★★★★☆
The 2018 Korean drama starring Choi
Jin-Hyuk as Gong Ma-Seong, Song Ha-Yoon as Joo Gi-Bbeum, Lee Ho-Won (Infinite’s
Hoya) as Seong Ki-Joon, and Lee Joo-Yeon as Lee Ha-Im. Directed by Kim Ga-Ram
and written by Choi Ji-Yeon, running 16 episodes at about an hour apiece. Also
known as Devilish Charm or Ma-Seong’s Happiness.
Brief synopsis: Gong Ma-Seong and Joo
Gi-Bbeum meet in Hai-Nan, both on business, and the two hit it off so well that they agree to meet again. But once they part, a mysterious murder case
ruins Joo Gi-Bbeum's career and Ma-Seong becomes the victim of a serious accident. Three
years later, Joo Gi-Bbeum lives just trying to support herself and her family
while Gong Ma-Seong deals with the aftereffects of the accident every day of
his life: he forgets the events of the previous day within a night’s sleep. He
keeps meticulous records to remember and function as a normal person, no matter
how hopeless his situation looks. These two people may have thought they wouldn’t
meet again after their tragedies, but fate brings them together once again,
except that Gong Ma-Seong doesn’t remember Joo Gi-Bbeum at all! They’ll have to
fall in love all over again.
This drama is a cute romantic comedy, a perfect
fix if you’re in the mood for a love story. There’s a lot of skinship, physical
displays of affection, and the glories of a relationship all over the place. Devilish Joy brings Choi Jin-Hyuk
and Song Ha-Yoon into the spotlight as the leads, both capable professionals
that bring something new to the table to make a drama together. They also bring
some spice to the OST!
But Devilish
Joy is also a bit cookie-cutter for a Korean drama. There is an abundance
of the usual tropes, including the doomed relationship, menacing relatives,
intermediate crying, and even the separation and reunion in the final episode.
The drama did not branch out as much as we would have liked to see.
The two characters bound to touch you the
most are Seong Ki-Joon, Ma-Seong’s younger cousin, and Yang Woo-Jin, Ma-Seong’s
secretary.
Seong Ki-Joon is out most immature
character, but he’s probably got the biggest and softest heart of them all. He
takes it the hardest when Ma-Seong publicizes his disease in episode 12, and it
leaves him breaking down on the floor of a parking garage. Even Lee Ha-Im
recognizes the extremity of Ki-Joon’s broken heart as she says “So this is why
Ma-Seong invited me.” We tend to realize very quickly in these Korean dramas
that something is seriously wrong when the most light-hearted character can do
nothing but cry. I’m still curious as to why Ma-Seong labeled him as “Galileo”
in his phone, but calling him “Galileo” in episode 16 gives us the feels so
strongly that it must have been something really personal.
Yang Woo-Jin is also admirable, but for
different strengths. While we recognize Seong Ki-Joon for his innocence and
heart, we recognize Yang Woo-Jin for his commitment and loyalty. He could have
treated Ma-Seong like another boss. He could have quit working for him long ago
when he realized that he was going to have to kiss his personal life goodbye.
But Woo-Jin goes above and beyond to follow Ma-Seong to the end of the road. He
often quotes Ma-Seong’s words out of spite, “not family, not lover,” but the
word missing in between is always “friend.” It is the one word never said, yet
the one he emulates the most.
“I love you” in episode 15 makes us almost
cry. It’s incredibly touching as Ma-Seong holds Gi-Bbeum in his arms and says
those words because we realize that Ma-Seong’s feelings extend so deep. Yeah,
he loves her, but he also knows that he’s probably going to forget this moment.
He’s very scared of what his disease could do to him but also the affect it
will have on Gi-Bbeum. Maybe it’s because we can relate in some small way to
both that passion yet also that fear that makes the line and scene so
sensitive.
Despite these highlights, the sheer
cookie-cutter-ness (no, that’s not even a word) of the drama is a bit
distracting. I kept waiting for something new, something to sweep me off my
feet beyond Choi Jin-Hyuk’s jawline, but that something never really happened. Devilish Joy is cute, but it’s not
likely to be a favorite. I recommend this one if you need a quick fix of
romance or enjoyed the movie 50 First
Dates. 4/5 stars!
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