THE SHORT VERDICT:

When Show is at its best, it’s frothy, irreverent, cheeky fun, all self-aware and blithely poking fun at drama tropes.

However, when Show is not at its best, it’s slow and laborious, like it’s putting all of its effort towards achieving its secret dream of being the best traditional sageuk it can be. 😅

The watch experience is understandably quite uneven, and sometimes, even a little whiplashy.

As a silver lining, Show does manage to serve up a pretty solid ending, despite its missteps along the way.

THE LONG VERDICT:

Coming into this show, I was convinced that we had a fun little winner on our hands; Show was just so entertaining and fun, in a knowing, self-aware, cheeky sort of way that made me feel like this one had personality.

Whenever Show deviated from its fun, frothy tone, I was hopeful that we were just taking a minor detour, and that it would be back to being its delightful self, soon enough.

Unfortunately, as it turns out, Show really is only at its best, frothy, fun self, quite selectively.

Most of the time, it’s busy acting like a much more normal, traditional sageuk, and while that’s not horrible, that’s certainly not what I signed up for. 😅

OST ALBUM: FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE

Here’s the OST album, in case you’d like to listen to it while you read the review.

I found Show’s OST to be very pleasant, though I have to confess that I mostly didn’t quite notice the music itself, while watching.

I think that the music is used quite selectively in this show, ie, it’s mostly reserved for special OTP moments, and perhaps that’s why I felt like I didn’t notice it so much. 😅

In terms of a favorite, I do gravitate towards Track 2, How About We Start Our Love, which I find very light, breezy and melodious. I feel that this track perfectly embodies the kind of drama world I wanted this to be. 🥲

Here it is as well, in case you’d prefer to listen to it on repeat. Just right-click on the video and select “Loop.”

HOW I’M APPROACHING THIS REVIEW

First I’ll talk about how to manage your expectations going into this one, and what viewing lens would be most helpful.

After that, I talk about stuff I liked on a more macro level, before I give the spotlight to selected characters and relationships, in a separate section. Finally, I spend some time talking about my thoughts on the penultimate and finale episodes.

If you’re interested in my blow-by-blow reactions, &/or all the various Patreon members’ comments during the course of our watch, you might like to check out my episode notes on Patreon here.

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS / THE VIEWING LENS

Here are some things that I think would be helpful to keep in mind, to maximize your enjoyment of your watch:

1. Suspension of disbelief is required

Perhaps that might seem obvious, given that our entire set-up is a fantasy set-up, but I do think it’s helpful to be at the ready to suspend disbelief, because Show does stretch its own logic at times.

2. Be willing to roll with it

Sometimes, Show doesn’t provide explanations for why certain things are the way they are, and I think the best way to get around that, so that it doesn’t interfere with your enjoyment too much, is to not question it too much, and just roll with it.

3. The viewing lens

I found that a cartoon lens works, with this show. It made everything land better, including the logic stretches.

STUFF I LIKED

The concept

I was drawn to this show because I find the premise a lot of fun.

In some key ways, it reminds me of 2020 c-drama The Romance of Tiger and Rose (review here!), where a scriptwriter ends up in the world of the novel she’s writing, as a minor character, and catches the fancy of the male lead, in spite of herself.

I had a lot of fun watching that show, and when it’s at its best, this show scratches the same itch, but in its own way.

While stories using this particular type of transmigration as a premise are popular in c-dramas, I feel like they are reasonably new to kdramas, and that does give this show a feeling of freshness.

[MINOR SPOILERS]

I was quite tickled by the very play-like, stagey way that all the scenes from the original novel are presented, in our opening scenes.

It feels like a nudge-nudge-wink-wink collection of tropes, which many drama fans would recognize on sight, like the fateful encounter between the OTP, the appearance of a jealous second female lead, and the perfectly gentle second male lead.

Doesn’t this sound like many a kdrama that you’ve watched in the past? 😁

[END SPOILERS]

When Show is fun and irreverent

I cannot state this enough; when Show was at its irreverent best, I loved it.

It managed to be such silly, tongue-in-cheek fun, and I feel like if you’re seasoned drama fan, you’d likely get an extra kick out of all the nudge-nudge-wink-wink that Show does, at the tropes at play in typical love stories in Dramaland.

I share more examples later, in the OTP section, but for now, here’s a collection of highlights that I enjoyed very well.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. I literally clapped my hands with glee, when Show lets loose that iconic Chuno track in episode 2, at the mention of slave hunters. Ahhhh!!! Chunoooo~! 🤩🥲

E1-2. I cackled when Su Gyeom (Seo Bum June)  descended in that big twirling flourish, to save Sun Chaek (Seo Hyun); that’s just so OTT dramatic. 😁

E5-6. I thought it was such a fun moment, when Sun Chaek thinks that she’ll be too late to submit her name for the marriage screening, then remembers that little detail from the novel, about how that horse-drawn cart would get her to the correct street, and does that acrobatic leap from the neolttwigi (that thing that looks like a see-saw), to land herself in that cart.

Ahaha! That was so unexpected, that I laughed out loud in surprise. 😁

And then what about the way Sun Chaek eventually manages to get in there and submit her name, even though they were literally closing the doors in her face?!?

The way that examiner dude Secretary Do (Jung Soon Won, whom, omigosh, is Seung Won the perfect husband from Resident Playbook! 😂) then has a bruise over his eyes in the shape of Sun Chaek’s shoe for a good handful of scenes afterwards, made me chuckle.

This kind of fun nonsense is exactly what I love best about this show. 😁

[END SPOILER]

When Show serves up heartfelt moments

Occasionally, Show does surprise me with a bit of heartfelt goodness, and I enjoyed those very much.

Here’s one example that stands out to me.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E7-8. I liked that Lord Cha (Seo Hyun Chul) eventually relents and has a conversation with Bun, to declare a truce, and to allow Bun to date Sun Chaek on a probationary basis.

I thought that was a rather pleasantly heartfelt moment, because Lord Cha’s concerns – that the enemies that Bun’s made over the years while being the King’s (Joo Seok Tae) hunting dog, would target Sun Chaek, who would become Bun’s weakness – feel sincere and valid.

I don’t even mind when Show later plays it for laughs, when Bun won’t allow Sun Chaek into his home (to secretly plant that talisman in his bedchamber), because of the promise that he’s made to Lord Cha, because of how sincere this moment is.

[END SPOILER]

STUFF THAT WAS OK

When Show takes time for context

In episodes 3 and 4, Show steps back from its fun, frothy start, to give us insight into the context around Bun and Sun Chaek.

This means that these episodes weren’t as much rollicking fun as our opening pair of episodes, but I still found myself enjoying my watch quite nicely, ie, I wasn’t disappointed, overall.

I still did prefer Show’s irreverent tone, though, which is why this sits in the neutral zone for me.

When Show dips into the supernatural [MINOR SPOILER]

At around the episode 3-4 mark, Show introduces a supernatural layer to its story world, and I found this rather odd and surprising; for some reason, I hadn’t seen that coming, despite Show’s fantasy premise. 😅

This wasn’t my favorite thing that Show did, but it wasn’t a deal-breaker either, which is why it’s here too, in the neutral zone.

Show’s sense of humor

Even though I’ve mentioned numerous times already, that I found Show to be pretty hilarious at times, I have to confess that Show’s sense of humor didn’t always work for me.

Here’s a bit of a breakdown, to give you an idea of the kind of humor that Show serves up, and when it did and didn’t work for me.

[SPOILER ALERT]

When it worked for me

E3-4. While the antics of Su Gyeom’s (Seo Bum June) gathering themselves did lean a bit exaggerated and silly, there was enough to amuse me, that I actually found the entire thing reasonably entertaining.

Like, even though it wasn’t gracious of Bun to refuse to eat the treats that Eun Ae had made, it amused me that everyone was so horrified and terrified, that Sun Chaek would literally force feed him, not once, but twice. 😁

And even though it wasn’t gracious of Bun not to catch Eun Ae when she ran towards him like that, I did chuckle a little ruefully, at the perplexed look in his eyes, as he neatly side-steps Eun Ae (Kwon Han Sol).

I’m rationalizing that his reason for not catching her, is because he’s just that dedicated to Sun Chaek, that he can’t fathom “contaminating” himself by touching another woman, even if it’s to save her. 😅

And I did chuckle at the tropeyness of how Bun reaches towards Eun Ae, not to help her up, but to retrieve his sword, much to her dismay. 😅

When it worked out to ok for me

E3-4. The way I’m digesting the second wave of cocktail bombs, is that Sun Chaek sees that there’s no way that a connection’s going to spark between Bun and Eun Ae while they’re sober, so this is her way of hopefully getting them to loosen up, so that there’s a higher chance of things sparking between them – at least in theory. 😅

With that lens on, I was mildly amused through the various games and drinks that Sun Chaek introduces, which all feel very reminiscent of college type hijinks; it’s probably all Sun Chaek knows, since she’s a college student in real life.

When it didn’t work for me

E3-4. Bun threatening Sun Chaek’s brothers was definitely meant for comedy, though I didn’t really laugh at this beat.

The idea of it is funny though; that he’s threatening them to hurry up and get married or else.

But, I have to say that the execution doesn’t really work for me. 😅

[END SPOILER]

STUFF I DIDN’T LIKE SO MUCH

When Show leans into being a sageuk

I basically didn’t enjoy Show very much, whenever it decided that it wanted to act like a regular sageuk, because, well, watching court machinations for the throne are not exactly my idea of a good time. 😅

Unfortunately for me, Show spends a good chunk of its second half doing just that.

Sadness. 😔

The last-minute introduction of an antagonist [SPOILER]

At around the halfway point, Show introduces Lee Kyu (Lee Tae Sun) as an antagonist type character, which I personally felt was quite unnecessary, because by this point, there was already quite enough narrative tension to mine.

For example, there was the mystery of who had pushed Sun Chaek into the pond, and why.

However, instead of spending more time exploring this, which I felt had way more immediacy in terms of story interest, Show introduces Lee Kyu, as an antagonist, and I have to confess that I felt very bored by him. Sorry. 😅

When Show seems to waste time

At the episode 8 mark, Show spends a whole chunk of time on polo, of all things, where Bun and Lee Kyu battle it out, in order to (I guess) prove their strength, worth and superiority, and I found the whole thing very tiresome, to be brutally honest.

Not gonna lie; my eyes kind of glazed over at how long the entire thing took.

Plus, I also had to wonder why there was no one enforcing any rules during the game, even when the crowd starts to protest Lee Kyu’s actions as unfair.

This apparent lack of fairness, endorsed by none of than the King himself, just made me feel even more dissatisfied with this overly long beat.

SPOTLIGHT ON CHARACTERS / RELATIONSHIPS

Seo Hyun as Sun Chaek

I started my watch finding Seohyun very likable as Sun Chaek; she’s easygoing and cheerful, and just so happy to be in her favorite web novel.

I found her refreshing and enjoyed watching her use her fangirl knowledge about the novel world, to get herself out of various situations.

I do have to admit though, that as Show spent more time in its more serious sageuk mode, and as Sun Chaek’s sunny disposition therefore had to take a backseat, that Seohyun’s limitations as an actress became more apparent.

In this next spoiler section, I’m focusing on all the things I enjoyed about Sun Chaek as a character; I’ll talk about the more puzzling / perplexing turns of her characterization, when I discuss Show’s later episodes.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. The way she’s so happy to be in her favorite novel is very cute, and it’s also admittedly refreshing, the way she thinks it would be amazing if she got to stay, and didn’t have to go back to the real world.

After all, in most transmigration stories, the character’s burning goal, is to figure out a way to get back to the real world, yes?

Also, the way she’s so thrilled to see her favorite characters, and be in the position to witness important developments in the novel, is also very cute.

She’s such a fangirl, and I feel like many of us who’ve loved a novel or drama before, would be able to relate. 😁

She doesn’t need a long-term plan; all she really wants to do is enjoy her novel coming to life before her eyes – while she enjoys the unexpected joys of being a rich side character who happens to be the daughter of the Chief State Councilor. 😁

We do get a few fish-out-water type moments, but nothing too crazy; it’s mostly around Sun Chaek using modern turns of phrase instead of more formal sageuk-speak.

Which, to me, is fine, because I’m not here for the fish-out-of-water moments, I’m here for the transmigration hijinks. 😁

Overall, I find Sun Chaek to be pretty wholesome and pure, in the sense that I really like how she takes so much joy from little things like a lavish breakfast table.

There’s an almost ditzy quality in how Seohyun plays her, which I find very endearing.

I also like how practical she is, like when she runs into the nasty second female lead, Hwa Seon (seriously, Ji Hye Won seems to be getting typecast as the nasty-pretty type), she opts to give in to any and all of Hwa Seon’s demands, in order to keep her own life simpler.

Our girl has her priorities in the right place, as far as I can see. 😁

Also, the way she literally squees with stars in her eyes every time she recognizes one of her favorite characters, is just the cutest. 🥰

E1-2. We spend the bulk of episode 2 around the various ways Sun Chaek tries to avoid marrying Bun, and I am both charmed and amused.

Like, yes, it’s all very silly and funny, but at the heart of it, I’m charmed that Sun Chaek is so earnest about wanting Bun to meet and marry the original female lead of this story, Eun Ae.

Even though Bun is so handsome and so smitten with her, Sun Chaek doesn’t entertain the idea of claiming him for herself, for a moment, and I find that charming. 🥰

The other thing that I find charming, is Sun Chaek’s burgeoning friendships, first with her maid Bong Wol (Oh Se Eun), and then with Eun Ae.

Even though Sun Chaek’s told herself to lie low and not make any waves in this story world, she can’t help but draw people to her, just by being herself. I like that.

I like that she’d kind and protective of her maid, and even discusses things with her; they quickly become like a little pair of naughty schemers, and that does tickle me.

I also like that she can’t help but be kind to Eun Ae, even though she doesn’t realize that her actions will eventually have an impact on the way the plot develops.

E3-4. The opening flashback, where we see how Sun Chaek had lost not only her best friend, but her entire life at school, and her reputation, when her best friend’s boyfriend had come on to her, felt both cartoony and sad, at the same time.

Cartoony, because it’s really quite extreme, and reminds me of classic kdrama Full House, where our female lead loses her entire home, thanks to her two best friends selling her house while she’s away on vacation.

I’d like to qualify though, that I don’t mind the cartoony quality that surfaces in our story from time to time; this is a web novel after all, and if anything, the cartoony quality feels on point?

And then sad, because I really feel for Sun Chaek, because she’s done nothing wrong, but the people who had been the closest to her, turn on her, and then everyone else turns on her.

I can see why she’d hole herself up in her room, and then, when she arrives in the world of the novel, actually have no desire to go back to her real life.

And, I can also see why Sun Chaek would feel so strongly, about not stealing Bun from Eun Ae.

It’s not just the fangirl in her, after all; it’s also the trauma that she’s been through, that’s driving her determination to send Bun back to Eun Ae, despite his determination to marry her.

E3-4. Honestly, I continue to be nicely charmed by Sun Chaek; she’s so wholesome and so generous, and so guileless, that I find it very easy to like her.

For example, even though she decides to stay out of the way of the main characters in this story, she can’t stick to her resolve, when she receives Eun Ae’s invitation to be her friend, because she can’t forget how much Eun Ae’s suffered in life, and how isolated she is.

Which is how Sun Chaek ends up agreeing to be friends with Eun Ae, even though that hadn’t been her intention at all.

And then, I continue to be very much charmed by how earnest Sun Chaek is, in trying to help Bun fall in love with Eun Ae.

Like the way Sun Chaek purposely wears dull colors on the day of the gathering, while telling Eun Ae to dress up and look pretty.

I feel like not many girls would do that, in Sun Chaek’s position, because who wouldn’t want to look their best, even if they were trying to matchmake other people, right?

That’s the kind of detail that continues to endear Sun Chaek to me. 🥲

E5-6. Sun Chaek’s desire to do well in the bride selection process, and the way she really tries to do her best, is quite charming to me.

I was quite tickled by that little beat, where Sun Chaek happily thinks to herself that she’ll have no trouble with the selection process, given that she’s a sageuk romance fangirl.

Tee hee hee! I think I just love the meta of Sun Chaek leaning into her fangirl expertise for solutions. 😁

E5-6. One of the things I enjoyed, these episodes, is the sense of friendship between Sun Chaek and Eun Ae, during the selection process.

Even though they are, in effect, rivals, it’s nice to see them play fair, and also, offer each other words of support and encouragement.

Eun Ae’s more subdued, but Sun Chaek actually looks like she’s cheering for Eun Ae, and that’s very wholesome, I feel.

E7-8. I was disappointed that Show didn’t do more to explore who had really pushed Sun Chaek into the pond, but I did at least appreciate the idea that Sun Chaek brings up, during her confrontation with Hwa Seon, that she doesn’t have to be the antagonist, if she makes different choices.

I like that open-mindedness of Sun Chaek’s, and I like that she has the grace to apply that thought to Hwa Seon, whom she understands to be the antagonist of this story. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

Ok Taecyeon as Lee Bun

In a manner of speaking, I do find Taec perfectly cast in this, coz he really has that chiseled handsome look that perfectly fits with his character being the out-of-this-world handsome male lead in a romance novel. 🤭

And of course Bun’s a tsundere male lead, who’s scarily ruthless in reputation, but a real softie on the inside.

(I thought it was a really fun touch, that Su Gyeom is hilariously subtitled as addressing as Bunny, at least on VIU, which is where I watched this show.

I seriously don’t think this was the original intent, since Su Gyeom is most likely just using a casual term of address, by adding the “i” behind Bun’s name, but I am tickled nonetheless, and it does allude to Bun’s soft underbelly quite perfectly. 😁)

I have to confess, though, that I feel that Taec isn’t the most nuanced actor, and therefore, there were times when I found his delivery to be on the stiffer side of things.

However, since Bun is the male lead in this novel world, I actually found myself taking that into account, when considering him as a character.

Like, every time he comes across as stoic &/or stilted to my eyes, I liked to attribute to the fact that he’s a 2D character in a novel.

I don’t know if I’m meant to do that, but this thought amuses me, and so helps everything land better, whenever I feel like Taec’s playing Bun a little stiff. 😅

I’ll talk more about Bun in other sections of this review, but for now, here are just a couple of Bun-related thoughts.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E3-4. Bun’s backstory is very tragic, because, true to how a sageuk rolls, there is betrayal and death and angst involved.

It occurs to me that if this is Bun’s established backstory, then Sun Chaek would therefore know that he’d been the rightful heir to the throne, but had lost his place thanks to the current King, his uncle, who’d killed anyone who’d stood in the way of him taking the throne.

Knowing that Bun should have been the Crown Prince, but is now reduced to being the King’s hunting dog, definitely lends a layer of pathos to his characterization.

E5-6. I laughed at the part where Bun takes his shirt off while at Hwa Seon’s family residence.

I mean, it makes no logical sense whatsoever; there was no actual need for him to take his shirt off, in order to get Hwa Seon to go away and get him tea etc. I suspect PD-nim just wanted to splash Taec’s idol hot bod on the screen again, for good measure. 🤭

I am suitably amused. 😁

[END SPOILER]

Sun Chaek and Lee Bun

I am sorry to say that this OTP worked to be pretty uneven, for me personally.

I feel that this OTP was at its best, when Show’s being lighthearted and irreverent. That’s when I found this couple to be cute and amusing, and these were also the times when I felt like their acting capabilities matched what Show wanted to serve up.

However, when Show starts leaning into its more serious sageuk side, I felt that our leads’ respective acting limitations become a lot more obvious, and that did not help, in terms of making this OTP loveline believable or compelling.

Oddly, I felt that the chemistry between our leads was inconsistent.

It’s not that it’s completely absent; there are definitely times when I felt a sparky connection between them.

Yet, it’s not always there, either, and sometimes, that lack of chemistry would show up at the most inconvenient times, like when Show wanted to serve up very heartfelt, earnest beats.

This OTP would have done much better, if Show had chosen to be lighthearted, irreverent and kind of silly, all the way through to the end.

Ultimately, I liked them better in concept than in execution, unfortunately. 🙈

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. I thought it was such a hoot, when Bun turns on all of that smoldery, come-hither bedroom-eyes charm at the end of episode 1 and the beginning of episode 2, after spending the night with Sun Chaek.

I mean, Taec wears the smolder well, don’t get me wrong; I’m just inordinately tickled by the fact that this is very unlike the silly-dorky personality that I’ve seen coming through in his personal vlogs.

It’s extremely trippy to see him be all sexy, come-hither like this, in the best, most entertaining way. 😁

And of course I snerked with knowing appreciation, at the way Show’s splashing Taec’s shirtless idol bod all over these episodes.

It sure knows how to maximize its, er, resources, yes? 🤭

It’s so funny to me, that Sun Chaek gasps and covers her eyes, when Bun nonchalantly takes off his shirt, but then can’t help but peep anyway. I feel like she’s kind of representing many of us? 🤭

Ok, fine, she’s representing me. 😂

I do like the fact that the key reason Bun’s so intent on marrying Sun Chaek, seems to be more about the fact that she’d drunkenly spoken right to his heart, about how he would rather choose loneliness than choose to kill people.

I’m not 100% sure, but to my eyes, it feels like Bun is using the first night as his excuse to push for the marriage between him and Sun Chaek, when in fact he’s really drawn to her beyond the physical intimacy.

E1-2. I’m suitably tickled that Bun keeps showing up to stop Sun Chaek from succeeding in her various attempts to run away, and I can only conclude that he’s continued to keep tabs on her via that pair of binoculars that he takes from Su Gyeom.

I am also quite amused at how steadfastly smitten he is, with Sun Chaek, such that even her attempt to be the most unkempt woman in the world, has him complimenting her for being an inspiration to others.

For one thing, it’s funny to me how he’s that determinedly smitten by her, and for another, part of my brain thinks it’s quite hilarious how he’s living up to his template of Smitten Male Lead so well. 😁

And, even though it’s played for laughs, isn’t there something quite poignant about the way he doesn’t even care, when Sun Chaek informs him that according to their fortunes, he will die if they marry – and he says that it doesn’t matter to him?

That, as long as he gets to spend some of his life with her, his beloved, he’d think of it as a gift from his parents?

I dunno; there’s something very affecting about the idea of someone being willing to die for love. 🥹

But then Show does pull the rug out from this beat of poignancy, with the way Bun informs the nun at the temple, that the reason Sun Chaek can’t become a nun, is because she’s not celibate, and I’m practically scream-cringing in secondhand mortification. 😂

E3-4. Bun’s personal context definitely adds a good amount of weight to why Bun would be so drawn to Sun Chaek; she’s literally been the only person in the world, to have spoken to him with such understanding and empathy.

And, given that he feels all alone in the world, with his father also gone, I can see why he would be so determined to pursue this connection with Sun Chaek, and desire that they marry, and soon.

It’s not just about love; to my eyes, it’s also about family and connection, and having someone with whom he can belong. 🥲

Taking both of their contexts into consideration, I have to say, I am rooting for Bun to be successful in winning Sun Chaek’s heart, because he deserves to be seen the way he wants to be seen, and she deserves to be the lead in her own story, even though she’s content to be a side character. 🥲

E3-4. I have to say that the way Bun climbs up that mountain and then risks his life fighting the tiger, all for the sake of getting that special and rare herb to cure Sun Chaek, is very touching.

And, I think it’s even more touching, that Bun doesn’t even tell Sun Chaek that he’d risked his life to get that herb for her; he just puts it in her hand and gives instruction for Sun Chaek’s maid to prepare it for her every day.

I do appreciate the fact that Sun Chaek notices the wounds on his hands and expresses concern, even though she tries to brush it off as being akin to being concerned for the dog next door.

I think Show does a pretty good job of helping us to see Sun Chaek’s resolve slowly starting to waver, with each time Bun does something to save or protect her, and I think it’s important that we are privy to the trajectory of her heart.

Also, I personally was sold pretty early, on the reason that Bun has his heart set on marrying Sun Chaek – that he feels truly seen and understood by her – and so, I find myself not getting too fussed at him being all standoffish and stone-faced through her various efforts to spark a connection between him and Eun Ae.

In fact, because of the lens that I had on oh-so-firmly – that the entire reason he’s so unmoved, is because his heart has already glommed onto Sun Chaek and won’t let go – I was even low-key amused at his deadpan reactions to everything that Sun Chaek does during the gathering of the Astral Philosophy Club. 😁

Plus, how about the way he fusses so much over what to wear to the gathering?? Nothing like a hint of dork, under that stone-faced inscrutable demeanor, yes? 🤭

E3-4. I really like how unhesitating Bun is, when it comes to protecting Sun Chaek.

Just look at how he picks her up and carries her out of that fierce fire, right? 🥲

E3-4. I found it touching, the way Bun forces his way into that isolation area, in order to take care of Sun Chaek, when she’s judged to be taken ill with the plague.

I couldn’t help but notice that he doesn’t take any precautions, like wearing a cloth over his mouth and nose, like the soldiers are doing; he’s fully exposing himself to whatever Sun Chaek’s suffering from, and doesn’t look at all perturbed by it.

All he cares about is nursing her back to health, and I thought that was very sweet and touching indeed. 🥲

Again, I can see why Sun Chaek’s heart would waver, despite her decision to help Eun Ae win Bun’s heart.

And so, that final moment at the end of episode 4, where Sun Chaek makes a new decision, to bet her fate on him, feels like the natural culmination of the events of these episodes.

E5-6. The OTP dynamic also shifts, these episodes, with Sun Chaek’s decision to claim Bun for herself, and y’know, I rather enjoyed that too.

I like how Bun’s all confused at first, when Sun Chaek throws her arms around his neck and cries that she’d thought that he’d died, and that she’d never get to see him again, and asks her why she’s no longer trying to run away like she’d been trying to do for some time.

I appreciate that he asks this, and doesn’t just roll with it because he’s happy that she’s suddenly responding differently to him.

I also like the fact that Sun Chaek tells him the truth about why she’d been trying to run away, before; that she’d had a bad experience in the past, where she’d been accused of stealing someone else’s man.

And while I puzzled over him saying that he thought she was bragging (is he perhaps teasing her, but in a deadpan sort of way??), I like that he makes it clear that it was not her fault that her friend’s boyfriend had behaved badly, and then I like it even more, that he states so firmly, when she says that he’s actually fated to be with another, that he will make his own choice.

This is totally the kind of moment when I feel like Bun’s stoic vibe lands as really melty, because he’s channeling that stoicism towards being steadfast in his decision to marry Sun Chaek, and Sun Chaek only. 🥲

I really like the gentle twinkle in Bun’s eyes, in that moment when he pretends to make a move on her, right there in the isolation shed, and she runs away squealing.

I thought that gentle twinkle was very endearing. 🥰

While we do get a few nice OTP moments, like the way Bun catches hold of Sun Chaek in the field of flowers and just gazes into her eyes, with this pleased look on his face, and also, the deadpan-cheeky way he tells her that he’s letting her off the hook for the night, after handing her that stack of medication, I do feel like Show hasn’t yet started to explore our OTP connection in earnest, if that makes sense?

I keep feeling like our OTP needs to get to know each other more and better, even though they’ve already gone through some significant events, like Bun risking his life to nurse Sun Chaek back to health.

My gut just feels like they need to bond more..? Or is that just me? 😅

Anyway. I’m trusting that we’ll get more of that as our story progresses.

And these episodes, we do get that flashback of their first night together, which lands with a nice mix of sweet, spicy and shirtless 🤭, and I can’t help giggling at how all the flower screens spontaneously drop down around them, while they’re kissing. 🤭

It does lend a nice layer of poignance to the flashback, to have Bun say in voiceover, that he would happily give Sun Chaek his first, as well as his last; that sounds to me like he would be willing to die for her. 🥹

E5-6. I liked watching Sun Chaek figure out each stage of the selection process using her modern day smarts, like talking herself through using her core to through that heavy canon ball, and then picking up a soundbite that her lecturer had once dropped, to come up with that idea of putting loaches and catfish into a rice field.

And, I also liked the satisfaction with which Bun watches her, from afar.

It feels like he’s watching protectively, but also, indulgently, like he enjoys watching her apply herself to this, in order to marry him, because it makes him feel loved, but at the same time, he’s watching over her, to make sure that she’ll be ok, and there’s something about that, that I just love. 🥰

It’s like he respects her enough to give her the time and space to work things out on her own, but he cares enough, that he’s keeping a close watch over things, so that, at all times, she’s safe, even though she may not realize it. 🥲

E5-6. As we close out episode 6, I definitely got a stab of satisfaction with the way Bun steps in and defends Sun Chaek’s honor, by proving that he knows that Hwa Seon had brought in the foreigner dude and that the dude had given that suspicious substance to Sun Chaek, to bring on plague-like symptoms – and thus, getting the bride selection process suspended.

And, we even get a little moment of OTP sweetness, where Bun kisses Sun Chaek and tells her that he’ll never let her go. Aw.

E7-8. Honestly, I thought it was an odd choice, for Show to give our OTP a second night of sexytimes, because even if we take Sun Chaek’s modern sensibilities into account, it’s a bit hard to believe that Bun would keep her out all night, while also actively seeking permission to marry her.

As we eventually see, that rightfully upsets Lord Cha, Sun Chaek’s father, and that does not help Bun’s marriage mission at all.

But ok, fine. Manhwa lens. Manhwa lensss. 😅

Also, I guess Show wanted to demonstrate that Sun Chaek’s truly in love with Bun and, with this decision to sleep with him while completely sober, is kind of “canceling out” the original mistake of the their first night, where she’d been too drunk to actually make any kind of decision..?

Or maybe this is just intended as fan service, and I’m just overthinking its narrative significance. 😅

And, even though I wasn’t super into the beat itself, I do think it’s sweet that Sun Chaek would want to make breakfast for Bun, and that he would willingly eat it all, even though it tastes terrible, by everyone else’s account.

E7-8. I was, at best, low-key amused at Bun’s efforts to impress Lord Cha, but I did think that the makeshift telephone thing was pretty cute, with both Bun and Sun Chaek looking sooo happy to be able to hear each other’s voices. 🥰

[END SPOILER]

Kwon Han Sol as Eun Ae

I thought Kwon Han Sol did a decent job of what she was given, but I have to say that Show’s treatment of Eun Ae’s character, was one of my least favorite things about our story.

Let me explain.

[SPOILER ALERT]

We begin our story being told that Eun Ae is the original female lead in the novel, and of course, this means that we default to seeing Eun Ae as a good person, because why else would she have been the original female lead, who had captured Bun’s heart, yes?

For a while, I liked the trajectory of her character, where she seemed more interested in being friends with Sun Chaek and finding her place in the world, and I even felt sorry for her, that she was unable to capture the attention of the person she felt inexplicably drawn to – at least, that’s how I processed her various glances in Bun’s direction.

My assumption there, is that, because she’d been intended to be the original female lead in the novel, that she would be drawn to Bun as a matter of design, and she didn’t need any other reason, to find Bun appealing.

HOWEVER. Show goes and turns her into an antagonist, who not only wants Bun for herself, but is willing to order Sun Chaek’s death (and specifically, a horrible one, at that), in order to get what she wants.

Say, what? 😱

Clearly, writer-nim had done this for the shock value, and it’s true, I was shocked by it, and that did add a trippy dimension to my watch experience, but it always niggled at me, that this didn’t feel true to Eun Ae, as a character.

I couldn’t help questioning if Eun Ae’s nature would actually change, because of the changes in the novel, that Sun Chaek’s caused.

Additionally, based on comments from other viewers that I came across, I learned that, apparently, in the original webtoon, Eun Ae really becomes besties with Sun Chaek.

Now that I know this, I can’t help but feel wistful for the could’ve beens, because I think that would have been really wholesome and heartwarming to see, particularly with the lashings of romance that Show introduces between Eun Ae and Su Gyeom.

We could’ve had a heartwarming secondary romance exploring the dynamic between Eun Ae and Su Gyeom, but instead, we have Eun Ae leaning into her new evil persona – only to lose her memory right at the end, so that she conveniently gets a personality reset, so that Su Gyeom isn’t left completely brokenhearted to have lost the Eun Ae with whom he’d fallen in love.

Like I said, not my favorite thing that writer-nim did with this show, by far.

[END SPOILER]

Special shout-out:

Ji Hye Won as Hwa Seon

I just wanted to give Ji Hye Won a shout-out, because I do think it’s due to Ji Hye Won’s personal charm and delivery, that Hwa Seon lands as amusing and even a little bit charming, when she’s written to be the nasty girl in our story.

I generally found her entertaining instead of aggravating, and that’s quite remarkable, I do think. 😁

SPOTLIGHT ON THE PENULTIMATE EPISODES [SPOILERS]

E9-10. Our final two episodes could yet prove me wrong, but I have to say that right now, it really does seem like Show has all but forgotten that it’s a transmigration story, and has, for the intents and purposes of these episodes, turned into a typical sageuk. 😅

Not only are the meta references long gone, but also, Sun Chaek’s fangirl knowledge about the ins and outs of this story world, also seem to be sorely lacking, these episodes.

Plus, we’ve got a percolating plot for the throne taking up large chunks of screen time – which, honestly, sounds like almost every other sageuk out there, doesn’t it? 😅

And, I’ve gotta be honest with you guys; schemes to get the throne.. are not at all what I signed up for, when I started watching this show. 😅

Which means that, naturally, my interest in all that stuff, is on the very low end of the scale, and because that does take up a chunk of screen time, I did find it a drag on my watch experience of these episodes.

That aside, though, I also have to confess that this show just isn’t working for me the way I want it to, at least right now.

I can’t quite put my finger on it, but even the OTP moments don’t land as organically for me; it kinda-sorta feels like Show’s going through the paces? 😅

Maybe it’s just me; if you loved these episodes, I say good for you – I hope you love them a little extra for me, because try as I might, I just wasn’t really feeling these episodes. Sorry. 🙈

Backing up to the top of episode 9, I feel pretty neutral about Sun Chaek’s big escape, though the logical part of my brain did argue that beating on that drum also alerts her attacker to where she is.

Plus, she has no guarantee that anyone would hear her, really, since that drum seems to be in the middle of nowhere, but again, I remind myself that I have to yield to drama logic, and not fuss about such details.

The important thing, of course, is that Bun saves Sun Chaek and brings her home, and Dad is so grateful, that he agrees to their marriage, finally.

We then get the obligatory tension between the OTP, for a handful of reasons.

1, We have that disagreement where Sun Chaek tells Bun that she wants him to stop killing people, and he feels maligned and misunderstood.

I’m rationalizing that due to the changes that have happened in the novel since Sun Chaek’s arrival, perhaps Sun Chaek’s understanding and knowledge of the story world and its characters is no longer as sharp.

At the same time, I do feel that, regardless of that, as a fangirl of the novel, her understanding of Bun would be better and deeper than it appears to be.

This does niggle at me, because this is the whole reason he’d fallen in love with her, after all.

He’d felt seen and understood, yet now, after their marriage has received her father’s blessings, she’s acting like she doesn’t see nor understand him, and I honestly feel bad for him.

2, Bun getting upset at Sun Chaek associating closely with Lee Kyu.

On this point, I’m with Bun; I think Sun Chaek shouldn’t be associating so closely with Lee Kyu too.

It’s true that I just don’t like Lee Kyu, and I legit hate his smug face, but beyond that, I do feel that Sun Chaek’s not doing a good job of drawing boundaries with Lee Kyu.

That scene where she lets him put his head down on her lap and go to sleep, just boggled my mind, because even in modern Korean society, this is not something that people casually do?

Plus, even if Sun Chaek is thinking to herself that OG Sun Chaek had been much closer to Lee Kyu than she’d thought, she could easily side step this, by reminding Lee Kyu that she’s engaged to be married, and it would not be proper for him to sleep on her lap.

It’s nice that our OTP eventually talks things out in episode 10, where they apologize to each other and Sun Chaek acknowledges his efforts to change just because she’d asked him to, and expresses confidence and hope for their future.

In terms of Eun Ae showing her true colors, I do find it rather jarring, and that bit, where Eun Ae keeps being disdainful of Bang Wol, right in front of Sun Chaek, doesn’t ring true for me.

In fact, I’d say that Eun Ae’s being sloppy, by allowing her true colors to show in front of Sun Chaek, since her aim is to put on a show of being super sweet and kind, as far as Sun Chaek is concerned – and I just don’t see Eun Ae as being this kind of sloppy. 😅

The other kind of sloppy – where she stabs that guy but doesn’t know how to kill him, and gets caught by Lee Kyu, who’s eavesdropping outside – is more plausible to me, because she’s not actually experienced in carrying out murder. 😅

I was surprised when she laughs in Su Gyeom’s face, when he confronts her with the evidence that she’d plotted to have Sun Chaek abducted, but I guess she’d been prepared with that information his father being part of the shady Black Gang, with which to blackmail him.

I can also believe that she’s this brand of devious, though I still mourn the fact that Eun Ae had been an actual nice person in the source material, and had been actual good friends with Sun Chaek. 😭

I did find it a pretty fun touch, to have Hwa Seon being sent to the temple by her father, and then getting so fed up, that she decides to run away and find the culprit, in order to clear her name.

Hwa Seon’s perplexed, huffy reaction faces are quite entertaining 🤭, and I honestly enjoy her on my screen more than I do Eun Ae.

I do wonder if if Hwa Seon being on the hunt for the real culprit could lead to a reluctant friendship or partnership between her and Sun Chaek.

In the meantime though, we have bigger problems to worry about, because after Bun declines to kill that retired prime minister, Lee Kyu’s got all his strategic Black Gang people lobbying for Bun’s execution.

I understand why Sun Chaek would beg Lee Kyu for help, to save Bun’s life, but ultimately, Lee Kyu’s such a snake, that he devises a plan – to send Bun to the border to deal with unrest there – that looks like he’s saving Bun’s life, when in reality, he’s 100% certain that Bun would not survive.

For the record, I don’t think that Lee Kyu has yet made his price for this favor, known to Sun Chaek.

I think that he will ask her for that favor in return, in our finale episodes.

I did find the scene between Bun and Su Gyeom quite touching, when Su Gyeom tearfully kneels in apology, and asks for forgiveness, because his father is part of the Black Gang that’s lobbying for Bun’s execution.

It’s so gracious of Bun to respond to Su Gyeom with kindness, and tell him that it’s nobody’s fault, and that no matter what happens, he won’t blame Su Gyeom.

Gulp. 🥲 This is quite possibly my favorite moment of these episodes.

And yes, I do mean that over and above the private wedding scene between Bun and Sun Chaek.

I do think it’s a sweet idea though, that she wants to marry him, and pledge herself to him, even though he’s riding out to battle, and may not make it back alive.

As Bun reaches the border (with his pitifully small entourage) and roars into battle, Sun Chaek collapses, in what looks to be a possible callback to reality?

I’m not sure how Show plans to wrap things up, but I’m intrigued that Show’s very likely going to dive into the reality-story world dichotomy, and I find myself actually curious to see how this is going to work out.

THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING [SPOILERS]

E11-12. I have to say, my friends, that the thing that I liked most about this ending, is that Show finally seemed to remember its isekai roots.

After a stretch of episodes where Show had seemed to have settled into being a very ordinary sageuk with very typical sageuk concerns, it felt like real, overdue relief, honestly, to have Show finally return to the concept that we started with; that Sun Chaek had fallen into this story world, and that there are mechanisms related to this, that need to be acknowledged and employed towards getting us to the finish line.

With our penultimate episodes as context – read: I was very bored by the politics and machinations – my eyes basically glazed over for much of episode 11, since that was mostly Show giving us more of the same (yes, even though Bun’s in mortal danger on the battle front 😅).

I literally only perked up, the moment Show starts hinting that Sun Chaek’s about to visit reality, and interact with OG Sun Chaek; it just felt like this was long overdue, y’know?

Finally, we get an answer as to why the two of them had switched lives; because they’d both wished live different lives, while in possession of that trinket.

Plus, there’s the thing where the writer of story that Sun Chaek’s fallen into, apparently has some kind of magical power to orchestrate the switch..?

That’s not something Show explains, so I just have to assume that just as the kiddo is a magical entity in the novel world, he’s also some kind of magical entity in the real world.

I have to confess that I thought it was a fun idea, that the reason the kiddo can do all those magical things in the novel world, is because he’s the architect of said novel world.

However, like I said, you have to make up your own logic as to why he’s able to do magical things in the real world, because how else can he offer Sun Chaek and OG Sun Chaek the choice, of whether they want to go back to their original lives?

I did like the meta detail, that the reason Bun’s still alive in the story world, is because the server is down in the real world. 🤭

..Which is how Sun Chaek has the opportunity to write the story from outside of the novel world, instead of creating the story, while living inside of it.

Again, I thought this was a nice meta touch; I like this idea that Sun Chaek’s the one driving the story forward, regardless of where she is, physically.

I also like the idea that it’s because Sun Chaek is such a genuine fan of the novel, that she’s able to come up with those three sentences, which offer a crack in the narrative that’s sufficient for Bun and her to survive the crises they’re facing.

It is a little easy and convenient, that the moment Bun arrives back at the palace, everything gets quickly put into their rightful places, but y’know, I’m not going to argue with that, because I definitely am in the camp that wants all the political angst to go away, and as swiftly as possible. 😅

I’m glad that the King apologizes to Bun, even though he’s kind of spooked and delirious while he does so; it’s still better than the self-righteous, unrepentant attitude we’ve seen from him all this time, after all.

I’m also pleased that Lee Kyu gets abandoned by all of his supporters, and ends up getting exiled (rather than executed, coz the King’s allowing Bun to call the shots).

And, because Lee Kyu’s so stubbornly unrepentant, even when Sun Chaek offers him OG Sun Chaek’s words of advice, to not become the person he hates, but to find a new life, I’m not at all sad that he ends up sinking with his boat, in the middle of a storm.

In a way, that’s a metaphor for what he’s chosen for his life, isn’t it? He’s chosen a sinking ship, and is choosing to go down with it.

As for Eun Ae, I guess having her lose her memory, is a  way to give her the chance to start over.

It is convenient, yes, but it’s effective, and I have to say, this does work out to be a nicer way to wrap up Eun Ae’s arc, than to have her continue to live in anger and bitterness.

Plus, this also gives Su Gyeom a chance to watch over and care for a pure Eun Ae, which is some kind of consolation for him, I imagine.

And then there’s the final conflict of our story, which is the question of whether this novel world will cease to exist, once the story ends.

It’s syrupy but fitting, that Bun and Sun Chaek would choose to be married, to be together, even at the risk of ceasing to exist.

I do like the idea here, that because they are together, they are unafraid of what the future brings. 🥲

Plus, I also enjoy the idea, that the end of a story, doesn’t mean the end of everything; that a story’s end, simply makes way for a new chapter to begin.

I like that notion for real life, but also, for the characters of all the dramas I’ve ever loved. 🥰

THE FINAL VERDICT:

Uneven and far from a must-see, but possesses some redeeming bright spots.

FINAL GRADE: B

TRAILER:

MV:

PATREON UPDATE!

The next drama I’m covering on Patreon, in place of  The First Night With The Duke is The Winning Try [Korea].

You can check out my episode 1-2 notes on The Winning Try on Patreon here.

Here’s an overview of what I’m covering on Patreon right now (Tier benefits are cumulative)!

Foundation Tier (US$1): Entertainment Drop (Sundays) + the first set notes of all shows covered on Patreon (that’s 2 episodes for kdramas and 4 episodes for cdramas)

Early Access (US$5): +The Winning Try [Korea]

Early Access Plus (US$10): +Law and the City [Korea]

VIP (US$15): +A Calm Sea and Beautiful Days with You [Japan]