Will Red Velvet’s Joy truly return to acting after a break of 4 years?
What can viewers expect from the live-action series based off the popular webtoon, “One of a Kind Romance”?
How will Joy portray Gong Yoo-il, a playful young girl who doesn’t lose her smile, even during tough situations?
And finally, will the excitement behind the beloved webtoon translate into this drama?
With her return to acting, K-drama fans are excited to see Joy return to the screen. Let’s look into the details of her comeback and the reason for this drama’s eagerness.
Joy’s Comeback Announcement
On September 30, 2025, insiders in the entertainment industry stated that Red Velvet’s Joy (Park Soo-young) has been officially cast as the female lead in the drama “One of a Kind Romance.”
The drama is a live-action adaptation of the popular 2018 webtoon on Naver, created by Dubu, which the audience loves for its characters and story.
This project signals Joy’s return to acting after nearly four years, which has already led to huge anticipation from her audience and the industry in general to see Park Soo-young back on screen.
About the Drama / Storyline
The drama “The Wandering of One of a Kind Romance” is about Gong Yoo-il, an ordinary job seeker whose normal day suddenly changes after the arrival of the top actor Tak Mu-yi and the idol, Ryu Min crossed her world.
With their arrival comes an interesting romantically charged story filled with enjoyable, heart-racing, exchanges that are compelling to the audience.
Gong Yoo-il is:
- Resilient and cheerful, never loses her smile even in a tough situation.
- A young woman who has a secret dream to become a writer while juggling a part-time job as a convenience store worker.
- A person who’s instantaneously close to Tak Mu-yi and will begin a relationship with him, through unusual circumstances.
With this premise, the drama will hopefully deliver a mixture of romantic interest, personal development, and fun. For K-drama personalized chapters and webtoons, this will be a must view
Casting Joy as Gong Yoo-il
Fans and industry professionals have called Red Velvet’s Joy a “human vitamin” and a “sunshine visual,” so she is a natural choice for the optimistic and lively Gong Yoo-il.
There has already been online praise for the casting, with many fans already discussing how there is “200% synchronization” between Joy and the character from the original webtoon, noting that she is a natural fit for the role.
Joy has played every type of acting role. Some of her previous works include:
- The Liar and His Lover
- Tempted
- Only One Person
- Once Upon a Small Town
Joy has shown an extensive range in acting, as she has played characters that are bright and fresh to sexy and intense. Meaning, joy is well trained on audiences’ expectations from her performance in One of a Kind Romance as she charms, creates energy, and depicts Gong Yoo-il’s character’s depth.
Anticipation & Fan Reactions
The announcement of Joy’s comeback has generated a great deal of excitement among K-drama fans, particularly linked to the overwhelming success of the original webtoon.
Fans have been indicating their excitement through social media, with comments that included:
- Joy is so fitting for the role and is able to embody Gong Yoo-il’s personality of being cheerful and resilient.
- There is also curiosity about the male lead, including thoughts on who will portray Tak Mu-yi.
- Many fans are also looking forward to seeing Joy back in a romance drama; she hasn’t been in this type of genre for a few years.
- Overall, there is hopefulness about the fun, heartwarming, and cute nature of the drama promising an enjoyable experience.
Given that there is a loyal audience of webtoon fans and Joy’s star power, the expectations of One of a Kind Romance is soaring, and it has been labeled as one of the must-watch dramas of the year.
Why This Drama Matters
Joy’s return to the small screen brings renewed interest and excitement to One of a Kind Romance. Just by showing up alone, she has elevated the excitement among casual watchers and dedicated K-drama fans.
As a live-action adaptation of a beloved webtoon, this drama brings along a good amount of anticipation since no one can wait to see how the story and characters will be brought to life.
Joy’s charm, energy and flexibility as an actor are viewed as an important selling point for the drama. She is expected to breathe playful energy into Gong Yoo-il’s cheerful and spirited disposition.
On top of this, it also gives Joy an opportunity to strengthen her acting portfolio in the romance genre, showing how she takes on roles that are vibrant, heartwarming, and emotionally motivating. Fans and critics are certainly waiting to see what she delivers for this highly-anticipated project.
Join Our WhatsApp Channel
Conclusion
Joy’s return to acting is a significant event in the 2025 K-drama scene and is getting everyone excited and hyped up about how she will personally portray Gong Yoo-il, a lively, yet charming, sentient being similar to a “10-trillion-year-old” spirit living in a gradually unwinding web drama.
With all the right factors of an incredibly popular webtoon behind this work, and with a cast this skillful and Joy just being herself, One of a Kind Romance can only possibly be one of the inappropriate manifestations of wish fulfillment for every lover of K-drama.
Let’s unpack what makes One of a Kind Romance so exciting and why fans are filling calendar pages in anticipation.
