CAST: Cha Eun-woo, Park Kyu-young, Park Kyu-young, Lee Hyun-woo, Yoon Hyun-soo

DIRECTOR :Kim Dae-woong

Get ready for “A Good Day to Be a Dog”! So, put on your suspension of disbelief helmet because it’s time for some magical transformations, a colorful cast of characters, and heaps of hilarity.

“A Good Day To Be A Dog” (오늘도 사랑스럽개 in Korean) is a webtoon written by Lee Hye. This adaptation is a riot.

The first week of “A Good Day to Be a Dog” gives us precisely what we’ve been craving: an introduction to this zany fantasy world that’s overflowing in every way, especially with vibrant colors. This choice was actually quite clever as it infuses the entire drama with a delightful touch of quirkiness, ensuring that the story’s madness always feels like a whimsical fairy tale rather than something to be taken too seriously. And that notion of “not taking things too seriously” is crucial if you want to hop on board and enjoy this particular rollercoaster.

We’re thrown right into the mix with our heroine, Han Hae-na, portrayed brilliantly by Park Kyu-young, who’s perfectly in her element. Her dating life has been less than successful because, when the moment for that first kiss arrives, she dodges and makes a run for it – literally. It’s not that she doesn’t want to kiss; it’s just that pesky family curse that turns anyone in her family into a dog immediately after a kiss. The nightly transformation continues unless the same person who planted the kiss repeats it while they’re in their dog form. We get a hilarious glimpse of the curse in action through a flashback, where Hae-na’s uncle turns into a golden retriever.

The curse reappears with her older sister, Han Yoo-na, played by Park Kyu-young. A childhood friend once gave her a peck on the lips, and she turned into a dog, only to be quickly, and conveniently, kissed back into her human form, breaking the curse. Now, one might wonder why they couldn’t just follow the same process for Hae-na and resolve her pesky curse within five minutes.

In the present, our kiss-deprived Hae-na is a teacher at Garam High School, and she finds herself infatuated with the history teacher, Lee Bo-Gyeom portrayed by Lee Hyun-woo. Bo-gyeom appears to be the perfect package: friendly, handsome, and a dog enthusiast. Hae-na’s crush solidifies when she observes his affection for dogs and his willingness to give them kisses.

As we delve into Hae-na’s work life at the high school and her budding crush, the drama impressively immerses us in the setting. It masterfully introduces us to the secondary characters, the supporting cast of students and their unique vibes, and the physical backdrop of the school. Most importantly, we encounter another heartthrob teacher at the school, the math and handsome genius, JIN SEO-WON, played by Cha Eun-woo. He may be as cold as ice, but his beauty is as striking as an ice castle, making him an easy crush for everyone, both students and teachers alike.

However, there’s one person who isn’t harboring a crush on him, and that’s our Hae-na. She and Seo-won don’t exactly see eye to eye, and even though she doesn’t quite grasp why, she’s been responding to his avoidance by reciprocating in kind. It’s a logical response, after all. The stage is set quite well, so when we finally witness all these young teachers gathering for an after-work dinner, the character dynamics are already neatly established.

Driven to the brink of despair upon learning that her first love is getting married, Hae-na decides she’s had enough. During the dinner, while Kissable Bo-gyeom steps away from the table, so does Seo-won. In the dimly-lit alley out back, Hae-na seizes the moment and plants a kiss on who she believes to be Bo-gyeom. Except, it’s not Bo-gyeom; it’s Seo-won, wearing Bo-gyeom’s coat. And this, my friends, is why mixing soju and kissing can be a recipe for chaos. Hae-na’s horrified reaction is utterly priceless. Before anyone can fully process what has just occurred, she performs a repentant 90-degree bow to Seo-won and makes a hasty exit, running away in sheer embarrassment.

From Bo-gyeom’s bemused comment about her having a curfew to Hae-na’s comical escape set to circus music and the clever use of shadows to depict her transformation – every aspect of this scene perfectly captures the drama’s tone.

Hae-na makes it home in her new and endearingly scruffy terrier form, and her sister quickly realizes what’s happened. She ensures that dog Hae-na is appropriately dressed (because, as we need to know, otherwise she’d wake up naked), and they devise a plan to address the predicament the following morning.

Unfortunately, the only solution the two sisters can conceive of for breaking Hae-na’s curse is to get Seo-won so intoxicated that he passes out. They reason that this way, when the clock strikes midnight and she transforms into a dog again, he won’t hesitate to kiss her.

What unfolds next are Hae-na’s rather desperate attempts to persuade Seo-won to join her for a drink, which, if not for the drama’s lighthearted and comedic approach, might come across as a bit over the top. The show is forgiving of our heroine’s antics, and so is Seo-won, and by extension, we, the viewers, can afford to be as well. He not only graciously overlooks the accidental kiss incident but also offers to help set her up with Bo-gyeom. After a bit of friction, the two even come to an understanding.

Now, one commendable aspect of the drama is its adept layering of plot elements for future comedic escapades. Firstly, following Hae-na’s initial encounter with Seo-won in her dog form, which left him trembling in sheer terror, she, her sister, and their veterinarian friend quickly deduce that he suffers from a dog-related trauma. This revelation clears up the misunderstanding regarding why Seo-won has been avoiding Hae-na for so long, primarily because dogs inexplicably gravitate toward her.

Another intricately woven layer is the fact that Seo-won is actively assisting Hae-na in pursuing a relationship with Bo-gyeom when, in reality, it’s Seo-won himself from whom she needs a kiss. Additionally, there’s an underlying sense of something more in Seo-won’s feelings for Hae-na. His initial demeanor seemed like simple dislike, but with a bit of insight, we begin to see that there’s much more beneath the surface.

However, the chaos doesn’t stop there in just two episodes. There’s a budding storyline involving the high school students. Hae-na takes on the role of guardian for a kind-hearted student named Choi Yul (Yoon Hyun-soo from “Seasons of Blossom,”). She meets him at the police station after he gets into a scuffle with some bullies who had been tormenting her earlier in the day. Unfortunately for Hae-na, this incident occurs right before midnight. Instead of ensuring her student’s safe return home, she panics and makes a frantic escape attempt, hoping to undergo her transformation discreetly. Predictably, this is an impossible task, and Yul witnesses her transformation in real life. Being the sweet person he is, he gathers her belongings, purse, and phone and takes her home in her dog form.

Now, why is this problematic? Because Choi Yul lives with his guardian, none other than Mr. Perfect Jin Seo-won. Yes, that same guy who broods in his shower while revisiting his past traumas, who effortlessly solves escape room critical reasoning puzzles, and who secretly delivers your favorite dessert to your desk at work. Why isnt he near us. We would want to try wooing him too ( Cha Eun-WOOO)

The ending of Episode 2 depicts Hae-na waking up the next morning in her human form, hastily dressing, and attempting to sneak out of this high school boy’s bedroom without arousing his awareness. So, when Seo-won opens the door, the situation looks just as scandalous as it sounds. This, my friends, is the Unicorn  of comedic situations that this drama is fully prepared to conquer.

“A Good Day to Be a Dog” redeems itself by wholeheartedly embracing its unapologetically ridiculous nature.

The absolute highlight of Episode 2 was when Yul was taking dog Hae-na home in a taxi. She sat there with all the poise of a lady, opened the window using her paw, and gazed out with an air of melancholy. The taxi driver commented on what a well-behaved dog she was, and I couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the delightful absurdity of the scene.

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