[REVIEW] SBS TV series "Thousand Days Promise" - 1st Episode

A scene from "Thousand Days Promise" [SBS]

SBS TV series "Thousand Days Promise" - Monday/Tuesday 9:55 p.m.
Seo-yeon (Soo-ae), who has "nothing but pride" and Ji-hyung (Kim Rae-won) who cannot help but be cowardly because he has too much, pursue a love which will expire when Ji-hyung gets married. Seo-yeon had always been misfortunate -- indebted to her aunt who raised her because she had no parents. And including her misfortunate future which will soon hit her, forseen by her frequent headaches and forgetfulness, "Thousand Days Promise" will be about the love that sustains this very short and difficult life of hers. This sort of woman, who is smart and assertive yet tears her heart apart and cries in front of the name of love, may resemble the past women that have been depicted in Kim Soo-hyun's dramas, particularly Young-ae (Kim Hee-ae) from SBS' "Complete Love" in terms of the familiar setups such as difference in social standing, a terminal illness and genuine love.

But despite such duplication and awkwardness shown by the actors who have yet to embody their wordy lines, we will probably be not be able to stop ourselves from immersing into this drama which we are so sure will be a tragedy. The first episode started with passionate displays of affection, just like "Complete Love" did, but it is the ears, not eyes, that could not turn away from "Thousand Days Promise." Screenwriter Kim Soo-hyun presented her viewers with a powerful setting where one could see the life her characters have lived, their personalities, what is most important to them and even their most cowardly sides through their endless lines which may have reminded one of Shakespeare of Chekhov's classical tragedies. Like it has proven through a single episode, "Thousand Days Promise" is clearly a 'Kim Soo-hyun drama.' A new drama by a writer who tells about the most universal story through the most peculiar form of speech, has started.

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