Kim Woo-bin is officially back on tvN. The actor led the first script reading for the upcoming baseball drama “Gift,” with photos from the session released on October 20 building anticipation for the series’ December 5 premiere at 9:10 p.m. KST. The 12-episode drama marks his return to the network four years after Our Blues.
Adapted from a popular Kakao Webtoon, “Gift” follows Jung Min-yong, a former professional baseball pitching coach who gains the supernatural ability to recognize a person’s baseball talent at a glance after an unexpected accident. Leaving the professional league behind, he takes charge of Deokcheon High School’s team — ranked last in the country — and sets out to transform the struggling squad, according to KStarTrend.
A full team on the page
The reading brought together a large ensemble. Cha Bin plays captain Heo Seung-il and Han Si-hyun plays pitcher Cha Tae-hoon, leading a young roster that includes Park Sung-hyun, Han Tae-ha and Kim Gun-woo. Veterans Kim Won-hae, Yang Hyun-min, Hyun Bong-sik, Park Sang-nam, Lee Bong-ryun and Park Ji-ah round out the cast. The session ended with the young actors shouting the Deokcheon cheer — “Victory is all we have!” — offering a glimpse of the teamwork at the story’s center, per KDrama Kopi.
A homecoming behind the camera too
The series reunites Kim Woo-bin with director Kim Kyu-tae, with whom he worked on Our Blues (2022), alongside co-director Ham Seung-hoon and Studio Dragon’s planning and production muscle. After Our Blues, Kim Woo-bin starred opposite Suzy in Netflix’s Genie, Make a Wish (October 2025). Rather than focusing only on winning games, “Gift” explores the paths young athletes take through teamwork, personal growth and determination — a coming-of-age sports drama arriving just in time for the winter season.
The cast’s chemistry was evident from the first read-through. “I think Gift will be like a present for viewers, whether they love baseball or not,” Kim Woo-bin said, while co-star Cha Bin shared his hopes for the series and Han Si-hyun pledged the cast would “do our best in every scene.” The screenplay comes from writers Min Jung, Hae Joo and Seong Eun, with Studio Dragon involved in planning and production. For Kim Woo-bin — whose last tvN drama was the beloved ensemble hit Our Blues — “Gift” is both a homecoming and a new kind of challenge: carrying a sports drama built on heart rather than trophies.
