Cherry Magic (2023) – Season 1 Episode 1 Recap & Review

The Crush

Episode 1 of Cherry Magic begins with Achi a day before he turns 30. He is a virgin and hasn’t made any of the achievements one should at that age like falling in love and wishes for a magical power. He is average and clumsy, and mentors the new kid, Rock only cause he has lasted the longest.

At the company’s award ceremony, Karan is awarded the best employee award and Achi reveals his awe and envy over the colleague. They joined at the same time 7 years ago but Karan is charming, popular, keeps rising and always wins. Achi Googles how to be the perfect 30-year-old and comes across a post claiming that 30-year-old virgins get magic powers. He doesn’t think much of it.

Later, he learns that the woman he thinks he is seeing is just using him because he is helpful. The next day, Achi gives merit for his birthday. He suddenly starts hearing the thoughts of everyone he accidentally touches from the monk telling him off to the commuters in the metro.

At work, he gets in a crowded elevator with Karan and as they touch, thinks he is complimenting some girl as he hears Karan’s thoughts. There is a jerk and they get squished. The next thought he hears of Karan is that he is thankful that he gets to be so close to his crush, the one and only Achi!

As a confused Achi heads to his desk, a lonely Rock tries to befriend him. Rock constantly complains and believes in conspiracies till Achi is called away by Duj, their boss. But turns out, she and Pai, another colleague, just want to wish him a happy birthday with a cake. While cutting it, he hears Duj think she loves him as a son.

But when he is told to give a slice to Karan, that is when things get awkward. He feels small around him and wonders if Karan really has a crush. Their hands touch and Achi learns that Karan spent months to find the perfect birthday cake for him. Shocked, he accidentally smushes the cake and Karan finds his clumsiness cute and thirsts over the mole on his neck. Achi panics and locks himself in a room.

Achi has dinner with his romance novelist of a friend, Jinta who doesn’t believe he has powers. He simply tells Achi not to lead Karan on. But when their hands touch, Jinta is thankful that no one knows that he is a virgin. Later, he takes care of a stray kitten who keeps following him and they leave together. Soon, a delivery boy arrives and searches for the cat.

The next day, at lunch, the colleagues joke that they are the cursed office as everyone is either single or gets dumped as work is stressful. Rock worries as he has a date that day when Achi touches his arm and decides to help him out by staying back. Karan stays back as well and even offers him a free drink he had. But of course, he specially bought it for Achi.

He helps him with a work issue and Achi is grateful till he reads his thoughts as a delulu Karan finds the situation romantic. He wonders how not to lead Karan on and runs off. However, there are no taxis and Karan worries about Achi. He offers to let Achi stay over for the night and he genuinely cares that he is tired. Achi is moved but he panics on entering his home as Karan’s next thought is fantasizing about cuddling with Achi at the end of Cherry Magic episode 1.

The Episode Review

We are getting tons of drama remakes this year but it’s always a hit or miss. Some cannot translate the same vibe or end up being way too different. But that doesn’t seem to be the case of this Thai remake as evident with Cherry Magic episode 1. It has the same feel-good vibe as the J-drama.

The lead characters have the same essence and we have the core highlights untouched as the crush reveal. Achi’s monologues are super hilarious and will have you giggling non-stop. Everything that Karan says to save face is foiled as Achi can hear his true motives.

But the beauty of J-dramas is that they are always bite-sized, short and sweet for slice-of-life stories. So, it will be pretty interesting to see how the Thai version will extend this almost double-fold by adding new subplots while still adhering to the same loveable story that we all tuned in here for. But so far they are on the right path and we love every silly moment of it.