Most of us are used to seeing older actors, ones in their thirties, play the role of high school students. The most popular examples of this are Riverdale and The Vampire Diaries. A lot of times, this looks extremely out of place, with the most popular examples again being Riverdale and The Vampire Diaries. But, in the case of Korean actors with their signature clean-shaved faces and refreshing, boyish haircuts, we don’t see much of an issue. Another Korean actor in his thirties who has been receiving a lot of praise for his portrayal of a high school student is Hwang In-Yeop in the k-drama The Sound of Magic.

Hwang In-Yeop on the age disparity between himself and The Sound of Magic character Na Il-Deung

Anyone who first streamed this Netflix Original without prior knowledge of the actor would never have second-guessed the actor’s age. With his round Harry Potter-style glasses and fluffy hair, Hwang looks very much like the teenager he plays. However, the actor talked about his career and how he began playing the role of teenagers in his thirties. He said, “I started doing student roles in my thirties.”

But, one might question what the criteria are for the casting of such a role. Recently, we saw Joe Locke and Kit Connor play the roles of gay teenagers Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson in a high school setting. The one common characteristic they share apart from their refreshing aura is that of their acting prowess. The K-drama actor further elaborated, “I wasn’t thinking about age when I went to my audition.” He continued, “the director cast me after only looking at my potential, so I’m working while doing my best.”

Just like Heartstopper fans, the fans of The Sound of Magic are in awe of the way Hwang brought the role to life. Hwang has commented on the love he has received, saying “I feel thankful that I’ve received lots of love.” Not only is the Netflix series one of the most popular ones on the platform at the moment, but also has largely positive reviews.

Here’s your cue to stream The Sound of Magic on Netflix now! If you’re through with the show, here are other similar k-dramas for you to binge tonight.