''Jungle Fish'' () is a 2008
South Korean youth television special starring
Kim Soo-hyun
Kim Soo-hyun (; born February 16, 1988) is a South Korean actor. One of the highest-paid actors in South Korea, his accolades include four Baeksang Arts Awards, two Grand Bell Awards and one Blue Dragon Film Award. From 2012 to 2016 and in 2 ...
and
Park Bo-young. Based on a true story, the drama depicts the pressures placed on students to achieve and gain admission to prestigious colleges and universities. Also, it showcased new interactive
blog
A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order ...
ging. The series marked Kim's first official lead role. It aired on
KBS2
The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters.
KBS operates seven radio networks, ten television channels, ...
on 5 May 2008 at 19:20 (
KST), and is available for worldwide streaming through
KBS World
KBS World is the Korean Broadcasting System's international broadcasting service. It consists of KBS World Radio, KBS World television channel and KBS Korea.
History
The foreign-language radio broadcast from KBS (before its restructure into ...
's official
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second most ...
channel.
The special recorded a viewership rating of 3.3%. It received critical acclaim for filming and editing, and acting by a cast of young performers winning numerous awards, including the
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...
. It became the KBS show with the most international awards in history.
It was given a theatrical screening on 23 September 2010 at the
Lotte Cinema at
Konkuk University
Konkuk University () is a South Korean private university founded in 1946. The university was founded based on three virtues: sincerity, fidelity, and righteousness.
Konkuk University gives comprehensive education in agricultural and life sci ...
. A television series, ''
Jungle Fish 2'', was created featuring a different cast, and aired in 2010 on KBS.
Summary
The drama ''Jungle Fish'', which means a fish that lived on the coast of Africa and fell into the jungle by a whirlwind, portrays the current youth (fish) who are struggling for the better future (beach) while suffering from the reality (jungle) of the entrance exam.
The story is about high school students around Han Jae-ta (Kim Soo-hyun) who share their concerns and problems through the blog. One day, an examination paper leak incident occurs at his school through special tutoring. The class leader leads Jae-ta and digs into the problem to confirm "Who is the protagonist of the incident?", and the incident is gradually amplified through Jae-ta's blog. Through this incident, Jae-ta and his friends are increasingly in conflict and skepticism about "the value of friendship and success."
Cast
Main
*
Kim Soo-hyun
Kim Soo-hyun (; born February 16, 1988) is a South Korean actor. One of the highest-paid actors in South Korea, his accolades include four Baeksang Arts Awards, two Grand Bell Awards and one Blue Dragon Film Award. From 2012 to 2016 and in 2 ...
as Han Jae-ta
A high-school student, who has good photography skills and runs a blog about his daily life.
*
Park Bo-young as Lee Eun-soo
Her mother wants her to enroll in a prestigious college. She unburdens her daily life problems through the blog.
Supporting
*
Hwang Chan-sung as Park Young-sam
Jae-ta's friend who leads him to find out who stole the exam question papers.
*
Jang Ki-bum as Han Dong-hee
Jae-ta's friend who comes in skepticism about the friendship with him after the incident.
*
Cha Min-ji as Kang-sol
Eun-soo's good friend who refuses to talk with her after learning the truth.
*Seo Hye-jin as Na Mi-rae
Eun-soo's classmate who takes special classes with her and Dong-hee.
*Kim C as Jae-ta's uncle
*
Kim Dong-beom as speaker
Awards
References
External links
''Jungle Fish'' official KBS website
*{{Hancinema film, Jungle_Fish, Jungle Fish
2008 South Korean television series debuts
Korean Broadcasting System television dramas
Korean-language television shows
South Korean teen dramas