'Pinocchio' - Episode 1

The first episode of 'Pinocchio' premiered on the night of November 12, much to the delight of Park Shin Hye fans, Lee Jong Suk fans, and fans of both (AKA me, yasss). Even that hideous wig eating Lee Jong Suk's head couldn't keep me away from this!

SEE ALSO: Park Shin Hye is praised for her timeless appearance

'Pinocchio' has been promoted as a melodrama that will follow the story of four rookie news reporters pursuing the truth. The first episode introduces us to our two lead roles, Choi Dal Po (Lee Jong Suk) and Choi In Ha (Park Shin Hye) with flashbacks and sob stories galore, detailing Choi Dal Po's particularly tragic past and how he came to meet and like Choi In Ha.

So far, I enjoy the drama's focus on the news world. The fact that a drama regarding news coverage of suspicious accidents is airing during a time when South Korea is most attentive to the news due to the Sewol Ferry tragedy is certainly interesting. Heck, the fact that the Dal Po's firefighter captain father Ki Ho Sang (Jung In Gi) is suspected of irrationally leading his group of firemen into danger and then abandoning them is analogous to the Sewol Ferry case itself, in which the captain also sailed under dangerous conditions before abandoning ship. It seems that the drama aims to show its audience that some stories are more complicated than they are depicted in the media, and that the news chooses how they want to tell and simplify the story for their audiences. In the drama, while one newsroom, or one particular newswoman Song Cha Ok (Jin Kyung), prioritizes grabbing attention and viewers (even if it means manipulating the material or lying), another prioritizes reporting the facts, the truth.

The drama seems to have a general theme of lying versus telling the truth. Dal Po particularly notices that all the adults around him repeatedly tell lies--from his father's promises and his mother's attempts to disguise her grief to Cha Ok's manipulation of the news. On the other hand, Dal Po likes In Ha's inability to tell a lie due to her Pinocchio syndrome, a fictional illness that causes a person to hiccup every time he/she lies. Dal Po finds In Ha's honesty refreshing in this world of lies and consequently falls for her.

Although I do enjoy the emphasis of this theme, since it sets the tone for the rest of the drama as a serious one that will explore some moral questions, I thought that the episode had a lot of moments that gave me logic whiplash. From Ho Sang's rash decisions and the grieving family's blame game to In Ha's father Choi Dal Pyeong (Shin Jung Keun) treating a kid like a dog, the drama made me question whether the script was faulty or if humanity was really just this stupid? 

Regardless of the logic, or the lack thereof, and a certain level of predictability all K-Dramas seem to come with, the show is off to an okay start. As we await the second episode (or at least the subtitles) here are some of my personal highlights.

Highlights:

Yes. I screencapped the intro still because it was just that adorable. Say hello to our Pinnochio cameo!

Aaaand say hello to our main man, Choi Dal Po, to which our heroine Choi In Ha says, "Oh my God… he's tacky to the point of surprise. He's even confident." And with that hair, I'm not sure that he should be.

Just kidding, who could resist that pucker? 

This woman's laugh could rival KARA Youngji's uvula laugh.

Oh how nice, an innocent little promise. This wouldn't happen to be one of those K-Drama plot devices where a character makes a promise only to be unable to keep that said promise due to tragic circumstances beyond their control, say a potential death? 

Called it. 

Logical flaw #1: Why are the victims outside of the burning building alone? Where are the police? The ambulance? Hell, where are the other firefighters who are trying to put out the fire?! If someone had stayed with these victims, maybe there could've been a way to call back the group that had rushed inside! 

Omo, Kim Kwang Gyu. The wig game is strong in this drama. 

Logical flaw #2: I don't know, why don't you ask the captain's wife, who was not present at the scene of the accident? I mean, she is his wife, which pretty much makes her able to read his mind at all times. Right? 

Logical flaw #3: The witness says he has Pinocchio syndrome, so if he says he saw the captain, then he must be 100% right. Couldn't be mistaken at all. Nope. 

Logical flaw #4: THIS INGRATE OF ALL INGRATES, HOW DARE HE BE HAPPY HIS FATHER'S ALIVE.

Logical flaw #5: Egging a child? Really? Would this happen in real life? I'd hope not. 

It seems that if you promise something in this show, it will most likely not happen. 

Whoa there, you could kill someone with that thing. *~Foreshadowing~*? 

Logical flaw #6: "I will not allow you, my legally adopted brother, to stay here because you're a stranger and you could be dangerous, you suspicious little ten-year-old." 

Gasp. 

While this is sweet, it's kind of weird for a kid to be able to articulate maturely why he would kiss someone. 

And she's completely okay with it. Seriously, guys, aren't you like in your tweens? Shouldn't you freak out about cooties or something just a little? 

Smile, you're on derpcam! 

Logical flaw #7: Awww baby Dal Po, you can't be mean to baby In Ha, it's not her fault her mom's bitch-reporter Cha Ok.... But I guess baby Dal Po being irrationally mad about something makes more sense than most of the adults' behavior on this show.  

To the left Ki Jae Myeong (Yoon Gyun Sang), TO THE LEFT. Not that... you'd recognize him I guess. 

And we end with a shot of Park Shin Hye and her big, pretty eyes.