MBN, Dramax / 2018 / 16 episodes
Genres: drama, romantic comedy
Written by Choi Ji-yeon
Directed by Kim Ga-ram
More information: Wikipedia / HanCinema
Devilish Joy:
A Radiance in the Fog of Memory
The English title Devilish Joy is a clever play on the Korean title, Ma-seong-ui Gi-bbeum (마성의 기쁨), which is composed of the meanings of the two protagonists' names. The title carries a double meaning: it can be understood both as "Ma-seong’s Gi-bbeum" and as "Devilish Joy." This inventive title hides a series that, while born from an excellent core idea and resulting in a beautiful and emotional drama, leaves me slightly regretful that it was written primarily as a romance-tuned story. However, before detailing why I think this, I must confirm that it is nevertheless a very lovable drama, full of beauty, where the two leads are not only great and exciting characters individually, but possess a powerful chemistry thanks to the psychologically deep performances of the actors.
In reality, the charming story of the first half of the first episode and the witty conclusion of the second half of the final episode fully exhaust the concept of a rom-com. Between the two, we see a powerful drama with a peculiar alternation of the protagonists' suffering and the other characters' attempts at mood-lightening comedy.
Gong Ma-seong (Choi Jin-hyuk) is a handsome young research doctor and, not incidentally, the heir to a chaebol. While visiting Hainan, China, he meets the charming Korean actress Joo Gi-bbeum (Song Ha-yoon), who has escaped from her filming there. During the day spent together, they fall in love. However, their evening meeting is thwarted because the actress is drugged by her agent and a male co-star and dragged to a hotel, while Ma-seong, following them, is struck by a car.
Furthermore, the actor is found dead next to Gi-bbeum, a victim of a drug overdose, yet the public ostracizes the actress, who is prosecuted but eventually acquitted. Gi-bbeum is forced to break with her career and can only take on menial jobs thereafter. Three years later, she bumps into Ma-seong again, who does not even recognize her. Gi-bbeum does not know that, as a result of his head injury, the man suffers from a syndrome called "Cinderella Amnesia," which means he loses the previous day's memories every night. To survive, he has developed a strict routine: he records the day's events in a diary before going to sleep, and by re-reading it in the morning, he fills the gaps in his memory.
Eventually, the girl finds patrons who help her return to her profession. However, her former agent (Jung Soo-kyo) wants to prevent this at all costs, waging a campaign of revenge against her. One thread of the story is the presentation of this struggle, featuring a rival colleague (Lee Ju-yeon), a supportive friend (Lee Soo-ji), and the bumbling staff of the new agency (Jung Jae-sung)—mostly highly comedic figures seen in funny situations. Among them is Seong Ki-joon (Lee Ho-won), who dreams of being a Hallyu star; he is Ma-seong’s constantly whining nephew and a not-too-serious romantic rival.
Naturally, the paths of the former lovers constantly cross, and through many adventures, Gi-bbeum’s resentment and anger slowly dissolve, while Ma-seong experiences increasing flashes of memory. These not only lead him back to the girl but also awaken dark suspicions regarding what happened to them.
And it is precisely along these lines that the romance-colored story takes a turn. In its great effort, it leads Ma-seong's life into such heart-wrenching circumstances that, despite its strivings, it cannot keep the viewers' feelings within the lighter world of a rom-com. Firstly, because the story itself flows quite slowly, giving us plenty of time to imagine what it would be like if we were in Ma-seong’s place. And I claim that most of us would be seized by icy terror. After all, it is not enough that the man can never be sure he hasn't forgotten something currently vital—he has no past at all. He never knows if the images thrown up by his memory represent reality or visions from dreams. Moreover, his illness is even more serious, as the medical prognosis leads through the rapid deterioration of dementia toward death.
Furthermore, the Korean drama makers—Olympians in the manufacturing of human misery—do not stop there. As a small child, Ma-seong was the sole survivor of his parents' car accident, after which his aunt took care of him. For a time, he has no idea that his relatives (Jeon Soo-kyung), craving the fortune he is to inherit, have conspired with the chaebol leadership against his life, and that his treating physician (Kim Min-sang) is also playing along with them. Even the secretary (Jang In-sub) assigned to help the man living alone is a double agent. The defenselessness of a suffering man in his position is simply not a source of humor; rather, it generates our empathy, pity, and concern. Although we come very close to the unfolding of a thriller, it is prevented by the constantly appearing romantic clichés and those solutions that can be terribly annoying. The story occasionally stalls because the characters are once again prescribed "disabled" communication skills stemming from the intention to spare one another. Therefore, when they should speak, they only stutter but do not get to the point. When needed, they do not see the other’s suffering, but instead, smiling inanely, they immerse themselves in their own happiness and do not perceive that the other is crying on their shoulder—one could list these absurdly frustrating, time-stalling solutions at length, adding the multiple repetitions of emotional scenes.
Moreover, they are foolishly incapable of action. Even the recognition of danger does not trigger their elementary survival instinct or a true effort to protect the other. They do not report anyone, they do not escape to another hospital from a doctor who has betrayed their trust; they just wait with enervated self-surrender for what must come. Yet, it is thanks to these elements that the drama stretches the tension until the very last moment, hovering between the possibility of tragedy or a happy ending, playing all the melodramatic cards to the end.
Because of the protagonist, Choi Jin-hyuk, however, we wait curiously throughout to see what happens to this ill-fated young man. It is no difficulty for Choi to be either a kindly humorous charmer or an intelligent, responsibly thinking adult man. But even in the "lightened" version required by this drama, he can deeply convey Ma-seong’s terror and despair, his anxious loneliness, and his physical agonies.
Song Ha-yoon is a very sensitive and beautiful partner for Choi Jin-hyuk, one of the loveliest female characters I have encountered in the dramas I’ve seen so far. It’s a pity that instead of unhappy wandering, she isn't given a greater opportunity to help the man, as she would have the strength for it.
Beyond the two leads, the drama gifts us with a special character: in the role of the girl's father, we will certainly remember Oh Kwang-rok’s performance as the alcoholic, lean man with a poetic vein. Every member of Gi-bbeum's family is memorable, and their vividly pulsating lives are a winning counterpoint to the disciplined world of Ma-seong's existence.
What makes the atmosphere of this drama entirely unique is the series of exceptionally beautiful, poetically inspired elements the drama works with: the flower symbolism, the memory drawings, and among these, I must mention the deeply humane concept of a village designed for dementia patients.
This is why I can say that, with all its "flaws," Devilish Joy is one of my favorite dramas. It is a worthy companion to Uncontrollably Fond, only not quite as dark in shade; some peculiar radiance covers all its painful elements.
In summary: although Devilish Joy is a drama capable of leaving a deep impression in its realized form, if it were up to me, I would still set about adapting and remaking it, specifically as a psychological thriller. Everything is present for a shocking, soul-stirring, exciting work following the machinations of villains. And in the lead role, I would definitely keep the magnificent Choi Jin-hyuk.
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