The response to 'Gyeonu and Seonnyeo' is heating up.
tvN's Monday-Tuesday drama 'Gyeonu and Seonnyeo' (directed by Kim Yong-wan, written by Yang Ji-hoon, planned by CJ ENM, produced by Studio Dragon, Dexter Pictures, and Eocon Content Group) is raising the excitement level with its delightful yet poignant first love redemption romance. Park Seong-ah (played by Jo Yi-hyun), a 'Heavenly Fairy', becomes a human talisman to protect her destined-to-die first love, Bae Gyeon-woo (played by Choo Young-woo).
The more they 'stick together', the stronger the mysterious power of the human talisman becomes, evoking a powerful sense of excitement. As the excitement peaks, so does the poignancy, as the couple faces an insurmountable barrier of 'shamanism'. The storyline oscillating between tenderness and excitement has also led to a rise in viewership.
The sixth episode recorded a peak viewership rating of 5.1% in the Seoul metropolitan area (according to Nielsen Korea's paid platform standards), ranking first in its time slot across cable and general programming channels. Within three weeks of airing, it surpassed 150 million cumulative digital views. Notably, the '12-hour post-broadcast reaction' based on YouTube views, Naver Talk, and SNS mentions showed an average increase of 200% compared to the previous week, generating buzz. Additionally, it entered the TOP10 drama list on TVING for three consecutive weeks, and its VOD viewership on TVING ranked first among tvN's Monday-Tuesday dramas aired this year.
# The 'Heart-Pounding' Hand-Holding Ending of Jo Yi-hyun and Choo Young-woo's First Love (Episode 3)
Bae Gyeon-woo, deeply saddened by the passing of his grandmother Oh Ok-soon (played by Gil Hae-yeon), is protected by Park Seong-ah, who becomes a 'human talisman' to ward off a 'suicide ghost' clinging to him. As Dongcheon General (played by Kim Mi-kyung) says, the power of a human heart is the strongest, and the skinship effect of the 'Bae Gyeon-woo limited' human talisman was powerful. Park Seong-ah's sincerity not only expelled the suicide ghost but also planted the seed of hope in Bae Gyeon-woo.
Park Seong-ah colored Bae Gyeon-woo's monochrome world with vibrant colors, helping him find meaning and laughter in life. At that moment, the suicide ghost disappeared. In her joy, Park Seong-ah high-fived Bae Gyeon-woo and inadvertently interlocked fingers with him. Momentarily flustered, Park Seong-ah couldn't help but feel her heart flutter as Bae Gyeon-woo pulled her hand closer and smiled brightly. The narration of Park Seong-ah and Bae Gyeon-woo declaring the 'start of first love' painted the viewers' hearts in shades of pink.
# "Futile Dream" - Choo Young-woo's Heartbreaking Tears Upon Learning Jo Yi-hyun's Secret as a Shaman (Episode 4)
As Park Seong-ah and Bae Gyeon-woo become aware of their feelings for each other, a crisis looms. Just as Bae Gyeon-woo feels happiness from Park Seong-ah's warm reassurance to ward off all misfortunes, he learns that Park Seong-ah is a shaman, a fact revealed by the variable Yeomhwa (played by Choo Ja-hyun). Bae Gyeon-woo's aversion to shamans stems from a long-standing bad relationship with Yeomhwa. Yeomhwa not only drew a ghost-repelling talisman on his late grandmother's photo but also unsettled him by saying his family worries about his appearance.
Bae Gyeon-woo once again felt helpless and despondent. Witnessing Park Seong-ah dancing with Yeomhwa, whom he believed to be his savior, left him in shock. Bae Gyeon-woo's narration, "There was someone who promised to stay by my side until the darkness fades and the light comes. Her hand was so warm that I thought I could be happy for once. I had a futile dream," followed by his tearful ending, added poignancy and hinted at a turning point in their relationship, heightening curiosity.
# Jo Yi-hyun and Choo Young-woo's Tender and Longing Eye Contact Under the Umbrella (Episode 5)
Bae Gyeon-woo resented his fate as misfortune struck without giving him a chance to be happy. The fact that 'Park Seong-ah', whom he gave his heart to, was a shaman was a significant wound for him. Bae Gyeon-woo closed his heart again and pushed Park Seong-ah away. Although he could have returned to a normal life in a few days, the human talisman's effect disappeared as Bae Gyeon-woo no longer trusted Park Seong-ah. It wasn't just that. Discovering the discarded 'lip balm', which had protected Bae Gyeon-woo as her alter ego, Park Seong-ah wept in the rain, feeling as if her existence was rejected.
Park Seong-ah's inner thoughts, "Even if I'm not a friend, even if it's a lie, even if it's fake, if my heart hurts this much, isn't this one thing real?" were poignant. At that moment, the rain stopped over Park Seong-ah's head. Bae Gyeon-woo stood holding an umbrella where Park Seong-ah's gaze landed. Bae Gyeon-woo, who stayed by Park Seong-ah's side with wet shoulders from giving her the umbrella, shared a tender eye contact under the umbrella.
# "Goodbye, Shaman" - Jo Yi-hyun's Temptation! Choo Young-woo's Possession by an Evil Spirit in a Shocking Ending (Episode 6)
Bae Gyeon-woo realized that Park Seong-ah was genuinely protecting him. Unlike Yeomhwa, who wanted to take away all misfortunes, Park Seong-ah reassured him that he was strong enough, and Bae Gyeon-woo decided to trust her once more. Additionally, due to Pyo Ji-ho's constant attempts at skinship, Bae Gyeon-woo realized that Park Seong-ah had been acting as a 'human talisman' to protect him, leading to a touching moment of regret.
However, just as Bae Gyeon-woo reopened his heart, an unexpected twist occurred. Park Seong-ah, heading to an abandoned house she should never have entered to save Kim Jin-woong (played by Kim Sung-jung), encountered Bae Gyeon-woo possessed by an evil spirit. The ending, where Bae Gyeon-woo approached Park Seong-ah as if to kiss her, saying, "Goodbye, shaman. You should say goodbye too," shocked everyone. The ending, where Bae Gyeon-woo, who was close to escaping misfortune, became possessed by an evil spirit, foreshadowed a powerful variable in the mutual redemption romance. Choo Young-woo's chilling dual role performance completed the unprecedented twist ending.
Meanwhile, episode 7 of tvN's Monday-Tuesday drama 'Gyeonu and Seonnyeo' will air on the 14th (Monday) at 8:50 PM.
Kim Se-ah, TenAsia Reporter haesmik@tenasia.co.kr