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Aww, I like this one!

It’s been a while since I’ve last posted on here and it’s been a wild few months since my last project which was my recap for “Our Beloved Summer.” However, I think I’m ready to embark on yet another exciting adventure. This time, it’s with just recently released K-drama “Jinxed at First.” The drama stars Seohyun (Time) and Na In-woo (River Where the Moon Rises) and features a story about Lee Seul-bi (Seohyun) who has a special ability to see the future of anybody who she touches. Combine this with Gong Soo-kwang (Na In-woo) who suspects that he’s only gotten bad luck ever since his first interaction with Seul-bi. Fast forward to the present, they meet each other again, they meet other people, they meet friends, they meet neighbors, and they even encounter enemies. What will come out of this special relationship between the two connected by Seul-bi’s magical powers and abilities?

“Jinxed at First” was not on my radar to watch, but maybe that’s why I decided to give the drama a try in the first place. It’s often these dramas that you had no intentions or plans of watching that you feel at ease to watch. To my pleasant surprise, “Jinxed at First” managed to grab my attention and interest with just the very first episode. There’s quite a few charming things about this drama and I’m certain that it’s one that I’m going to keep my eye out for (at least for the next 2 episodes).

The first two episodes laid a foundation for Seul-bi’s background and history with her special ability to see the future of anybody she touches or holds hands with. For this reason, she and her mother has been held captive inside of a hotel and their gift has been taken advantage of by the hotel owner – a man who’s made it quite clear that he only cares for the two ladies due to this special ability. That’s also why he keeps them hidden in secret and from out of sight. Seul-bi knows nothing other than the boundaries she’s confined to in that hotel space and she’s eager to go out and see what else is out there. She yearns to escape.

And escape she does with a few opportunities. That’s how Seul-bi comes across Soo-kwang who I have to admit is probably my favorite character so far in the drama. His reactions to Seul-bi’s curious and excited actions are my favorite and even though he doesn’t agree or understand her at times, he also remains protective of her and looks out for her. He’s already displayed hints of caring for her in the first two episodes and I love seeing that side of him. Soo-kwang might exhibit a rough appearance on the exterior, but inside, he can’t help but think about her. It’s a trope we’ve seen plentyyyy of times in K-dramaland so this is nothing new. However, I think it’s a combination of Soo-kwang’s character as well as Seul-bi’s exploration of the outside world that makes it hilarious and enjoyable to watch.

Seul-bi remains an interesting character for me to watch not only because of her special abilities and powers, but also the way she acts inside of the hotel versus when she’s outside in society. She exhibits a level of maturity inside of the hotel as proven by when she expresses to her mother her concerns and wishes. She’s tired of being inside the hotel. She yearns for more. My favorite scene in the first two episodes takes place inside of the hotel when Seul-bi confesses to her mother that she saw Soo-kwang’s future. With tears in her eyes and with such disbelief, she hugged her mother for an embrace. I got goosebumps watching this scene (and it was also killing me because I was dying to know what she saw!).

Once outside, Seul-bi gets excited and energetic at the most random and smallest things. She’s fascinated at pretty much everything and she easily gets distracted. She’s also a bit naive because she’s been imprisoned inside of a hotel ever since she was born. She doesn’t know all that much. But her powers easily come into play here and by the second episode, we witness what Seul-bi’s amazing talent can do. While her ability to read someone’s future has been a burden to her as it’s the reason she was locked up inside a hotel for her entire life, the drama has shown us that it can also be a blessing. It’s both a blessing and a curse.

It’ll be interesting to see what comes about with the continuation of Seul-bi’s ability. Will she somehow lose this special talent and power? What other visions and futures might she see? Who else might take advantage of her once they discover what she can do? What’s her mother’s connection with Soo-kwang and Soo-kwang’s mom? Along with Seul-bi’s story, I liked that the drama also gave Soo-kwang his own character arc as well. It’s nice to see a pretty even split in terms of character arc and screen time between our two leads. We learned a bit about Seul-bi in the first two episodes, but we also got to see what life is like for Soo-kwang and his storyline. Hopefully, the drama will continue to give us more context and focus on both Seul-bi and Soo-kwang’s lives and how they interconnect.

It’s nice to see Seohyun in another drama again. I liked her in ‘Time’ which I recapped here on my blog and I tried watching ‘Private Lives’ only to lose interest not too long into the drama. Unlike Seohyun, this is my first ever time watching Na In-woo in any of his works. I’m familiar with his name due to his casting in ‘River Where the Moon Rises’ where he also worked with the same director as this one. I’m REALLY liking him in this drama and he’s such a charming actor. His comedic timing is great and I think he’s doing a great job at portraying the “I-shouldn’t-care-but-I-care” persona of Soo-kwang. We’re introduced to a few other characters in this drama such as the village neighbors and vendors. There’s quite a few familiar faces so that’s nice to see.

‘Jinxed at First’ shaped out to be an enjoyable watch with 2 exciting episodes. It didn’t take itself too seriously and didn’t try to be more than what it really was. It was funny, relaxing, a little mysterious, a little intriguing, but also interesting to watch. If the next 2 episodes keep up the good pace, there’s a good chance that this may turn out to be my next recap project on my blog :]