Tantara first look: Know all about Gong Yoo and Song Hye Kyo's upcoming Netflix period K-drama on Korea’s music industry

The upcoming Netflix period k-drama is set in South Korea’s entertainment industry during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

South Korean actors Song Hye Kyo and Gong Yoo are teaming up for the first time in Tantara, a Netflix period k-drama set in South Korea’s entertainment industry during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. The series will follow a group of people trying to make a name for themselves in the music business, where talent and ambition often come with personal sacrifices. Netflix on Thursday announced December 11 as the premiere date.

Tantara first look: Song Hye Kyo and Gong Yoo to star in Netflix drama set in Korea’s music industry

Tantara poster gives a glimpse of the music-filled drama

Netflix has released a date announcement poster that offers a first look at the characters and the world they inhabit. Built around the image of a record player, the poster brings together the people, performances and ambitions that drive the story.

Min Ja (Song Hye Kyo) and Dong Gu (Gong Yoo) are shown on their journey from nightclub workers to talent managers, while Min Hui (Kim Seol Hyun) appears as a performer finding her feet in the industry. The poster also features Seok Gil Yeo (Cha Seung Won) with his saxophone, hinting at the role music will play in the series. The first look points to a story that goes beyond the glamour of show business to explore the struggles of people trying to make their dreams a reality.

What is Tantara about?

Tantara takes viewers to a time when making it in the Korean entertainment industry was far from easy. Against a backdrop of poverty, intense competition and violence, the series follows people who are willing to take risks to build better lives for themselves.

Hye Kyo plays Min Ja, who grows up struggling to make ends meet. Having spent much of her life taking whatever work she can find, she decides to try her luck in the music business. Her childhood friend Dong Gu, played by Gong Yoo, joins her in the pursuit. The two face setbacks together, starting out as waiters before taking their first steps as talent managers.

Their big break comes when they meet Min Hui, a singer with a striking voice who becomes their first artist. But working together is not always easy. She is ambitious, sharp and rebellious, and her relationship with Min Ja is far from straightforward. As both women fight for what they want, their bond becomes an important part of the story.

The drama also features Seok Gil Yeo, a gifted composer known for turning newcomers into popular performers. Lee Hanee plays Yang Ja, Min Hui’s mother, who has not given up on her own dream of becoming a singer. Veteran actor Na Moon Hee appears as Mal Soon, a character whose life reflects the changes and hardships that come with the passage of time.

Song Hye Kyo and Gong Yoo share the screen for the first time

One of the biggest talking points about Tantara is the pairing of Song Hye Kyo and Gong Yoo. Despite being two of South Korea’s most recognisable stars, the actors have not previously worked together on screen. The series also marks Noh Hee Gyoung’s return to television after more than four years. For Gong Yoo, it is a reunion with director Lee Yoon Jung, who previously directed him in the popular series The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince in 2007.

When and where to watch

The production is reportedly backed by a budget of around 80 billion Korean won ($58 million USD) as per Chosun Biz Korea. Tantara is also expected to have 22 episodes. The show is among Netflix’s upcoming Korean dramas to watch. The series will premiere on December 11, on Netflix.