Prime Video adds to its impressive assortment of Korean dramas with its latest premiere, Love in Disguise. Based on Lee A-yeon and Ryu Do-ha’s web novel Why You Don’t Know It’s a Girl?, this series offers more than just your average office rom-com as it revolves around a murder case that forces detective Kang Jae-hee (Seol In-ah) to go undercover as a male secretary for the prime suspect, Yoon Yi-jun (Yim Si-wan). With the first episode now streaming and the other 11 hitting Prime Video on a weekly basis, K-drama fans will be on the edge of their seats tuning into this humorous whodunnit with hidden depths.
LOVE IN DISGUISE: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
Opening Shot: On a stormy night within a massive Seoul skyscraper, a man walks in on Yoon Yi-jun standing above an unresponsive woman, seemingly tightening the belt that strangled her to death.
The Gist: Yoon Yi-jun (Yim Si-wan) is the difficult and demanding Managing Director of Korea’s top conglomerate, Taekang Group, who is on the brink of taking over for the ailing Chairman Yoon Tae-sik (Choi Jin-ho). But just when Yi-jun’s succession seems like a done deal, a mysterious altercation with one of his secretaries, Han Eun-young (Jung Yoo-min), results in her murder, with Yi-jun’s DNA at the scene making him the prime suspect. Yi-jun is generally uncooperative with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and with the help of his wealthy chaebol status and his skilled lawyer best friend, Kim Si-hyun (Kim Jung-hyun), Yi-jun seemingly gets the charges dismissed and the crime scrubbed from the internet.
None of this sits right with the Mobile Criminal Investigation Unit assigned to the case. While their Superintendent (Ahn Sang-woo) demands they drop the case due to the high-profile suspect, Team Leader Park Bong-i (Kim In-kwon), Sergeant Jeong Wan-gu (Kim Ki-bang), Inspector Kim Seok-jin (Nam Hae-jun), and Detective Kang Jae-hee (Seol In-ah) are reluctant to stop their investigation. This case could go a long way towards legitimizing their underfunded and often disrespected department, but they have a lot to lose by digging into such a high-profile suspect.
After the team realizes the victim had a secret second phone likely to contain important evidence for cracking this case, tomboyish Jae-hee volunteers to utilize her man-like demeanor, martial arts training, and experience as a former member of the Korean Army’s Special Forces to get close to Yi-jun as his new secretary. Since most people already assume that she’s a man when she’s just being herself, Jae-hee believes that she can score this male-only position and fool Yi-jun into giving up intel. But when the ever-observant Yi-jun seems to catch on, both he and Jae-hee must confront betrayals, budding feelings, and their own personal demons in the midst of this high-stakes investigation.
What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Love in Disguise feels reminiscent of cross-dressing romantic K-dramas like Coffee Prince, Love in the Moonlight, and Captivating the King, with some of the action and thrills of K-dramas like Healer, The K2, and Lawless Lawyer.
Our Take: The first episode of Love in Disguise offers plenty to pull you in and keep you hooked from the jump. The show manages to balance goofy humor, intriguing characters, and a compelling whodunnit that are further bolstered by the strong performances and cinematography across the board. Sure, there are silly moments, but the melodrama is a part of the fun, and the show even seems to play on K-drama tropes and viewers’ expectations to add another layer of originality and entertainment.
Seol In-ah is an immediately charming lead as Kang Jae-hee, refreshingly marching to the beat of her own drum in terms of gender expression and personality within a world that places certain expectations on a woman’s presentation or roles in society. Her gutsy spirit and sweet bond with her parents are interestingly juxtaposed with Yoon Yi-jun’s (Yim Si-wan) apparent deep loneliness beneath his beautiful and exacting exterior. I was pleasantly surprised by how Yi-jun seemed to be more than meets the eye, and was immediately pulled in by his dynamic with Jae-hee upon their tumultuous first meeting. Everything here sets up Love in Disguise as a must-see series for any K-drama fan looking for a fun, fast-paced viewing experience.
Performance Worth Watching: Seol In-ah gives an engaging performance as fierce detective Kang Jae-hee. Not only does she fully physically commit to the fight sequences and slapstick comedy, but she also brings emotional depth and likability to Jae-hee that makes you instantly on her side.
Parting Shot: Immediately on Jae-hee’s first day as secretary, Yi-jun pulls her close, takes off her spy glasses, and says, “Busted.” Jae-hee wonders if her cover is already blown.
Our Call: With a promising start, Love in Disguise looks to entertain viewers with exciting action, juicy drama, stirring romances, and an intriguing whodunnit at the center of it all. If you are a fan of Korean dramas, then be sure to give this a chance and STREAM IT!
Maddy Casale is a Chicago-based writer and comedian who covers everything from animated series to Hallmark movies. Follow her on Duolingo @MCasale.