SBS Takes a Page out of TvN's Book of Boring Fantasy Dramas
TBH, I'm really sad to be negative about this show since I was so excited, but I will still be fair!*Storyline: 5/10*
To be honest, this show was too good to be true. I initially thought it was a TvN show, a s it has a very similar style of fantasy dramas that TvN has been pushing for two-ish years. An inhuman man and a human woman, check. Forced proximity and enemies/bickering partners to lovers, check. It is kind of reminscient of Tale of the Nine Tailed Fox, which if you liked that I think you won't mind this one.
The only thing is the storyline itself is quite weak. Without boring you, here's my three issues with the plot:
1. No real structure to the magical world: We learn the ML is a demon, but we are never really told how demons are made or if there are others that are stronger/weaker than the ML. We also don't know about the limitations of the ML's powers, only that his magical tattoo somehow ends up on her, and without her, he's essentially like a human. But that is sloppy because if not having the tattoo makes him human, shouldn't her HAVING the tattoo give her some unique powers or advantages?
2. Dilly-dallying: The ML and FL only tolerate each other in the beginning because they each need something from the other. But we never see the ML consistently work towards getting his powers back, nor do we see the FL consistently work towards dealing with the bad guys. They essentially just talk about their problems and do nothing, and then sprinkle in random kissing to distract us from the fact that literally nothing happens. At ALL.
3. Poorly written characters: I really think the writers just gave the main actors a single piece of paper each and told them to do their best at this point y'all. For the ML: Bad Boy Demon. For the FL: Helpless Damsel. That's it. Neither the ML or FL have any real ambitions/desires nor any tangible relationships with the people around them. For example, we know the ML has his human companions, but we never really see that he cares about them--which he must, since he keeps them around. And for the FL, she has the second male lead, and they are both apparently super close--but we never know why they're close in the first place, nor do we ever see any of their memories together. (I will say I do love the side characters though, like FL's secretary and Madam Ju, as well as ML's male butler--they are funny and cute but also very surface level.)
*Acting/Cast: 7/10*
To be honest, I always feel bad writing this section of my reviews because it really isn't the actors' fault that the script is so weak and half-baked.
For Song Kang, I've only ever seen him in Nevertheless but I didn't love the vibe of that show so TBH this is the only real show I've seen him in. He does his best in a flimsily written role--trying to make the demon character look more serious and intimidating, and yet simultaenously cute and charming in comedic and romantic scenes. His expressions are definitely a bit boring sometimes, especially in scenes when he's trying to be cute. I do know Song Kang is known for his thriller shows, so maybe he just feels a bit out of his element in a rom-com and might be 100x better showing darker emotions. Overall, it's a valiant effort, but I agree with other critics who say an older actor would've been able to sell the demon act better, at least in the beginning when he's supposed to be a bit intimidating.
For Kim You-Jung, I watched her a bit in Backstreet Rookie and Love in the Moonlight, but I didn't like the strange young-girl-and-adult-man relationships in both series, so like Song Kang, this is also the first project of her's I've seen almost to the end. If I'm not mistaken, she is a child star, and although I hate to admit it, I can feel the energy in her work in this show. Her acting is a bit jolted, not as smooth and seamless as someone who started acting later might be. I'm sure it has to do with the more immature roles she played in the past, but she's not my cup of tea. No hate of course, and I respect her efforts and her long-standing career. I would love to see her act in a more serious role in the future, though, with some smoother acting--I think she would kill it.
Music: 6.5/10
I've said this in other reviews, but I'm not a big OST person, so I don't know enough to give you a proper critique of this show's OST. That being said, I thought the background music was pleasant and easy to hear. 6.5/10.
Rewatch value: 4/10
Unfortunately, I just felt like this show lost its direction and was written very roughly. I think for people who regularly watch fantasy and rom-com K-dramas like myself, this one is a pass (I will still be finishing it though, since I have watched this far). For newcomers to K-dramas, it might not be too bad--or for those who just want a light show to breeze through over the holidays.
Overall: 5.5/10
*Once again, no hate to any actors/directors, just my opinion. Happy Holidays everyone! :) <3*
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Letdown by this supernatural-romance series
I love supernatural series such as Lucifer, Angel, Buffy, iZombie so I had high hopes on 'My Demon'. This series felt like a Korean version of Twilight. So much potential not explored, I decided to drop this series halfway through.What I like
1. The song by NewJeans
2. Do Do Hee's fashion
3. Episode 1 was beautifully shot.
4. Park Bok Kyu & Ms Shin's banter
What I dislike
1. Do Do Hee's characterisation - I want to scream out my frustrations. The character is written like a Harlequin romance novel from the 90s. She started off as a clear-headed, no-nonsense CEO but episode 2 onwards, she became easily distracted/influenced by Gu-Won. Wish she struck partnership with Gu-Won like a business deal - weigh the cost of benefits and risks. Negotiate a protection and a marriage deal that benefits you too - I don't like that Gu-Won dictated the terms and Do Hee easily agreed.
2. Gu-Won's characterisation - I don't like Jeong Gu-Won. I expected cockiness but his arrogance, solemn & cold demeanour irked me. I wish he enjoyed his demonic responsibility and had cheeky personality like Lucifer.
3. Too much push in the romance angle too. Not enough supernatural moments.
4. Ga Young's clinginess annoyed me.
5. Slapstick comedy is fine for some episodes but get tiresome after awhile.
6. Song Kang's acting - I feel that he's miscast in this series. I'd like to see Woo Do Hwan as Gu-Won because he was mighty fine in Divine Fury and he'd be up against Lee Sang Yi's character to win over Do Hee's heart.
7. Reincarnation/past lives trope - I am tired of this trope since it's also used in other dramas released around same time such as The Story of Park's Marriage Contract, Moon in the Day.
Favourite scene
When Do Hee first met Gu-Won. The cake!
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Snob yet awesome
Snob, arrogant, obnoxiousThis Demon holds no respect for our endearing Goblin, charming Grim Reaper and nor to evergreen Vampires (He dismisses them as mosquitoes). But his perfect arrogance hits a roadblock named Do Doo Hee in whose hand his cross sign goes away. What follows are a constant rift between a rising business woman and a non nonsense demon who gets entangled in marital bliss even! But is there anything more to that...
Well, the ragged woman whose tethered smile ignites spark about entwined fate, but how they are connected!!!!
The last two episode reflected on a whole new segment. From unfurling connection between D do hee and demon to emotional change of Doo hee witnessing the hell by her own eyes raised many question.
Demon ends up as Do Doo Hee's personal hell, but isn't that true for every human...the personal we love most is the one we loathe most!!!!
The series has been a fun ride. The cute banter between Do Do Hee a nd Demon in the beginning gave the much needed base audience expect in their favorite couple. Song Kang and Yoo Jung is a fresh couple whose both on screen rapport made the show more delightful. Kim Hae Sook as Ms. Ju and Jin Ga Young as Star Jin add the glamour quotient in the fantasy tale. Star Jin's elegant exit outlined a new graph for female second lead. Kang Seong Ho as eccentric Noh Do Gyeong successfully piques interest. Lee Sang -yi is becoming delicious second lead more and more. After playing hard boy in Bloodhound, he is again returning to his soft boy era.
The storyline is not a surprise but the overall presentation made it a fun watch.
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my demon - more like my goblin, my edward cullen, my succession
when you cast kim yoo jung and song kang, you hope to have a script to do them justice.on paper, the story of a contract marriage between the devil and an heiress, sounds amazing. in this drama however, the story was lost so much, that it was held together only by song kang and kim yoo jung's chemistry. and good outfits!
the murder plot, succession plot, business plot, etc. was so stupid that you can FF through all of it. the character arcs are mostly nonexistent. the story is a pure copy paste of goblin episodes 14-16 forward.
i've seen worse and am happy that the writer managed to put her 2 brain cells together to pull together somewhat of a happy ending, but GOD. you need better scripts @ recent kdramas! casting pretty leads is just not enough!!!
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Let's start with the good: 1) High production values, great costume design, attractive actors 2) Our immortal character is a more immature Puck/Peter Pan and loses his powers first episode - making this a more relationship of equals than other dramas.
Otherwise, this is just a bunch of ideas thrown into a script, with unfortunately little chemistry between the actors, little depth of character development or themes, and of course the ever-present serial killer storyline. There is no redemption to be found in the secondary characters or plots and the jokes/humor heavy handed.
This is a pitch or story concept with the director and writers desperately trying to stretch this out over 16 long episodes. At one point in the story, our main male lead gives a review 'boring all the way to the end.' I couldn't agree more.
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Shallow romance 101
I really didn't want to do this but I expected no less from a romance drama with Song Kang as the lead (cause I didn't like any of them so far). This drama really met my expectations...
...
as another bad romance drama of 2023.
And honestly , I've grown quite accustomed to it knowing that it's either me who don't like kdrama romance anymore or them who aren't able to fill the gaps of romance in their 'single' fan's hearts.
Well I kinda knew the type of romance they were going to show after watching the lack of chemistry between the leads being shoved to my face just from the trailer.
Uhm but.. I've got to give it to the visuals by the way, cause everything was just so beautiful . I mean the leads alone were breathtakingly beautiful and that's it ...or maybe I liked the comedy too but that's it..that's it nothing more.
Rest all of it looked really bleak to me. I could not feel the connection with leads, it was not gripping at all as I tried to skip through episodes. Forget the romance part but the entire plot alone was messed up by emotion lacking tropes and cliches.
All in all I think the show was really shallow to me and idk how the heck people are actually liking it, well good for them, anyway I'm not going to wait for the rest of the episodes as they are really predictable and I can't bear to see my eyes suffer. Well then I'll take my leave and hope you have a wonderful day ahead~
XOXO
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Sorry, I couldn't stand watching it anymore
Sorry.... But I dropped. It started getting cringey. tbh i don't know but sometimes dramas have that feel when it becomes more like a burden to keep watching them? i felt the same with king the land.idk.. it might be the overhype? don't get me wrong - i love the cast, but it seems like a drama that would be enjoyed by new kdrama viewers. so yeah, sorry fandom
but it felt the same for me for king the land and destined with you. and before you come to me saying i have no taste - hold up for a bit and remember everyone's taste is different and that is completely ok!
main reason i dropped: overhype & not really my taste
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Nothing new
For some reason, this reminds me of King The Land in that we have all these beautiful people and set design yet the plot itself is the epitome of cliche. As much as Kim Yoo Jung can be considered a veteran actor (she's been acting for over a decade) I still think her performances are average. Don't get me wrong, I love her as a person but the characters she plays all seem to be on the same spectrum. Anyway, this drama, as other reviews have mentioned, brings nothing new to the table as we've been there and seen it all when it comes to K dramas about gods and demons (go watch the exceptional "Goblin"). Currently at episode 8 and I've already started fast-forwarding because this has me rolling my eyes and scoffing. I can't imagine having to go through eight more episodes.Was this review helpful to you?
A fate that renews their faith and a love that reunites them—again
‘My Demon’ follows the life of Dodohee as she navigates through fantastical mysteries and personal struggles that lead to the defeat of an already lie-ridden and lust-driven chaebol family. A suspenseful feud over the nomination of the mystery heir that would come to inherit the role of CEO for Mirae Group arises, and the adopted daughter of the family is left with tough decisions to take in order to survive. Regardless of the classic business magnate trope of which deems itself recurrent in modern day Korean dramas, ‘My Demon’ uses its commonality in a way that brings structure to the complicated fantasy themes brought to scene. The series excels with its stellar performance that depicts the hardships and fear that accompanies the role of being the country’s top influencer.Its entirety—from outfitting and cinematography to script-writing and character complexities—exudes a sense of superiority that reigns it above all other releases of its genre. Additionally, its high viewership rating and audience response indisputably succeeds it as one of the top dramas of 2023. Though the esteemed actors visibly play a pivotal role in its popularity and emerging fanbase, the series’ comedious usage of demons is unique and attractive to devotees of diverse genres, notably romance, fantasy, sci-fi, and thrillers.
The summoning of love rather than your typical demon serves a lesson that what is stronger than fear is weaker than the human complexion. This means that the essentialness of being human and experiencing love can transcend even the strongest of emotions like being fearful. “What’s best for you is what’s best for me…” All that is needed in the face of challenges is each other and when Dodohee and Jeong Guwon open their eyes to this truth amidst all else, it’ll represent the true testimony of love which promises the show with its build-up of tension, rivalry and romance.
Their existences throughout the timelines presented intertwine in a fateful clash of values in forthcoming to the eventual turn of events that leads the series into its mysticality. Their connection grows stronger through the difficult circumstances in which they find themselves, unveiling a healthy face to their relationship as they put in favor trust, responsibility and understanding. With Kim Yoojung personating a rich celebrity through Dodohee and Song Kang a handsome immortal as Jeong Guwon, together, the main leads journey to find meaning in their successful lives—but not without being at high stakes of losing the traditional values that hold together their individual mindsets.
They attempt to grapple onto their old selves and struggle to accept any change from the past, something that causes them both to get farther away from their reason to live; getting them farther away from what makes the insignificance of being human hold value....something of which viewers will get to piece together with the answers hidden throughout the sixteen episodes of the series.
The demonic antagonist has diverse contradicting personality traits that make for the quirky authenticity his character brings to ‘My Demon’ and Song Kang’s not-so-flawless portrayal of Jeong Guwon contributes a decent portion to the show’s overall wittiness. Rather it be unintentional or not, his serious attire, inexpressive face and monotone line-delivery was a laughable distraction to the certain scenes that can especially make one wonder whether those particular moments were even acted out in synchronization to the script, or completely out of character. Taking in consideration the actor’s mediocre embodiment of Jae-eon from one of his most recent previous lead roles in ‘Nevertheless’, it could either be lackluster performance from his part or a mere penchant towards taking on cold-hearted and stoic roles. Nonetheless, this characteristic aspect of Jeong Guwon itself took on a new face to the character, coming off as yet another comedic appeal to the romcom.
As for Kim Yoojung, her role as Dodohee provides a strong consistency to the show’s romantic appeal amidst its outwordly ambience. The renowned actress has proven to have the remarkable talent of turning lines on a script to a whirlwind of emotions.
Overall, in the emotional aspect of the series, Dodohee’s rather structured and consistent persona paired with the male lead’s tendency to be random and impulsive highlighted the polarity of styles between both actors. These stark differences in personality enabled a certain duality to their connection and especially made for a compelling watch.
Kim Tae-hoon's exceptional acting and execution of Noh Seok-min was undeniably the highlight of 'My Demon' as he provided the series with its much-needed thrill and action. He succeeded in bringing to life a goose-bump-raising villain and, in my opinion, carried the entirety of the series in the acting aspect.
The seamless harmonization between the fun storytelling of emerging secrets and the enigmatic anticipation of who would come to take on the country’s most reputed company amidst a gripping murder-spree was remarkably conducted into the exuberant romcom drama ‘My Demon’ deems itself to be. Its perfect execution of mystery and romance furthermore made for the extravagant dance of passion it ignited within viewers with its additionally enthralling take on the forbidden love between a fate-intertwined demonic power and a reputed influencer.
As expected, the couple’s fans are left in awe once more as their passionate characters grapple a hold on international k-drama viewers, bringing rise to the success of both acting careers.
01/10/2024
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Stellar Chemistry, Supernatural Plot & a Happy Ending
I generally prefer C-dramas, but this K-drama completely won me over.My Demon is a fantasy rom-com that hooks you right from the very first episode. The cast is perfect, and the love chemistry between Song Kang and Kim Yoo-jung is simply flawless, they carry the whole show with charm and emotion. It's fun, romantic, visually stunning, and ends with a truly satisfying happy ending. Definitely a must-watch for fantasy romance lovers.
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Dissapointed ending. SPOILER ALERT!!!
Have you ever lower the score cause the happy ending? Well this exactly what happen with me & this drama. The happy ending left sour taste in my mouth, forcing me to give this drama quite low score. For you who still don't understand & feel the need to ask... Yes this has HAPPY ENDING, but for me better leave this with the sad or open ending than this happy ending. Or just leave this like Hotel Del Luna kinda ending is still better....As usual save review first. AKA what I like about this drama.
+ The chemistry between Kim You Jung & Song Kang.
+ The growth in character Do Do Hee (DH) & Jung Koo Won (KW). Like to see them falling with each other, start to care & built their relationships. As well we also can see how KW more & more human each time he get closer to DH.
+ Although KW is demon with all the power possible, he still need the help of Park Bok Kyu to do stuff for him. Like investigation etc...
+ The cute relationship between Shin Da Jeong & Park Bok Kyu. Never expected, yet no surprise see them as a couple,
+ Jin Ga Young, Joo Seok Hoon, Joo Chun Sook. Like all these character. They being normal human that show us we each has our selfishness in doing our things, yet they not so evil that willing to sell theirselves to evil to achieve something.
+ The most interesting thing this drama give us. The sad truth face of human. There's always 2 kind of people, when devil knock on ur door. 1st is like Joo Chun Sook, turn over when see the demon herself. The other is like the last person, after make a deal with the devil, but when the devil ask us for our part of our deal, still do everything possible to avoid it, even lying through our teeth....
Overall this just another drama to fill ur days... Below is SPOILER ALERT!!! Read it with ur own risk.
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SPOILER ALERT!!!
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Now the sour taste in my mouth....
- They never really explained to us why Noh Suk Min want DH died. Or maybe just me missed it.... At first yeah maybe because of the inheritance, but later... WHY...? That's the point that I still don't understand.....
- Everything just end too beautifully. It's like the original plan is to close with sad ending, but someone just smash the table and scream I want HAPPY ENDING! And so here we are now... For me better close with KW still gone & the last reunion just happen in DH's dream. It's like KW said final goodbye to DH. It's more poetic & beautiful ending. Than this force, weird & ruinning happy ending.
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Beautiful Story of Love And Sacrifice
I think this is hats off one of the best dramas I've ever watched.. It had everything in it... Romance, Comedy, Chemistry, Suspense, Mystery and the list goes on... This story tells a beautiful tale of how powerful love can be and the saving powers that it possesses... Both Do Hee and Gu Won went through so much and received their happy ending.. All is love in love and sacrifice..One of my favorite quotes from was:Do Hee: The world without you was terrible
Gu Won: Same here, being without you is hell to me
In the end they both ended up being each others saviors multiple times... even when they didn't know it themselves.... Its definitely a must watch... ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 10/10.. From the storyline to the acting to the plot etc.. everything was well written and well paced... Loved It... The Romantic scenes were really sweet as well...
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