Island is finally here, and it’s every bit the thrilling, amusing, and campy rollercoaster ride I was anticipating. I’m instantly in love with its characters, intrigued by its world, and interested to find out more.
EPISODES 1-2 WEECAP
Mi-ho has barely touched down for five minutes, though, when she feels a strange throbbing in her chest. Then she encounters the demon bride, who’s in the middle of gorging on a human. Mi-ho is no match for a superpowered demon, and she eventually gets cornered in a delivery van which the demon tears into with its bare claws. It’s inches away from reaching her, and that’s when a familiar majestic soundtrack plays. It’s Ban, here to save the day!
At first, it seems like just another regular day’s work of decimating demons, but when Ban locks eyes with Mi-ho, there’s stunned recognition in his gaze. Before he can gather his wits to react, though, Mi-ho’s heart throbs again. She loses consciousness, waking up back in her bed with her worried right-hand men fussing over her.
Mi-ho’s trials and tribulations don’t end there, though. She’s asked BUTLER JANG (Oh Gwang-rok) to investigate the incident her aunt orchestrated, and he’s dug up some photo evidence — which clearly captured SECRETARY KANG (Lee Soon-won) in cahoots with both the thugs and auntie dearest.
Having trusted her closest aides more than her power-hungry relatives, Mi-ho is utterly devastated, but she refuses to let her emotions get the better of her. This is a betrayal she can’t forgive, and she confronts Secretary Kang, declaring that they’ll go their separate ways from now on. She means that quite literally, too — she walks off, leaving the car to Secretary Kang.
Ban disappears before Butler Jang arrives, which means that to everyone else except herself, Mi-ho sounds like a spoiled rich brat who’s been hallucinating, ha. Thoroughly spooked by the encounter and frustrated that no one believes her, Mi-ho books it straight to the airport. Unfortunately, danger is still hot at her heels, and a security officer-turned-demon sparks yet another breathless pursuit (and a nerve-wracking car chase).
Once again, Mi-ho is saved by Ban, who’s looking very unimpressed. The demon plunges its claws right into Ban’s abdomen, and how does Ban react? By leveling the monster with the most deadpan stare, as if the monster has just dealt him the world’s greatest inconvenience by ruining his fine suit. HAHAHA. All the while, Mi-ho’s peeking out from behind a wall like an awestruck chipmunk watching a real-life action movie, and honestly? Same.
HAHAHA, Mi-ho writes up an employment contract for Ban, promising a handsome salary without knowing he has no need for worldly currency. Needless to say, Ban doesn’t have a family name, ID card, or phone number. LOL. Ban’s just about done humoring Mi-ho, but then he notices the bottle of sleeping pills on her bedside table.
Mi-ho’s plaintive plea for him to stay just for the night tugs at his heartstrings, and he can’t turn a blind eye to her fear and exhaustion. Thoroughly drained from the day’s events, Mi-ho nods off, and when she awakens the next morning, the contract is signed.
The next time we see this trio, they’re all grown up. It’s a joyful reunion for Won-jung, but Ban’s demon blood seizes control yet again. His sclera turns pitch black as his irises glow red, and he plunges his dagger right into Won-jung’s chest — giving her the scar that Mi-ho now sports just below her collarbone.
The context of that scene isn’t revealed just yet, but the present-day lust demons’ bloodthirsty homing instinct towards Mi-ho suggests that she’s a threat to them. This is corroborated by the archdiocese, who proclaim that Mi-ho is the one and only savior who can prevent the world’s destruction.
That ties in to our third protagonist, priest YO-HAN (Cha Eun-woo). His priestly talents far surpass his age, and his greatest weapon in an exorcism is… the hip hop music playing through his headphones. LOL, how amusingly modern.
Yo-han is brought into the Jeju estate by Butler Jang, and it’s revealed that the latter is also a priest. In fact, that’s been Butler Jang’s sole mission all these decades — to protect the savior, come what may. Whoa, I suspected there was more to Butler Jang than meets the eye, but I didn’t see this coming. How much does Butler Jang know, and what ulterior motives did he have in suggesting this Jeju trip?
It’s only been two episodes, but I’m already so invested in this fantastical tale. And the drama tells it so well, too! I had to trim out much of the humor for the sake of brevity, but let me assure you, this drama is hilarious. It’s fully aware of the absurdity of its premise, and it plays into it with gusto. I can’t count the number of times I’ve burst out laughing at the well-timed sound effects, or Ban’s increasingly incredulous expressions in the face of Mi-ho’s antics.
On that note, Kim Nam-gil is absolutely killing it in this role! I mean, I would watch literally anything for him, but his intense gaze and confident smirks as he takes on the formidable demons? Absolutely mesmerizing. Meanwhile, Lee Da-hee is charismatic and winsome as always, reminding me of why I loved her so much in I Hear Your Voice and Search: WWW. And I’ll admit I was a little apprehensive of Cha Eun-woo, but he’s doing a good job so far, exuding a boyish charm that’s immediately endearing. I can’t wait to watch our main trio team up — the dynamics are sure to be entertaining.
