Lucky Romance

Lucky Romance is a captivating South Korean television series that aired on MBC from May to July in 2016. The engaging storyline, combined with a dash of romance and comedy, quickly made it a fan favorite and helped it gain an international audience through platforms like Viki.

The show centers on the protagonist, Shim Bo-Nui, portrayed by Hwang Jung-Eum, a woman who is torn between her logical mind and her superstitions. Bo-Nui is a diligent worker holding down several part-time jobs to make ends meet, including cleaning office spaces, which is how she ends up meeting her future employer, Je Soo-Ho; portrayed by Ryu Jun-Yeol.

While Bo-Nui is wrestling with the confines of reality, she also harbors an intense belief in superstitions and fortune tellers. This stems from a series of unfortunate events in her life, which lead her to believe that she is cursed and brings bad luck to those around her. As a result, she becomes reliant on any superstitions, charms, or talismans that she believes can protect her loved ones and herself.

On the other hand, Je Soo-Ho is a stark contrast to Bo-Nui. A genius game developer and CEO of a successful gaming company named Zeze Factory, Soo-Ho is an extreme rationalist who only believes in things that he can prove with facts and logic.

Their worlds collide when Bo-Nui gets hired by Soo-Ho but their interactions become more complicated when Bo-Nui's fortune teller predicts that she needs to sleep with a man born in the Year of the Tiger to ward off an impending disaster. Unbeknownst to Bo-Nui, Soo-Ho fits this prediction which sets in motion a rollercoaster of events.

The contrast between the logical minded Soo-Ho and the superstition-fueled Bo-Nui is beautifully captured and forms the crux of this show’s dynamism. Their journey is made even more entertaining by their constant tug of war between logic and faith, facts, and beliefs.

The other key players in the series are Choi Gun-Wook or Gary Choi (Lee Soo-Hyuk), Bo-Nui’s long-lost childhood friend and first love who plays a vital part in her life, the energetic and charismatic Amy Ahn (Lee Chung-Ah), an ex-girlfriend of Soo-Ho, and Sim Bo-Ra (Jung Sang-Hoon), Bo-Nui’s younger brother who was in a coma and the main reason behind Bo-Nui's strong beliefs in superstitions.

The plot of Lucky Romance is essentially about love and how it finds a way even in the most unusual circumstances. While the narrative is centered around the romantic angle, it also sheds light on the dynamics of trust, friendship, the struggles of life, and the crossroads of faith and skepticism, making it relatable to viewers in many ways.

Professionally scripted and visually enchanting, the characters in Lucky Romance are incredibly well-developed. Their quirks, dilemmas, strong beliefs, and complexities make them more humane and relatable. Hwang Jung-Eum and Ryu Jun-Yeol are exceptional in their roles and they bring their characters to life with remarkable conviction.

Lucky Romance is not just about the chemistry between two polar opposites but also about the intellectual connect between them, making it a unique romantic comedy. What differentiates it from other romantic Korean dramas is the complexity of the storyline. It is not a 'love at first sight' kind of narrative. The plot tests the patience, endurance, and development of the characters, making viewers have a sense of fulfillment when they eventually end up together. Will Soo-Ho embrace something that his logical mind does not agree with? Will Bo-Nui let go of her superstitious beliefs for love, or will she continue to cling onto them?

Showered with a healthy dose of humor, wit, and life-altering moments, Lucky Romance captures viewers’ hearts with its genuine depiction of an unlikely romance wrapped up in superstition and logic.

Whether you are in for the superb acting, the intelligently crafted storyline, or simply the charming quirkiness of the characters, Lucky Romance is a heartwarming story that will leave a lasting impression, and even have you question your own views on logic and superstition. It's a perfect binge-watch option for all fans of this exciting, humorous and often tender genre.