Disney Plus’ new series ‘The Manipulated’ is catching fire well beyond Korea, lighting up the Asia-Pacific region.
Leads Ji Chang-wook and D.O. met more than 400 reporters from 12 Asia-Pacific territories on the morning of the 13th at the Disney Plus Originals Preview 2025, held at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel.
The revenge thriller follows Tae-jung (Ji Chang-wook), an ordinary man framed for a brutal crime and sent to prison, who discovers the mastermind behind it all is Yohan (D.O.). The series shares a universe with the 2017 feature ‘Fabricated City.’
With Episodes 1-4 dropping on the 5th and Episodes 5-6 on the 12th, the momentum is showing up in the numbers. As of the 9th, analytics tracker FlixPatrol reports the series hit No. 1 on Disney Plus’ Top 10 TV Shows in both Korea and Taiwan, No. 4 worldwide, and charted in six markets including Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Turkey, and Singapore.
That heat was palpable at the event, which drew a press-only crowd of 400-plus. Ji, one of Asia’s most in-demand Hallyu stars, seemed to spark louder cheers abroad than at home. He took the stage for both ‘Merry Very Love’ and ‘The Manipulated,’ and each entrance set off a volley of camera flashes and whoops―unusually electric for a media presentation.
“I’ve worked on a range of projects with Disney Plus, from ‘The Worst of Evil’ to ‘Gangnam B-Side,’ and now ‘The Manipulated,’” Ji said. “This one carries extra weight for me because it shares a universe with the film ‘Fabricated City,’ which I starred in about a decade ago. I felt a real sense of responsibility going in.”
Asked by a Singapore journalist about differences from the movie, Ji clarified: “It’s not a remake of ‘Fabricated City’―think of it as an expanded-universe series. New characters, new arcs, a completely new drama. What I can say is we pushed ourselves physically from start to finish on this shoot.”
Taking on the first villain role of his career, D.O. added, “I was more excited than afraid to try something new. I was curious how to bring this character to life, and it ended up being a lot more fun than I expected.” Then, with a grin, he quipped, “And yes―Ji Chang-wook really did suffer on this one,” drawing laughs from the room.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)
