If you had only a short while left to live, where would you want to go and what would you want to see?
At the end of season one of the South Korean slice of life/comedy Work Later, Drink Now, yoga instructor Han Ji-yeon (Han Sun-hwa) was left with those questions as she got diagnosed with breast cancer.
Season two begins with Ji-yeon and her best friends Ahn So-hee (Lee Sun-bin) and Kang Ji-goo (Apink’s Jung Eun-ji) going on a week-long adventure — parasailing, fishing and drinking to their hearts’ content — before she starts chemotherapy.
While her character immerses in nature and ticks off her bucket list items, Sun-hwa is also a huge fan of the outdoors in her real life.
On her own bucket list, she told AsiaOne in a recent interview: “I really want to take on the challenge of the Camino de Santiago trail someday.”
She added: “[To relax,] I like to work out by going on a hike or taking a walk.”
The trail, which encompasses several routes in Spain, France and Portugal, follows the paths taken by historical pilgrims to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia and remains popular for religious folks as well as hikers and cyclists.
Super Junior’s Choi Si-won, who plays Kang Book-goo, also told AsiaOne: “I suddenly thought of this, but one item on my bucket list would be to travel the world for a week.
“I think it will be good to travel around the world with a film crew to keep a record of it.”
Sun-bin has several things she wants to try, including skydiving, busking and living abroad for a month.
“I really want to try it! I actually have so many bucket list items I want to check, but I’m going to save them and try them when I want to refresh myself,” she said.
For now, the way she relaxes is by eating good food and singing karaoke with friends.
“I think I relieve my stress the most when I’m at a karaoke,” she said.
Picking their poisons
In season two, Ji-goo, formerly a YouTuber, becomes the sole breadwinner of her family and takes on odd jobs, including being a delivery driver.
Eun-ji said about her character’s growth: “Where Ji-goo would have previously been quick-tempered, she has become more patient and also more responsible towards her friends. I thought of it as the process of her learning about another world.
“I wonder if many viewers will be able to empathise with the disappointment that Ji-goo experiences as she grows?”
When it comes to the viewers, there have been criticisms made about the show glamorising alcoholism, showing the three besties drinking belligerently every night. To Eun-ji, however, the women’s antics could conversely act as a deterrent for the audience.
She said: “Using the embarrassing mistakes made by Ji-goo, So-hee, and Ji-yeon as examples, we can learn that only drinking appropriately in amounts you can handle is the right way to go.”
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When it comes to her own preferences, Eun-ji likes to drink somaek, a mixture of beer and soju, and wine.
Sun-bin is a fan of “any fruit-flavoured or sweet alcohol,” while Sun-hwa’s preferences depend “on the weather or my mood of the day.”
“I like to drink wine when it’s cold and beer when it’s warm,” she said.
Si-won picks his poison depending on the food he’s eating.
“I used to really like beer, but I think fruit wine or wine is my favourite these days,” he added.
Work Later, Drink Now 2 streams on Viu.
drimac@asiaone.com
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