Siren’s Kiss began with something that many new K-dramas don’t have: a unique idea. A woman who leaves a trail of dead lovers behind? An investigator who is determined to find out her secret? A little chemistry between them? The premise is interesting enough to make you want to mark the show’s release date on your calendar. With stars like Park Min-young and Wi Ha-joon, a great soundtrack, and high production value, this was the perfect recipe for an exciting K-drama.
The first season of Siren’s Kiss starts off very well. It quickly takes us into two very different worlds: the harsh one where people commit horrible acts of violence to get money through insurance fraud and the luxurious world of auctioneering, where people spend billions on a single painting.
Wi Ha-joon plays Cha Woo-seok, the insurance investigator who goes after fraudsters with an iron fist. Park Min-young plays Han Seol-ah, the classy and smart chief auctioneer who stays calm no matter what happens. The death of Seol-ah’s coworker, Kim Yun-ji, starts off a clash of worlds that is very interesting.
The next part is a smart combination of clues, people, places, and events that Woo-seok’s investigation brings to light. He keeps peeling back layers, and they all lead to Seol-ah, who is at the center of the web. The episodes are very well-made and create a sense of mystery and tension throughout the series without any effort. The background music, which has some delightfully creepy parts, adds to this effect.
All of this makes for a good movie, an interesting story, and a good mystery. But none of these things ever go beyond being good. The story doesn’t take advantage of the delicious possibilities of its premise, even though the visuals and music are always on point. The complicated setup, on the other hand, quickly leads to a simple mystery.
And even though Siren’s Kiss keeps dropping hints about what else it could be, they are few and far between. After getting into the story at the beginning, the show slows down a lot, which doesn’t help. At first, it’s a slow burn, but then it becomes a drag.
Yes, there are twists and turns, and the acting is good, but the biggest problem is that the K-drama never lives up to its name. The series makes Seol-ah’s life unclear, but it never explains why. There is no reason for her actions or behaviors, and her desires and complaints are shallow. This is especially disappointing because it was a drama that used the femme fatale trope to build everything. Woo-seok is also treated the same way, with his character stuck between the flat dimensions of his past trauma and his current desire for justice.
We never really get to know these characters outside of their traumas, which is why they feel like caricatures instead of real people. Sadly, this also affects their relationship, which makes Seol-ah and Woo-seok’s romance feel a little forced. It’s not that the mystery isn’t interesting or that the logic doesn’t make sense; it’s just that the package doesn’t have enough depth and charm to keep you interested in these specific characters.
The actors’ performances and the visuals are what are left. They are good enough to keep you watching the whole series, though. If you want to watch a good misery show and don’t mind a slow burn, Siren’s Kiss Season 1 might be the right show for you. But it is not the femme fatale thriller that it claimed to be.