[Herald Interview] Kang Full says popularity of ‘Moving’ still feels unreal

While the superhero action series “Moving” has made history by becoming the most watched Korean original series on Disney+ and Hulu, topping TV series charts in various countries, including Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and other Southeast Asian nations, screenwriter Kang Full confessed that the series' success doesn't yet feel real.

Instead of relishing in the show's positive reviews, Kang said he spends more time worrying about viewers' reactions after new episodes are released on Wednesdays.

“I still remember how nervous I was a few days before the premiere of ‘Moving.,’” Kang told reporters during an interview at a cafe in Seoul on Monday.

Recognizing that people have their own taste and sense of humor, Kang was worried about whether viewers would enjoy his project, since he is a webtoon creator who normally interacts with readers.

When asked why he joined the production team as the screenwriter, Kang -- who never took part in screen adaptations of his webtoons in the past -- said that he felt the first script, written by another screenwriter, was lacking some important parts of the story.

“I told production staff and ‘Moving’ officials that I would write the script for the first two or three episodes. It was my first time writing scripts for a drama series. I told them to have a look at what I wrote and that I would work as the writer if they liked it,” Kang recollected.

“I am certainly grateful for the local and global viewers. But, it still feels unreal to know how many people enjoyed my series,” he added.

Though writing a script for the 20-part series was a challenge, the 49-year-old rookie screenwriter shared that he felt lucky to work with the “Moving” team.

According to Kang, he was able to unleash all of his imagination without any limits thanks to director Park In-je, who helmed “Moving.”

“I decided to work on the drama adaptation to complete the missing stories, which were not featured in the original webtoon series. I had to meet deadlines. Also, there were many scenes (from drama series) that are almost impossible to draw in comics,” Kang explained.

The screenwriter said the story of Jang Ju-won, which was revealed in the series’ latest episodes -- released on Aug. 23 -- was really short. Less than 10 cuts were used to explain that Jang was a former gang member and scouted by the Agency for National Security Planning after an ANSP official discovered his supernatural powers.

“I had a huge desire to tell more stories about Jang Ju-won. I thought his story was mesmerizing enough to make the old webtoon readers enjoy the series even more. I also believed that some passionate fans might have been curious about Jang’s past,” Kang told The Korea Herald.

Kang added that the series' in-depth storytelling allows both the readers and the viewers to be fully immersed in the fictional universe.

“Creating detailed stories for individual characters was the reason why the series had to have 20 parts. I knew it was different from the latest trends in the creative contents business, where many dramas have less than 16 parts. But, I needed more time to show the viewers everything I had,” said Kang, emphasizing that he worked on “Moving” with all his heart and soul.

In the 12th and 13th episodes released on Wednesday, the stories of Bong-seok, Hui-soo and Gang-hoon’s parents and their pasts come to an end as “Moving” enters its final phase.

“The last seven parts, starting with the 14th episode, are set to clarify the mysteries and lesser-known relationships of the main characters. I am certain that the hard-boiled, dynamic action will catch viewers’ attention,” Kang said.

“I am satisfied with the series’ outstanding performance so far, but I think I will be able to enjoy it after “Moving” comes to an end on Sept. 20,” he added with a big smile.

Two new episodes of “Moving” are released every Wednesday.

The last three episodes will be available exclusively on Disney+ on Sept. 20.