Go Back (TV series) explained

Native Name:
Hangul:고백부부
Developer:KBS Drama Production
Director:Ha Byung-hoon
Country:South Korea
Language:Korean
Num Episodes:12
Runtime:70 min
Network:KBS2

Go Back is a 2017 South Korean television series starring Son Ho-jun and Jang Na-ra. It premiered on October 13 to November 18, 2017, and aired every Friday and Saturday at 23:00 (KST) on KBS2.[1] [2]

The series was based on the Naver webtoon series Do it one more time by Hong Seung-pyo (a.k.a. Miti) and Kim Hye-yeon (a.k.a. Gugu), which was first published online in 2016.[3] [4]

Plot

Choi Ban-do (Son Ho-jun) and Ma Jin-joo (Jang Na-ra) are both 38 years old and married with a little son. Both are struggling through daily lives that leave them exhausted and unhappy. Ban-do is a pharmaceutical salesman who spends his days begging people to buy his medicines, and his evenings either drinking with prospective clients, or helping an arrogant and cruel hospital director, Park Hyun-suk (Im Ji-kyu), hide the fact that he is cheating on his wealthy wife. Jin-joo is a housewife who raises their son while struggling to find meaning in her life, and feels lonely and abandoned by Ban-do. After coming to a breaking point in their relationship, Ban-do and Jin-joo wake up to find themselves as 20-year-old university students. They don't know why they are there or how long they will stay, so they decide to enjoy it and make different choices than they did the first time around. These decisions impact their families and friends.[5]

Cast

Main

A pharmaceutical salesman and Ma Jin-joo's husband. He was a Civil Engineering student at Hankook University. However, after he graduated and got married, he started working as a pharmaceutical salesman, begging doctors and directors to buy his products, even willing to spend more money for his clients at bars, do menial jobs, and even be bullied by them. Furthermore, one of his cruel clients pays him to hide his younger nurse mistresses from his wife by using credit cards under his name, with various hotels and motels listed on the bill. One day, feeling exhausted from the cruel treatments from his clients and consistent naggings from Jin-joo, he agrees to his wife's divorce plea, wishing that they had never met each other.

A homemaker and Choi Ban-do's wife for more than 10 years. She was a History student at Hankook University. She used to be germophobic, but after becoming a homemaker, her hygiene deteriorates to the extent of willing to eat her son's food that he can't bite, wearing stained outfits most of the time, and becoming gluttonous, eating at a faster pace than the average person. At first she was happy in her marriage, but after some years she started to feel exhausted and unhappy with her situation of being a homemaker, wishing herself to have a better job and income. She also feels that Ban-do starts abandoning her in term of affection and finances, believing that he is a cheap person. After a misunderstanding one night, she wishes to go back to the time when she had never met him, and files for a divorce while demanding alimony for herself and their son, Seo-jin.

Supporting

People around Ban-do

Ban-do's classmate in the civil engineering department. He is a weakling and provides comic relief, but tries to change due to his love for Yoon Bo Reum.

Ban-do's classmate in the civil engineering department. He has long hair and a bright and charming personality, but is naive and a little dumb.

A ballet major who Ban-do admired, but was too shy to approach in the past.

Ban-do's senior at university in the medicine department. In the present, he is the director of a hospital. A very cruel person, he used to use his innocent looks to cheat on his girlfriend — his wife in the present — that he loves only for her family's wealthy background. He continues his old habit of seducing younger and prettier nurses in the present, even using Choi Ban-do's credit card to hide his mistresses at hotels and motels.

Ban-do's sister. She bullies her brother, but also stands up for him.

People around Jin-joo

Jin-joo's best friend in university, now an aerobics instructor. She is a former university cheerleader with an easygoing personality, and a high tolerance for alcohol.

Jin-joo's best friend in university. She has an innocent and a goody-two-shoes appearance, but can be an oddball who makes sarcastic remarks.

An ROTC candidate and popular upperclassman in the same history department as Jin-joo. While all other university females fawn over him, he has a one-sided crush on Jin-joo.

Special appearance

Production

The drama, directed and written by the production team of The Sound of Your Heart, is the first production of Zium Content, the production company founded by ex-KBS drama producer Han Seok-won () in early 2017. It was co-produced by KBS N.[10]

Original soundtrack

Confession Couple Special OST
Type:Soundtrack
Artist:Various Artists
Released:November 20, 2017
Genre:Soundtrack, Ballad
Label:NHN Bugs

The soundtrack released on November 20, 2017 for the Korean drama of the same name. The CD 1 composed of 7 tracks which was released as a single while the CD 2 released as a track on the album.[11]

Chart performance

Digital chart

Ratings

the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.
Broadcast DateAverage audience share
TNmS Ratings[15] AGB Nielsen Ratings[16]
NationwideSeoulNationwideSeoul
1October 13, 20175.2% 5.5%
2October 14, 20176.1% 6.4% 6.0% 6.6%
3October 20, 20175.5% 5.2% 5.4%
4October 21, 20175.3% 6.0% 4.8% 5.5%
5October 27, 20175.3% 5.5% 5.8%
6October 28, 20175.2% 5.6% 5.5% 6.0%
7November 3, 20176.1% 6.3% 5.8% 5.8%
8November 4, 20175.5% 6.3% 6.7% 7.1%
9November 10, 20176.9% 7.3% 6.5% 6.4%
10November 11, 20176.9% (12th) (6th)6.0% (18th)5.5% (20th)
11November 17, 20176.6% (17th)7.0% (15th)5.4% (20th)5.7% (19th)
12November 18, 2017
Average

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Recipient ResultRef.
201731st KBS Drama AwardsTop Excellence Award, ActressJang Na-ra[17]
Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries
Netizen Award - Female
Excellence Award, Actor in a MiniseriesSon Ho-jun
Netizen Award - Male
Best New ActorJang Ki-yong
Best Couple AwardJang Na-ra and Son Ho-jun
20186th APAN Star AwardsExcellence Award, Actress in a MiniseriesJang Na-ra[18]

Notes and References

  1. News: 2017-08-30 . Son Ho-jun and Jang Nara together in new drama "Confession Couple" . 2017-08-31 . . August 31, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170831174632/http://www.hancinema.net/son-ho-jun-and-jang-nara-together-in-new-drama-confession-couple-109561.html . live .
  2. Web site: 2017-08-30 . Son Ho Jun And Jang Nara To Star In New KBS Variety Drama As A Couple . 2017-08-31 . . June 12, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180612154643/https://www.soompi.com/2017/08/30/son-ho-jun-jang-nara-star-new-kbs-variety-drama-couple/ . dead .
  3. Web site: ko:한번 더 해요 . Do It One More Time . 2018-06-09 . . July 18, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170718112311/http://comic.naver.com/webtoon/list.nhn?titleId=675393 . live .
  4. Web site: 2017-10-01 . ko:성인웹툰 '한번 더 해요' 실사판 드라마 '고백부부' 예고편 영상 . Trailer video for adult webtoon 'Let's do it one more time' live action drama 'Confession Couple' . 2018-06-09 . Insight . December 31, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221231051236/https://www.insight.co.kr/news/121683 . live .
  5. Web site: Go Back Couple . Dramafever.
  6. Web site: 2017-09-05 . Trios of best friends, rivals, and enemies for KBS's Confession Spouses . Dramabeans . September 6, 2017 . September 24, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200924004152/https://www.dramabeans.com/2017/09/trios-of-best-friends-rivals-and-enemies-for-kbss-confession-spouses/ . live .
  7. News: 2017-09-05 . Heo Jeong-min to join "Confession Couple" . . September 6, 2017 . July 1, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230701082438/https://www.hancinema.net/heo-jeong-min-to-join-confession-couple-109775.html . live .
  8. News: 2017-09-03 . "Confession Couple" Lee Byung-joon, Jo Ryun, Minji, and Ko Eun-min . . September 6, 2017 . July 1, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230701131748/https://www.hancinema.net/confession-couple-lee-byung-joon-jo-ryun-minji-and-ko-eun-min-109697.html . live .
  9. Web site: TVXQ's U-Know Yunho to cameo in Son Ho Jun's upcoming drama.. September 19, 2017. KBS World. October 12, 2017. October 13, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171013014508/http://kbsworld.kbs.co.kr/news/news_view.php?no=17585&sec=kpop. live.
  10. Web site: 2020-07-21 . ko:'고백부부' 손호준, '흰난닝구+성냥 두 개' 빅재미 졸음퇴치룩 . 'Confession Couple' Son Ho-jun, 'White Nanning + Two Matches' Big Fun Drowsiness Look . 2023-01-02 . . ko . January 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230102175247/https://www.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2017/09/27/2017092700714.html . live .
  11. Web site: ko:고백부부 Special OST . Confession Couple Special OST . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210929121932/https://m2.melon.com/album/music.htm?albumId=10112563 . 2021-09-29 . 2021-09-29 . . ko.
  12. Web site: ko:2017년 46주차 - Album Chart . Week 46 of 2017 - Album Chart . 2022-02-08 . . ko . February 8, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220208114548/http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/album.gaon?serviceGbn=ALBUM&termGbn=week&hitYear=2017&targetTime=46&nationGbn=T . live .
  13. Web site: ko:2017년 47주차 - Digital Chart . Week 47 of 2017 - Digital Chart . 2022-02-08 . . ko . February 8, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220208114541/http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/online.gaon?serviceGbn=ALL&termGbn=week&hitYear=2017&targetTime=47&nationGbn=T . live .
  14. Cumulative sales for "Wind Song":
    • Web site: Gaon Download Chart – Month 11 . 2017-12-07 . . December 7, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171207141035/http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/online.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=S1020&targetTime=11&hitYear=2017&termGbn=month . live .
  15. Web site: TNmS Daily Ratings: this links to current day-select the date from drop down menu. TNmS Ratings. August 6, 2017. ko. January 17, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180117221236/http://www.tnms.tv/rating/default.asp. live.
  16. Web site: AGB Daily Ratings: this links to current day-select the date from drop down menu. Nielsen Korea. August 6, 2017. ko. https://web.archive.org/web/20170317134758/http://www.nielsenkorea.co.kr/tv_terrestrial_day.asp?menu=Tit_1&sub_menu=1_1&area=00. March 17, 2017. dead.
  17. News: Lee . Kyung-ho . January 1, 2018 . ko:김영철·천호진,KBS 연기대상 공동 수상..아버지의 힘!(종합) . ko . Kim Young-cheol and Cheon Ho-jin jointly won the KBS Drama Awards.. Father's power! (Comprehensive) . Star News . 2020-06-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180103133440/http://star.mt.co.kr/stview.php?no=2017123120381637015 . 2018-01-03.
  18. Web site: 2018-09-27 . ko:이병헌·손예진·아이유 APAN스타어워즈 노미네이트 . Lee Byung-Hun, Son Ye-Jin, IU APAN Star Awards nominations . Star News . ko . September 27, 2018 . April 4, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190404195917/https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=108&aid=0002730227 . live .