When “My Demon” landed on screens in the final months of 2023, viewers were captivated. This fantasy-romance Korean drama, charting the unconventional marriage between a high-powered heiress and the actual devil, boasted an array of elements aimed to tantalize and enthral fans of the genre. Acclaimed actors Song Kang and Kim Yoo-jung dazzled as the leads, stirring viewers with their palpable chemistry and delivering performances that anchored the series with charm and visual splendor. “My Demon” seemed, in its inception, like a show without faults.
Yet, “My Demon” inadvertently became a testament to a growing need within K-dramas: the embrace of a shorter, 12 episode season. Unfortunately, many K-dramas experience a decline after their 12th episode, succumbing to lackluster writing and vexing plot holes, which often disillusion viewers and undermine the very attributes that initially made these shows endearing. This pattern is a disservice to “My Demon,” which starts off strong.
The drama introduces us to Do Do-hee, portrayed by Kim Yoo-jung, a chaebol heiress at the helm of an F&B company. Her life takes a complicated turn with the passing of her adoptive grandmother, Jo Cheon-sook, played by Kim Hae-sook, who adopted Do-hee as a child and remains the center of her world. Do-hee’s existence becomes even more chaotic with the entrance of Jeong Gu-Won (Song Kang), a devil known for offering Faustian contracts, exchanging wishes for souls destined for hell.
The storyline heats up when Gu-Won, due to unforeseen circumstances, ends up granting Do-hee his demonic powers. Consequently, he is forced to remain by her side to monitor his lost abilities, ultimately becoming her bodyguard and, in a strategic move, her contract husband. This partnership ensures that Do-hee can secure her inheritance and lead the Mirae group.
Contractual marriages are a familiar narrative device in K-dramas, but “My Demon” initially stands out for resisting to pigeonhole its leads into stereotypes. Do-hee is no damsel in distress but a capable heiress fending off her malicious kin and a mysterious stalker, with the devil ironically left fretting over his lost powers.
The comedic sequences where Gu-Won is thrown into disarray are delightful, with Song Kang delivering a humorous performance paired with the resilient and assertive Do-hee, brought to life by Kim Yoo-jung. Their dance-fight scene, a tango, is particularly memorable for its hilarity and expert choreography. The synergy between the two attractive leads undeniably sets the screen alight, with Yoo-jung receiving commendation for her portrayal of a strong, no-nonsense character.
Despite the positive start, the series stumbles as the storyline progresses beyond the 10th episode. The pacing dulls, and the subplot involving a slew of secondary characters, from the benevolent rival in love to the one-dimensional villain, fails to inject the necessary depth into the narrative, leading to a predictable and uninspired viewing experience.
The deterioration of the drama can be measured by the introduction of increasingly complex plot lines, needless conflict, and a twist involving the return of a presumed-deceased character. While the exploration of anguish through flashbacks depicting the romance between a nobleman and a courtesan holds value, the rest of the plot becomes an unwelcome tangle that dilutes the show’s original entertainment value.
“My Demon” had the potential to rank high in the fantasy-romance genre, tapping into the beloved elements of fantasy and weaving them seamlessly with a romantic story arc. Still, it ultimately falls short, leaving viewers to ruminate on what might have been had the writers upheld the show’s enticing first-half momentum.
Given the strengths of the actors, “My Demon” remains worth watching, albeit with a sense of missed opportunity for the narrative to truly shine. All 16 episodes are available for streaming on Netflix, inviting audiences to enjoy the sparks of brilliance that flicker throughout and endure the more laborious latter episodes.
