Jinxed at First can be viewed as a modern fairytale led by a “poor prince” and a “princess” who doesn’t need to be saved. Based on a popular webtoon, this series has captured the heart of those who love their romance stories with a dash of fantasy. Despite some heavy scenes towards the end of the series, it still has an overall lighthearted narrative with mostly funny sequences brought by its cheerful characters.
And if you’re into fantasy romance, here are some reasons why you should watch Jinxed at First.
Goddess of Fortune
Anything with magic can be interesting and not so surprisingly, the most interesting part of Jinxed at First is the prophetic vision of its main heroine, Lee Seul-bi (Seohyun). The prophetic visions of the “witches” can bring fortune or doom if they want to. What’s make it more interesting is that the series showed the backstory of how they became integral to the success of the family that protects them. But they just didn’t leave it at that, their powers have consequences. That consequence was effectively used towards the end of the series where we saw Seul-bi still chose to use her ability to save the people she cared for despite the risk of being in danger. It certainly amped up the tension in the finale.
Charming-Chaotic Cohabitation
This series used a lot of good ol’ tropes and one of them is the K-drama favorite – cohabitation. Seul-bi had to live with Gong Soo-kwang (Na In-woo) in a rooftop room when she decided to leave the comforts of Keumhwa Hotel – her tower-like prison where she was hidden from the world. Coming out of her sheltered life, she had to learn to live like an ordinary person with the help of Soo-kwang. And adjusting to living a normal life isn’t a smooth sailing journey for Seul-bi. She and Soo-kwang shared some chaotic mornings filled with overflowing laundry bubbles and burnt pots while they would charm you off with some accidental kisses and domestic fluffs at night.
Seodang Market People
Another charming point of Jinxed at First is the Seodang Market People. Their store neighbors can be a bit nosy and sometimes discriminatory but they are funny and supportive when enlightened. They gave a semblance of community and family to Seul-bi – something she didn’t experience after growing up in seclusion.
Friends to Rivals to Friends Again
Soo-kwang and Seon Min-joon (Ki Do-hoon) were friends from the beginning but due to their circumstances, they almost became love rivals. To be honest, Min-joon’s misguided pining for Seul-bi was something I wasn’t comfortable watching. I prefer multiple loveline than another love triangle.
And since I didn’t read the original webtoon I was a bit surprised by the series’ love for overdramatic plot twists and those planning to watch this show needs to know that this series would involve birth secret, fake death, kidnapping, and amnesia among others. I don’t usually shun theatrics and I think it’s a matter of setting one’s expectations. And once the series finally revealed Seul-bi’s birth secret, it then moved on to a much better narrative.
Also, I would have loved to see more of his loveline with Jo Jang-kyung (Lee Ho-jung). They have a cute dynamic the series didn’t really explore much. It could also have led to more screen time for Soo-kwang and Min-joon’s friendship – which we were able to see in bits throughout the series.
Happily-Ever-After Guaranteed
Just like its fairytale inspirations, Jinxed at First ended on a happy note not just for our main leads but for the good people around them. Justice was served with most of the villains suffering from their own evil plotting. The Seodong Market people got their happy endings as well with some even finding new love. And after everything that they went through, Seul-bi and Soo-kwang did get their happily-ever-after – and for true romance lovers, that kind of guarantee is enough to sit through all of its 16 episodes.
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