Ch.214From the Very First Day, a Close Call

# Before the official filming began.

I immersed myself in the script once more to settle my emotions.

What I felt there was primal rage and wildness.

And for the first time, emotions toward the opposite sex.

These feelings were very similar to what I felt during Ghost of the Opera.

The difference was that while the Phantom was rough and bordering on obsession,

Tarzan was full of awkwardness stemming from pure love.

Both were inept at human relationships.

But perhaps their approaches were completely opposite.

That’s why I understood more quickly how to express the emotions.

I needed to portray pure wildness before meeting Jane.

And after meeting her, I had to convey awkward love and identity confusion.

And then.

-[Current physical abilities deemed unsuitable for portraying the jungle]

-[Downloading application ‘One Who Attaches Stones and Trees’]

After a long time, Sims also granted me a new talent.

Crrrack.

I can feel power overflowing in my body.

More precisely, my grip strength has increased.

Agile while being able to grip stronger and leap.

Ideas for parkour flowed endlessly,

And I felt I could execute all of them.

That’s why I made the proposal before the official filming began.

“Yes, I want to do everything myself without stunts.”

No need for stunt doubles.

There are no scenes in Tarzan that truly risk the body,

Like car flips or falling off horses.

Bluntly speaking, if you can swing on ropes well, there’s no worry about injuries.

Just think of it as performing in a circus with proper safety measures.

Actually doing it would be extremely difficult.

But now it wouldn’t be a problem.

Of course.

“…But still, starting with rope action… there are too many dangerous elements.”

Getting the safety personnel and staff to accept this was another matter.

“There’s a lot to do while performing rope action. I need to use my arms, and I have to sing in that state too.”

“I know.”

“That’s… I mean… having to vocalize while doing action simultaneously is something we consider extremely difficult.”

The staff explained how physically demanding Tarzan’s role was.

“First, as mentioned earlier, because most of your upper body needs to be exposed…”

Basically, I’d have to be nearly naked except for covering essential parts.

In that state, I’d need to perform action and combat scenes, singing was obviously mandatory,

And there were many parts where I’d be hanging somewhere or carrying other actors.

In other words, it would consume tremendous energy.

‘This is getting more pushback than I expected.’

It seemed that because Hollywood has so many disputes involving lawsuits,

They were trying to prevent worst-case scenarios.

“I understand all that. How about I try doing as much as I can, and immediately request help if it becomes too much?”

So I quickly conceded.

I didn’t want to drag out the introduction before officially starting filming.

“Then shall we start with the rope swinging part?”

I just needed to show them once and be done with it.

+++++

Hollywood actors are demanding.

Some actors are habitually hours late.

Some cancel filming on a whim.

Some set such demanding conditions for their waiting rooms that you wonder if they’re deliberately making things difficult.

In that sense, Kim Donghu was unusual in a different way.

He arrived at the set earlier than the staff to check the script and surroundings.

His waiting room requirements were extremely simple.

Equipment for physical training.

And not even various equipment—just a power rack and a treadmill.

Plus a balanced diet. That’s it.

No requirements about how to decorate it, what atmosphere to create,

Or specific scents that needed to be present for satisfaction.

Of course, part of it might be that the actor himself hasn’t proven himself yet.

But it felt like the person himself was naturally that way, not just enduring until success.

‘Even the tanning, he talked about it so casually.’

The most important thing when playing Tarzan is a naturally tanned look.

Knowing how ridiculous it would be to replace this with CGI,

They cautiously included tanning as a contract condition.

Tanning takes time to reverse once done,

And there’s a risk of image change during that time.

So actors tend to be reluctant.

‘I never dreamed he’d just coolly show up already tanned.’

Berillard watched as Kim Donghu, having finished his safety check, climbed to the top of the studio.

Since they had rented a place that was already suitable for circus performances to create the studio,

There were no restrictions for extensive rope action.

“Whenever you’re ready, you can start anytime!”

The part they were about to film was the early section.

A scene showing Tarzan’s transition from boy to man,

Swinging freely on ropes while letting out his characteristic yell.

“And if you feel any discomfort, please let us know immediately!”

“Yes!”

After this conversation that had been repeated more than ten times,

Snap!

Kim Donghu grabbed the rope and leaped into the air.

Starting from a point like a diving board,

It was like playground rope swinging but wider and more extensive.

The most important thing here was the lead actor’s courage.

More precisely, how well he could portray Tarzan.

‘Even with safety measures, it’s over 15 meters high…’

To swing freely like gliding from that height?

It wasn’t just about having a fear of heights or not.

But.

Whoooosh!

As if asking what the problem was, Kim Donghu grabbed the rope and,

“W-wait?!”

Snap!

Literally flew.

Trusting the safety harness on his back,

While normally one would keep at least one hand on the rope,

In Kim Donghu’s case, he had completely released the rope and was attempting to leap between ropes.

The staff and safety personnel’s jaws dropped.

Wait, he’s actually doing that?

That’s just circus performance.

Amidst everyone’s shock, Kim Donghu’s sweet singing began.

He’s singing in that situation too?

It was shock after shock.

The most surprising thing was that his vocalization remained steady.

And he seemed so natural, as if this situation was extremely familiar to him.

Like someone who had truly lived his entire life in the jungle.

Kim Donghu swinging on ropes looked strangely out of place.

Is this what it feels like for modern people to see primitive humans?

Despite it being the first shoot, the staff already felt a strong Tarzan vibe from Kim Donghu.

Just as smiles were spreading across everyone’s faces,

Snap!

With that sound, the wire holding Kim Donghu from above suddenly broke.

Clunk!

An ominous sound from above.

And the sight of Kim Donghu floating momentarily before falling entered their vision.

“Huh?!”

A sudden situation.

An unexpected variable.

Even though safety mats were laid below and nets were tightly spread,

Falling was a completely different story.

It could potentially cause trauma.

And because of that, the entire filming could be scrapped.

In that brief moment, while Berillard thought of dozens of worst-case scenarios,

‘My body feels even lighter.’

Kim Donghu, without showing any sign of panic,

Grab!

Naturally extended his hand and caught a rope as he was falling.

Swoooosh!

There was worry about his hands getting injured from friction,

But he had put on gloves beforehand, so that wasn’t an issue at all.

It was as if he suddenly gained freedom.

‘This is good.’

Moreover, since the broken part was in the middle,

To reach a safe place, he would need to swing on at least four more ropes anyway.

Of course, he could have chosen to safely hold the rope and slowly descend,

But that would have looked terrible.

‘I should play around a bit more before going down.’

Oh shit! Oh shit!

Oh my god! Oh my god!

No way! No way!

Phew! Phew! No! Donghu! Calm down!

He briefly ignored the intermittent screams coming from below.

++++++

After one round of rope action filming,

“Never! Never do that again! You can come down immediately! Of course we really… really messed up and we’ll need to talk about this at length, but…!”

Berillard was trembling as he firmly grasped my hand.

Though I was the one who had swung down on the rope, he seemed to be losing more strength than me.

Holding onto my body, Berillard was slowly collapsing.

“We are truly sorry. First, I apologize. But… but no matter what, this was… this was too brave.”

“We’ll reorganize the studio regarding safety….”

No matter how much I said I was fine,

Some people around were either kneeling or nearly fainting.

Especially the safety personnel, who was completely prostrated on the ground.

Procedurally speaking, it was definitely a mistake,

But ultimately no one was hurt, and even if the rope had broken, there was no real danger.

‘I thought it was fine.’

Seeing the reactions around me, it seemed like I needed to lighten the mood.

“I’m really fine. Or should I show you one more time?”

“No, nonononono! It’s fine! It’s fine!”

“No, no… calm down! Calm down… please… please.”

The people who had been lying down suddenly jumped up and spoke as if they had gained strength throughout their bodies.

Indeed, a cheerful American joke was definitely effective in this situation.