K-Drama Premiere: Lee Jung Shin Time-Travels To Save His Dream Girl In “My First Love”

Lee Jung Shin looks suave and promising for his first lead man role in OCN’s first romantic offering My First Love.

My First Love incorporates time-slip element to its 8-episode romance tale about a man who is given a chance to save his first love – when he is magically transported back to the time when he first met her.

What OCN accomplished last year aside from its trademark thrilling crime dramas was mushy love stories fitting for viewers who prefer light romantic comedy.

K-Drama first romance stories usually take the easy path in winning the viewers’ hearts because we all have fond memories of the first person we ever loved.

OCN’s new drama offering sprints with the right amount of sweet and unadulterated romantic tale about a man who can’t forget his first love. When he is magically transported to the time he met his dream girl, he is given an opportunity to make things right along with saving the girl from her eventual death in the future.

My First Love moved efficiently on its opening week by presenting clearly the focus of the narrative. The time-traveling hero is up to coach his 18-year-old self not to miss the chance of declaring his emotions to his first love since he knows she is bound to vanish in his life, making him miserably heartbroken in the next 10 years. His discovery that she will meet a fatal accident in their future heightens his desire to change what happened in their past so he can prevent her looming death.

Pilot Week Recap

Kang Shin Woo (Lee Jung Shin) hits the extent of his patience towards his friends, who are intent to set him up with blind dates and psychiatric sessions to cure his 10-year one-sided love spell.

After his psychiatric consultation, he receives news that his first love is seen in a Seoul hospital and on cue, his gaze meets the eyes of the woman – Seo Ji Soo (Lee Yeul Eum), whom he has been missing for a long time. They sit down for coffee. But their reunion ends up on a bad note, with Ji Soo advising him to forget her since fate has never been on their side.

Shin Woo drives to his hometown for his mother’s memorial service and chances upon an old book of him given by Ji Soo. There, he finds an old note which he was not able to read, asking him to meet Ji Soo at the firefly bridge 10 years ago. Disheartened by his belated discovery, he goes to the bridge, wondering what would have happened if he was able to meet her at that time.

Suddenly, Shin Woo is hit by a newspaper delivery man, pushing him to fall down at a nearby lake. When he gains consciousness, he realizes he is transported back to the year when he first met Ji Soo.

With the opportunity given out of nowhere, Shin Woo decides to make things right as he takes on the Math teaching post in his old high school. He creates opportunity for younger Shin Woo (Seo Ji Hoon) to express his feelings for Ji Soo since he is adamant and clueless on how to sort out his emotions.

Shin Woo eventually learns how his old self missed the clues that they had a mutual feeling back then. He also discovers that Ji Soo will meet a fatal accident on the same day he traveled back in time from the newspaper he took from the present time.

Premiere Week Verdict

So far, the trajectory is endearing. Given its predictable scenario, the execution of whether the time-slip plot will be able to solve the conflict is what I am anticipating to uncover.

The pacing is swiftly moving but I am worried how the eight chapters would suffice in explaining everything that needs to be brought out in the narrative. Let’s hope it would.

Lee Jung Shin did well for the opening week as he switches to different faces of emotions without pointless exaggeration. He has created a synergy with Seo Ji Hoon, who portrays the character of his young version well. The audience can look forward to how they will work together to claim the love they missed and prevent their first love from her imminent death.

Takeaway Quote

“The thing about fate is that it may twist and turn or fall apart a little on its way, but it always reaches the same end point. But that small twist, or the one second or a minute that fell apart a bit may create a miracle.”