Okay, if Choi Jin-hyuk (Tunnel) signs on to do a rom-com, I’m in. MBC has a new romantic comedy drama in the works for its early 2018 lineup, and an offer is out to Choi Jin-hyuk to headline. The series is called Devilish Joy, which is a pun on the two lead characters’ names—Ma-sung (“devilish”) and Ki-peum (“joy”). Choi’s agency has confirmed that he received the offer, but said that it’s one of many he’s considering.
The drama is about a doctor and an actress who fall in love, and a condition called “Cinderella amnesia.” I have no idea what that is—it’s a made-up condition as far as I can tell, which the hero suffers from. Choi Jin-hyuk is up for that role, Gong Ma-sung, a geeeenius doctor who suffers from this memory condition where ridiculous memories just insert themselves in his brain. Because of this Cinderella amnesia, he ends up falling in love with the heroine, a has-been actress named Joo Ki-peum.
It sounds a little farcical and over-the-top on paper, but a lot could change once they explain what kind of memories he’s gaining, and why. I do prefer Choi Jin-hyuk in dramatic roles, but he’s so lovable when he’s gruff on the outside and marshmallowy on the inside, so I’d love to see him in a full-blown romantic comedy (and no, Emergency Couple does not count). I’m pretty sure any role after Tunnel will be a letdown anyway, so let’s just rip that bandaid off, shall we?
Devilish Joy will be produced by Golden Thumb Pictures (Mask, Three Days, That Winter the Wind Blows, King of Dramas, Sign) and penned by writer Choi Ji-yeon, who must be new. It’s being prepped to air on Mondays and Tuesdays beginning January 2018, though the labor strike is still ongoing, which leaves MBC’s drama schedule up in the air.