It’s one of those shows that opens on a series of images that won’t make sense until later. On-screen text says “Are you looking for Cha Yeowoon?” We see an empty classroom desk, someone running from school, and someone on a roof. A text box says “You’re entering the Love Supremacy Zone.”
The runner yells “Cha Yeowoon!”
Episode 1: Happiness
And now for something completely different but still confusing. We’re in a bar, with a guy drinking and reading through a printed manuscript. Another man joins him, warning him about drinking so much he kills himself.
They talk about the manuscript and happy endings. The second guy, I think the manuscript author, mentions the novel might be adapted into a game. Our drinker admits he’s drawn to a miserable character with no happy ending, Cha Yeowoon. The author suggests he changes this character’s fate.
Our drinker passes out.
And now for another something completely different
Our drinker wakes up in school in uniform. There’s a rumbling bass sound and the teacher’s voice is muffled. It’s nicely disorientating. Our drinker stands up and looks around in confusion.
A text box lets him know the Love Supremacy Zone has been activated and he can move around freely. Each time the game text appears there’s a great chime noise.
Because he stood up and acted disoriented he gets sent outside for punishment. Schools are wonderful institutions.
Now is the tutorial part of the show, er, game
I love how sci-fi-ish shows go through the rules of the world in the earlier episodes. It’s like a game tutorial, and in this case, it is a game tutorial. Standing in the hallway our main character learns about getting missions and gets one. There’s a nice kind of computer-y-sounding OST and video-style glitches as he takes it all in.
He puts together the manuscript he was reading and the other man at the bar talking about a game.
When class is let out he grabs a classmate with poodle hair and glasses. He confirms he’s a 19-year-old junior named Tae Myungha. This completes the tutorial and he gets his memory restored.
We see more of the bar conversation. Tae Myungha fixated on the miserable Cha Yeowoon side character because he felt a kinship to his own miserable life. The story might have a happy ending, but Yeowoon doesn’t. Myungha wants to rewrite it so someone like Yeowoon or him can also be happy. Again, we see the author suggest he rewrite it and Myungha pass out.
A text box directs him to find Yeowoon to get the mission.
So we’re off to find Cha Yeowoon
Myungha learns Yeowoon was at his grandmother’s funeral and not at school and he has 45 minutes to find him. With that we’re at the beginning of the episode, the empty classroom desk, running, and the guy on the roof. Cha Yeowoon.
Myungha drags Yeowoon onto the ground. We see the night sky and random images of the high schoolers. Myungha has changed the world and his new mission is to make Yeowoon happy.
I think Myungha has rescued Yeowoon from hurting his leg and his track career, thus changing his fate. The plot is complicated and goes by fast and with little explanation, which is great. But between that and translation issues, I get lost when I think I’m not supposed to be lost. But anyway, Myungha saved Yeowoon from something. Now to make him happy.
Myungha has his work cut out for him
A text box shows Yeowoon’s current affection level for him is -20. We’re on a wonderfully moody-looking roof at night. I feel like I’ve seen this roof in another drama. It’s a good roof.
Myungha claims Yeowoon’s grandma sent him to keep an eye on Yeowoon. Yeowoon doesn’t believe him, so Myungha backs up his claim with personal details he knows from the book.
To make Yeowoon happy, Myungha forces him to get ice cream. And pay for it. This does not improve his affection level, and the game warns that a debuff is automatically cast.
A debuff happens in a game to weaken a character. Here it’s a creepy dark energy on a lightpost. Not sure what it’s going to do, but it makes Myungha drag Yeowoon to stay at his place for the night.
On the bus, Myungha figures out that the Love Supremacy Zone is related to his distance from Yeowoon, and he has to be close to be in it. Love Supremacy itself has something to do with being in love. It’s pretty vague and Myungha doesn’t see himself in love with Yeowoon.
Grandma helps out with the whole happiness thing
Myungha is overjoyed to see his grandma, who died in real life some time ago. Grandma is overwhelmed and annoyed by the outpouring of affection from her suddenly clingy grandson. She’s also concerned for him. It’s cute.
Yeowoon wonders if Myungha’s interest is because they are both orphans raised by their grandmothers. He thinks Myungha is taking him on as a pity case. This matches what Myungha said in the bar to the author, so he’s not wrong. Despite that, Yeowoon’s affection level rises to -10 as they lay next to each other for the night.
Unfortunately, it’s still negative so a debuff gets cast the next day on the bus. It appears as evil energy on a bully who starts talking to Yeonwoo. Myungha puts a stop to it. But because of this debuff issue, he decides to stay away from Yeowoon until his affection is positive. Those two things seem at odds, but Myungha is scrappy and determined.
And he was the Mad Dog of the school
I guess because he was the Mad Dog in real life? This game seems to be a mix of Myungha’s real life and the manuscript he was reading, but I don’t know enough about either to be sure.
Myungha learns from poodle-hair about Yeowoon being bullied by the track team. Myungha says he won’t beat up kids but later we see the bullies apologizing to Yeonwoo, so he did something. Yeowoon chases Myungha down to find out why he’s avoiding him. Myungha tells the truth, that Yeowoon needs to like him more first. Yeowoon is confused.
Later, Myungha reflects that he likes it here more than the real world. He gets a call from Yeowoon who is confused about Myungha’s earlier statement about liking him. After they hang up, Myungha sees that his affection has raised to -7.
But also, he gets an ominous warning. He has 300 days to complete the mission, and the penalty is death.
Things are confusing and I like it
Even with on my second watch, I’m getting lost here and there. Then there’s the creative editing, like the beginning or the roof, which gives the show a dream-like feel. But I love the mysterious feeling that there’s more going on than meets the eye. It’s not a common feeling when watching a romance.
It also helps that Myungha is so willing to participate in the game he’s been dropped into. He’s also undaunted by Yeowoon’s cold attitude. But it’s easy to see Yeowoon coldness is self-protective, and he can use someone like Myungha barging into his life.
So we’ve got this nice, double-layer cake of a show. A strange, dense mix of surreal flavors on the bottom with a nice, light, fluffy high-school whipped cream topping. Mmmm.