo Yong-Jae (Liar Game, Pied Piper), who is awesome.

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poliwag

August 16, 2016 at 4:06 AM

KICKS DOOR DOWN I HEARD LIAR GAME-- oh oh wait sorry

Really though, I loved Last, and I think he's probably improving, considering his other works were all the subpar stuff and I'm willing to give him a little leap of faith.

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sorrynotsorry

August 16, 2016 at 4:20 AM

Had no idea that two writers were involved in Time Between Dog and Wolf. It is one of my favorite action dramas with the action scenes the best I've seen. The PD did very well with how he filmed them.

Last was pretty good though not a favorite. So I guess we'll see how this pans out.

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fayyyy

August 16, 2016 at 6:10 AM

Liar game is originally a japanese drama though..So the writer did not originally write the script.

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Wag-a-muffin

August 16, 2016 at 10:57 AM

Wasn't Dr. Jin originally a J-Drama too?
(I think I remember that it was.)

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3 KDaddict?JCW

August 16, 2016 at 3:35 AM

Without the co-writer, named in #comment 2, then we are just left with the guy who wrote Dr. Jin and Road no. 1. No, hell no.

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fab

August 16, 2016 at 4:31 AM

Oh no, so with last he just got lucky with the PD and cast.

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4 eny

August 16, 2016 at 3:57 AM

Dramatic suspense thriller is interesting to me, currently rewatch "nine time travel" n it's still awesome, yes i want lee jin wook as the lead

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5 Lena S.

August 16, 2016 at 5:08 AM

I loved "Last" but then the story it's from a webtoon so i don't know if i trust that writer on his own lol, either way i'm interested so i'll check it out.

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6 gem28

August 16, 2016 at 7:04 AM

Yesssssssss, for Last........that was a well made, well done, well acted, well pace and overall a damn fine show. I hope they cast strong actors again and pre-produce half of the 16 episodes like Last as well.

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7 juniper

August 16, 2016 at 8:15 AM

He's not that good of a writer, honestly. The ideas are there, but he usually stumbles in execution. The reason Time Between Dog and Wolf is worlds apart from Dr. Jin is Kim Jin-min's production. Well, and some charismatic performances.

The one thing you can say for him is that he is a genre writer through-and-through. TBDAW slipped uncomfortably between western noir and John Woo style sentimentalism, and Dr. Jin would have been so much better if he'd leaned into its campy underpinnings, but the fact that you can even talk about genre reference points in conjunction with a kdrama writer is amazing in itself. If he finds a PD who understands genre as well (like Kim Jin-min) and a solid cast, this could be quite interesting.

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8 August

August 16, 2016 at 9:14 AM

When you tell me that the writer of well-received thrillers Time of Dog and Wolf and Last is coming back with a new drama, I get excited; then you tell me that the writer of disappointing historical shows Dr. Jin and Road No. 1 is doing a new project and I’m much less impressed. Then you tell me that the same guy wrote all four dramas and it’s enough to make you scratch your head.

Last (JTBC 2015)
Temptation (SBS 2014)
Dr. Jin (MBC 2012)
Road No. 1 (MBC 2010)
Time Between Dog and Wolf (MBC 2007)

Screenwriter Han Ji-Hoon's birthdate is December 25, 1970 — can't blame Road No. 1, Dr. Jin, & Temptation as a Plus Nine Year occurrence. (FYI...the superstition that you will face adversity in the 9th year or any year that ends in 9 of your life before you embark on a new decade).

Makes one wonder if it boils down to even and odd years. Looking at his drama history, during the odd years they tend to veer toward head scratching bad and it appears during even years they end up/remain satisfyingly good.

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August

August 16, 2016 at 9:19 AM

Disregard:
Makes one wonder if it boils down to even and odd years. Looking at his drama history, during the odd years they tend to veer toward head scratching bad and it appears during even years they end up/remain satisfyingly good.

Meant:
Makes one wonder if it boils down to even and odd years. Looking at his drama history, during the even years they tend to veer toward head scratching bad and it appears during odd years they end up/remain satisfyingly good.

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9 gpap

August 16, 2016 at 9:33 AM

He's among the very, very few writers who's capable of anything, from masterpieces to absolute rubbish. If he were an athlete, he'd be either a gold medalist or the last one in the race. He has zero stability or he just does what his "clients" (aka, TV channels) ask him to do each time, who knows?

I really, really want another Last but the odds obviously are not in our favour, basically because of MBC (Dr. Jin would have been decent at the very least, had they stuck to the original more). But nothing is impossible given the director and the cast, right? *crossing fingers and praying really hard*

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gingerandbrownsugar

August 16, 2016 at 7:25 PM

I think he has at least one stability that is to recognize Yoon Kye Sang's stellar acting. He works with him in Road No. 1 and then in Last.

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gpap

August 17, 2016 at 12:09 AM

You're right. He has the eye to distinguish good actors assuming he has a chance to voice his opinion.

Given this opportunity I must say that I did like Road No. 1 regardless of the drama's flaws and most viewers' negative reaction. Maybe it's the genre which I usually find appealing or even the fabulous cast but I really loved the story so much. I watched it almost right after TBGW (and the fantastic Poongsan, the film that gave a huge boost to Yoon Kye Sang's acting career) and I still remember all the feelings.

Glad I found another YKS's fan on this blog!!