The Dignity of 'Brave New World' Without Historical Distortion… Even the 'Red Comet' Was Real History [Interview]

The secret behind 'Brave New World,' which earned praise from drama fans for its impeccable historical research, has been revealed.

The SBS drama 'Brave New World' (written by Kang Hyun-ju, directed by Han Tae-seop and Kim Hyun-woo), which concluded on June 20, is a romantic comedy about a nameless actress named Shin Seo-ri (played by Lim Ji-yeon) who becomes wicked after being possessed by the soul of a notorious Joseon-era villain, and Cha Se-gye (played by Heo Nam-jun), a villainous conglomerate heir known as a 'monster created by capitalism.' The series was well-loved by viewers throughout its run for its tight plot, sophisticated direction, and the passionate performances of its actors, even achieving the feat of reaching No. 1 on Netflix's global rankings.

In particular, despite being a fantasy romance, 'Brave New World' received rare praise from fans for its "perfect historical research." This stands in contrast to the struggles faced by competing dramas airing during the same period, which were embroiled in controversies over historical distortion.

How did they build such a solid sense of reality on top of fictional settings like 'soul swapping' and 'time travel'? Director Han Tae-seop and writer Kang Hyun-ju revealed the secrets behind the details in a written interview released on June 30.

▲ "The More Fantasy, the More Realistic"… The Reality of the 'Red Comet' Found in the Annals of King Sukjong

Director Han Tae-seop stated, "When I first read the script, I felt that for the fantasy elements to be accepted as real, the historical drama segments needed to be depicted with great depth and dignity. Therefore, I set the main principle of the historical research as 'implementing the classic beauty of the late Joseon Dynasty based on accurate historical records'." He added, "We established motifs for the historical period and proceeded with the production of costumes and props based on clear artifact references. We tried to minimize flashy or fusion-style elements in terms of color and texture, aiming to highlight a graceful and restrained classic beauty."

The most surprising detail among them is the 'Red Comet' setting that kicks off the story. This did not stem from mere imagination but from actual historical records. Director Han revealed that while researching literature, he was inspired by the record: "A white vapor like a comet stretched from the west to the middle of the sky, and the comet appeared for two months (Annals of King Sukjong, Vol. 10, November 1st, 6th year of King Sukjong)." Director Han explained, "This comet is presumed to be the 'Kirch Comet,' which was also discovered in the West in 1680 and is the first comet in human history observed with a telescope. We analyzed the characteristics of this comet group and reflected them in the visual design of the 'Red Comet'."

▲ From 'Nakseonjae' to 'Aeryeonji'… Narratives of Past Lives Engraved in Space and Costume

The character narratives were also embedded in the spatial direction. The set for Lee Hyun's (Heo Nam-jun) pavilion took the simple, unpainted style of Nakseonjae at Changdeokgung Palace as a motif, visualizing the loneliness of an outsider character who is isolated and restrained despite being inside the palace.

Director Han said, "We placed traditional symbols connecting the past life and the present life throughout the sets," adding, "To reflect the character trait that Se-gye is the reincarnation of a Grand Prince, we set up bamboo, wooden pillars, and rain gutters in the Se-gye house set to subtly express Korean beauty. The square pond in the middle of the house was modeled after Aeryeonji in the rear garden of Changdeokgung Palace to incorporate the beauty of the palace that the Grand Prince enjoyed in his past life."

Regarding the 'Hee-bin Byeoldang' (detached palace) where Kang Dan-shim (Lim Ji-yeon) lived in the past, Director Han said, "We removed the flashy colors that come to mind when thinking of 'Jang Hee-bin' and expressed it plainly to emphasize Dan-shim's psychology of longing for the Grand Prince while enduring loneliness and sorrow within the desolate order of the palace for a long time."

The costumes were also a culmination of craftsmanship. The green jacket and red skirt (nokui-hongsang) worn by Kang Dan-shim in the present during episodes 1 and 2 were completed after several revisions to the color combinations and embroidery, based on actual artifacts. They pursued the 'beauty of emptiness' by excluding decorative elements, focusing on details like the cheopji ornament, the color combination of the court lady uniform, the thickness of the collar, and the width of the sleeves.

In particular, the Grand Prince's costumes referenced the film 'Untold Scandal' (2003), known as a textbook for reproducing Hanbok, to fully preserve the beauty of tradition.

▲ "A Worldview With Feet on the Ground"… A Victory of Collaboration That Made the Fake Real

Writer Kang Hyun-ju, who wrote the script, also shared her writing philosophy, saying, "Because we started with the dramatic situation of a soul swap, the basic principle was to keep everything else as grounded as possible." The active inclusion of names and idioms of actual historical figures like Shin Saimdang, Im Yunjidang, and Heo Nanseolheon in the dialogue during the early episodes was a meticulous device to make viewers feel the fictional worldview was real.

Regarding the line about 'a jab at historical research' that Seo-ri shouted on a historical drama set, which became a hot topic, she said, "I thought it was a comedic situation that could naturally occur if a person who flew from the Joseon Dynasty to the modern era encountered a historical drama filming set. At the time of writing, I approached it as a scene to maximize the character's personality and the situation, so I did not intend to assign any further meaning to it," cautioning against over-interpretation.

Ultimately, the high-quality historical research shown by 'Brave New World' was a 'victory of collaboration' made possible by the efforts of all staff, including art, costumes, and makeup, not just the direction and writing. 'Brave New World' remains a good example of how attractive and persuasive a fantasy backed by thorough historical research can be.

[Photo: SBS 'Brave New World']

Reported by Kang Sun-ae

(SBS Entertainment News, Reporter Kang Sun-ae)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.