Kdrama review: Devilish Joy (2018)

Title: Devilish Joy (2018)
Native Title: 마성의 기쁨
Also Known As: Devilish Happiness , Diabolic Joy , Maseong-ui Gippeum , Devilish Charm
Screenwriters: Choi Ji Yeon
Directors: Kim Ga Ram
Genres: Comedy, Romance, Drama

Would you choose to love someone you could never remember?
Gong Ma Sung grew up in a difficult life and experienced some hardships, yet still made joy from it. He is the successor to the Sunwoo company and excels in anything to do with the cranial nerve. From his difficulties, he is respected and looked up to as a brilliant man. One day, his kindness destroys his life. Whilst trying to help a woman in trouble, he gets into an accident and life completely changes. He loses the ability to remember, his memory only limited to one day. Now, before he goes to sleep and forgets everything, he notes all events from that one day, for the next. He wakes up with no recollection of the past, and reads back on his notes to memorize.
His life changes further when he meets Joo Gi Bbeum, a once popular star, who was a celebrity and entertainer loved by all. She is not as revered as she once was, having going through a horrible experience that shaped who she is in the present, ruined her confidence and destroyed her future.

When they meet, Gong Ma sung falls in love with her and a connection is formed but how do you develop a love when every day seems like the beginning?

This drama can be a bit over-the-top sentimental. It follows the standard conventions of a kdrama--it should be no secret that it has the car crashes, the shared past, the evil family member, and a chaebol and a humble, hardworking girl who's poverty-stricken after falling from stardom. There's nothing striking about the plot of the drama and there are many inconsistencies, beginning with the fantasy "Cinderella amnesia", (anterogade amnesia?)  Gong Ma Sung is diagnosed with where he forgets everything from the day before.  In addition, both antagonists are poorly written and their motives make no sense. The thoughts behind their actions are never explained. Simply, they are present because there has to be antagonists in a drama and so the plot isn't something to look forward to. However, we do get a happy kdrama miracle ending, which leads to the main point:

           If you are willing to put aside your logic caps, this can be quite an easy watch. In fact, I imagine that the only reason why anyone would persevere through this drama's incorrigible plot inconsistencies and the obvious clichés is for a) the obvious cliches and b)the romance. There's nothing wrong with finding enjoyment in clichés when one isn't feeling too adventurous and would just like to lay back and relive them. For this one, they feature the sappy, sweet and affectatious romance that is either a hit or miss for drama watchers. It's a bit of a push and pull game at the beginning but afterward the romance can be felt as if radiating from my screen and it can be easy to fall for the loveline of the couple. The first episode sets the tone and mood for the entire drama and we can see exactly what type of dynamic the leads have--the romance associated with love at first sight. Cheesy and corny, but comfortably cliché. There's also the memory loss factor that becomes more prevalent as the drama unfolds which instills the melodramatic romance factor whereby the leads anticipate heartbreak making their every moment precious.

          Enjoyability wise, I was quite satisfied in the beginning--their first meeting, the soft music, their chemistry, their height difference--and I was looking for that predictability and cliché factor. I indulged in it for the romance. I'm a huge romance junkie and hopeless romantic. As a whole, I found it enjoyable and cute.

         But as I progressed to the last two episodes it became too much sweetness to handle. For some reason, they lost their (devilish) charm on me soon when they started getting very serious and the memory loss aspect of the drama progressed. Perhaps its because they exhausted all their love with such magnitude in the earlier episodes that by the end they felt dry, lacking and overdependent on each other and not at all realistic. While I did enjoy the earlier episodes because it was fun and playful, things became too overbearing in the end when the scriptwriters decided to use tropes such as the "shared childhood past" randomly pieced into the drama when it was not at all necessary. The ending is a happy and satisfying but I feel as though this drama could have been shorted into 12 episodes rather than 16 by getting rid of unnecessary plot details and the extra fluff that drained the drama of its initial charm. The romance becomes is especially overplayed because of the lack of other elements in this drama that are noteworthy since side characters are mediocre and plot is lacking. There's not too much comedy going on, partially because of the memory loss tragedy, but because the building up their emotional attachments is central and I think the lack of balance between a carefully crafted plot, comedy, and romance is what was ultimately the downfall of this drama towards the end.
     
         As for casting, I do think that the leads suit their roles perfectly with the demands of the drama to create the lovey couple. They are both mature, understanding, and strong yet vulnerable in their own ways. Their kissing scenes are very sweet and quite good; their chemistry can clearly be seen through their scenes together. Because their relationship is so intense and emotionally invested, I am glad they did try to counterbalance it with the playful relationship of Lee Ha Im and Sung Ki Joon as comic relief. Hoya fit his role as Sung Ki Joon quite nicely as an idol-actor playing a naive rich heir and his emotional scenes were quite good. But I do prefer him as an idol, soley because he has the aura of one rather than a sophisticated actor.

          I liked the OSTs though. They are dreamy and sweet and they reflect the mood of the drama perfectly with the use of the acoustic guitar. Season and Took-Took were on my playlist and I listened to them while waiting for episodes.

It's a good drama if for those looking for something not too out of the ordinary with a predictable storyline, characters, and romance, but not something I would binge or rewatch. Despite my criticisms, I still had a good time with this drama. Try the first episode and see if its the kind of romance you're looking for!

Story: 6.5/10
Acting/Cast: 8.5/10
Music: 8.0/10
Rewatch Value: 6.0/10
7/10 stars