The short-form drama competition was completely unpredictable and totally captivating!
In the second episode of ENA and Lifetime’s “Director’s Arena” aired on the 22nd, the judging for the first round mission, “Complete a 90-Second Teaser,” continued.
Following Director Lee Yu-jin (son of actress Lee Hyo-jung), who became the first participant to take 1st place without receiving a single “stop” vote, short-form drama powerhouse Director Park So-rang stepped up to the judging panel.
Director Park expressed confidence, introducing herself as the “No. 1 ranked short-form director.” Her work “Is This Marriage Valid?” utilized her specialty in passionate romance and grabbed attention with a shocking opening scene. However, despite her goal of taking 1st place, she became a survival candidate after receiving 15 “stop” votes.
Jang Keun-suk commented, “Just when I thought there was no more dopamine left, this reminded me that I’m still Korean—it’s pure dopamine.” Director Lee Byung-hun added, “The 15 stop votes seem like a matter of personal taste; she’s a director production companies would love. I feel like she’d take 1st place if she just made it this way.”
Next, Director Lee Beom-gyu’s “I Decide Not to Be Born to Save My Mother” drew attention with a poster that felt like an OTT movie. He shared, “I wondered if there could be a short-form drama that feels like a movie. I believe the competitiveness lies in creating a drama where people tired of provocative content can feel warmth and reflect.”
He specifically noted that a song created while drinking during the day with Joongsik-hyung from Joongsik Band is used as the OST, stating that the narrative wouldn’t be complete without it. The teaser featured a touching story of someone struggling in the past to save their mother, who died due to domestic violence, set against an emotional OST.
However, with 23 “stop” votes, he became a survival candidate. Jang Keun-suk pointed out, “Ultimately, it wasn’t clear what the story he wanted to tell was,” and Cha Tae-hyun noted, “The Joongsik Band song was too prominent, making the dialogue hard to hear.”
Then, Director Yeo Ha-ni, an overseas graduate attempting her debut, revealed “Don’t Let the Night Discover Forbidden Love.” Despite the provocative subject and stylish teaser, the “stop” votes quickly soared to 30, landing her in the survival candidate pool.
Director Yeo stated, “I have no regrets because this is who I am,” but added, “I regret that I should have mastered the rhythm of short-form content more. I didn’t come here to make art alone, but to be loved by the public, and I think I fell short in that area.”
Director Han Sang-il, who calls himself a “dirt spoon director,” started strong with “My Love Story That Only I Don’t Know.” The phrase on the poster, “The day I was hit by a flying dog house, I forgot my love,” earned high praise from Director Lee Byung-hun, who called it “so interesting.”
Director Han, who reached this position through self-study, explained, “It’s a story about a woman who loses her memories of her boyfriend after being hit by a dog house flying during a strong typhoon.” He raised expectations by revealing that the concept of being hit by a dog house was based on a real-life experience. Thanks to the fresh concept, he secured survival with only 4 “stop” votes.
Director Lee Byung-hun praised him again, saying, “For the first time today, I truly saw the director. If I had watched the video without knowing who the director was, I would have searched for who this person is.”
Other survival candidates included Director Yang Kyung-hee’s “Joseon Man XMZ Woman” (16 votes), Director Kim Ji-yang’s “Bloody Audition: K-pop Survivor Debut Showcase” (25 votes), Team Kopi’s “Trivial Superpower” and Director Oh Han-byeol’s AI-produced “Living Inside the Wall” (22 votes), and Director Kim Hyun-min’s “I Can See Stock Prices After Being Bitten by an Ant” (34 votes).
Director Yang Kyung-soo’s “Switch Man: The One Who Stops Time” and Director Nam Yeon-woo’s “End of the Role” were eliminated after quickly receiving 36 votes.
At the end of the broadcast, “triple ten-million actor” Choi Gwi-hwa’s transformation into a director was teased. Appearing with the work “I’ll Solve Anything Soon,” Director Choi Gwi-hwa said, “I’ve usually participated as a director for short films or online commercials. I decided to join when I heard about this audition.”
In a pre-interview, he showed confidence, saying, “I believe my work has a clear competitive edge. In other words, it will ‘hit’ and appeal to young people.” The teaser video is set to be revealed in the next episode, raising anticipation.
The preview for the next episode also caught attention with the appearance of directors from KAIST, a former SBS drama PD, and several actor-turned-directors, including Lee Ju-seung. Tension rose as Director Lee Ju-seung’s work faced the risk of elimination, receiving harsh criticism from fellow directors and the MCs.
