You can click here to find all our Romantic Picks, in one place! This week’s Romantic Pick comes from one of the most highly anticipated fantasy romance dramas on air at the moment, “Jinxed At First”! Starring Na InWoo and Girls’ Generation’s SeoHyun, this drama tells the story of the goddess of luck, SeulBi (played by SeoHyun), locked up in a tower, who finally finds her Prince and gains the courage to break free. Despite the familiar fairy-tale narrative, it subverts the tropes of the same and brings us a modern fable of love and magic that is definitely one to remember. Spoiler Alert! In the very first episode, we learn the history of the lineage of women gifted with the power of clairvoyance. As a result, they can see the future and bring luck and abundance to whomever they touch. Over the years, they served as prophets for kings but as Korea became a war-torn land, the descendants of the magical women were reduced to lucky charms. SeulBi and her mother are thus held captive in a closed-off suite at Geumhwa Hotel and treated as mere objects who only exist to rid their masters of bad luck and bring prosperity in its stead. While MiSoo (played by Yoon JiHye), SeulBi’s mother, has grown accustomed to the restrictive environment, SeulBi longs for freedom and knowledge. Her access to the outside world is completely cut off and her ideologies are born from story books. Naturally, therefore, she believes that she will meet a handsome Prince one day who will sweep her off her feet. Serendipitously, that very day, Gong SooKwang (played by Na InWoo) is invited to the Hotel by his friend, the CEO’s son Sun MinJoon (played by Ki DoHoon).
The first thing SooKwang notices as he walks in is the sound of someone banging on a door that seemed to be coming from a sculpted stone wall. Coincidentally, SeulBi had been trying to draw the attention of the people outside her door, who she first mistook for elephants. He disregarded it once but the second time, he couldn’t help but seek out the source. As he inched closer to the door that SeulBi was behind, he reached out his hand to touch the sculpture of the little girl. At the same time, SeulBi placed her hand on the door and before she knew it, she could see SooKwang on the other end. At once, she knew. This was her Prince.
As her pendant glowed in the dark, the door unlocked and without a moment of hesitation, SeulBi walked out, determined to follow SooKwang. Rather than fear, there was excitement and childish wonder in her eyes as she was faced with this brand new world. Wherever SooKwang went, SeulBi followed, even if that meant running on the road barefoot. It was not until she was accosted for not paying the bus fee that SooKwang realized her presence. Seeing no other option, he pays for her and inadvertently, keeps her company. In the process, they brush hands and she instantly knows all about him. Seeing her bare feet, he gives up his shoes to her and takes her home for the cuttlefish she had been craving from his mother’s fish shop.
Back home, SooKwang’s mother welcomes SeulBi with open arms and even brings a sprinkle of luck to their lives. There’s an implication here that she knows about MiSoo and her ability, having met her once in the past. She gifts SeulBi with a pair of shoes that fit as perfectly as Cinderella’s glass sandals and tells her about the time she went to the amusement park with SooKwang, wearing the same pair. Intrigued by the idea, SeulBi wants to go to the amusement park too and SooKwang obliges, albeit not too gladly. From playing darts to getting candy, winning teddy bears, and running around, SooKwang lets her have her fill with fun. It is there that SeulBi picks up a toy crown and places it on SooKwang’s head, claiming him as her Prince. Not only is the scene coloured with vivacity and whimsy, but it is also wonderfully telling of SeulBi’s innocence. She is fully aware that fairy tales are fiction and that meeting her Prince might not necessarily mean happiness but she chooses to believe. It is this duality that makes SeulBi such an interesting character. SeoHyun does an excellent job at embodying a sense of maturity despite her naivete and Na InWoo complements it wonderfully like the voice of reason. “Jinxed At First” is turning out to be an incredibly refreshing watch and we cannot wait to see what comes next! What was your favourite scene from “Jinxed At First”? Tell us in the comments section down below!
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