Devil Sister…wow, just wow, there is a lot to unpack from this series. Cringy is one thing, but this show was problematic. Combined with its basic plot, this show just did not land and it seems a surprise to me that we got in 2022. Originally, this show was slated for 2020, which it might have fit in with other shows of its time. However, having taken over the time slots for “The Player” and “War of Flowers,” both of which had strong female characters, this show seems like a few steps back. This show has a lot of misogyny and male entitlement, not to mention gaslighting and basic manipulation. I felt like I was watching some weird adaptation “The Taming of Shrew.”
Also, “Devil Sister” where does this title come from? I get it is based off the novel “Beauty and the Guy,” but it seems like the plot was changed a bit for this adaptation. So, the real question comes down to which of these sisters is supposed to be “devilish?” I assumed Irin because in the first couple episodes she does some pretty nasty stuff, but then it never goes anywhere. The story just focuses on the endless circles she drags her two love interests through and she never really develops as a character. Is the “Devil Sister” Inn then? Well maybe? For the vast majority of the show she gets mad and does some pretty self-destructive stuff, but then they decide to use mental illness as a catalyst for Inn’s nastier actions, which is just another problematic plot point that doesn’t create any character development.
Let’s be clear, the problem is not the actors or actresses. None of them are rookies and they deliver performances that you’d expect. The real problem is they play such unlikeable characters. Namcha is the most toxic character. He is clearly immature and entitled and we’re supposed so feel sorry for him because…. he’s handsome? Caring? Well maybe to animals and Irin, but he manipulates everyone else around him. He has 3 women pining after him and uses them to get what he wants. Additionally, he spends much of the series insisting Irin MUST love him because he’s so in love with her. The show tries to pass it off as romantic puppy love, but it turns creepy and petty.
Irin is not much better. I get she has a tragic backstory, but that shouldn’t be an excuse for aggressive behavior. In the first episode, she gaslights her former security guard hard, and frankly I never redeemed her after that. From there she just doesn’t appear to be a mature adult. We are assured Irin loves her sister, but I don’t see it. I’m not saying Irin had to pander to her sister, but she needed to act like a 30-something adult and communicate. She hurts all the other characters because she has, for a reason that’s never really explained, to play this tough and nasty boss character.
To go with Irin is her sister, Inn. I wouldn’t really classify Inn as toxic. She is clearly suffering from mental and physical illness and has some self-destructive habits, but I am still not convinced she was manipulative or evil. She’s a tragic heroine being emotionally abused by everyone else: Namcha, Irin, her grandfather and even Jin. Yeah, she’s a bit immature, but the writers clearly use her mental illness as a plot device to progress the plot rather than taking it seriously.
Finally, there’s Jin. I can’t tell what the writers wanted for his character. I think he's a foil to Namcha’s character, but frankly I ended up with more sympathy for him rather than disgust. His love for Irin is persistent, but sincere. He’s gotten grandpa’s approval to marry Irin but finds she’s being stalked by an ex-boyfriend (Irin never tells Jin that she still has feelings for Namcha). So, Jin logically responds with trying to keep distance between the girl he genuinely loves (and he wants to win her love, not force her) and this creepy guy who follows her all around the place. At points it’s suggested he maybe has ulterior motives, but when the outcome of his actions is shown, he’s never seen taking advantage of them to his benefit. Therefore, it’s hard to hate him and he seems caught in the middle of family drama.
While the main couple clearly faces societal problems, this series really doesn’t start to redeem them in that light until episode 13 and only after they’ve shown how horrible they were. I could maybe let that slide, but the toxic themes that run throughout the show make it a problematic show for 2022. GMMTV should’ve just let this series slide into the dustbin, but I hope they take some lessons from it that outdated tropes are outdated for a reason. Stick with your more progressive themes GMMTV, it will make for a better show.