Early Access: The Heavenly Idol E1, E2 (Patreon)

E1. First things first, my friends - I like this one, so far.

I'd been very hopeful that I would like this, based on how entertaining I'd found the trailers as they'd come out, but honestly, I'd been rather afraid that I'd find this too in-yo-face, or not funny-as-intended, or just.. OTT and in poor taste, as is sometimes the case, with kdramas promoted as comedy.

(As you probably know, k-comedy and I don't often find ourselves in the same zone. 😅)

As I type this, I've watched the first two episodes, and I'm relieved to say that I do like this, after all. Phew. 😅

That said, I do want to qualify that this wasn't love at first sight.

I didn't love it by the end of episode 1, even though I had mildly positive feelings. It was only by the end of episode 2, that I found myself enjoying this more, and actually looking forward to more episodes.

Which is why I thought it'd be important to put out there; that if you're not taking to this all that much after this first episode, maybe giving it another episode might be helpful for you, as it was for me.

The main thing I'd like to say about Show's vibe, is that - to my eyes anyway - it vibes gentle.

What I mean by this, is that it does do a bit of various things - like serve up humorous scenes, or poke fun at the kpop industry - but it does it with a gentler sort of touch.

It's not aggressively funny; it's gently funny. It's not aggressively critical of the kpop industry; it pokes fun in a gently moderate sort of manner. And while I don't know if that would work for everyone, works for me.

How this translates is, when I don't actually find Show's attempts at humor funny, it lands more as a gentle bump in the road that's easy to glide over, rather than a blast in my face that I need to step away from.

And when I do find it funny, I find myself chuckling along with Show (versus laughing out loud), as it does its thing.

That's sitting with my mood very well, so we're off to a good start.

That said, I do think that it's important to state for the record, that there's a somewhat.. rough-around-the-edges, underdog quality to this show, like what you might expect from a smaller broadcaster.

Part of that underdog quality comes from the production values, which I'm finding a touch - just a touch - more basic than we tend to see in prime-time dramas.

And, part of it also comes from the fact that our leads are played by up-and-coming actors who've traditionally played second leads, and who are stepping into lead territory, with this show.

I literally had to double-check what broadcaster this show was on, and actually felt a stab of surprise, to realize that this is showing on tvN.

Not that this is a bad thing, certainly. I like the idea of Kim Min Gyu and Go Bo Gyeol getting their break into lead territory, for sure.

And, the touch of basic in the production values (it's very decent, to be clear; just without the finesse that we've seen in recent trendies) is pitch perfect, in the sense that this is a show about underdogs, so the show itself also vibing like an underdog feels perfectly meta? 😁

..Which brings me to our premise, which I'm nicely tickled by.

I think it's pretty funny, that our male lead is some kind of heavenly priest, who, mid-battle with the Evil One (the dialogue says "mawang" which literally translates as king of evil, and is often translated as "devil," but since my subs say "Evil One" I'll just go with that), finds himself in the body of Woo Yeon Woo, member of washed-up idol group Wild Animal, that's trying to make a comeback.

Pfft. The timing couldn't be worse, basically.

Show doesn't lean too, too hard into the fish out of water hijinks, which I think works nicely.

We explore some of Rembrary's bemusement and consternation as he tries to come to terms with this new world he finds himself in, but we don't lean too hard into it; he gets the hang of how things work fairly quickly, which I think works nicely to give us a flavor of the fish out of water hijinks, while clearing the way, fairly quickly, for other narrative possibilities.

I personally think Kim Min Gyu's perfectly cast for the role, coz he's got a natural slightly dorky vibe that translates very well into Rembrary's goody do-gooder priest character in his own world, as well as Rembrary's utter confusion, when he gets thrown into Woo Yeon Woo's world.

That dorky quality contrasts nicely with the sageuk-speak that Rembrary keeps using as Woo Yeon Woo, and I find that it comes off as quite entertaining, coz he looks like a lost puppy, but talks like an old sageuk soul. 😁

I also find it quite amusing that Rembrary is consistently completely honest about who he really is, and where he's from, like he's got no filter whatsoever, much to the chagrin of the people around him.

I do love the idea, though, that somehow, Rembrary's antics actually earn him a lot of buzz, whereas, if he'd really been Woo Yeon Woo playing by the rules, he almost certainly wouldn't have had the same reaction from the media or from the public.

I'm also pleased with Go Bo Gyeol's casting, because up till now, my deepest impression of her, had been in her second lead role in Hi Bye, Mama, where she'd played a pretty reserved character.

Here, she's getting to show more range and personality, and I'm liking that very well so far.

While it's par for the course, that her character Kim Dal has a traumatic, angsty sort of backstory, I actually like that it adds a layer of potential depth to our story.

And, from the glimpse of the autographed CD from Woo Yeon Woo, that Kim Dal looks at this episode, we already get the idea that Woo Yeon Woo had helped Kim Dal get through a really tough time in her life.

Therefore, I can see why she would be so loyal as his fan, and care so much about how he's doing, that she'd semi-stalk him, to see how things are going for him.

That part about Woo Yeon Woo helping Kim Dal get through a tough time in her life really does pop for me, because it's true that sometimes celebrities help their fans through tough times, and that deepens the fan loyalty to a degree that an outsider might find hard to understand.

This isn't so far-fetched, is what I'm trying to say.

And, I also like the idea that because Kim Dal is such a big fan of Woo Yeon Woo, she's able to tell, very clearly, that he's not himself, as we end off the episode.

E2. Unfortunately for Rembrary, Kim Dal isn't of the line of thinking, that he's a completely different person, so when he tells her honestly who he is and where he's from, she crumples in despair, at how bad things must have been, for him to have ended up like this, heh.

..Which basically sets us up for one of the bigger arcs this episode, that people around Woo Yeon Woo think that he's probably in need of psychiatric help, with the loopy way he's been talking and behaving.

Before we get into that, though, I did get a mild kick out of the way Show pokes (gentle) fun at the kpop industry, from the way Rembrary reacts with horror at the cramped living conditions of the group, as well as the strict diets that they're expected to adhere to.

I mean, Show's basically taking conditions that we know to be true of the kpop industry, and getting Rembrary to be the fresh set of eyes processing it all, and pronouncing that it's terrible, and not fit for humans.

And then, there's also how horrified Rembrary is, when the photographer tells him to channel an evil vibe for the photoshoot.

We mostly don't think anything much of it, because it's become so common in the industry, but it is true, that idols are packaged into whatever is deemed buzzworthy and profitable - even if it's to channel the devil, and even if it goes against their personal values.

Rembrary's horrified, vehement reaction to this just puts it into perspective for us, is all, I think.

Show also means it for Funny, certainly, which is why I feel like Show's shining a quick spotlight on this, and provoking thought if you would find yourself ready to go in that direction, or just providing laughs, if that's what you feel more like, in the moment.

Altogether, this means that Rembrary's not toeing the line like an idol would strive to do, to gain acceptance and favor in the industry. Instead, he's just shooting from the hip whenever he's asked a question, and he's basically a PR manager's nightmare.

BUT, the great thing in this story, is, Rembrary just being himself, is the thing that's gaining him buzz and attention.

I rather like that idea, and I'm keen to see how this plays out. Can Rembrary make a name for himself as an idol and actor, without actually playing by the rules of the industry?

On a related note, while I do like Ye Ji Won, her character Sun Ja agreeing to let the PD of Sing Survivor cast Yeon Woo as the show's villain - which is likely to tarnish his reputation - in exchange for the PD allowing another of the Wild Animal members to participate as well, does leave a bit of a negative taste in my mouth.

And yet, again, this feels reflective of the industry, because I can believe that management companies would strike deals like this, in order to move their own agendas forward.

This is also why I'm eager to see Rembrary succeed against the odds. I just have a natural soft spot for underdogs, and right now, he's really an underdog in this world, despite his heavenly priestly identity.

On another note, I like that Rembrary still has access to his powers here on earth, and I think it's very cute and quite hilarious, that Rembrary's powers are powered by chocolate, hahahaha.

That is so unexpected and so funny-quirky; I love the idea of Rembrary being obsessed with chocolate - though for different reasons than the rest of us. 😁

Also, I love the idea of Kim Dal becoming the road manager of the Wild Animal boys, so that she can help Yeon Woo.

First of all, it's cute, in a way that's adjacent to Hana Kimi (I loved the 2007 J-dorama), and therefore gives me some nostalgic feels from the set-up alone.

Second, I like the poignance of the idea that she now wants to proactively care for artists, after learning through her traumatic experience, about what they truly need.

The fact that she's deathly afraid that something bad might happen to Yeon Woo, the way it had happened with her previous charge, Liz Ri, definitely lends a layer of depth and pathos to the situation.

Added on to her personal connection with Yeon Woo, her care towards him feels very real and genuine, which I like.

Last but not least, I was thoroughly surprised by our final mini arc, where Rembrary uses his powers to connect with Yeon Woo, but Yeon Woo isn't willing to come back to his idol life, ha.

The fact that Rembrary has to promise Yeon Woo that he'll make Yeon Woo a success, both as an idol and as an actor, before Yeon Woo agrees to make that pact with him, is quite hilarious to me.

I mean, I can just imagine the kind of hijinks that will ensue, now that Rembrary is committed to becoming a successful artist within the industry.

Muahaha. I have to admit, I'm looking forward to seeing how this plays out. 😁

Next episode notes will be out on: Tuesday, 28 February 2023!

* This show will be covered on the Early Access Plus (US$10) tier! *