A Bloody Lucky Day has arrived in the States on Paramount+, and this high-stakes drama comes with heat, violence, and an intricately woven web of secrets! A Bloody Lucky Day follows Oh Taek (Lee Sung-min) as a down-on-his-luck taxi driver having an uncharacteristic streak of good fortune when he agrees to drive a mysterious man named Geum Hyuk-soo (Yoo Yeon-seok) to a faraway city in exchange for an exorbitant fare. But when the passenger reveals himself to be a serial killer, confessing to grisly crimes in his past and murdering others on the highway, the taxi driver must play mind games to ensure his lucky streak doesn’t come to a deadly end. Nerdophiles enjoyed chatting with series writers Kim Min-sung and Song Han-na for a great in-tandem conversation about this thrilling series. Check out our conversation!
On whose character arc they related to writing the most, they shared: “Geum Hyuk-soo, who confesses to murdering with a childlike expression, or Hwang Soon-gyu, who combines the heartbreak of a mother who has lost her son with the dryness of a lonely pursuer, is very appealing, but Oh Taek is the most relatable character. This is because he represents the values of an average person who believes they’ll be blessed if they’re good. He’s the one who undergoes the biggest transformation, starting as an innocent and naïve man and ending up at the devil’s doorstep.”
They continued: “Geum Hyuk-soo asks, “Why should I live by morals and ethics when it’s not a world where you’re punished for sinning?”. Oh Taek, an unfortunate human being not blessed despite having lived his entire life as a good man, is gradually drawn into the abyss of darkness by Geum Hyuk-soo’s temptations. We hope viewers will have a heart-pounding experience as they watch Oh Taek’s inner struggle to become a monster and his inner struggle to remain human.”
On the most creatively challenging and rewarding parts of crafting this adaptation from the webtoon to television, they said: “Since the original webtoon was a short one-night story that ended in 25 episodes, our biggest challenge was to expand it into a 10-episode series while maintaining the charm of the original webtoon. At first, I didn’t think it would be possible, but then I realized that I wanted to portray Geum Hyuk-soo like Mephistopheles, who bets with the gods over humans. Once I set up Geum Hyuk-soo as a character whose purpose is to corrupt Oh Taek, I realized a plan must be hidden in his overnight journey to Mukpo. That’s how the twist in the middle of the series came about.”
They continued: “Korean viewers who had already seen A Bloody Lucky Day praised the storyline for breaking their expectations. Many responded that they felt strongly immersed in the shocking twist, so we await the release date with half anticipation and half excitement to see what the American viewers will think.
On why now is the perfect time to release this body of work in the States, they told us: “In the real world we live in, it’s not uncommon for the guilty not to get what they deserve. Motiveless crimes are rising, and sometimes good deeds stab you in the back. This phenomenon is likely not unique to Korea alone. How should we live in an “unreasonable world” where the innocent suffer? Ironically, this theme, which was addressed in the ancient Old Testament story of Job, is still relevant today, thousands of years later, but that’s what we’re trying to address in this show. I think it’s a universal story that will resonate with audiences living in the United States today.”
They continued: “A serial killer who believes that the world is unreasonable and only the strong survive, a taxi driver who believes that humans should live by the rules of decency, who will the world side with? I hope American viewers can see the series to the end and feel the message of A Bloody Lucky Day.”
Watch all episodes of A Bloody Lucky Day on Paramount+ now!
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