First Impressions: Lovely Horribly

First Impressions Lovely Horribly
A fun drama about ill destined fate, this creepy supernatural show departs from typical romances and gives us a fresh new take on a destiny intertwined with death.
 
Yoo Philip (Park Shi-Hoo) is a top star actor, blessed with looks and luck wherever he goes but strange occurrences begin to take place when he meets drama script writer, Ji Eul-Soon (Song ji-Hyo) a misfortunate woman with the worst luck. Eul-Soon’s script for a ‘Ghost’s Love Story’ that stars Philip becomes reality, murders and supernatural incidents plaguing Philip and Eul-Soon as a result of her script. 

 
The two discover that their fates are connected, one’s happiness and luck becoming the other’s misfortune and downfall, their polarizing energies in conflict with each other. Death constantly looms over them with ghosts and mysteries forming more unfortunate events. In order for one of them to exist, the other must die and it becomes a tangled mess of a story about two people who are impossibly meant to be.
 
First Impressions Lovely Horribly

 

First Impressions Lovely Horribly
First Impressions Lovely Horribly
I have to say, this drama took me by surprise with all of it’s twists and supernatural material that creates a complex eerie tale. There was much talk about the series before it began, the Writer of Lovely Horribly having won a KBS prize from a competition before it was set to be made into a drama. It combines various genres to give us a darker rom-com that ties together with mystery, horror, and supernatural.
 
First Impressions Lovely Horribly

 

First Impressions Lovely Horribly
It has big ambitions but it’s clear that the story is going to take us on a fun ride as the drama is off to a solid start. The show’s substance is definitely fresh and becomes complex the more you watch, romance taking a backseat during the first couple of episodes as the drama tries to establish various mysterious supernatural elements and stories.
 
Philip and Eul-Soon share a destined fate that began when they were children, a talisman meant to purify the bad energy a defining factor as to who’s fortunate or not while Philip has his own demons and mysterious story with a woman dressed in white. The sub-story focusing on the talisman was intriguing and an absorbing moment during the episode revealing it so I look forward to the clues surrounding the woman in white to emerge and create another layer of complexity that coincides and contributes to the main storyline.
 
First Impressions Lovely Horribly
First Impressions Lovely Horribly
I’m not sure if the Writer is paying homage to The Woman In White but I like how I can form such correlations since it brings together two works of mystery-horror and gives me an idea of the overall ‘feeling’ the drama is going for. I’m also intrigued by Lee Gi-Kwang’s character Lee Sung-Joon, a young Producer who can see ghosts since his ability intensifies the horror and supernatural as he learns about Philip’s and Eul-Soon’s ill destined fate; he’s not just some sympathetic second male lead. 
 
First Impressions Lovely Horribly
While I’m discussing characters, another thing that was a pleasant surprise was how well Park Shi-Hoo can do comedy. I love this new leap from the typical K-drama lead that’s cool and collective to this top star who’s clumsy and a complete wimp, practically being the definition of it. Park Shi-Hoo’s a scene stealer when it comes to comedic moments and I’m genuinely impressed and enjoy each and every one of them. 
 
First Impressions Lovely Horribly
First Impressions Lovely Horribly
First Impressions Lovely Horribly
I’m not sure where to place Song Ji-Hyo since her acting has never really resonated with me personally (I’m a massive Running Man fan so I adore her outside of the drama world) but I think this is a great fit for her since it’s somewhat close to her natural persona. Eul-Soon is independent, strong, and fearless when it comes to helping others and Ji-Hyo definitely portrays that with a sense of ease and I’m not mad at the results I’ve seen in two weeks worth of episodes.
 
First Impressions Lovely Horribly

 

First Impressions Lovely Horribly

 

First Impressions Lovely Horribly
The pacing is steady with the pilot episode being slightly more faster. The drama has a standard form of production as far as cinematography goes and is even reminiscent to Master’s Sun, resembling its effects of the supernatural. What’s truly compelling about this show is its unique story, setting it apart from anything else currently airing or from dramas with similar genres. It shouldn’t be left under your radar and is definitely worth the time to check out even if it might not be your cup of tea. 
 
I hope the merging of strong genres brings this show great results with its quirky characters and distinct script!
 
First Impressions Lovely Horribly
First Impressions Lovely Horribly
Release Date: August 13, 2018 (Eng Sub available on Viki)
 
 
 
 

9 Comments

  1. Anonymous

    August 26, 2018 2:11 AM
  2. kiwilove

    August 26, 2018 4:51 AM
  3. Sunny

    August 26, 2018 7:57 AM
  4. Lady Jaye

    August 26, 2018 10:32 AM
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    August 26, 2018 3:06 PM
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    August 27, 2018 3:15 PM
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    August 27, 2018 3:28 PM
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    August 27, 2018 3:34 PM
  9. Nastassia

    August 28, 2018 9:51 PM

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