Fascinating and lively, Kim Min Gue made sure his drama gift before military enlistment would be a delightful treat in The Heavenly Idol!
Pulling off a consistently captivating run for its opening week episodes, The Heavenly Idol dawns an interesting premise that is truly hooking.
abbyinhallyuland watches The Heavenly Idol on tvN Asia and Viu
Opening Week Rating: 
The Heavenly Idol Opening Week Story
In a magical land called the Other World, Pontifex Rembrary (Kim Min Gue) is in charge of peace and serenity which The Evil One (Lee Jang Woo) always messes up. He serves Redrin, the Creator of the Other World.
Whilst battling the villain, Rembrary suddenly gets transported to the body of Woo Yeon-woo, a member of the idol group Wild Animal that has been struggling to carve their presence in the thriving Korean entertainment scene.
To make his situation worse, Wild Animal is making a comeback and secured a spot on a music show to perform live. Thrown at a situation totally new to him, Rembrary caused a live show mishap by declaring he does not know how to dance.
With the prospect of Wild Animal getting bleaker after the live show incident, CEO Im (Ye Ji Won) almost decided to disband the group, but thanks to Yeon-woo’s live show mishap, he trended online.
Striking while the iron is hot, CEO Im’s team brainstorms for promotion to keep the group’s popularity climb. They pick a talk show famous for an unfiltered and spontaneous interview to boost Yeon-woo’s viral presence.
“You’re not Yeon-woo, right? Where is Yeon-woo?”
At Yeon-woo’s interview, the host is getting bored with the short answers he’s getting from the Wild Animal member. So, when Yeon-woo starts talking about a relationship that is neither close nor bad, the host digs more into it. Jung-seo, another Wild Animal member, has to negotiate to cut the parts that would put the group’s image in a bad light.
Meanwhile, silently supporting Yeon-woo is Kim Dal (Go Bo Gyeol), an elite manager who holds a deep scar from her past. Her faithful support to Yeon-woo stems from the time that she got a healing moment from him.
When Kim Dal learns about Yeon-woo’s guesting at a relatively rude show, she goes to the place to cast protection if needed. Her instinct was right as she chases after him when he tried to enter a building that needs a pass to go through. Rembrary sees the Evil One and is worried about the havoc he can create.
Realizing her idol changes from his mannerisms to his way of speaking, she asked who he really is. Rembrary is relieved she was able to discern that he is not the real Yeon-woo. Confident that she will understand him, he narrates what happened to her.
However, Kim Dal, baffled at what he spouted thought he must have been so depressed to lose his sanity and demanded to have her sweet and cheerful idol back.
Persistent on meeting the Evil One, Kim Dal has to talk from Rembrary’s perspective and uses the class system for him to understand that he can’t just talk to someone of nobility.
“To meet someone high up at the broadcasting station, becoming a successful idol would work. But if you already lost your mind because of stress, I’d rather not let you push to become an idol.”
Comprehending Kim Dal’s slave versus nobleman difference, Rembrary asked what he needed to do to close the gap. She responds becoming a successful idol would equip him with power how ever his current situation is not good to push for it.
Determined to meet the Evil One, Rembrary sets a goal to become a successful idol. His interview generates mixed reviews and he even scores an entertainment show stint.
At the meeting with the variety show director, he discovers the snacks and calls them tribute when he got a taste of them. He likes it so much that when he saw the treats again at the pictorial for the variety show, he was so obedient to the photographer. But his relenting attitude halts when he was asked to portray an evil concept.
Hae-gyeol, another Wild Animal member, explains how in the idol world the concept of being evil is fully accepted, but being a sacred man, the realization of how different the world he is in dampened his spirit. When a couple of paparazzi try to scoop news about his participation, they were rescued in time by Kim Dal who signed up as their new road manager.
“I want you to remember us. In return, I will never forget you. My calling is to heal people. I’m rooting for you Kim Dal.”
Bringing Lembrary to the clinic where she also received treatment, Kim Dal learns from the psychiatrist that there’s nothing wrong with her life savior.
Apparently, two years ago, Kim Dal succumbed to depression when one of the artists she managed jumped from a building and eventually died.
On the day, she was about to commit suicide, Yeon-woo cheers her up while handing the signed album with his warm and encouraging words. He also took what she bought from the convenience store that are items for quick suicide.
While Kim Dal talks to the psychiatrist, Rembrary spots some sweets in the clinic. As it is time for his evening prayer, he uses his discovered treats to communicate with the Other World.
Interestingly, Yeon-woo who is enjoying his life as a Pontifex answered his call. Unfortunately, he does not want to switch his life back.
So, Rembrary promises that he would make Wild Animal famous by winning the prestigious award and sealing a “holy vow” with him.
The Heavenly Idol Opening Week Musings
Neat and clear with its story and intention, The Heavenly Idol foresees a hooking drama, especially for fantasy-romance aficionados. If you are one who is also drawn to supporting idols or actors; then, the series easily would resonate with you.
On that note, a peek at the thriving K-pop idol world would be the base setting for the series. While we saw a few idol-themed dramas in the last three years, the chimeric elements in The Heavenly Idol set it apart right away. It also pragmatically put forward what’s the real deal happening to less-popular idol groups.
There’s a wide room for the story to grow but the focus on the lead characters and Rembrary’s goal to assume Woo Yeon-woo so he can go back to the Other World takes the bulk of excitement in the series.
Go Bo Gyeol charmingly channeled the fangirl we can all relate to, and we can’t wait to see how her interactions with Rembrary spring a meaningful encounter that could also possibly break our hearts. Treating Yeon-woo as her life savior for giving that last glimmer of hope when she almost decided to give up on life, hints at healing elements the story can expound to.
Most importantly, it would be ambrosial to witness the changes of Rembrary in committing to a totally whole new world while equipping himself with idol skills that he never heard of.
What’s more interesting is how the people around him think he’s suffering mentally. Thanks to his being quick-witted, he can easily assess the situation and adapt well to the scenarios given to him.
Cheer for Rembrary, a high priest that would navigate the life of an artist in The Heavenly Idol!
Photos: tvN Drama
[wpedon id=”2271″ align=”center”]
