Minalapinou

Yess a romantic thriller ! And a spicy one, even. I love those. It's old school for a Kdrama, bringing back the red flag CEO antihero, and I'm here for it. Usually we start contract marriage plots before (or right after) the wedding, but this one takes us after three long, cold, loveless years, when our heroïne is on the verge of exploding. And explode, she does ! And takes a very unusual and dangerous approach. The drama is so well done, I'm surprised at the level of directing and acting involved in this. Also, for once, here is a show that relies on showing and almost never on telling. There is a lot going on here visually. Plot wise, I know Kim Ji Won is a controversial writer, but I always find her work fascinating, never boring, and thought-provoking (I'm one of the few people who enjoyed Cheongdamdong Alice and Melancholia from start to finish). Her adaptation of the webtoon is very fairy-tale like, it's Sleeping Beauty coded with a "dormant" cursed heroïne, the theme of sexual awakening, the toxic queen moms and absentee fathers. They also cite the Little Mermaid, and I can see its influence with the heroïne who can't speak, loves her prince in silence and feels like a tortured stand-in for his bride. Talking about the actors, I'm so glad that Chae Soo Bin is sharing the screen with Yoo Yeon Seok, they are such a strong pairing. She's fire, he's ice, so take a seat and enjoy the ride.