Jisoo from BLACKPINK stars in Netflix's "Monthly Boyfriend," a romantic comedy about virtual love subscriptions, premiering March 6.

BLACKPINK's Jisoo's first romantic comedy "Monthly Boyfriend" is coming. Today (26th) morning, a production announcement event for Netflix's "Monthly Boyfriend" was held, attended by Jisoo, Seo In-guk, and director Kim Jong-sik. The work is a romantic comedy where Mi-rae (Jisoo), a webtoon producer tired of real life, experiences love through a subscription-based virtual dating simulation. Directed by Kim Jong-sik, known for "Drinking City Women" and "I Don't Want to Lose," he said, "It started with the thought of 'What if love could be subscribed to?' The story is about a protagonist who is hurt in reality experiencing dates through 'Monthly Boyfriend' and healing. Normally, dramas have one character in one setting, but we have one actor playing various settings and characters through a love subscription service," showing confidence that they packed everything people love into it. Jisoo plays Seo Mi-rae, a webtoon producer dreaming of a second love life in virtual reality. Through romances with unrealistically perfect men in the virtual world, she awakens her forgotten love cells. She revealed her reason for choosing the work, saying, "When I first saw the script, the story about virtual reality didn't feel like a distant future. There were many relatable parts," and added, "Since the character Mi-rae is similar in age to me, I could relate to her struggles and overcoming them." She also mentioned, "I think I share a similar personality with Mi-rae, as I also like spending time at home. The character is someone who is afraid of new challenges and changes that many people in my age group face. I believe many will relate to Mi-rae just like I do." Seo In-guk plays Park Kyung-nam, a rival webtoon producer and colleague of Seo Mi-rae, who is someone she least wants to run into and has an unexpected secret. Seo In-guk expressed, "The world view of 'Monthly Boyfriend,' where you enter a virtual reality, was very interesting. The background of the virtual world that cannot be seen in the real world, a lot of CG work, and the story connecting with characters that fit the theme were very appealing." He added, "The changes and story that the character Seo Mi-rae goes through while moving between the virtual world and reality were captivating. Of course, my character is also attractive." Regarding his co-star Jisoo, he said, "This is the first time I’ve worked with her in this project. She is much funnier and more humorous than I expected," praising her charm and saying, "She is cuter than the Seo Mi-rae I saw in the script, making me want to hug her, and I felt she portrayed the struggling parts well." Jisoo is taking on her first romantic comedy through "Monthly Boyfriend." Under the unique setting of "love subscription," she will develop romances with various 'virtual boyfriends' including Seo Kang-joon, Lee Soo-hyuk, Ong Seong-woo, Lee Jae-wook, Lee Hee-nuk, Park Jae-bum, and Lee Sang-yi. Director Kim praised Jisoo, saying, "Although it is a work with various themes centered around one protagonist, over 95% features Jisoo. She handled all the diverse settings and characters well, and I learned that effort surpasses talent this time." Jisoo has been involved in discussions about her acting skills since her first leading role in "Snowdrop," through Coupang Play's series "Newtopia," to the movie "The All-Knowing Reader's Perspective." She mentioned, "To portray diverse roles, I met and talked a lot with the director to show a better version of myself," and added, "Since I am playing a character of the same age, I worried a lot about whether I could fit it like a perfect outfit. This time, I would be happy if people say, 'I found a role that suits me.'" The director reiterated, "I think Jisoo really worked hard. She digested various settings and characters well. You will see Mi-rae's growth, but you will also see the actor's growth," emphasizing that effort surpassed talent. Netflix's "Monthly Boyfriend" will be released on March 6.