My Demon: A Review
An enjoyable show whose potential was marred by plot holes.
Starring: Song Kang, Kim Yoo Jung, Lee Sang Yi
Episodes: 16
Duration: 1 hour
Where to watch: Netflix,
Rating: 7.9/10 (IMDb)
Genre: Fantasy, romance-comedy
A goblin, a grim reaper, a gumiho, a vampire, and now a demon. It’s like Kdrama makers are collecting Pokemons.
My Demon concluded on Saturday, January 20th with a rating of 3.4%. As I stated in my previous post, my opinion of the show quickly went from being skeptical of it to it becoming one of my favourite shows to come out in 2023.
So here are my views on everything My Demon got right and what it got wrong.
WARNING: Spoilers ahead. Read at your discretion.
Synopsis
Do Do Hee is a heiress of a leading company. Jeong Gu Won is the devil who makes deals with humans and condemns them to hell. Things get complicated when fate brings Do Hee and Gu Won together and Gu Won loses his powers to her. As the story unfolds Gu Won must get his powers back while trying to save Do Hee from those who wish to kill her.
The Story - My Thoughts
In looking back at this drama, one has two choices. Taking the half-glass-full stance, or the half-glass-empty stance. If it’s the former, My Demon is a sweet tale of pure love, sacrifice, and redemption. If it’s the latter stance, the drama is a mash-up of many forerunners with more plot holes than Swiss cheese.
If it’s possible to take the middle ground though, that’s what I’ll be aiming for here. There’s a lot to unpack here so grab your popcorn and have a seat with me.
The Characters
A little introduction of all the characters:
Do Do Hee - Do Hee is a strong, independent, feisty woman who is married to her work and hence has no time for romance in her life. She is Madam Ju’s adopted daughter and is extremely wary of her adopted siblings.
But the tough nature is a facade. Underneath it is a loving girl who is afraid to lose the ones she loves the most. Kim Yoo Jung does an excellent job in the way she portrays Do Hee’s vulnerability, her emotions and fears.
Jeong Gu Won - A demon who has roamed the earth for 200 years granting humans their desires and in turn damning them to hell after a gap of 10 years. He is cold, calculating, and narcissistic.
Who knew the devil could be so cute and lovable, though? With his boyish charm, Song Kang brings Gu Won to life and makes us fall in love with him to the point that his scary side fails to scare us.
Noh Suk Min - Suk Min can be called the actual devil himself. He commits two murders, is willing to commit another, he abuses his wife and son and forces his son to take the fall for his crimes, he is power-hungry and even goes up against the devil (his attempt to kill the devil is pretty stupid by the way).
Ju Seok Hun - the second male lead who has little to do besides chasing Do Hee. Managing the company’s finances seem like a side job for him. But he is a character everyone misunderstood and who deserves our apologies.
At the end of the show we realise he was purely concerned for Do Hee’s well-being. His bromance with Gu Won is comical. And I was glad to see him eventually become the chairman of the Mirae Group.
Park Bok Gyu - Gu Won’s butler who in his previous life had signed a deal with Gu Won and miraculously remembered his past at the prick of a pen. Bok Gyu is a rather eccentric person but a loyal, trustworthy companion of the devil. The banter between him and Gu Won is truly hilarious at times.
Shin Da Jeong - Shin Da Jeong is to Do Hee what Park Bok Gyu is to Gu Won. She is a composed and level-headed person. Her character is the complete opposite of Bok Gyu and thus they truly complement each other as a couple.
Jin Ga Young - It is best to describe her in Gu Won’s words. Jin Ga Young is a young woman who “fangirls over the demon”. She prides herself on being the devil’s only human companion who understands him.
Her’s is an interesting character - at the beginning you feel sorry for her because of Gu Won’s cold, indifferent demeanor towards her; as the story progresses however, she becomes totally unhinged and any sympathy one has for her melts away; at the end of the story though, she redeems herself to some extent.
Madam Ju - The founder of Mirae Group and Do Hee’s adoptive mother and the one who’s death becomes the catalyst of an inheritance war and Do Hee’s teaming up with the devil himself. She is a pivotal character who after her death becomes a source of guidance for Do Hee but the embodiment of torture for Suk Min when he is finally jailed for his crimes.
You know an actor is doing a job when they successfully get you to love or hate their character. All the actors did a brilliant job in portraying their respective characters.
I loved Kim Yoo Jung’s acting. She was especially brilliant in the heavier scenes. The conviction with which she showcased her emotions was amazing to watch.
But it was Madam Ju, Ga Young, and Gu Won who became my favourite characters mainly because of the transformation they underwent and the redemption they found.
Madam Ju was a religious person who regularly went for confessions, it is later revealed that she used underhanded means to build her business and she doesn’t turn to God until her actual encounter with the devil. The guilt she felt towards the death of Do Hee’s parents and love she eventually developed for Do Hee became her redemption.
Ga Young is the most interesting character for me because she goes from being someone you sympathize with to someone you love to hate to becoming somewhat likeable again at the end when she saves a little girl from her abusive father in the same way that Gu Won had saved her.
And lastly, we have Jeong Gu Won. Gu Won hated humanity and considered them “annoying and insignificant” but all that changes once he meets Do Hee. He goes from not caring about any human to being willing to sacrifice himself for this human not once but twice.
It is interesting how Do Hee became the source of redemption for two of the people she loved the most. The characterization and the development were all so well done.
Tropes:
The drama employs almost every trope known in Kdrama land. We have haters to lovers, slow burn, angst, contractual relationship, past life star-crossed lovers, murder mystery, fantasy, comedy and even the adopted-child-is-better-than-the-biological-children part.
The story opens with Jeong Gu Won and Do Do Hee first encountering each other in a blind date gone wrong. Over the course of the next episodes, we see them enter a contractual relationship and eventually fall in love.
But there are a few things that stand out:
The Girl Boss - Most rom-coms feature a rich male CEO who falls in love with his employee. In a departure from this norm, My Demon puts both our leads on an equal footing. While Gu Won is an executive director, Do Hee is a CEO in her own right.
A lead couple that is equally rich is a rarity and deserves appreciation.
Executive Director Jeong Gu Won and CEO of F&B Company Do Do Hee The contractual relationship - most of the time it’s the male lead who chases the female lead to enter a contract relationship with them and almost always they go in without any real feelings for each other.
My Demon turns both these norms on their head. Here we see the female lead try to convince the male lead into a contract relationship. And they do so harboring feelings for each other, although in denial at this point.
The narcissistic immortal - While most immortals are portrayed as pining away for their mortal love and wanting to be humans so they can live and die with the one they love, the same cannot be said for Jeong Gu Won. Gu Won loves his job and takes pride in it. The perfect attitude for a devil, one could argue.
The Religious/Mythological Aspect
The story is rooted in Christian beliefs but also dabbles in mythology. Episode one opens with an explanation of the word “demon” based on Greek mythology.
The devil tempts with promises of fulfilling humans’ desires and leads them to eternal damnation - a Christian belief. On the other hand, he becomes Do Hee’s protector and guardian - as per the mythological explanation.
God’s relationship with the devil, His (setting aside that God is embodied by a woman in the drama) significance in the lives of humans, the choices that humans make and the outcome of those choices; whether our lives are predetermined or dependent on the choices we make, warrant an understanding and and discussion on a much deeper level.
Coming Full Circle
I can do all things through Him who gives me strength, Philippians 4:13
This Bible verse from the letter of St Paul to the Philippians is first shown in the scene that introduces Gu Won to us as the devil when he interrupts a group of Christian worshippers. We see it again when Gu Won uses this verse to bring Do Hee back to life when she takes the bullet for him.
The blouse that Do Hee wears in her first meeting with Gu Won becomes rather significant to the story. This blouse makes an appearance when Gu Won and Do Hee fight and go their separate ways, then when they finally get together and finally when Do Hee goes to strike a deal with God to bring Gu Won back to life.
Where it started is where it ended. The blouse isn’t the only thing significant to their meeting. In episode sixteen we are back at the beach where Gu Won and Do Hee first become entangled at the end of episode one.
It was so interesting how some elements were cleverly brought to a full circle in the drama.
The Hits
There are a few things I really liked about this drama apart from the storyline and cute pairing.
OST
One of the best things about this show is its soundtrack. The OST consists of eight tracks. The music department did a good job picking some really beautiful songs that are on point with the storyline.
The ones that stood out for me were TRUE by Yaori, OUR NIGHT IS MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN YOUR DAY by New Jeans, and SAY YOU LOVE ME by Sam Kim.
For me, an OST is good if I want to keep listening to it over and over even after the drama has concluded. Very few OSTs make it to this list, which makes My Demon OST dear to me.
Click the link below if you want to give it a listen.
My Demon OST
Cinematography
The cinematography of My Demon is breathtakingly beautiful. The giant clock towers in Gu Won’s office are majestic. The aesthetics and color palettes, of everything from the locales to the set designs are visually pleasing.
The special effects used to show the water droplets suspended in the air whenever time stopped for Gu Won and Do Hee or his burning away into nothingness, resulted in some of the most beautiful scenes I’ve ever seen.
Fashion
“The Devil in Hermes”
That’s how Do Do Hee is described but it actually applies to both our leads. And the irony of it is not lost on me. Jeong Gu Won and Do Do Hee give us some major wardrobe goals in this show.
It is worth noting how their outfits always complement each other or are exactly matching, especially after they get married. My favourite outfits were their matching denim outfits in episode 5 and their leather jackets in episode 14.
Combine the glamorous outfits with two exceptionally good-looking actors and you get some top-tier fashion moments.
The Chemistry
With their charismatic and powerful screen presence, Song Kang and Kim Yoo Jung treat us to a chemistry that steals our hearts. There is the slow-burn element which has you riveted. They do not get married early on as I had assumed they would and when they do, you’re in for a ride.
The many lovey-dovey husband-wife scenes have placed Do Hee and Gu Won among my top favourite on-screen couples. From acting jealous to bickering to cuddling, DoWon have us giggling, squealing, swooning, and rolling with laughter all the way through the drama.
The Misses
And now to name some of the not-so-enjoyable, parts of the drama.
Excessive Product Placement
Kdramas and product placement go hand in hand. But the product placement in My Demon is so in-the-face it honestly gets a little bit annoying.
Covering a range of products from energy drinks and plushies to acne creams and the famous (or rather infamous) Kopiko candy, the whole show feels like one long advertisement with bits of the story unraveling through the intervals instead of the other way around.
This excessive product placement is one of the show’s biggest flaws.
The Cringes
The cringes! Oh, the utter cringiness of the scenes between Park Bok Gyu and Miss Shin! They make a cute couple and I was rooting for them since their first meeting. However, their exaggerated enemies-to-lovers trope style romance which is meant to be funny falls rather flat.
Not to mention, the office workers - who were bearable in the beginning but later become straight-up annoying instead of being funny. They contribute nothing to the story, so their presence is basically pointless.
And if that’s not bad enough, there is the gang. Again, they don’t add anything to the story, but they aren’t entirely unfunny. Their dynamic with Gu Won is enjoyable. Still, I don’t know why the writers thought of including them.
Loose Ends
There are some parts that just don’t tie in properly.
Firstly, it is never fully explained how and why Gu Won who was once a human became a demon. One is left to wonder if it was somehow a punishment for his actions. That seems like the most probable conclusion to me.
Secondly, the drama teases certain storylines but does not follow them up. It is not explained why the man trying to kill Do Hee blamed Madame Ju for his actions. After his murder, he is practically forgotten.
Thirdly, the show does not explain the connection between Jin Ga Young and the butterflies that surround her in at least two scenes. I couldn’t help wondering if the butterflies were somehow an allusion to Gu Won’s other life as Park Jae Eon (iykyk 😜). I don’t know what other explanation to come up with.
Fourthly, the demon manual. It’s hilarious that this devil comes with a manual that contains all the dos and donts of being a demon. But Gu Won seems to care very little about this book. When it gets robbed, he makes no effort in looking for it. I never understood the point of this book.
And lastly, it’s even more hilarious that the demon’s powers are pretty useless. If he kills someone, he dies. If he brings someone back to life, he dies! If he loses his powers, he DIES!! Nor can he track someone down should the person distort their face. Everything has to be perfect for the demon’s powers to work lol!.
Loopholes such as these contributed to weakening the storyline.
Final Thoughts
Happiness without misery would be meaningless
A line that sums up the entirety of the story of My Demon. But one has to wonder, was the misery really necessary? The breakup was senseless. Do Hee taking the bullet for Gu Won was even more senseless (girl! You really think a bullet can kill an immortal? 🤦♀️) and Gu Won dying…only to come back ten minutes later AS A DEMON! Senseless?? 🤔
Probably the biggest plot twist was Gu Won coming back as a demon and not a human. Did not see that coming! So was is it really a happy ending for our couple?
My theory is that his powers only last until Do Hee lives and he dies when she does. Because it would be cruel for him to go on forever without Do Hee and would be a rather heartless thing for God to do to him.
I do believe the past life connection could have been left out and with some imagination and creativity the writers could have made the present situation work out in a way better than it did.
The story reaches it’s climax at episode 10. Thereafter, it unfortunately goes downhill becoming draggy and repetitive. The writers seemed to struggle creating a concrete storyline beyond Gu Won regaining his powers. It might have served the show well to wrap up in 12 episodes.
Is My Demon Worth Watching?
I went in expecting it to be something like Lucifer, and soon realised it was nothing like that show.
Sometimes it made me laugh. Other times it seemed to be trying too hard. It was an entertaining watch nonetheless. I eagerly awaited each week’s new episodes. It could have been a truly unique show had the writers maintained the story’s momentum.
I would rate this show an 8.5/10 and would definitely recommend it as worth watching and even rewatching.
This was my impression of the drama. What about you? What is your opinion? Let me know in the comments.
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