Cockroaches, Conspiracies, and Chemistry: Inside the Wild Press Conference for “The Manipulated”

Tuesday, November 04, 2025


The press conference for Disney+’s upcoming revenge thriller The Manipulated was anything but predictable. Held in Seoul on November 3, the event featured stars Ji Changwook, Doh Kyungsoo (D.O.), Lee Kwang Soo, Kim Jongsoo, Jo Yoonsu, and director Park Shin Woo, who dove into the intense rivalries, on set antics, and bizarre character notes that defined the series.

The series, a new adaptation of the film Fabricated City, follows Park Taejoong (Ji Changwook), an ordinary man wrongfully imprisoned who discovers the mysterious Yohan (D.O.) is behind the conspiracy. What follows is an intense chase for revenge.


When asked to define their relationship, Ji Changwook, describing his character's motivation, was brutally honest. "To Taejoong, Yohan is the goal," he said, before adding with a laugh, "He's a guy I want to beat to a pulp." Ji Changwook even joked, "I am still avoiding looking at Doh Kyungsoo right now." Ji Changwook further explained the dynamic, noting that from Yohan's perspective, Taejoong is "a very cockroach like being. His resilience is incredible. Long and tenacious. Even though he keeps getting stepped on, he survives and crawls back up."


Doh Kyungsoo, who plays his first villain character, described Yohan as someone who "doesn't see people as people."


While the rivalry is intense, the off screen chemistry was clear. "I was worried it might be awkward working with Kyungsoo since we are so close," Lee Kwang Soo admitted. "But it wasn't awkward at all. Thanks to Changwook and Kyungsoo, I got to do everything I wanted... I really just went to the set like I was going to play."

That "play" apparently caused some friction. When a reporter asked Doh Kyungsoo about being "persistently bullied" by Lee Kwang Soo, the actor quickly shut it down.

"That's not true," Doh Kyungsoo clarified, laughing. "In the drama, he’s the VIP, but I was always in the superior position." He did admit, however, that Lee Kwang Soo’s character "induces so much rage."

"His character is very ‘thin,’" Doh Kyungsoo explained. "I was annoyed. His entire role is to scratch at Yohan, and I really got scratched." He confessed he thought acting opposite his close friend would be "cringey," but Lee Kwang Soo's performance was so good "it wasn't cringey at all. I could immerse myself easily."

Lee Kwang Soo took the "thin" comment as a compliment, contrasting their villainous styles. "Kyungsoo’s villain is ‘thick,’" he said. "Mine is a ‘thin’ style of villain."



TThe series is an adaptation of the film Fabricated City, which also starred Ji Changwook. Director Park Shin Woo made it clear there was no other choice for the lead. "Ji Changwook showed his will to do this before the script was even finished," Park said. "I couldn't think of another actor."

Ji Changwook, who was drawn to the fun script and unique characters, insisted he is not repeating his performance. "I didn't match the two characters at all," he said. "The writer gave me one piece of homework... ‘I want Taejoong to be like a tree.’ That was my biggest challenge."



Director Park Shin Woo explained that the drama uses its episodic format to keep viewers hooked. "Each episode unfolds like a new stage," he said, and he "tried to bring out the charm of the series" with "new developments and unpredictable clashes between characters."

Stream The Manipulated starting November 5, exclusively on Disney+.
 

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