tvN has launched its new Monday-Tuesday drama, <Gyeon-woo and the Fairy>, aiming to capture the attention of viewers. While tvN has consistently maintained its Monday-Tuesday drama lineup, it's true that past shows have often underperformed in terms of buzz and ratings. However, this project is different. Based on a solid original story, a combination of charming actors, and a fresh premise, it is receiving high expectations from viewers for the first time in a while and is emerging as an anticipated work set to breathe new life into the stagnant Monday-Tuesday slot. Having captured viewers' attention from the first episode and signaling a smooth start, curiosity about its future development is growing even stronger.
The male lead, Bae Gyeon-woo, is played by actor Choo Young-woo. As one of the most notable rising actors today, his prolific activity is befitting of the phrase "works like an ox." He has made a definitive impression on the public by appearing in four different projects over the past year alone. What's more surprising is that every project he has appeared in has been met with a positive response. He doesn't just star in many works; he proves his wide acting range by perfectly embodying completely different characters with his own unique style. In <Gyeon-woo and the Fairy>, he is expected to delicately portray the complex inner world of a boy who carries a curse of misfortune.
Starring alongside Choo Young-woo is actress Cho Yi-hyun, who plays the female lead, Park Seong-ah. In her previous work, <The Matchmakers>, Cho Yi-hyun played a central role, but unfortunately, she did not receive significant attention due to mixed reviews of the drama's success and her performance. However, things are different in <Gyeon-woo and the Fairy>. Although only two episodes have aired, she has perfectly melted into the character of the bold and mysterious shaman girl, Park Seong-ah, and is stably leading the drama's core. The fact that Cho Yi-hyun's name appears before Choo Young-woo's in the cast introduction hints at the significant weight her character carries in driving the narrative.
The drama's title, <Gyeon-woo and the Fairy>, appears to be inspired by the classic Korean folktale 'Gyeon-woo and Jik-nyeo' (The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl), which is known by all Koreans. The touching and sad love story of two people who are deeply in love but can only meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month has moved people's hearts across generations. The drama reinterprets this motif in a modern context, telling the story of a man and a woman destined to be apart. Furthermore, the drama is based on the Naver Webtoon of the same name, <Gyeon-woo and the Fairy>. The fact that it is based on a solid and complete story, which was concluded in 2023 and has already been published as a two-volume book series, adds to the viewers' trust.
Cho Yi-hyun plays Park Seong-ah, a high school student who has undergone sinnaerim (a shamanistic calling). With a simple dream of living a normal school life like others, she wears a mask to hide her identity when she performs fortune-telling. However, her extraordinary abilities cannot be concealed by a mask, and her divination house is always bustling with people seeking her help. This dual life of Park Seong-ah, struggling between her special powers and her desire for an ordinary life, adds a three-dimensional quality to her character and piques viewers' interest. Then one day, a very special client visits her, shaking her daily life to its core.
One of Park Seong-ah's special abilities is seeing people destined to die as if they are upside down when they enter her room. The person who appears before her in exactly this way is Bae Gyeon-woo, played by Choo Young-woo. From birth, Bae Gyeon-woo has carried a powerful curse of misfortune, and major and minor accidents constantly occur around him. Dragged by his worried grandmother to countless shaman houses to no avail, he is now left with a deep-seated distrust of spiritual beliefs. In the end, he scoffs at Park Seong-ah, saying, "You're all just scammers after money," and storms out.
Although she coldly sent Bae Gyeon-woo away, Park Seong-ah's heart is conflicted. A strong resolve to save him, no matter what, has begun to sprout. The very next day, as if by fate, Bae Gyeon-woo transfers to Park Seong-ah's class, and their connection officially begins. The reason Park Seong-ah is so desperate to save him is surprisingly simple and clear: he is incredibly handsome. She fell in love the moment she saw him at her divination house, and just like that, Bae Gyeon-woo becomes Park Seong-ah's poignant and desperate first love. This somewhat quirky yet pure motivation adds a vibrant, romantic-comedy color to the series.
In truth, the misfortune surrounding Bae Gyeon-woo was not just a simple curse. He possesses a special energy that attracts countless ghosts like a magnet, and the ghosts, upon seeing him, lose their minds and go berserk, causing terrible accidents around him. Because of this, he had to give up his dream of becoming a talented archer. Wanting to no longer hurt the people around him, Bae Gyeon-woo transferred to a new school to live an ordinary life. However, the ghosts relentlessly flock to him there as well, and each time, Park Seong-ah appears in secret to save him.
Park Seong-ah uses her abilities to fight off the ghosts threatening Bae Gyeon-woo, acting as his reliable guardian angel. However, Gyeon-woo himself is completely unaware of all this, viewing Seong-ah as merely a strange and annoying girl. The dynamic between them, each in their own world, creates exciting tension. Notably, the scenes where Seong-ah exorcises ghosts are filled with such spectacular and high-quality VFX (visual effects) that it's hard to believe it's just a romance drama, offering viewers a rich visual feast. And by Seong-ah's side is her only friend who knows her secret, Pyo Ji-ho.
Played by actor Cha Kang-yoon, Pyo Ji-ho is Park Seong-ah's best friend and the only person who knows her true identity. Sometimes acting like a close friend, and other times subtly hinting at a one-sided crush on Seong-ah, he serves as a steadfast supporter who helps her from the closest vantage point as she sincerely tries to protect Gyeon-woo. Perhaps thanks to this lineup of charming characters, <Gyeon-woo and the Fairy> recorded a high nationwide viewership rating of 4.3% from its very first episode, marking an impressive start. With a solid narrative, unique characters, and dazzling fantasy elements, it is a drama that has all the components to capture the hearts of viewers, making its future episodes highly anticipated.
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