Devilish Joy (2018)

Cliche overload

It's all here, "explosive indigestion" risk, meet cute, car accident, amnesia, wrist grabs from multiple angles, mean matriarch doesn't like girl, sobbing, childhood trauma flashbacks,sobbing, awkward lobby encounters where everyone stares (but really they just look bored), sobbing, a few hospital scenes, sobbing, character goes away without telling people, sobbing, left behinds mope around, sobbing, memories coming back, more sobbing. All of it crammed into every episode with repetition set on 10. It's no wonder they couldn't fit anything else like say, actual story telling. I like a good stupid drama...but this was not it.

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Average story but awesome romance delivered by leads.

I am a sucker for good romance and heart-fluttering chemistry.
And I got everything I want in this romance drama.
There is an amazing chemistry between leads, a cute second lead couple, comedy relief among seriousness and a really really good bromance (Ma seong and Yang woo jin, also Ma seong & Ki joon)

I am a fan of Jin hyuk so I may get blind sighted saying that he was really perfect as Ma seong. It's like he is really Ma seong and you feel for him, his troubles, his fight. But only Jin hyuk can pull off such average story drama into an amazing one. He becomes flawless while portraying the character. I want to watch him again & again.

About Ha yoon, she was enjoyable too. She was cute and charming at the same time. She was the best choice as Ma seong's Ki beum. loved their chemistry.

Ho ya & Joo yeon were cute together. served good as Complimentary second couple.

Songs are enjoyable and i kept humming some to myself.

I may rewatch this again, maybe many times. Coz for me, it is hard to see heart-fluttering romance in recent dramas. and this one delivered Awesome.

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?❤️❤️?. Just say yes. This was a major game change for me. The female leads acting has shown how diverse she is. Amazing series. The synopsis is not that accurate. It’s not completely wrong however it is not 100% right. The series revolves around two people that meet and fall in love but due to an event their lives change. I won’t say to much but it’s worth the watch.
This series was such a delight. I absolutely loved it. It was heartwarming, romantic, sweet and at times a tearjerker but I still love it. The sincerity of the cast in their acting and the script itself was too good. The female lead is one that I have loved watching over time max she did not disappoint. For me this was my first time seeing her perform in this role as a sentimental and touching as this. The male lead did not disappoint either. I plan to watch this again.



Great chemistry ?
Great acting ?
Action ?
Mystery ?
Romance ?
Plotting ?
Karma ?
Tear jerker moments ?
Satisfying ending ?


Loved it.

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Somewhat frustrating

First things first : If you love romance, I think this drama is worth your time. It was sweet and I liked both the ML and FL as well as the secondary love story. I think the chemistry between the characters were very believable and there was 5% more skinship than in most kdrama's. So, all in all this could have easily been a 10 for me.

Now for the rant.

1. The ML
I adored the ML in the first episode and never saw that version of him again. Was he a good romantic lead? Mostly. But I can't help but feel a little disappointed in what was lost.

The ML also made some very illogical decisions in spite of being a genius. His actions and decisions was often the opposite of what any normal person would do. It was frustrating and made no sense.

2. The story line
There were loose ends galore in this story. Ironically the least evil person in the story was punished and the truly evil people just walked away. We are expected to be okay with this? Having horrible people walk around freely and without facing the consequences of their crimes was a truly ridiculous decision made by the writers. Why?

It also feels like the writers wrote themselves into a corner and then decided "Screw it" and just jumped to the next scene without even giving the appearance of logic. You know soap operas end with someone being stabbed and then the next episode they miraculously weren't stabbed somehow? It was like that.

I don't watch kdramas thinking they will change my life and I don't expect (or want) perfect logic and realism. In this story it just seemed a bit worse than usual.

In conclusion, I don't feel cheated out of 16 hours of my life. I'm not mad that I watched it and I enjoyed it despite it's flaws. I did however enjoy the first three quarters of the first episode more than the 15.25 episodes that followed.

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A must watch for Choi Jin Hyuk fans

I finished Devlish Joy last night and it is now probably the only other show I'll rewatch (I rewatched Legend of the Blue Sea once already) because there is so much more out there, but this one was so swoon worthy that I could watch it again.

I'm a big fan of Choi Jin Hyuk but he always seems to be cast as the sidecar in romantic comedies, and never gets the girl. I don't understand why, because in this he was super-flirty, in an adult way as opposed to a teenager way, that gave me butterflies every episode. Everything about him was just gorgeous; the hairstyle, the way his suits are tailored to show the great shape of his back, so many smiles and adult kisses. I want more like this!

I could go on and on but let me just say that as a 55 year old woman, Devlish Joy had me twitterpated like I was 12 years old swooning over my Sting and David Bowie posters. If I ever am in cardiac arrest just put this on and my heart will flutter back to life on its own.

The story has all the tropes: amnesia, evil mom, love rival/parallelogram, weak girl gets strong, loyal friends, poor family tempted by money. Story wasn't as good as others of this type, but Choi Jin Hyuk more than makes up for it. You'll be hooked in the first 10 min, and by the first 30 min when your stomach drops you will be worried that it's going to be ruined but it's ok, keep watching.

One character that surprised me the most was the FL's dad, who starts out a drunk and ends up as the most romantic of the bunch. Even the annoying cousin grows on you. Just watch it already!

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I wasn't expecting to rate this highly (spoilers at the end of the review)

I haven't written a review for anything in a while but since I was so surprised and touched by this drama, I felt as though I should express why.

Before I start a kdrama, I always read the spoiler-free reviews and comments to see if it's going to be something I like. I almost didn't watch Devilish Joy because of this.

Story: yes, this drama is jam-packed with cliches but they were executed well (or perfectly imo) most of the time. I also typically stay away from the 'amnesia' and 'misunderstanding' tags, which might be why I'm so shocked that they didn't put me off the story this time round. I think it's because of how these themes and plot points were handled. I read another review that mentioned how everything that happened was very "convenient" and this is completely true. However, I think it depends on your perspective while watching. 운명(unmyeong) or fate/destiny is a major theme throughout the story; their first meeting, his accident, the flowers, meeting again, and everything that follows. Despite the obstacles, they always find each other. The story is romantic, cute, frustrating at times, melancholic, funny, and wholesome. The villains had roles that were good at moving the plot forward, the side characters were all charming in their own ways, the pacing was pretty great imo, the chemistry between both couples were great, kisses were fantastic (ahh), and I loved the ending. I didn't even fast-forward any scenes which I have gotten into the habit of doing if I get bored.

Cast/Acting: I think most of the actors performed great. Obviously it wasn't perfect but there was nothing too specific to complain about. The FL was a huge standout for me, she executed all the scenes and emotions perfectly. I found the ML's crying scenes a little awkward but he did great otherwise. And they had fantastic chemistry, they had some of the best kisses I've seen.

Music: nothing incredible but the soundtrack was pretty great and memorable. I think the music was very scene-appropriate too which is important.

Final Spoiler-free Thoughts: Give this a try! I really enjoyed the roller coaster that this drama was and I don't think it deserves all the intense negativity! Honestly, as the drama went on, I loved it more and got more invested. I really think it's worth the watch. I don't give high ratings out easily! I also want to say that I felt wholy satisfied by the end and that rarely happens for me.

**SPOILERS ahead**

What I loved specifically:
- The pacing really was perfect for my tastes. We got a passionate kiss in the first episode (which was fine because of the whole losing his memory thing after) and then the follow episodes were paced so we'll which how their relationship progressed. They officially start dating in like episode 9 I think, which is over half way.
- The kisses between the leads were so intimate and natural, I loved them so much.
- The second couple were also very cute and I think they had perfect pacing as a second couple. Because their relationship progressed later than the main leads, it keeps the romance viewers still engaged even after the main couple gets together.
- How Ki Joon resolved his feelings for his first love/crush before confessing (and committing) to Ha Im. I really appreciated that they did this so it didn't feel like Ha Im was just a consolation prize.
- Gi Bbeum's family! ? They were so supportive, eccentric and wholesome.
- Secretary Yang! Ahhh I was basically in love with him by the end of the drama.
- How they interwove the flower throughout the story, and the same with their time spent in China where they met. It's incorperated well and I love how they were there in both the pilot and finale. The juxtaposition was beautiful.
- The finale as a whole! I'm very pickup when it comes to endings. I need to feel satisfied. Devilish Joy did that for me. The entire 70 minutes were spent perfectly on closing the story. Usually, I hate time skips when they're 1 year+ but they executed it so well here and it made sense too. They didn't just jump from the ML's disappearance to a year later. They showed all the goodbyes and him leaving; one week later when Gi Bbeum comes back from her trip to find out he's gone; the next few weeks of heartbreak and worry; Ma Seong in China at all the places they met, savoring his memories with Gi Bbeum before they hide; Gi Bbeum receiving the letter he sent her from China; her going to China as a last attempt to find him; another letter and her acceptance; then it finally skips a year. Not too much has changed, which is realistic, but some things have and subplots have been tied up nicely. Then it shows Ma Seong and how he's been living the last year and the progress he's made. His reunion with Ki Joon had me crying. Then finally, after all of this closure, we get his reunion with Gi Bbeum.
- I love that his brain wasn't magically healed. I was really expecting them to just have him back to normal at the end, but that's not the case at all. He still forgets everything every day and is working (positively) toward remembering more and more slowly.
- I love that they emphasised that he hasn't 'lost' his memories, he just struggles with recalling them but they're still in there
- FOURTH WEDDING because he couldn't remember the others. This was so cute and funny ?? it was refreshing too
- The curtain call at the end with all the cast was adorable!!!!
- One more thing. It's a quote that made me laugh so hard "don't mouth off at my woman ever again. I have a yellow belt in taekwondo." ?????????? please, Ki Joon was hilarious.

What I didn't like:
- How the ML spoke to the FL half the time from episode 2 until like episode 6. He came across a little unsympathetic and critical in regards to her situation. I just feel like he could have been a bit more outwardly understanding but then again, I guess it was more realistic that he didn't understand how she felt.
- The fake 'rain'. You could really tell it wasn't real and it bothered me immensely to the point where it would take me out of the scene (and the rain scenes were pretty emotional so...)
- How obvious they were about covering the ML character's tattoo after the first couple episodes just because it would have been a lot of effort to apply the fake tattoo before every single scene (which I understand but it did take me out of the story sometimes)

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Does Romance means Sacrifice?

first i want to be honest about my intention to watch this drama till the end.Is it story??-No. The reasons are A hot, well dressed Handsome manly voice ML Mr. Choi, seriously he was a pleasure to my eyes. & the another reason is The Kiss scenes -They are immensely Hot & Re-Watchable. Except the villain side frustrating, Angst plot overall drama was so fun to watch.The fluffy romance,i even cried hard in the last 2-3 episodes. (Not a sad ending though)

Now, coming to the point what i dislike about this drama? ----(1) The villain didn't get their retribution. it was so frustrating to watch that due to excessive anger i needed to fast forward some b*tchy villain moment. ML easily forgave the villain. so cowardly!!!
(2) ML literally hiding everything from FL inspite her request to share everything with her no matter how hard it is!!. in some point i feel like slapping him. u will feel bad for FL if u imagine urself in her face.she is not a child that u need to hide every single matter which is very important for her.

(3)Dragging amnesia part too long.it was not needed actually. This is the first drama i have ever seen where a Villain solved the mystery for ML,& ML just pretending to not get it.

What i liked most??? --- The kiss scenes,Romantic scene direction,The second couple, FL loyality how she communicated with ML in the last episode accepting that he doesn't remember her.She is a goo actress.... liked the character growth of 2FL -She is one piece literally not afraid of any villain of this drama.Hahaha!!! i wish ML& FL handled everything like her too.

I completed this drama in my second attempt. When my mood was light & was looking for some romCom. i actually enjoyed it inspite of lots of plot loopholes. But i think its not that uncommon for K-Dramas. So if you are a Pure Romantic Genre lover then i would like to recommend it to you. ❤️

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So this drama doesn't have big star names, or maybe the cast has its name and I don’t know. It seems these are not highly popular as some LEE’s and PARK’s. but the performance put up by leads is terrific. I was really taken aback.

STORY
The plot seems a little cliché, like a guy keeps forgetting and the girl comes in to rescue. But this series has a story which makes you want to watch next episode.
Gong Ma Sung our handsome ML meets Joo Gi Beum, a famous singer. He helps as she is lost and they end up spending the day together. the develop mutual feelings and decide to meet later that night. But world falls apart for them as Joo Gi Beum is involved in gets involved in a murder scandal and Gong Ma Sung gets into the accident. Its fast forward to three years later and both are having difficult lives as Gong Ma sung injured his head he cant remember the events of past. On the other side Joo Gi beum loses her fame and now runs an online clothing store for living. Later she crosses path with Gong Ma sung but as he does not remember her, she avoids him. The next day Gong ma sung remembers her which leads to curiosity and hence the story continues as the destiny brings them together.

PLOT VIEW
The first quarter of first episode starts off like a romantic comedy but the second episode tells that its not all, they have got more in depth story. So the plot has typical cliche and predictable coincidences.
The is enormous romance and plenty of kiss scenes. Coming to that the kisses are so good to watch that I sometimes re-watched it.
Joo Gi beum is the damsel in distress, naïve and sometimes stupid. She wants a prince to save her but when he couldn’t, she blamed him. She was continuously cheated and tormented, I wish if the writers made her character a little smart.
The secondary couple and their story was cute maintaining the balance of heavy episodes.
The villains and vamps were too diabolical and twisted, felt like I . Kind of disappointed as their comeuppance was underwhelming.
As for the ending song am really not convinced with why they wanna put everyone in that happy moment.

ACTING
Choi jin Hyuk was excellent in this, showing a really amazing range of emotions as a man struggling with memory loss. He is big, with a deep voice and cutest smile that scrunches up his eyes
Song ha yoon was a damsel in distress, but she also was conveyed her emotions brightly. She is perfect for the role like her body was small and thin which seemed she is really bullied.
Hoya as sung ki joon was amazing. He made quite and impression with his bubbly and energetic performance.

MUSIC
OSTs were amazing with poetic lyrics. Thanks to translates.
Tuk Tuk was very soulful with beautiful and meaningful lyrics.
I also enjoyed Love to forget by Choi Jin Hyuk, his husky voice was praiseworthy.

REWATCH
I would love to rewatch the romance in the series not just the leads but also secondary couple.

APPRECIATION
The cinematography was beautiful. I loved the colour palette.
The chemistry of main couple is heartwarming.

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Romantic and cliche

I cannot really decide whether I like this drama or dislike it. It’s story is very cliche, but I really love the ending. It’s a very romantic story, but I think it could have something more.

I love the positive massage they’re trying to sell. Everyone have a positive attitude. But I think it’s also part of the problem, because it make some character too one dimensional. It’s a good thing to have positive attitude, but I think everybody have their moment when they’re feeling down or anger. The most important thing is how they overcome that feeling with a positive attitude. I think that would have more impact to the story.

It’s a beautifully shot drama, a lot of wonderful scenery and location, but I think the over saturation throw me off. They’re trying to make everything look angelic , romantic and like a dream I guess, since the white is overblown that it create a halo on most things. I’m not a fan.

The casts are good, but since the story is a bit lacking, I cannot see the full potential of the actors. Which is unfortunate.

The music is nice, I quite like the main soundtrack.

I probably would not rewatch it fully, but I could watch the ending a few times. It’s very romantic. I think the last 2 episodes are really well done.

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