It’s time for a new Dramas With a Side of Kimchi recap! I am so excited to be recapping Doom at Your Service for the next several weeks with Kmuse. It’s almost summer, and I’m ready to lay in the sunshine, cold drink in hand, and watch dramas with my kbesties. I’m Clkytta: fangirl, mom, friend, writer, editor, and teacher. I’m also the one that Kmuse corrals into helping recap when it’s anything to do with mysteries, murders, or paranormal. All she had to do this time was say, “Paranormal, Seo In Guk, and Park Bo Young,” and I was on board!

Just a heads up, when we recap, it’s not a play-by-play; we talk more about highlights and what we find interesting.

Synopsis: Tak Dong Kyung has been working hard ever since her parents passed away. Her life seemed more stable after working as a web novel editor for 6 years, but then she gets diagnosed with brain cancer. She blames her unlucky life and wishes to curse everything to disappear, which unintentionally calls Myeol Mang, a messenger between humans and gods, to appear. He says that he can grant her wishes. As her last hope, she makes a contract with Myeol Mang for a hundred days to live how she wants, risking her everything. (Source: Mydramalist/CJ ENM)

Focus on the problem at hand

Our story begins with our heroine receiving a cancer diagnosis. Not just any diagnosis, but a terminal diagnosis. She nods and then says she doesn’t have any time off for the surgery. The doctor is just flabbergasted. Then when she whips out a script and lays it in front of him, we as the audience are flabbergasted. Apparently, he’s a writer, and she’s his editor. She seems more concerned with work than with her problem at hand. She’s obviously trying to come to terms with what is happening, but we can’t decide whether to laugh or cry with her. Cue stumble walk and catch by the ever so hot doctor walking by.

Don’t mess with Death

Myeol Mang appears to be a doctor in the emergency room, but the reality is that he’s Death’s messenger. When someone has been horribly wronged, they have an opportunity to wish for things to change. Myeol Mang’s life also seems to be in limbo; he’s neither human, nor spirit. He’s someone with a birthday, but who was never born.

Real Life is Worse Than a Drama

Cancer diagnosis: check. Boyfriend calls for a meetup, but it’s really his WIFE: check. Wife is pregnant: check. Wife starts cramping, and our heroine has to get her to the hospital: check. This poor girl! As she walks along looking at the autumn leaves, she thinks she must really be dying. Back at the office, her boss is a prime specimen of a sexist jerk. He’s even scrolling the internet while talking to her, and guess who’s on the scandal page? You guessed it, our unlucky heroine. As she escapes home on the train, she reads all the hateful comments. This girl just can’t get a break; some jerk face is also taping her! As she chases him down, he falls into a sinkhole. Seriously, this is all just crazy! But not crazy enough because her brother calls for money and she reminds him that it’s their parents’ death anniversary.

Pondering Humanity

Tak Dong Kyung has a cute little pastel apartment and she stands outside drinking rice wine while wondering “why me?” She rails against fate and her life. Not so far away, her wish is heard by Myeol Mang in his dungeon chic home. He is listening to the wishes of many people, but hers sticks out. She wants someone to bring Doom to the world, and that’s a request that interests him. So…he shows up at her door at 3 am to grant her wish. As she prepares to call 112, he tells her it’s his birthday, and her phone just powers off.

Bargaining for 100 Days

As he eats her parents’ cake, he tells her he can give her 100 days. He’s being generous since it’s his birthday. Now it’s time to get down to business. He transports her to his house, well, not really, it’s a dream. He leans in, she leans back… oh I’m feeling the chemistry between these two!! he outlines their business relationship and now we get to see what he can do. She gets 100 days to change her life.

It Wasn’t a Dream

He promises her that when the time is up, she won’t be in pain while she is dying. Then, he starts answering her wishes. It’s more like flashes of what she wished for, but that’s still something! He’s even showing up at her work. “Are you a stalker or American?” Snort laugh! There is no escaping him. Honestly, who’d want to escape him? She makes a choice after her head starts ringing from the illness. Her pain is real and there is a good old-fashioned Truck of Doom (TOD) heading her way. Everything stops around her, she is now in control of what happens next, die there or take his hand? The 100-day countdown begins…

Final Thoughts

It’s episode one, and I’m sold straight out the gate. Park Bo Young is on my Top 10 list of actresses; she is so versatile. I like her hair and styling here too. She’s kind of an everywoman, someone who is just trying to live her life, but life is dragging her down. Seo In Guk is killing me dead with the hair, guyliner, and black trench coat. He looks GOOD. I really like the premise of this show. I think there is a lot of potential here and our leads have amazing chemistry.

Until the next questionable wish,

Clkytta

Dramas With a Side of Kimchi