Netflix K-drama My Demon: Song Kang and Kim Yoo-jung go head to head in superficial fantasy romcom

Lead cast: Song Kang, Kim Yoo-jung

Latest Nielsen rating: 3.4 per cent

When it comes to classic weekly K-dramas, we don’t usually tune in to experience something new and unexpected; leave that to the edgier R-rated streaming series. We tune in precisely because we do know exactly what to expect.

The format has been the same for years. Pair attractive male and female stars, have their characters huff and puff around each other for a few episodes, and then slowly watch the magic happen as they melt one another’s defences and fall into each other’s arms.

My Demon, a new fantasy romcom starring Song Kang and Kim Yoo-jung and streaming in select international territories on Netflix, is aiming squarely for that sweet spot.

Alas, in this case it does not always find its way to the bullseye.

The show begins with an information dump that explains the ancient Greek roots of the word demon – daimai, which, according to the show, means to share the same fate.

Although a fitting piece of etymology for the story that’s about to unfold, it is not entirely accurate. The ancient word from which “demon” is derived would more appropriately be translated as “divider” of fate.

The one doing the “dividing” is Jeong Gu-won (Song), a demon who has walked the earth for centuries, collecting souls for which he barters by temporarily fulfilling people’s wishes. His targets get to live the life of their dreams for 10 years until he comes to collect the ultimate debt.

Gu-won’s house has a grand chamber filled with ticking clocks, and whenever one of those strikes at the anointed hour, he struts up in striking silk robes to whichever unlucky soul entered into a deal with him and strikes them dead. The clock in the room then evaporates.

The introduction also includes a flash forward to a young woman running at night through the fog, wondering if the figure who appears before her is friend or foe, devil or angel.

Kim Yoo-jung as Do Do-hee in a still from “My Demon”.

As we catch up to her in the present, we learn that this woman is Do Do-hee (Kim), a young and savvy investor who has just won the CEO of the year award at the Korea CEO Awards.

Do-hee is the brilliant, driven but also very stuck-up adopted daughter of Mirae Group chairwoman Ju Cheon-sook (Kim Hae-sook). Cheon-sook, whose ailing health is setting the stage for a power struggle in her family, dotes on Cheon-sook more than her own children, most of whom are vain and conniving.

My Demon goes very hard on its meet cute, which takes place when Do-hee finally relents and goes on a blind date as Cheon-sook has repeatedly insisted do. Do-hee walks into a glamorous restaurant at the top of a hotel, which has been completely reserved by the man sitting in it reading a newspaper.

Kim Hae-sook as Ju Cheon-sook in a still from “My Demon”.

This is Gu-won and he doesn’t betray any emotion when a bored Do-hee sits in front of him. He speaks down to her and she shoots back with equally rude behaviour during their brief and abrasive tête-à-tête.

What Do-hee doesn’t realise is that she’s waltzed into the wrong hotel and this isn’t her blind date. Gu-won just wanted some peace and quiet and a bite of his favourite cake.

Meanwhile, a killer is on the loose eliminating people within Mirae. These hits appear to be related to a cover-up and are almost certainly preparatory moves for the inheritance battle that will soon take place.

Song Kang as Jeong Gu-won in a still from “My Demon”.

The killer, who is strikingly ugly and darts around in disguise with a glaring blood stain on the back of his neck, soon sets his sights on Do-hee, and this is when Gu-won appears before her again.

Since Do-hee is in a life-or-death situation she is easy prey for Gu-won, who seeks desperate people to sign away their souls. And Do-hee does agree, without first hearing the terms, but things don’t go according to plan.

During the deal Gu-won suddenly loses his powers, and after both of them fall into the sea to avoid the killer’s oncoming car, Gu-won’s mysterious cross tattoo transfers from his wrist to Do-hee’s.

Kim Yoo-jung as Do Do-hee in a still from “My Demon”.

Where My Demon does succeed is in quickly putting its two beautiful and arrogant protagonists in positions where they lose their power – literally for Gu-won and figuratively for Do-hee, whose position as Cheon-sook’s favourite won’t keep her safe forever.

Although simple, the set-up is rife with potential; elsewhere, though, the show tends to fall flat. Vapid characters fill out a prosaic storyline that sticks so unwaveringly to a tried-to-true path that it forgets to be interesting.

My Demon is streaming on Netflix.