Now, We Are Breaking Up
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | November 12, 2021 |
| Headquarters | South Korea |
| Parent | Samhwa Networks |
Now, We Are Breaking Up () is a South Korean romantic drama series featuring Song Hye-kyo, Jang Ki-yong, Oh Se-hun, Kim Joo-hun, and Choi Hee-seo in leading roles. Directed by Lee Gil-bok and penned by Je In, this production was brought to life by Samhwa Networks in collaboration with United Artists Agency. The storyline delves into the complexities of romantic relationships and separations between men and women. It debuted on SBS TV on November 12, 2021, with episodes broadcast every Friday and Saturday at 22:00 KST, concluding on January 8, 2022.
Synopsis
Set against the backdrop of the fashion industry, the narrative centers on the themes of love and breakup. Ha Yeong-eun (portrayed by Song Hye-kyo) leads the design team at a fashion company named The One, embodying a stylish and influential figure. Yoon Jae-gook (played by Jang Ki-yong) is an accomplished freelance photographer specializing in fashion.
Main
- Song Hye-kyo as Ha Yeong-eun: A 38-year-old design team leader at The One. She is the daughter of Kang Jung-ja and Ha Taek-soo, maintaining close friendships with Hwang Chi-sook and Jeon Mi-sook. Her romantic interest is Yoon Jae-gook.
- Jang Ki-yong as Yoon Jae-gook / Mr. J: A 32-year-old freelance photographer known for his work in fashion.
- Choi Hee-seo as Hwang Chi-sook: At 38 years old, she serves as the design director at The One. Daughter of the CEO Hwang and sibling to Hwang Chi-hyung, she attended high school alongside Ha Yeong-eun and Jeon Mi-sook. She develops feelings for Seok Do-hoon.
- Kim Joo-hun as Seok Do-hoon: A 40-year-old CEO of a prominent PR firm influential in current trends.
- Park Hyo-joo as Jeon Mi-sook: A 38-year-old who was classmates with Ha Yeong-eun and Hwang Chi-sook during high school. She gave up her modeling career to marry Kwak Soo-ho.
- Yoon Na-moo as Kwak Soo-ho: At 36, he is deputy head of the planning team and married to Jeon Mi-sook; he works alongside Seok Do-hoon.
Personnel at 'The One'
- Joo Jin-mo as Representative Hwang
- Aged 68, he is the CEO of 'The One', a self-made entrepreneur and father to Hwang Chi-sook and Hwang Chi-hyung.
- Oh Se-hun as Hwang Chi-hyung
- A 32-year-old designer newly appointed to 'The One's design team; he is the son of CEO Hwang and younger brother to Hwang Chi-sook.
- Jang Hyuk-jin as Go Gwang-soo
- 55 years old, overseeing production at 'The One'.
- Song Yoo-hyun as Oh In-ah
- At 32, she leads design for 'Lamont', 'The One's secondary brand, and heads the launch team for 'Claire Mary'.
- Kim Bo-jeong as Nam Na-ri
- A 30-year-old manager within the design team at 'The One'.
- Moon Joo-yeon as Ahn Seon-joo
- 29 years old, a designer under Ha Yeong-eun’s leadership, recognized for her straightforwardness and clarity.
- Ha Young as Jung So-young
- The youngest member at 25 years old in Sono's design team.
Individuals connected to Ha Yeong-eun
- Choi Hong-il as Ha Taek-soo
- A 64-year-old vice principal at a middle school approaching retirement; father of Ha Yeong-eun.
- Nam Gi-ae as Kang Jeong-ja
- 67 years old, mother of Ha Yeong-eun.
Other notable characters
- Cha Hwa-yeon as Min Hye-ok
- Aged 66, she is Jaeguk’s mother and youngest daughter in a retail family.
- Yoon Jung-hee as Shin Yoo-jeong
- A 40-year-old influencer boasting over 600,000 Instagram followers who also serves as Managing Director at the department store 'Hills'.
Additional Cast
- Yura portrays Hye-rin
- A 29-year-old prominent figure with a substantial fanbase. Her birth name is Yang Eun-hee.
- Ki Eun-se plays Seo Min-kyeong
- At 33 years old, she serves as the Vice President of the Vision PR Marketing Team.
- Kim Do-geon appears as Jimmy
- A male casual advertising model affiliated with The One.
- Shin Dong-wook acts as Yoon Soo-wan
- Older sibling of Yoon Jae Kook, deceased for a decade, and former partner of Ha Young-eun.
- Park Bo-kyung embodies Choi Ji-yeon
- Ex-colleague from the fashion firm The One; currently leads an LP bar that functions as Ha Young-eun’s sanctuary.
- Choi Hyo-eun as Lee Seong-min
- Lee Jung-gil in the role of Yoon Seong-cheol, father of Jae-gook
- Kim Young-ah as Choi Hee-ja
- A longtime trusted confidante of Ha Young-eun.
Guest Appearances
- Lee Do-yeop as Choi Kyung-chan
- Hwang Chan-sung as Kim Soo-min
Production
Samhwa Networks finalized an 8.96 billion won agreement with StudioS, an SBS subsidiary, to develop the series, averaging approximately 560 million won per episode. The drama was created by Kang Eun-kyung.
In June 2020, Huayi Brothers proposed the lead role to Soo Ae, who declined the offer. By November, Song Hye-kyo, represented by United Artists Agency, was confirmed as the lead actress, marking her comeback since the 2018 drama Encounter. Additionally, Yoon Jung-hee returned to television after a seven-year break, her last appearance being in the 2014 series The Eldest.
As of March 10, the principal cast comprised Song Hye-kyo, Jang Ki-yong, Choi Hee-seo, Kim Joo-hun, Nam Gi-ae, Choi Hong-il, Joo Jin-mo, Cha Hwa-yeon, Jang Hyuk-jin, Song Yoo-hyun, Lee Joo-myung, Park Hyo-joo, Yoon Na-moo, and Yoon Jung-hee. Subsequent casting included Ki Eun-se, Kim Do-geon, Yura, Oh Se-hun, and Shin Dong-wook. On September 30, photos from the script reading session were publicly shared, highlighting strong rapport among the cast.
Filming
The drama's production commenced in Seoul on April 9, 2021, featuring Song Hye-kyo’s first acting project after a two-year break. Scenes were shot on location at Incheon Culture & Arts Center within Songdo International Business District, which represented the fictional fashion company 'The One' central to the narrative.
On July 20, it was confirmed that Yoon Jung-hee tested positive for Covid-19; nevertheless, filming proceeded without disruption since her schedule did not coincide with other actors. Production wrapped up on September 12, 2021. Due to Jang Ki-yong’s military enlistment in August 2021, promotional presentations were pre-recorded prior to the series launch.
Soundtrack
The original soundtrack lineup was unveiled on November 8 and features artists such as Lee Mu-jin ("You for a Moment"), Lee Hi ("Hold My Hand"), Jung Seung-hwan ("Even the green season is meaningless to me"), Davichi ("Only You"), Urban Zakapa ("Street"), Car, the Garden ("Stay"), Baekho from NU'EST ("Because for Me, It's You"), Lee Min-hyuk and Bora Miyu-sing ("Maybe It's Love"), 20 year old ("The Season Called You"), and Song Yu-jin ("I Miss You").
Release
The series debuted on November 12, 2021, with episodes broadcast on Fridays and Saturdays at 22:00 KST.
International broadcast
On June 1, 2021, SBS revealed the pre-sale of broadcasting rights to the Japanese market. Viu incorporated Now, We Are Breaking Up into its November schedule as part of its Original Series collection, following previous releases such as River Where the Moon Rises and Doom at Your Service. Samhwa Networks transferred the rights for Asian and MENA regions to PCCW Media, Viu’s parent company, valid until August 4, 2031. Additionally, the series is accessible on Rakuten Viki in select areas including North America, South America, Europe, Oceania, and India.
Viewership
- Audience response
| Ep. | Air date | Average audience share | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nielsen Korea[1] | TNmS[2] | |||
| Nationwide | Seoul Capital Area | Nationwide (TNmS) | ||
| November 12, 2021 | 6.4% (8th) | 6.6% (7th) | Template:NA | ||||
| November 13, 2021 | '8.0%' (3rd) | '9.0%' (3rd) | 6.8% (4th) | ||||
| November 19, 2021 | 7.3% (7th) | 7.3% (6th) | 5.5% (12th) | ||||
| November 20, 2021 | 7.9% (2nd) | 8.5% (2nd) | 5.7% (14th) | ||||
| November 26, 2021 | 7.0% (9th) | 7.5% (6th) | 5.3% (14th) | ||||
| November 27, 2021 | 7.6% (4th) | 8.4% (3rd) | rowspan=2 Template:NA | ||||
| December 3, 2021 | 6.4% (10th) | 6.9% (9th) | | ||||
| December 4, 2021 | 6.9% (8th) | 7.4% (6th) |5.0% (14th) | ||||
| December10,2021 |6.9%(10th)|7.5%(8th)|5.2%(13th) | ||||
| December11,2021 |6.8%(9th)|7.5%(8th)|5.4%(16th) | ||||
| December17,2021 |6.5%(13th)|6.9%(13th)|'4.4%'(19th) | ||||
| December24,2021[3] |5.7%(14th)|6.3%(11th)| rowspan=3 Template:NA | ||||
| December25,2021 |4.9%(20th)|5.5%(11th)| | ||||
| January01,2022 |'4.2%'(22nd)|'4.6%'(19th)| | ||||
| January07,2022 |6.8%(12th)|6.8%(12th)|5.3%(14th) | ||||
| January08,2022 |6.7%(10th)|7.1%(8th)|4.9%(14th) | ||||
| Average ! '6.6%' ! '7.1%' ! — | ||||
- The lowest ratings are marked in blue; the highest ratings appear in red.
- NR signifies that the program did not place within the top twenty daily broadcasts.
- N/A denotes unavailable rating statistics.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | SBS Drama Awards | Best Couple Award | Jang Ki-yong & Song Hye-kyo | Template:Nom |
| Grand Prize (Daesang) | Song Hye-kyo | Template:Nom | ||
| Excellence Award for an Actor in a Mini-Series Romance/Comedy Drama | Kim Joo-hun | Template:Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actress in a Mini-Series Romance/Comedy Drama | Park Hyo-joo | Template:Won | ||
| Best Character Award, Actress | Choi Hee-seo | Template:Nom | ||
| Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries Romance/Comedy Drama | Jang Ki-yong | Template:Nom | ||
| Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Romance/Comedy Drama | Song Hye-kyo | Template:Nom | ||
| Excellence Award for an Actress in a Mini-Series Romance/Comedy Drama | Choi Hee-seo | Template:Nom | ||
| Best Supporting Actor in a Mini-Series Romance/Comedy Drama | Jang Hyuk-jin | Template:Nom |
External links
- Now, We Are Breaking Up on Naver
- Now, We Are Breaking Up available at Daum
- Seoul Broadcasting System television dramas
- 2021 South Korean television series debuts
- 2022 South Korean television series conclusions
- Korean-language television programs
- South Korean romantic television series
- Television series produced by Samhwa Networks
- South Korean pre-produced dramas
- Korean-language Viu exclusive international distribution
- Korean-language Viu (streaming media) exclusive international distribution programming