Rowoon as a cold male lead? (Destined With You episode 1 impressions)
The first episode of Destined With You has this creepy, fantastical vibe that collides oddly with the prosaic existence of city council employees trying to do their job.
(No major spoilers below)
I don't mean that the twain shouldn't meet, but that the show isn't committing to a tone in the first episode and that's keeping me from immersing in the story.
The drama brings together the descendant of a noble family, cursed with a hereditary disease and the employee responsible for the maintenance of the city's parks, as they initially clash over an old dilapidated shrine that's become an eyesore for the citizens.
The inherited shrine belongs to Jang Shin-yu (Rowoon), but he's been avoiding it for years.
A recent mysterious death on the property makes it impossible for him to maintain his distance, and Lee Hong-jo's (Jo Bo-ah) determination to address citizen complaints and demolish the creepy old building pushes him to get involved.
It's Rowoon's first coldly competent male lead role and he's on point with his slicked back hair, cutting commentary, and aversion to smiles. 👌😌
Jo Bo-ah for now is playing Jo Bo-ah. I've waited for years at this point to see her characters instead of the actor in every role she takes but it hasn't happened yet.
However, I have hope for her Lee Hong-joo. Somehow her character feels more lived in and less like she’s pretending hard in a stage play.
The show doesn’t have all its beats laid out clearly as yet, but there are some interesting textures to note.
Shin-yu’s family has seen a lot of funerals thanks to the curse, and he seems unwilling to let anyone - but especially his father - know that he’s already affected by it.
There are also complications in Hong-joo’s office life. Her new boss has a grudge against her because she filed a complaint of negligence against him a year back and the council did a poor job of keeping her anonymous. Of course, like most dramas, the show chooses to use this set up to make jokes at Hong-joo’s expense. It made me deeply uncomfortable when the boss kept bringing up her “betrayal” and the show played funny musical scores to underline the pickle she was in.
Since the boss has deliberately made her into an outcast in the office, a situation that can result in severe depression for employees, it's not the most reassuring start to this story line.
Finally, Jang Shin-yu seems to see ghosts, but the show doesn't make it very clear whether this is metaphorical or real. Like, I said, the drama hasn't committed to a tone yet.
Let's hope episode 2 sets up the rules and boundaries of this world better. If it does, I’ll probably write about this show again in another issue!
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