[ad_1]
My Demon: Episodes 1-2
by alathe
My Demon dares to ask the question we’ve all been waiting for: what happens when a literal demon meets the modern-day corporate hellscape — and winds up hopelessly entangled with a devil in Hermès? So far, the answer is, an enemies-to-lovers romp of utter hilarity!
EPISODES 1-2
JUNG GU-WON (Song Kang) is a demon whose MO covers all the classics: uncanny magical powers at the snap of a finger, devil-may-care swagger, and an all-consuming yen for human souls. His is a textbook Faustian pitch — he’ll grant unlimited power for a very limited time, only to send you to hell via heart attack in exchange. That said, there’s more to our demon than meets the eye. Holy water doesn’t hurt him. Next to black leather and a sardonic grin, crosses are his favorite accessory. He’s been wheeling and devilishly dealing since at least late Joseon, but it’s hinted that he once was human.
As for our heroine? DO DO-HEE (Kim Yoo-jung) is more than a match for our fiend, in both ruthlessness and flair. She’s the glitzy princess of the Mirae Group, in charge of the award-winning Mirae F&B. Miranda Priestley, eat your heart out! Heads are about to roll when Do-hee learns about a recent article lamenting the sugar content of her company’s flagship drink. This hatchet piece has to be an inside job. However, her warpath is interrupted when the formidable MADAM JU (Kim Hae-sook), Chairwoman of Mirae, demands that she go on a blind date.
As a serial heartbreaker and chronic workaholic, Do-hee is not really one for warm and fluffy feelings. However, when she’s accidentally brought to the wrong ritzy restaurant, she’s confronted by our demon… in one of the most memorable of meet-ugly moments I’ve ever cackled at. It’s mutual disdain at first sight. Do-hee is appalled at his arrogance, Gu-won is aggressively confused, and both thinks the other is utterly unhinged. Jeez, can’t a demon book out a whole restaurant to consume an entire birthday cake on his own in peace?
Well, not without considerable misunderstanding. Earlier, Gu-won collected on the soul of a crime boss; now, the guy’s flunkies are back for revenge. The cake goes flying smack in the direction of Do-hee’s head. She’s romantically whisked out of the way by Gu-won, who’s unable to stand any harm to his beloved… erm, dessert. But as it turns out, today is Do-hee’s birthday — and he seemingly bought her cake! She flees to the bathroom in order to a) touch up her lipstick, b) blush, and c) cycle through all six stages of grief at being attracted to the deranged, sugar-loving hottie currently beating up ten gangsters unbeknown to her.
Alas, her acceptance is short-lived. By the time she returns, Gu-won — fresh in mourning for his cake — snaps at her. Why would he care about her birthday? Hurt, Do-hee resumes her ice princess act. If we ever meet again, she says, be sure to show more manners. I don’t want people thinking you’re my ex.
But Do-hee’s got more on her mind than a botched romance. She’s neck-deep in a succession crisis. Do-hee’s parents died long ago in a car crash, and she was taken in by Madam Ju — who vastly prefers the acerbic Do-hee to her own, more disappointing children. Needless to say, said children take slight issue with this. However, Do-hee’s relationship with Madam Ju is unexpectedly adorable, albeit not without its dysfunction. Do-hee receives an urgent text from her boss-slash-surrogate-mother, directing her to the hospital. Our girl collapses, weeping, over Madam Ju’s sleeping form… only for Madam Ju to sit up, crack an eyelid, and laughingly present her with a birthday cake.
The two proceed to mercilessly bicker, but it’s clear that this is a relationship built as much on love as emotional blackmail. Madam Ju is determined for Do-hee to begin living life, rather than just dwelling on her parents’ deaths — which of course, took place on Do-hee’s much-dreaded birthday. The reason she insists on the blind dates is so that Do-hee can find someone to be on her side! You always taught me, retorts Do-hee, to trust no one. Well, yes, admits Madam Ju. But loving someone means that even if they betray you, you’d understand. You’re that person for me. She gives Do-hee two rings: wear them both yourself, she insists, until you find someone.
Do-hee spends the rest of her birthday brooding on the beach. But when she calls for a cab, everything goes horribly wrong. The car stops. Her driver, a man with a strange, bloody rash on the back of his neck (Kim Seol-jin), lunges for her, telling her that she’s going to die. The reason? Ju Cheon-sook. Do-hee manages to evade his grasp, staggering away from the car. But mist and terrifyingly impractical heels make for a suboptimal escape. Do-hee finds herself trapped between her pursuer — and a dark, looming silhouette up ahead. Gu-won.
My life, reflects Do-hee, feels like it’s shrouded in mist. Is everyone around me a foe? Ultimately, all she can do is trust herself… and take a chance on a demon. She plunges towards Gu-won, calling for help. Sure, he says. But you need to make a deal. Don’t worry about the specifics for now. Do-hee, businesswoman to the core, snaps that signing an unknown contract would be crazy. But with her life at stake… sure, let’s be crazy!
Soon, her attacker’s body is flung against the windscreen. The road borders a river. Do-hee tries to hide behind the railings, but when she looks up, she meets Gu-won’s eyes. He offers her a hand. As she takes it, the tattoo of a cross on his wrist begins to glow. But then, the attacker — whom, evidently, was not as dead as he seemed — drives towards them. Gu-won snaps his fingers… only for nothing to happen. Our heroes are sent plummeting into the water.
Do-hee knows that if she tries to save Gu-won, they’ll both sink. And yet, in her last moments of consciousness, she clutches for his hand. His cross tattoo burns into nothingness — and reappears on her wrist. Mercifully, death by drowning is virtually unheard of in K-drama, with plunges underwater carrying a 1% fatality rate. Our heroes wake on the shore. Gu-won grabs Do-hee’s wrist, as a wave breaks dramatically over them both… only for Do-hee to pass out.
Do-hee comes to in hospital, under the uncharacteristically attentive gaze of her nightmare date. Turns out, Gu-won took her comment about politeness to heart. Now, he’s all gentle reassurances — until her bemused secretary leaves the room, at which point he’s all indignant wrist-grabbing. That, he snaps, is my tattoo. Do-hee’s eyes widen. What’s this tacky, drunken mistake doing on her skin? Clearly, the only answer is to get it lasered… or, maybe cover it up with a tasteful Pororo picture? Gu-won’s answering horrified expression is a thing of beauty.
Insults are flung. There’s an embarrassing sort of scuffle. Gu-won goes for her wrist again, Do-hee goes for a slap, and finds that it — doesn’t connect? At least, not until Gu-won drops her hand, at which point it connects super hard. Gu-won is left with a bright red handprint on his face, a newfound dread of animated penguins, and — most importantly — the utter absence of his demonic powers.
This is a serious concern. If Gu-won fails to collect on deals, then the punishment won’t be pretty: he’ll spontaneously combust. How long does he have? Unclear. But hey, even without magic, collecting on souls is easy — right? Erm… cut to Gu-won getting squashed like a bug by an entire Olympic wrestling team. Dragging a star athlete to hell with his bare fists was a tad ambitious. What’s a demon to do? Beat a deeply dignified retreat by hurling himself out the window, landing in trash, and throwing up two — still very dignified — middle fingers. He is a terrifying fiend from the abyss, he’ll have you know!
Even terrifying fiends need a little help from their friends. Gu-won has accidentally picked up two human companions, whom he spends most days cold-shouldering. The first is JIN GA-YOUNG (Jo Hye-joo), whose terrifying skill in traditional dance (swords included) is matched only by the intensity of her crush on Gu-won. Meanwhile, there’s his butler, PARK BOK-GYU (Heo Jung-do) who made a demonic deal not once, but twice in a past life. Turns out, the only thing worse than being a starving Joseon fisherman is being a small tteokbokki business owner. Hell is a breeze in comparison!
Gu-won dispatches Bok-gyu to spy on Do-hee, who’s under considerable pressure. Due to the article, Mirae F&B’s numbers are falling, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned about numbers from recapping this year’s drama Numbers, it’s that when numbers go down, this is bad. Do-hee swears to Madam Ju that she can handle this alone. Still, her would-be assassin’s words haunt her — is Madam Ju hiding something? Madam Ju insists she isn’t, but the confession she makes to her priest suggests otherwise. There’s something weighing on her conscience about Do-hee — something to do with a very incriminating flashback. A burning car. A smashed-up mobile phone, with a call from “my daughter Do-hee.” And Madam Ju, lying next to the wreckage, with her knee a mess of blood — an injury that pains her to this day.
Do-hee tracks down the originator of the damning article, NOH SU-AHN (Lee Yoon-ji), one of Madam Ju’s children. Blackmail is such an indelicate term. In this case, it’s also beautifully apropos. Do-hee has evidence that Su-ahn has not only been having an affair, but technically broke the law by getting intimate with her boyfriend in a public car park. It’s the stuff that stock crashes are made of — and Su-ahn has no choice but to back down.
It’s at this point that Do-hee receives a phone call. Gu-won would like to register a complaint. He’s been feeling dreadful since their accident. And he’s adamant that she see for herself. For want of any other plan, he’s opted to turn on the demonic charm. I’ve never felt like this before, he murmurs to Do-hee, when they meet. I feel like a different person. And — here, he touches her arm — you’re the reason for my symptoms.
Do-hee had intended to fob him off with cash (lots). It’s in a moment of weakness that she instead agrees to go on a drive with him. This, she immediately regrets, as he speeds past the Olympic team who’d previously wiped the floor with him. He takes Do-hee’s hand, aims a cheerful finger-gun at the athlete who’d made the deal with him… and watches in relish as his victim collapses, just as planned.
Do-hee has no idea she’s been accessory to a soul-harvesting. All she knows is that this date has some really weird vibes. Look, she’s not shocked by the fact that Gu-won takes them to a car park where one of the cars is, uh, rocking. She’s just skeptical about the location! And is Gu-won saying they can do it outside? That — that’s a crime! Gu-won laughs: since when did they criminalize a stroll by the river? Do-hee actually looks a little disappointed.
They go for the stroll. Gu-won moves in close enough to kiss, placing a hand behind her neck… and then, with a grin that can only be described as devilish, hurls them both into the river. Underwater, he clings to her wrist, willing his powers to return. But when they surface, nothing changes… beyond the fact that Do-hee is incandescently furious. She almost drowned today! There’s still someone out there trying to kill her, and — and what did she do wrong? With visible effort, she collects herself, plus, the envelope of cash. The latter, she throws at Gu-won’s feet. I owe you nothing, she says.
Damp and disconsolate, Do-hee begins a long trek home. She stops before a news screen: Mr Cha, a financial chief, was found hanging in a public bathroom. Little does she know, he’s another victim of her would-be killer. He’d tried to contact her earlier, with information that could allegedly put her in charge of Mirae. As Do-hee’s back is turned, a motorcycle comes skidding towards her. Its rider hurls a flask of acid at her — but before it connects, someone throws himself in its path. It’s Gu-won. Cue end of episode.
Folks, I am having immense amounts of fun. Maybe it’s knowing we’re in the safe hands of one of the Mr. Queen writers, but this drama promises to be something special. The script is so tightly-written! The acting is absurdly good! Every episode finishes with two outrageously pretty people staring at each other soulfully as haunting music plays! In short, what’s not to love? This show promises some really interestingly woven relationships, and it really does make a difference how they’ve taken the time to build up the secondary characters — it makes the leads feel real. Our heroes’ chemistry is out of this world; all that fast-paced bickering is the setup for a slow-burn that has plenty of space to breathe.
One of my absolute favorite premises is where an overpowered supernatural character is stripped of their powers and made to suffer. There’s something glorious about arrogant, hyper-competent people having the rug pulled out from under them, and the beauty of this drama is that we get it twice. On the one hand, there’s our resident demon in distress. I adore the moments where Gu-won snaps a finger, fully expecting to resolve every single one of his problems, only for it all to come crashing down. But there’s also Do-hee, and her smorgasbord of trust issues! The ice princess, devil-in-designer-heels thing is hopelessly endearing. However, the joy of it is how we so frequently see her knocked off-kilter — just like Gu-won — and forced to reckon with her own (deeply-buried) hope for human connection. Both of our heroes are a little lost, and a little lonely… and they’d rather die than admit it. I cannot wait for the narrative to force them to!
RELATED POSTS
[ad_2]
Source link
