The Heavenly Idol: Korean Drama Series Adapted from a Webtoon
The Heavenly Idol is a Korean Drama Series, adapted from a webtoon, titled “Sungseureowoon Idol”, written by Shin Hwa-Jin. It was released in February 2023, and is currently streaming on Viki. This romantic comedy and fantasy series has only 12 episodes. The K-drama series is perfect for fans of Kim Min Kyu.
A High Priest Who Becomes an Idol
Lembrary (played by Kim Min Kyu) is a loyal and pure high priest who serves the god Redlin. When he is not ridding his country of evil demons, he is using his gift to heal others. It’s his calling. Right at the precise moment that he is about to eliminate the Devil, he gets a splitting headache. When he opens his eyes and can see clearly he is immodestly dressed in black. Immodest? OK. Shameful. Yeah. Shameful is a better description for his clothing. I mean … he’s a high priest and his bare abdomen is showing.
That’s not all. His hair is short, it’s a different color, and his name is Woo Yeon-Woo. He’s supposed to be a sexy male idol, a member of a not-so-successful K-Pop boy group called Wild Animal. Sexy? Idol? Wild? How vulgar! But what can he do? The spirit of Lembrary, the high priest of Redlin, is trapped in the body of Woo Yeon-Woo. He is totally confused but knows that he must learn how to navigate in this “new world” while trying to figure out how he can return to his own world. Fortunately, he still has his divine power. Uuumm … sometimes. Sometimes he loses his power. Kind of like a light bulb that turns off and on. It’s also kind of inconvenient but perhaps … it’s a blessing. Maybe he needs to learn that still has the gift to heal others, even without divine power.
Woo Yeon-Woo Has a Loyal Fan
Kim Dal (played by Go Bo-Gyeol) used to work for an entertainment company but because of her mismanagement, one of the celebrities tried to commit suicide. She blames herself and carries a heavy burden of guilt on her shoulders. One day she meets Woo Yeon-Woo (BEFORE he became possessed by Lembrary). He gives her an autographed CD and encourages her with kind words. He tells her that she’ll be alright and he knows this because he has a gift for healing people. From that moment forward Kim Dal becomes a devoted fan of Woo Yeon-Woo.
The High Priest is Not the Only One Who Came to the “New World”
Lembrary accepts the fact that he is in a “new world” but soon realizes that the Devil he was about to eliminate before his “body switch” is also here. The Devil (played by Lee Jang Woo) switched bodies with Shin Jo-Woon, the Chairman of RU Entertainment. His presence is not an accident. He has been sent from the other world to kill Lembrary. Of course, in order to accomplish this, he has an aggressive recruitment campaign. He gains followers through the typical “Sell Your Soul to the Devil Contract”.
You know the routine. The Devil says: “Tell me what you want most in this world and I’ll let you have it if you give me your soul.” Only in this case, there is actually another being in the other world who is getting humans to sign these contracts to become the Devil’s minions. This being heads up an organization called the Red Rain Battalion in the new world. It’s surprising how many humans are willing to sell their souls. Where does the RRB find so many willing souls? Uuuh … celebrities in show business. Where else?
One Fan Against the Devil’s Minions
Lembrary is outnumbered, i.e. he doesn’t have an army of followers that he has recruited to help him fight the battle against the Devil. But he does have Kim Dal, his one true loyal fan/believer. Even though he did not request his assistance, the Grim Reaper showed up to lend him a helping hand. The Grim Reaper was sent to the new world on a mission that is related to Lembrary’s battle with the Devil. Everybody knows the job of the Grim Reaper is to escort the dead. But for some reason, the names of the dead keep vanishing from the records. The “king” in the other world sends the Grim Repear to the new world to find out what’s going on! Where are all of those souls disappearing to?
No Love Triangle?
It’s incredible and hard to believe but this romantic comedy does not have a love triangle. Isn’t that a rule for all Korean dramas? If so, The Heavenly Idol broke the rule. There are the two main characters, Lembrary and Kim Dal and there is no third person, pining away for either of them. Nope. Other than the facts that she’s 29 years old and he’s 120 years old, they come from two different worlds, she’s your average “girl next door”, and he’s a high priest who should be celibate … there is no reason why they can’t have a loving relationship. Love conquers all.
Viewership and Ratings
The Viki viewing audience rated this series 8.9. I agree.
The writers poked fun at the entertainment industry and in particular, K-Pop boy groups. But it was done in good humor and good taste; and not meant to be insulting or derisive. In addition, I became a fan of Kim Min Kyu when he played the king in “Queen: Love and War”. In “The Heavenly Idol, he did a great job playing both a high priest from the other world and an idol in the new world. Since he had the lead role, I would not be willing to give the show a lower rating.
Per this user review found at IMDb: “The Heavenly Idol is quite frankly a perfect romantic comedy. It has a very wide range cast of characters that are all so much fun to watch, with each one adding a little bit of flair to the overall plot line. The story is fun, interesting, and just different enough to make it stand out from the crowd.”
I could not have said it better. However, as much as I enjoyed the series. I don’t think there should be a Season 2. In my humble opinion, there is not much more that can be added to the storyline. But you never know. Some writers can be very creative.
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