Oh my! Well, this certainly is pretty—the first teaser for tvN’s manhwa-based drama Bride of the Water God 2017 is out, featuring the main couple Nam Joo-hyuk (Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-ju) and Shin Se-kyung (Six Flying Dragons). This new fantasy-romance drama is about Ha-baek, the egotistical god of water who deigns to descend to Earth where he meets the heroine So-ah, a doctor whose family has been fated to serve the water god for generations.
The teaser begins with a sketch of the original manhwa characters standing amidst gently falling cherry blossom petals, staring soulfully into each other’s eyes. Then slowly they turn into their real-life drama counterparts, Shin Se-kyung and Nam Joo-hyuk, as she narrates: “Popular manhwa Bride of the Water God is reborn as a new spinoff drama. A divine-fatale romance to begin in July.”
Not seen in this first teaser are the others on the main cast: Im Joo-hwan (Uncontrollably Fond) who plays a hotel resort CEO who becomes the second suitor to the heroine, Gong Myung (Individualist Ji-young) who is a wind god that harbors a love for Krystal’s (She’s So Lovable) character, a minor water deity who is infatuated with Ha-baek. Whoa, that’s a lot of angsty one-sided love for one drama.
As a fan of the original source material, I can’t say that I wasn’t nervous when I first heard about this drama being a spinoff set in the modern era, especially because they were doing away with some of the most appealing aspects, namely rich historical context and elegantly embroidered hanboks. However, seeing the exquisite scenery of this short teaser helps me feel optimistic that perhaps the aesthetic beauty of the original will be preserved.
Upcoming Monday-Tuesday fantasy rom-com Bride of the Water God 2017 will begin airing on July 3.
