The short-form drama that sparked buzz from the production stage for its provocative premise is finally starting to take shape.
On the 12th, short-form drama platform Lezhin Snack unveiled character posters featuring lead actors Kim Kang-jae and Ji Min-seo for Painter of the Night.
Based on the hit webtoon of the same name, the project instantly drew heated attention over how it would portray the original’s explicit content and distinct atmosphere on screen.
Painter of the Night begins when Yoon Seung-ho (played by Kim Kang-jae), a nobleman notorious for his affairs with men, stumbles upon Baek Na-gyeom’s (played by Ji Min-seo) collection of erotic paintings. He coerces Baek into recording his secret nights in art, setting off a perilous relationship between the two men—and the shifting emotions that blossom within it are the drama’s core hook.
Right after the posters dropped, online communities and social media lit up with reactions like “They completely failed to capture the original vibe,” “Is this really the best they could do?” and “It might’ve been better if the actors swapped roles.”
With a growing controversy over how well it matches the source material, all eyes are on whether Painter of the Night can silence concerns through strong acting and direction once the main episodes are released.
Meanwhile, all episodes of Painter of the Night are scheduled to be released via Lezhin Snack at 5 p.m. on May 28.