Who Is She- Episodes 1-2
A Whirlwind of Secrets, Dreams, and Doppelgängers
It’s finally here! Who Is She has dropped its much-anticipated premiere episode, and let me tell you—it’s anything but predictable. For fans of the original film, this updated drama version pulls out all the stops to keep us guessing. Let’s dive into the whirlwind of secrets, dreams, and yes, doppelgängers.
From the get-go, we’re introduced to our heroine, Oh Mal-soon (Kim Hae-sook), a tough-as-nails woman in her seventies. She’s spent her life sacrificing her dreams to raise her daughter, Ban Ji-sook (Seo Young-hee), as a single mother. Mal-soon once dreamed of becoming a singer, but those aspirations took a backseat to the realities of survival.
Now, Mal-soon lives with Ji-sook, her domineering, perfectionist daughter, along with Ji-sook’s bumbling husband, Choi Min-seok (In Gyo-jin), and their teenage daughter, Choi Ha-na (Chae Won-bin). The household is a pressure cooker of unresolved tension. Ji-sook is hyper-critical of her husband, Min-seok can’t seem to hold down a job, and Ha-na is at odds with her mother over her future. When Ha-na reveals she doesn’t want to go to college and instead dreams of becoming a singer, all hell breaks loose.
Amidst this family drama, Mal-soon’s own story comes to the forefront. Her health is failing—her hearing, eyesight, and singing voice are fading—but she’s determined to take one last shot at fulfilling her dream. She enters a singing competition hosted by UNIS Entertainment, where she plans to perform a legendary song from her youth.
But the contest isn’t just about her dream—it’s personal. The agency’s CEO is Kim Ae-shim (Cha Hwa-yeon), a famous singer and Mal-soon’s apparent nemesis. When Mal-soon announces that the song she’s chosen is “her song,” tensions skyrocket. Why? It’s the very song that Ae-shim used to launch her career decades ago. Their icy stare-down during Mal-soon’s performance makes it clear: there’s bad blood between these two women, and it runs deep.
Mal-soon’s performance starts strong but falters as her voice gives out. Ae-shim’s cold remark—“Becoming a singer isn’t something just anyone can do”—leaves Mal-soon devastated. Backstage, she breaks down in tears, questioning her worth and the life she’s lived.
Things come to a head that same evening when Mal-soon returns home to a shouting match between Ji-sook and Ha-na. Ha-na has already been accepted as a trainee at UNIS Entertainment, and Ji-sook is furious. Mal-soon, who shares a close bond with her granddaughter, defends Ha-na’s dreams, sparking an explosive argument with Ji-sook.
The confrontation turns personal, with Ji-sook accusing Mal-soon of being a harsh, absent mother. Mal-soon fires back, but when Ji-sook suggests they’ve been living together for too long, the words cut deep. Stunned and heartbroken, Mal-soon leaves the house in the pouring rain.
That’s when things take a magical turn. A mysterious taxi driver picks her up, and Mal-soon wakes up in a photo studio. After a bizarre encounter, she finds herself transformed—she’s back in her 20-year-old body.
Though disoriented at first, Mal-soon soon decides this transformation isn’t a curse, but a chance to relive the life she missed out on. Enter Daniel Han (Jinyoung), a former idol-turned-producer at UNIS, who’s dealing with his own crisis: the leader of his new girl group, Emily (Jung Ji-so), has gone missing. When Daniel stumbles upon young Mal-soon, who looks identical to Emily, he assumes he’s found his missing star.
Mal-soon, realizing she can’t return home in her youthful state, decides to play along. She agrees to join the girl group and live as Emily. With her restored voice and a three-month deadline to debut, she sees this as her second shot at the singing career she never had. But challenges abound: she has to learn dance moves, navigate group dynamics, and figure out what really happened to the real Emily.
Just when you think things can’t get more complicated, they do. As young Mal-soon leaves UNIS, she encounters her older self—alive and very much not transformed. The episode ends with the two Mal-soons coming face to face, leaving us with a million questions.
DramaZen's Opinion
Wow, what an opener! The first episode of Who Is She had me hooked from start to finish with its perfect blend of heartfelt family drama, intriguing secrets, and supernatural twists. This drama doesn’t waste a second, diving straight into the emotional core of its characters and setting the stage for what promises to be an unforgettable journey.
Kim Hae-sook’s performance as Oh Mal-soon is nothing short of mesmerizing. She captures every ounce of heartbreak, resilience, and vulnerability in a way that made me tear up more than once. The strained mother-daughter dynamic between Mal-soon and Ji-sook felt so raw and real, especially during that gut-wrenching dinner table scene. It’s clear there’s so much pain and misunderstanding between them, and I can’t wait to see how their relationship evolves.
And then there’s the twist—Mal-soon’s transformation into her younger self. I did not see that coming! The way the drama seamlessly shifted from emotional realism to a fantastical premise was impressive, and it somehow feels totally natural in this world. Plus, the double dose of intrigue with Mal-soon’s doppelgänger and her connection to Kim Ae-shim adds an extra layer of mystery I’m dying to unravel.
The pacing is spot on, the characters are compelling, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. I’m already rooting for Mal-soon to reclaim her dreams and find some kind of peace in her life. And let’s not forget the fabulous Jinyoung as Daniel Han, whose charm and comedic timing are the perfect counterbalance to all the heavy emotions.
Episode 1 has set the bar high, and I’m ready for this wild, emotional ride. If the rest of the series is as gripping as this premiere, Who Is She could easily become one of my all-time favorites. Bring on Episode 2!
