This was a surprise watch for me because I’m probably one of the rare few people in this world who isn’t pulled in by all the Korean dramas. I tried in the past but it was never my thing. Lovers in Paris was considered a gem to me. And that was ages ago so you could see how much I paid attention since then. I heard of popular dramas and movies but couldn’t muster up the interest to come back and explore. But this one pushed my curiosity because of the screenshots shared by a certain page and captured all the comedic elements of it. Most Korean drams in the past I stumbled into were quite heavy and I had to abandon them. This one was available on Netflix and was at a shorter length than past dramas so I gave it a try. I thought I could always drop it if it wasn’t my cup of tea. And I was surprised, like I said before. It was both humorous and witty on its own. The theme wasn’t new since there are an overwhelming amount of fantasy dramas released–regardless of countries–in the past few years. Yet the other factors pulled me in and kept me until the very end.
Main Cast:
- Kim Yoo-jung as Do Do-hee. The CEO of Mirae F&B. Her parents passed away in a car accident and she blamed herself for their misfortune since they died on her birthday. The reason why she felt responsible was because she nagged them to return when her father made a sudden trip elsewhere and was delayed. She was later adopted by Madam Cheon-sook because Madam Cheon-sook claimed to be both a business partner of her father and a good friend to both of her parents. After some failed attempts of her being passed around several relatives, Madam Cheon-sook took her in. She was indifferent and guilt-driven at first but warmed up to Madam Cheon-sook later and they formed a mother and daughter relationship. However, she didn’t take the easy way out by being part of the powerful Mirae empire via nepotism. Well, she only allowed so much of the name to become an extension for her business but had always studied hard and worked hard to build her own little empire. In some way, she was using work to numb herself from not having a normal family growing up. However, that all changed when she took up Madam Cheon-sook’s matchmaking attempt. She only wanted Madam Cheon-sook to go for a health checkup. Yet a little mix-up changed her life. Personally, Do-hee was a wonderful character. She had her own ups and downs yet was always very intelligent and witty. I liked how she handled herself throughout, not wavering to others’ unreasonableness, even if they meant well or whatever. Did she have her weak moments? Yes. But she fought with all her might and wasn’t giving up unless she was ready to do so on her own terms. I was surprised they created such a strong character for the main female lead because so many dramas I watched (or managed to catch a glimpse of on TV), they were often portrayed as weaklings (masked as kind and gentle) so the main male lead could sweep in and save the day. (I know I said I haven’t watched much Korean dramas BUT I usually don’t count as watching if I didn’t watch properly or finish a drama.) It was one of the top reasons why I gave up on Korean dramas in the past. But I guess in recent years, even the producers were sick and tired of those types of characters for the female main lead, so they went with the strong career woman route instead. Of course, this was my first time watching Yoo-jung, but I really liked her. She carried her role well and portrayed all the layers of her character brilliantly.
- Song Kang as Jeong Gu-won. A 200-years-old demon who was in charge of seeking out contracts with humans by exchanging their souls for their desires. This was portrayed as part of his job in keeping the balance of the universe and not because he was evil in nature. Someone just had to do it and he was chosen because he was cursed for his sin in a past life. He appeared quite conceited and cold at the beginning. It was normal, considering his nature of work and how he rarely had any interactions with others. As time went on, he became more aware of his surroundings and learned to live among the humans as normal as possible. In some ways, he found them fascinating and wanted to learn more yet remained unchanged in others because he felt he was superior to them. When he found love, that changed him and his perspective about humans. It wasn’t just because of memories of the past life that affected his emotions but also because he truly let down his defenses and allowed Do-hee to be part of his life. This was also my first time watching Song Kang and I was totally convinced by his portrayal and his character development throughout.
- Lee Sang-yi as Joo Seok-hoon. Joo Cheon-sook’s nephew and CEO of Mirae Investment, an affiliate of Mirae Group. He liked Do-hee and offered to marry her when he learned that was one of the clauses of the will for Do-hee to inherit the corporation. It was a win-win situation for him all around, considering how he got to swoop in to be the hero and then ending up with the love of his life as well. He was considered the typical nice guy of the show and that was one of the reasons why I never liked him. Yes, I said it. It wasn’t picking on the actor or anything because he did his part and made the role convincing in his own way. However, I said it many times on this blog, that I was never completely for the nice guy type character–regardless of how the plot ended up. That person was always too good to be true. Even if he claimed to care for Do-hee deeply as a family member at one point, wanting to know if she was safe, etc., I still didn’t believe him. Even if he couldn’t help but worry for Do-hee, I felt in some ways, that disregarded her decision and perspective. It was if he wasn’t with her, she wasn’t safe kind of thing. Sure, she encountered danger many times (because of outer forces, NOT because of Gu-won as Seok-hoon had made it out to be). Or more like if Do-hee was ever in danger, he had to be the one doing the saving for it to count or something. Or it was just me because the vibe the character gave off. I didn’t trust him at all, even if he turned out all right in the end.
- Kim Hae-sook as Joo Cheon-sook. The founder and chairwoman of Mirae Group. She appeared to be a typical somewhat hard to get along with older woman but was kindhearted deep inside. Yet some things unfolded later that showed she wasn’t just a background character for Do-hee’s life. She doted on Do-hee since little and would do anything to make Do-hee happy. It turned out it was guilt. At least, at first. What was stranger was how she didn’t like any of her kid or criticized them at every turn. She had her reasons (mostly) but it seemed weird how she was firm in her ways. It was supposed to be for their own good yet it also caused a lot of resentment from them. The actress, obviously, did well to portray her character and her importance in Do-hee’s life.
Supporting:
Mirae Group:
- Kim Tae-hoon as Noh Seok-min. Joo Cheon-sook’s son, the CEO of Mirae Electronics. He fitted the definition of evil or devil more than the demon himself (who was regarded as the devil by the majority who met him). Because he never showed signs of regret or guilt in anything he did. It was always someone else’s fault for making him do it. Or his other reason was because he inherited the bad blood from his mother. He knew how to extract information from the people around him and exploited it to his best. Yet his downfall was his arrogance, thinking he would win and get away with it all.
- Lee Yoon-ji as Noh Soo-an. Joo Cheon-sook’s daughter, the CEO of Mirae Apparel. She was very jealous of Do-hee and was out to get Do-hee at every turn. She wasn’t shy about stalking Do-hee and trying to get evidence of Do-hee’s wrongdoings so she could broadcast it and bring Do-hee down. It didn’t matter the version of the story. It seemed like she was doing the paparazzi’s job for them or something. Yet later, she softened somewhat or turned into a goofy character because she actually complimented Do-hee and Gu-won’s chemistry when she was stalking them and taking pictures of them. In the end, she switched tactics and wanted her sons to follow Do-hee and study under Do-hee (aka getting a leg into the door instead of overthrowing Do-hee since that ship had sailed with past failed attempts). Of course, that also failed, so she wanted her sons to follow Seok-hoon instead. I actually didn’t hate her but felt her cheap attempts were funny.
- Jo Yeon-hee as Kim Se-ra. Noh Soek-min’s wife, Noh Do-gyeong’s mother, the managing director for Mirae Electronics. I knew she knew a lot of things going on but never spoke up. I’m not blaming her for what her husband did because it was indeed scary being around him. Yet I felt her cruelty to her son was unnecessary. (I was referring to scenes of them talking just between the two of them, not when her husband was around and she was scared.) Perhaps, having lived so long in that house, it was about survival of the fittest and all but it was still cruel. The flashback she remembered about her son wanting to become stronger so he could protect her was heartbreaking. That house broke them all and she was the only survivor.
- Kang Seung-ho as Noh Do-gyeong. Noh Seok-min and Kim Se-ra’s son, works for Mirae Electronics. He was portrayed as the creepy character throughout who should have benefited greatly with effective therapy. However, it was just a shell for his father’s doings. It was focus on him on purpose to mislead us. The writers did switch back and forth between the two to see who was really the puppeteer behind the scenes. Yet it became apparent he was just a very troubled person who was once somewhat normal and then becoming unsavable because his father had escalated that and manipulated him.
- Park Do-yoon as Austin. Noh Soo-an’s son, Justin’s twin brother.
- Kang Da-on as Justin. Noh Soo-an’s son, Austin’s twin brother.
Sunwol Foundation
- Jo Hye-joo as Jin Ga-young. A famous dancer who specialized in traditional double-swords martial arts. She met Gu-won when he came to collect her father’s soul since the father had a deal with Gu-won years ago. His arrival was just in time to save Ga-young and she idolized him from then on. She took great lengths to find him and eventually convinced him to let her stay by his side. (This part we as the viewers had to guess a bit since it wasn’t seen in flashbacks but there were conversations here and there regarding how Gu-won allowed her and Butler Park to stay by his side.) She was a less than likable character at one point but I felt it had to be that way. Someone had to play the annoying character in the triangle. That was all. As for the character, I was glad she found a new purpose in life after finally letting go of Gu-won. The actress? I thought she was really cute. So it was a bit a shame she had to portray a jealous girl in here. (I might hunt down her other stuff to watch. Yes, a big might so no one hold their breaths, lol.)
- Heo Jeong-do as Park Bok-gyu. Gu-won’s butler (behind the scenes) and a director of the foundation (upfront). He was the first person to enter a contract with Gu-won when Gu-won became a demon. Then in another life, he made another deal with Gu-won yet ended up remembering his past life when Gu-won attempted to get his signature to complete their deal. It was a shocker yet that became their link. He somehow convinced Gu-won to let him stay by Gu-won’s side and helped him for 200 years. Aside from his background story, he was a very funny character throughout. He taught Gu-won a lot and even though Gu-won wouldn’t admit it but he had become a wonderful friend.
Mirae F&B
- Seo Jeong-yeon as Secretary Shin Da-jeong. Do-hee’s loyal secretary who was willing to do anything for Do-hee. She seemed tough and fierce on the surface but she was a kind person, always watching out for Do-hee. I actually suspected her as a spy for either one of the Noh siblings at first. I was so glad to be wrong. Possibly because everything was so intense after Madame Choen-sook passed away. Everyone around Do-hee was suspicious to some degree. So, it was hard to know who to trust. Yet in the end, she proved to be reliable and a great ally for Do-hee.
- Park Jin-woo as Han Min-soo. Team leader of the Public Relations Department. He was a riot. Watching him trying to impress the boss and at the same time gossip about the office situation was hilarious. He tried so hard to boost the morale of the group yet there were so many dramas surrounding them that it was hard to keep it up. Yet he tried.
- Lee Ji-won as Choi Jung-mi. Assistant manager of the Public Relations Department. Her other talent was reading tarot cards. Both Gu-won and Do-hee sought her out to read for them at one point or another. Like any fortune-teller, she was good at delivering readings for others yet couldn’t do anything for her own situations. She had a crush on Gu-won at one point but gave it up, knowing it was hopeless with her wishful thinking.
- Hong Jin-ki as Lee Han-seong. A new employee of the Public Relations Department. He completed the trio of the team and contributed majorly to the comedic scenes at times.
Others:
- Cha Chung-hwa as a homeless woman. She was revealed to be the Goddess. She posed among the crowd to watch over the world. For the majority of the time, she didn’t interfere. She was just watching humanity.
- Kim Young-jae as Do-hee’s father.
- Woo Hee-jin as Do-hee’s mother.
- Kim Seol-jin as Gi Gwang-chol.
- Kim Beop-rae as a boss.
- Jung Soon-won as number two.
- Lim Cheol-hyung as Detective Park.
- Jeon Sok-chan as Detective Oh.
- Seo Sang-won as Pastor Michael.
- Joo Suk-tae as Cha Tae-jun.
- Lee Kang-wook as Do-hee’s blind date.
Likes:
- The comedy. It countered all the other intense parts of the plot. It turned the drama into a very lighthearted one.
- The soundtrack. Korean’s dramas strongest part had always been the soundtrack. I mean, their music always managed to pull you in regardless of theme. So, I wasn’t surprised that it was so good and so fitting to the drama as an overall.
- The length. This was one of the reasons why I stuck around. I felt the length was about right. It didn’t need to drag out. It was definitely plot-based so events happened to move things forward, not lingering on unnecessarily to add more scenes of various characters just because.
- The chemistry between Kim Yoo-jung and Song Kang. Hey, they won the best couple award, so that said something. They were so cute and witty and charming. It was really addicting to watch them. Some fans had suggested they collaborated again and this time, make it an ancient drama. This was actually one of those rare times I agreed, lol. They both looked wonderful in the traditional ancient wardrobes (even if their characters’ past lives ended tragically).
- Butler Park and Secretary Shin. They were soooo funny. They were the comic relief of the show–although she was portrayed as a serious person at first. Yes, she had to be serious because she was an important figure beside Do-hee after all. Yet there numerous times throughout that showed how hilarious she was, without her realizing it, obviously.
Dislikes:
- Letting Madame Cheon-sook off too easily. I meant, she was dead already, right? What was there to gripe about? There was no point. Yet that was her ticket to forgiveness. The only reason she was forgiven was because she was dead. Yes, I said it. It sounds evil on my part but I felt somewhat bitter about it at one point. I’m over it, obviously, since I moved on to other dramas already but I felt it was one of the points worth mentioning here. The question on most’s minds at one point: Was Do-hee’s parents’ death really an accident? Yes, it was in a way. But it felt like a way to let it slide. Because she was chasing after them like that, forcing them to speed up and then meeting the inevitable. And yes, emotions were high after that confrontation so all weren’t clearheaded about the matter. That was why it was considered an accident. Madame Cheon-sook possibly didn’t want to kill them. But in that moment, her intent was to stop them. With a high-speed chase like that, what did anyone think was going to happen? And don’t say she did raise Do-hee after all. If Do-hee’s parents were alive, they would have been the ones with her. (This reminded me of some TVB dramas where people took credit for raising people yet they were the one who were responsible for said parents’ deaths. You don’t get to do that. Seriously.)
- Making Ga-yong the villain versus Seok-hoon being the nice guy in the love triangles. Yes, this was one of the things that bothered me. Why did he get a better plot development (as always with the nice guy who liked the lead girl) but Ga-young was made out to be the jealous, bitter person (in regard to Gu-won)? It wasn’t his fault that the plot was that way, but I felt it was too typical with always making the nice guy so shining and the other girl who happened to like the main guy get the brunt of the hate because she was more honest about her motives than him. At first, I was really annoyed with her too for her pettiness and her relentless attack on Do-hee. Yet when I took a step back (I had time between episodes because I watched it while it aired), I realized however hateful she was, she was clear about her motives and her jealousy. Even if it seemed petty or childish. Seok-hoon, on the other hand, always framed himself to be the good guy. Yeah, I know, Gu-won was a literal demon so it was scary in that sense that Do-hee was living with him. Yet, somehow, Seok-hoon always seemed to have excuses for his behavior and appeared heroic for his acts. Again, it wasn’t the actor’s fault the plot was made that way. But those types of developments turned me off from the nice guy more than anything. Add on the top of always willing to do anything for the main girl. Seriously. Ga-young also said those things yet she was portrayed as petty, jealous, childish because she was more outspoken and showed apparent attitude toward Do-hee. Seok-hoon? He was portrayed as calm, so obviously, he seemed to make more sense. But it was a trick to make him more shining than him. I know all parties made peace later in different conversations separately, but what irked me was the use of formula. Not their fault since it was written that way, but it was one of those overused formulas that I didn’t like.
Recommended? If you like romantic comedies with a side of fantasy element, I think you would love it. If you’re a fan of the main couple, you would also love it. (Probably. No promises because I know we can’t like everyone.)