Man from the Equator (Korean: 적도의 남자; Hanja: 赤道의 男子; RR: Jeogdoui Namja; also known as The Equator Man) is a 2012 South Korean television series, starring Uhm Tae-woong, Lee Joon-hyuk, Lee Bo-young and Im Jung-eun. A tense, emotionally charged tale of brotherhood and betrayal, it follows two best friends with a tragic, twisted history that follows them from youth to adulthood.[2][3][4] It aired on KBS2 from March 21 to May 24, 2012 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 (KST) for 20 episodes.
| Man from the Equator | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Also known as | The Equator Man |
| Hangul | 적도의 남자 |
| Hanja | 赤道의 男子 |
| Revised Romanization | Jeokdo-ui Namja |
| McCune–Reischauer | Jŏktoŭi Namja |
| Genre | |
| Created by | KBS Drama |
| Written by | Kim In-young |
| Directed by | Kim Yong-soo Han Sang-woo |
| Starring | Uhm Tae-woong Lee Joon-hyuk Lee Bo-young Im Jung-eun |
| Music by | Park Seung-jin |
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Original language | Korean |
| No. of episodes | 20 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Jung Hae-ryong (KBS Drama) |
| Producers | Kang Byung-taek Moon Jung Soo Kim Hee Yul |
| Production locations | |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company | Pan Entertainment |
| Original release | |
| Network | KBS2 |
| Release | March 21 – May 24, 2012 |
After premiering in last place among its more high-profile competitors The King 2 Hearts and Rooftop Prince, the viewership ratings for Man from the Equator steadily climbed due in large part to Uhm Tae-woong's praise-worthy acting and the well-combined plot of romance, fate, revenge and success.[5][6][7] Out of a total of 20 episodes, 16 rated number one in its timeslot.[8][9][10][11][12]
Plot
One the driven top student and the other a happy-go-lucky troublemaker, Jang-il (Siwan) and Sun-woo (Lee Hyun-woo) become unlikely buddies in high school, both poor but proud in their own ways. Their fathers both have ties to a powerful businessman who orders Jang-il's father to kill Sun-woo's father. One desperate crime begets another, and the boys' friendship derails in a shocking betrayal. The attack leaves Sun-woo blind and in a coma.[13] Thirteen years later, their fates will come to a head when they meet again as adults. Jang-il (Lee Joon-hyuk) has become a prosecutor haunted by his past, while Sun-woo (Uhm Tae-woong), the young CEO of investment trust company Royal Tree, is plotting his revenge. Their fates are intertwined with the women they love—Ji-won (Lee Bo-young), a volunteer reader for visually impaired people who now works as a VIP party planner at a five-star hotel, and Soo-mi (Im Jung-eun), a hyper-realism painter. As Jang-il and Sun-woo vow to destroy each other, the truth unravels in a harrowing cycle of deception and revenge as the crimes and secrets of yesteryear come to light.[14][15][16][17][18][19]
Cast
- Uhm Tae-woong as Kim Sun-woo
- Lee Hyun-woo as teenage Sun-woo
- Formerly a problem child with a penchant for getting into fist fights, Sun-woo discovers his new-found passion for learning after he befriends top student Jang-il. One day, Kyung-pil, whom he looked up to as a father, dies mysteriously. While trying to discover the truth behind his death, Sun-woo gets into a fatal accident. Years later, he establishes himself as a successful businessman. His new goal now is to solve the mystery behind Kyung-pil's death while coming face to face with his former childhood best friend and nemesis, Jang-il.
- Lee Joon-hyuk as Lee Jang-il
- Jang-il is from a poor family and grew up in the countryside. From a young age, he excelled in his academic studies, dreaming of one day making it in the real world. His efforts pay off and he becomes a celebrated public prosecutor. Jang-il's greed and ambition for fame and fortune makes him betray his childhood best friend Sun-woo, and he must now live with his dark and lonely secret.
- Lee Bo-young as Han Ji-won
- Kyung Soo-jin as young Ji-won
- Im Jung-eun as Choi Soo-mi
- Park Se-young as young Soo-mi
- Kim Yeong-cheol as Jin No-shik
- Sun-woo's biological father
- Lee Won-jong as Lee Yong-bae
- Lee Jae-yong as Choi Kwang-chun
- Lee Dae-yeon as Kim Kyung-pil
- Sun-woo's adoptive father, a timid but kind man.
- Cha Hwa-yeon as Ma Hee-jung
- Lee Seung-hyung as Department head Cha
- Jeong Ho-bin as Moon Tae-joo
- Kim Soo-hyun as Mr. Koon
- Kang Ji-sub as Prosecutor Choi Yoon-suk
- Kim Hye-eun as Park Yoon-joo
- Park Hyo-jun as Geumjool
- Lee Chan-ho as teenage Geumjool
Ratings
In the table below, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.
| Episode # | Original broadcast date | Average audience share | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TNmS Ratings[21] | AGB Nielsen[22] | ||||
| Nationwide | Seoul National Capital Area | Nationwide | Seoul National Capital Area | ||
| 1 | 21 March 2012 | 7.9% | 8.7% | 7.7% | 8.0% |
| 2 | 22 March 2012 | 8.1% | 9.1% | 8.1% | 8.2% |
| 3 | 28 March 2012 | 8.7% | 9.0% | 8.1% | 8.2% |
| 4 | 29 March 2012 | 8.9% | 9.5% | 8.5% | 8.9% |
| 5 | 4 April 2012 | 11.4% | 12.6% | 10.2% | 10.7% |
| 6 | 5 April 2012 | 9.6% | 11.1% | 10.2% | 10.5% |
| 7 | 11 April 2012 | 13.1% | 15.8% | 14.3% | 15.4% |
| 8 | 12 April 2012 | 11.7% | 13.4% | 10.8% | 11.2% |
| 9 | 18 April 2012 | 12.1% | 13.4% | 12.0% | 12.6% |
| 10 | 19 April 2012 | 13.3% | 14.7% | 13.1% | 13.9% |
| 11 | 25 April 2012 | 15.6% | 16.7% | 15.0% | 15.7% |
| 12 | 26 April 2012 | 13.6% | 15.7% | 15.2% | 16.1% |
| 13 | 2 May 2012 | 13.4% | 15.0% | 14.7% | 15.3% |
| 14 | 3 May 2012 | 13.1% | 14.6% | 13.9% | 14.9% |
| 15 | 9 May 2012 | 12.5% | 15.5% | 14.6% | 16.0% |
| 16 | 10 May 2012 | 12.9% | 14.5% | 14.2% | 15.5% |
| 17 | 16 May 2012 | 13.5% | 15.4% | 15.1% | 15.3% |
| 18 | 17 May 2012 | 13.6% | 16.4% | 14.2% | 14.9% |
| 19 | 23 May 2012 | 12.8% | 14.8% | 14.3% | 15.5% |
| 20 | 24 May 2012 | 13.8% | 16.3% | 14.1% | 15.1% |
| Average | 12.0% | 13.6% | 12.4%% | 13.1% | |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 5th Korea Drama Awards | Grand Prize (Daesang) | Uhm Tae-woong | Nominated |
| Excellence Award, Actress | Kim Hye-eun | Nominated | ||
| 1st K-Drama Star Awards | Excellence Award, Actor | Uhm Tae-woong | Nominated | |
| KBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor | Uhm Tae-woong | Nominated | |
| Top Excellence Award, Actress | Lee Bo-young | Nominated | ||
| Excellence Award, Actor in a Mid-length Drama | Uhm Tae-woong | Won | ||
| Lee Joon-hyuk | Nominated | |||
| Excellence Award, Actress in a Mid-length Drama | Lee Bo-young | Won | ||
| Actor of the Year (awarded by PDs from all three broadcasters) | Uhm Tae-woong | Won | ||
| Best New Actor | Lee Hyun-woo | Nominated | ||
| Best New Actress | Park Se-young | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Lee Jae-yong | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Cha Hwa-yeon | Nominated | ||
| 2013 | 49th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best TV Actor | Uhm Tae-woong | Nominated |
References
External links
- Official website (in Korean)
- Man from the Equator on KBS World
- Man from the Equator at HanCinema