Island – Episodes 1 & 2: Lustful Demons

Okay, I am a complete sucker for anything Sci-fi and/or fantasy, and those two genres combined in a series featuring Kim Nam Gil in any character, let alone a fantastical dagger-wielding demon slayer hunting soul-seeking lustful demons is more than a girl can ask for indeed.

And, of course, one cannot dismiss (Lee Da Hee) as Won Mi Ho, the savior. Lee Da Hee was amazing in Beauty Inside and WWW: Search. Nothing she’s done since compares. If I have any complaints at all about her character aesthetically that is then it's her bangs, not sure what they were going for there.

Island is almost a cross between a Korean Odyssey and Dark Hole, where humans breed monsters and evil from their own selfishness and hate that ultimately hunts them. It’s like they say humans are the real monsters, and to defeat that monster/demon/evil, whatever one chooses to call them, one must become a monster. But let me say; this opener was brilliant. The cinematography hooks me, the lustful demon makeup, the music score, the flying, jumping, chasing and running. I mean the edge-of-your-seat attention-grabbing stuff.

When I first saw Won Mi Ho’s teacher (Oh Gwan Rok), I wasn’t sure what to make of him. I got the impression he knew of Mi Ho’s former life and the prophecy. It seemed like he brought her to the island for that reason, but I wasn’t sure why and how he fits into the bigger picture, so to speak. But now that I know he’s a priest, his behavior makes total sense. He is a friend rather than a foe, a protector, and brought her to the island to awaken her full potential and have her fulfill the prophecy. Kim Nam Gil’s scenes fighting/slaying the lustful demons are almost what I live for right now. There is no one better than him to play an overburdened, sad, justice-seeking higher mixed breed of good and evil.

I am not sure what to make of Kang Chan Hyuk /John, I mean I know he is an exorciser, and a priest who seems to have been graced with special powers to expel demons, but what am not clear about is his motive. He seems too keen on Won Hi Ho and Van, like he has an ultrior motive, but it’s too early to tell what exactly. I guess time will tell all.

The other character I am really interested in is the second child, that was made into a demon fighter. I am curious to know who he is, why he was chosen and what he’s become. Could he be the evil force; I don’t know why but I get a sense that, unlike Van, he was not able to control the demon in him. Or maybe Goong Tan (Sung Joon) wasn’t, couldn’t, or didn’t want to, and is using the evil forced on him to punish all humans who he blame for treating him like an animal. I must say it’s been a long time since I last watched Sung Joon in a drama. It’s good to have him back. I am looking forward to seeing how he completes and, or divides Van and Mi Ho.

There is a lot I still don’t get, or have questions about, such as where is Leader Jong Ryeong (Park Geun Hyung), is he still the head of this secret organization that Van and I assume Goong Tan were forced to be a part of, to prevent goblins from crawling out of another world to destroy the current world; does Van still work under his order or did he and Geum Baek Joo (Go Doo Shim) branch out on their own and if so how and when; also, what is Lee Su-Ryun (Jung Soo Bin) role, is she just a high school girl that has a special relationship with Van and Geum Baek Joo or is there more to her; the same goes for Won Mi Ho's father (Jeon Gook Hwan) and aunt(Lee Hang Na)are they part of the order or is their association purely through Min Ho; I ca ’t wait t watch the answers unfold week by week. Till then, I commend the Manhwa writer for such compelling work, the script writer for laying it out in such a mesmerizing way, and the director and actors for breathtakingly bringing it all to life. Watch episodes 1 and 2 here.