Enigma is a bite-sized show with a simple yet intriguing premise. It was exciting to tune into Enigma knowing that black magic is rarely explored as a theme by GMMTV, and that screenwriter and director O was enthusiastic about this show acting as a pioneer in that regard.

Enigma had its strengths. Its cast, a majority women actors, did a solid job. In my opinion, performances like Prigkhing as Yihwa were the ultimate strength of Enigma. It's a shame the show is so short as to limit the time we got to see Yihwa, or Piploy as Namsine. Still, I have little complaint about Fa as a protagonist. Prim fits the role so well that it was practically made for her.

You can also see what O meant when he said he took a modern approach to making black magic more palatable for a present-day audience. The balance between the traditional, which is the origin of magic across all cultures, and modern tech (social media, the dark web) was evident. I would have 0 complaints about a more traditional approach, but because I know what O was going for, and the idea of an underground organization of black magic users operating via the web is pretty cool, I can't complain about the way Enigma handles magic.

Still, I do think it would be nice to go all-out. I understand Enigma is a gateway, and is appealing to an international audience, but I'm excited to see how much further black magic can be explored using the medium of mainstream horror dramas or movies that are accessible to a global audience, which is the platform that GMM currently has. For that, I also have to agree with the sentiments of my friend Reinee Seezinz. You may dread seeing her comments, but she's right about the ethnic makeup of GMM actors. Magic is traditional, it'd be nice to see plenty of faces that match.

I want to end by saying that yeah I am one of the people who thinks the romantic suggestions in the show were uncomfortable. Before the show even aired I had my buttcheeks clenched hoping to god it wouldn't be student-teacher. "Well he's not a real teacher!" Great. Should we celebrate? Should we pop bottles? The implication is that he is an adult man with a career, and she's still a high school student regardless of if she's a senior or 18. Thankfully the relationship was a one-sided crush, or at least that's what was explicitly confirmed by the final episode. That's not to say there weren't some scenes with the two of them that made my eyes narrow. Like the necklace, or her dressing his wounds. I'm sick of the trope and the way it goes over people's heads or, even worse, people die to defend it. If there is a season two and Fa graduates and ends up with Ajin, I'll consider that a defeat too.

For now, I don't have too many hopes or expectations. Overall, Enigma was alright. It wasn't groundbreaking, but not a waste of time either. It has its standout moments. I hope to see more black magic in the future. And more traditional culture in general.