Episode 1 (First Impressions) » Dramabeans MGG

Love Song for Illusion: Episode 1 (First Impressions)

by missvictrix

Campy, watchable, and somewhat all over the place, I’d say webtoon adaptation Love Song for Illusion has two major things going for it right now: Park Ji-hoon (x2) and some really fun cinematography. If it can play those cards well, it might be able to rein itself in and lean into its strengths.

Editor’s note: This is an Episode 1 review only. For a place to chat about the entire drama, visit the Drama Hangout.
 

 
EPISODE 1

The first episode of Love Song for Illusion moves at the speed of light, so it’s hard to get bored. It’s also pretty and has some gravity-defying martial arts and dance sequences that are fun to watch. But the drama also has an underlying campy tone that I can only describe as “made for TV” — it’s not bad, per se, but it’s like the drama wants to go all the way to 100%, but something’s keeping it in the 70% range. Now, I love campy, not-fully-baked productions just as much as the next girl, so this will either become the drama’s charm, or its downfall.

We open the story with our hero SAJO HYUN (later played by Park Ji-hoon) who just wants to sit in his room and peacefully paint hanbok designs. His father SAJO SEUNG (Kim Tae-woo) of the Sajo faction won’t have any of that, though. After a bloody beating, he drags this young and precious boy to witness mass carnage and orders an underling to actually hold the boy’s head so he’s forced to witness the slaughter of the entire Yeon faction. You know, as one usually does with their ten-year-old heirs.

This Yeon family slaughter effectively makes Sajo Seung into the “king,” and his rule begins forthwith. He laughs that after witnessing all this, Sajo Hyun “will become a man today,” but what actually happens is quite different. First, the little girl of the Yeon family – about his age — manages to escape, thanks to her parents’ sacrifice and Sajo Hyun’s help. She’s YEON WOL (later played by Hong Ye-ji), and if this doesn’t set up a future vengeance scheme, nothing will.

The second outcome of the slaughter, though, is that Sajo Hyun is eerily pursued by some creepy black smoke. I’m reading into the scene here, but I’d say that eerie essence of evil is what penetrates him and causes him to develop a split personality disorder. Next, we jump ten years into the future.

It doesn’t take long for our heroes to cross paths again after this time jump. Yeon Wol has become GYERA: a beautiful and highly trained assassin who’s part of a dance troupe. The dancers go into important locations for entertainment, distracting lustful watchers with their beautiful moves and outfits, and then Gyera completes her various missions.

This whole dance troupe thing is actually one of the strengths of the drama because the dances are shot so beautifully. Anachronistic? Well, yes, but it was fun to watch Gyera dancing and then leaping all over the room like a ninja, trying to escape her pursuers. The outfits that the dancers wear are wonderfully designed and dyed, and that’s what leads Gyera to Sajo Hyun.

The young boy that liked to paint clothes is now doing Top Secret Work at a local drapery, designing and creating gorgeous fashions (much like another rebellious hanbok designer currently on air). The two meet in a bit of a trope reversal: Gyera sneaks in by way of the roof, lands on top of Sajo Hyun, and proceeds to flutter his heart on repeat. Is it the comfortable way she touches him, guesses his family’s disapproval of his sewing, or sees into his heart? Maybe it’s all three; either way, there’s romance in the air.

Meanwhile, Sajo Hyun’s life at home is unpleasant to say the least. His father has become even more of a despot, and as for Sajo Hyun, he’s a crown prince that lives under constant derision and mockery. He’s not manly enough (i.e., why don’t you want to kill and carouse?) — but he’s also got this pesky “madness” thing going on. You see, he sometimes switches into a counterpart known as AK-HEE (also Park Ji-hoon), who has an impish grin and the confidence and charm that the quiet Sajo Hyun lacks.

As of yet, the switch between the personalities is mostly unexplained and most of the palace charades — which play into it – are a bit hard to follow. The drama moves so quickly working to establish the tension within the palace that the actual emotional core — and the time to get invested in these politics – is missing. Still, I care about Sajo Hyun because Park Ji-hoon sells him to me. And I like the dynamic that’s being built around Ak-hee as a personality compensation of sorts, so I’m interested enough to see how his two sides impact him and his relationships.

With no time to waste (plot on the move!), Gyera and her troupe head to the king’s chambers where she’s counting on him “choosing her” as his night’s companion after the dance, since she’s acknowledged as the prettiest dancer. However, he winds up choosing a different girl. WHOMP WHOMP.

Things move very fast and we don’t see the switcharoo happen, but sure enough, Gyera finds a way to get in the steamy bathtub instead of the other dancer. She’s ready with dagger in hand, but it’s Sajo Hyun that turns up in the chamber instead. Oh, and there’s some sort of drug in the air that causes Gyera to pass out. And lose all her memories. Because when Gyera wakes up four days later, she’s told she’s now CONSORT HYO. She doesn’t have a second to process what’s just happened when Sajo Hyun busts in with this entourage and embraces her as the episode closes: “Finally, you’re my woman.”

Too fast, Show, too fast! I understand the drama has ground to cover, but with our heroine already transformed from dancing assassin to amnesiac concubine, I’m left reeling and feeling disconnected. Also, while I want to feel the tension of Sajo Hyun saving her from his father (because GROSS!), the two characters haven’t interacted enough — or I haven’t spent enough time with them yet — for me to really feel anything.

In sum, things feel a bit flat by the time we reach the ending of the episode. Still, it’s not so flat for me to declare it an absolute loss. Park Ji-hoon is fun here and he embodies the world quite well; the problem is that said world is not very well established. As a consequence, I don’t know what the rules of the story are, or what to expect in terms of tone. It’s almost like it wants to be swoony, thrilling, raunchy, and epic all at the same time, but can’t decide how to balance all those things. Let’s hope Episode 2 tightens up, because there’s potential for a campilicious ride here.

 
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