It’s kind of weird to think that Kim Yoo-jung’s been missing from dramaland for a whole two years since the hit series Moonlight Drawn By Clouds. Which is why I’m all the more excited to welcome her back with JTBC’s First, Clean Passionately, the rom-com about two people on either spectrum of the cleanliness scale. And her co-stars are not too shabby either, with Yoon Kyun-sang (Mysterious Il-seung) and Song Jae-rim (Secret Mother) playing her leading men.
The latest teaser starts off with Yoon Kyun-sang’s character, Jang Sun-kyul, going about his daily routine, which happens to include inspecting every nook and cranny for the slightest smudge or trace of dirt. The captions call his obsession with cleanliness his one fatal weakness in his otherwise perfect persona, and we see him use a handkerchief to open his car door, and wipe down tables and chairs with hilarious precision in public.
Sun-kyul meets his match though, as Kim Yoo-jung’s Gil Oh-sol literally stops him in his tracks, chip crumbs decorating the sides of her mouth. I almost feel bad to see how attacked he looks, as the trailer announces that a “cute germ has appeared to shake the germ-less man’s daily life.” He might try to avoid touching her as best he can, but an apparently drunk Oh-sol isn’t deterred, stuffing a wad of paper into his pocket, prompting Sun-kyul to let out an anguished wail worthy of any tragic hero. But of course, his nervous attempts to avoid her gives way to rom-com-esque gazing from afar, and a man offscreen questions whether Sun-kyul miiigghhhhtttt be feeling some feelings for Oh-sol in response to her musing whether she is just that unattractive.
I’m a little disappointed by the lack of Song Jae-rim so far in these promos, but all these characters seem to have a little quirk in them, so I can see the actor fitting right in with his drama co-stars. I’m generally happy by the quality of this show’s supporting cast, with Yoo Sun (Criminal Minds) playing the sharp and trusted Secretary Kwon, and dramaland’s go-to scene-stealer Kim Won-hae (Player) playing Oh-sol’s father. Min Do-hee (My ID Is Gangnam Beauty) also makes her return to JTBC as Oh-sol’s best friend.
First, Clean Passionately will take over JTBC’s Monday-Tuesday slot from currently airing Beauty Inside, premiering on November 26.
