Doona!: Episodes 1-2

by Benjamin Liu

Visually stunning and slow to get off the ground, Doona! arrives with more melancholy than it knows how to handle. Our leads are lovely to look at, as a former idol sets her sights on her new neighbor, but it lacks the sparky chemistry I was hoping would kick it into high heart-flutter gear.

Editor’s note: This is a First Impressions post only. For a place to chat about the entire drama, visit the Drama Hangout.

EPISODES 1-2

Yang Se-jong! Yelling his name is really the only way I can account for the exclamation point in the show’s title. So far, there’s nothing that makes me want to holler from the rooftops about this story. It has its pros. The art direction, the frames, the lighting, the colors — and even the music — are captivating. But it’s got uneven pacing, weird transitions, and a series of scenes that are meant to build tension but somehow feel flat.

Here’s the setup. LEE WON-JOON (Yang Se-jong) has just moved to Seoul to study engineering. On the day he arrives to his new digs (roommate cameos by Kim Do-wan and Kim Min-ho), he stumbles on the morose, chain-smoking girl downstairs. He doesn’t realize it right away, but she’s the recently retired idol LEE DOONA (Suzy).