Rowoon. Photo: JTBC, courtesy of Han Cinema.
Popular Korean actor, singer, and former SF9 member Rowoon is making his film debut in a key role with the Japanese movie The Last Man: First Love, drawing on the well-known Japanese series The Last Man – The Totally Blind Investigator, also known as The Last Man: The Blind Profiler, released in 2023.
The source material follows Masaharu Fukuyama’s Hiromi Minami, a blind American FBI agent whose inability to see does not affect his work. He’s amiable, seeks help freely, and is blessed with an extraordinary ability to solve cases. Minami is sent to Japan on an assignment and paired with a cynical and distrusting lone wolf—Yo Oizumi’s Shintaro Godo, a highly accomplished cop with a stellar track record of apprehending criminals. And together, they are the best at getting to the bottom of the most critical cases. However, as the plot advances, shadows of a police conspiracy and a past link hover over them—it turns out that the two are actually brothers. And while the revelation solidifies their bond, the series ends with Minami off to America for a training program, leaving the narrative awaiting continuation.
The upcoming film continues the story a couple of years down the line, when Minami goes back to Japan and travels to Hokkaido to reunite with Godo. Along the way, he runs into his first love, triggering a dangerous new case. As Minami and Godo dig in, they’re caught in the sights of a shadowy criminal network—leading them to team up with authorities—the FBI, CIA, and Hokkaido Police. FBI agent Clyde Yoon, played by Rowoon, enters the scene, and his connection with Minami becomes an important thread in the story.
The Chosun Daily reports that Higashinaka, the movie’s producer, praised Rowoon’s casting, saying Yoon is a powerful character matching Minami’s intensity. “Rowoon is not only a talented actor but also possesses overwhelming charm and charisma, making him the only suitable choice for this role,” he added.
Rowoon opened up about taking on a Japanese project, calling it a fresh challenge — but one that he’s super excited about, to explore acting in a different language and cultural setting. “The character Yoon is confident and brimming with passion for success. I hope audiences will closely follow his transformation throughout the story.”
The Last Man: First Love hits theaters on Dec. 24. Penned by Tsutomu Kuroiwa and helmed by director Shunichi Hirano, it follows Rowoon’s most recent, The Murky Stream, an intriguing period drama where he plays a legendary gangster ruling Mapo Ferry on the Han River during the Joseon times.
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