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[By Jeong Ye-won, Sports Today] In the JTBC weekend drama Everyone Is Fighting Their Own Worthlessness, a high-profile circle of filmmakers seems to have it all—except for one struggling member. The ensemble, known as the “8-member circle,” includes Oh Jung-se, Kang Mal-geum, Jeon Bae-soo, Sim Hee-seop, Bae Myung-jin, Jo Min-guk, Park Ye-ni, and Koo Gyo-hwan.
The series follows a man who, isolated amid successful friends, is consumed by envy and jealousy and ultimately seeks inner peace. At the center of the story is the 8-member circle, which began as a college film club and has since become a well-known group in the industry. All seven of the members are thriving—except Hwang Dong-man (Koo Gyo-hwan), who has spent 20 years chasing his dream of directing.
Hwang Dong-man, the only member who hasn’t debuted, is the group’s loudest voice and its sharpest critic. To some he’s a wellspring of inspiration; to others, his relentless monologues are grating noise. Park Kyung-se (Oh Jung-se) has had the most intense love–hate relationship with Hwang for two decades. Even after releasing five films and establishing a successful career, Park still finds himself thrown off balance by a single comment from Hwang.
Go Hye-jin (Kang Mal-geum), CEO of Gobak Film and the person behind Park’s rise, anchors the group’s gatherings with composed authority. She tolerates Hwang’s long-winded rants—until he crosses the line, at which point she doesn’t hesitate to shut him down. She also has a blunt way of checking her husband Park Kyung-se’s insecurities. As the eldest and a director, Park Young-soo (Jeon Bae-soo) acts as the group’s peacemaker and steadying presence, sometimes cajoling Hwang, sometimes delivering a sharp reprimand.
Lee Joon-hwan (Sim Hee-seop), a director at Choi Film, is the one member who truly sees Hwang’s sincerity and looks after him, bringing warmth to the group. By contrast, Choi Film directors Lee Gi-ri (Bae Myung-jin) and Woo Seung-tae (Jo Min-guk), along with producer Choi Hyo-jin (Park Ye-ni), have grown weary of Hwang’s endless speeches. As they push toward their own successes, they can’t fully hide the complicated feelings they harbor for their colleague. The show promises to reveal these filmmakers’ vivid, unsparing realities.
The first-floor restaurant Ajit, run by Go Hye-jin’s Gobak Film, serves as the group’s primary hangout. It becomes a staging ground where jealousy, friendship, and reconciliation collide in raw, unfiltered moments—adding texture and depth to the drama.
Everyone Is Fighting Their Own Worthlessness pairs writer Park Hae-young—known for turning life’s darkest emotions into elegant prose—with director Cha Young-hoon, who has a knack for capturing extraordinary solidarity among ordinary people and delivering warm humanism. Framed around the modern, universal theme of anxiety, the series aims to switch the light back on for those paralyzed by feelings of worthlessness and is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated dramas of the first half of 2026. It premieres April 18 at 10:40 p.m.
[By Jeong Ye-won, Sports Today ent@stoo.com]
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