KDrama Review: My Secret, Terrius

My score: 8/10

(Warning! Contains spoilers!)

So I had just finished CLOY and was looking for something light. I thought it would be good to follow HB but somehow I couldn’t get into Secret Garden and Hyde, Jekyll and Me. Then a friend mentioned that the coronavirus made a cameo in My Secret, Terrius, starring So Ji Sub.

Now, I had seen So Ji Sub before (The Master’s Sun, The Battleship Island) but hadn’t been impressed. In fact, he did nothing for me. No attraction, no kilig, no impact. So there was no reason for me to follow him. Even as I started watching My Secret, Terrius, I often asked myself what his effect on Koreans was that they obviously held him in high regard. Perhaps it was the shape of his face, which is actually the ideal shape according to fans? Or his height, which is over 6 feet? Or his chinky, single-lidded eyes, another ideal feature? Anyway, it wasn’t any of that for me.

But I did get into the story. It was, in truth, my kind of story — where there’s a murder, a witness, a conspiracy, a good guy with a secret, a handsome bad guy who will stop at nothing to follow his orders, a damsel in distress who ultimately can take care of herself, and a twist which nobody, not even the best Western writers, could have thought of. (I actually look forward to Korean stories because of “the twist”.) At first, I found it predictable and might have dropped it if it weren’t for the subtle introduction of romance. I was looking for something light, remember?

The best feature (and what kept me going) was the comic relief contributed by the damsel’s circle of friends as well as the heartwarming innocence of her children. Needless to say, my favorite character was the little girl, Jun-hui.

And yes, in Ep 11, the coronavirus did make an appearance but not as a global pandemic like it is now, but as an experiment developed to become a weapon of mass destruction.

All-in-all, it was a well-done storyline and the events were well-spaced, until Ep 15, which introduced the super-efficient matron from Russia who, despite supposedly being the epitome of strictness, had so many weaknesses. I would have wanted to see more action with her, but no, it was tied up quickly with a nice ribbon within the same episode. In fairness, we got to see more physical action from So Ji Sub and I liked that. All’s well that ends well, I always say.

And then, while researching the cast, I learn that So Ji Sub is also a musical artist (singer/rapper). And that he does it really well! I guess it won’t hurt to watch another show of his.