Who is She – K-drama Episode 1 Recap & Review

Episode 1

Episode 1 of Who Is She begins with a brief scene where Mal-soon, panic-stricken, rushes into a restroom. The scene shifts as we learn that Mal-soon’s entrepreneurially inclined son-in-law, Choi Min-seok, has lost yet another venture. The family has moved back in with Mal-soon, much to the displeasure of her daughter, Ban Ji-sook, with whom she shares a tense relationship. Meanwhile, her granddaughter, Choi Ha-na, sneaks out to practice her music skills instead of focusing on her studies to get into university.

At the same time, we are introduced to CEO Daniel Han at UNIS’ fiesta, where he is launching a new girl group. His plan is to retreat from the limelight once the group succeeds. However, the center of the group, Emily, goes missing, leaving Daniel in a precarious situation.

Mal-soon, on the other hand, has sustained herself and her daughter as a single parent by running a popular soup restaurant, which she is now preparing to hand over to a pair of brothers. However, she is adamant about them maintaining the high standards of her establishment. Later, she meets Ha-na at a karaoke bar to practice singing—a passion she gave up while raising her daughter and managing her restaurant.

The next day, after a breakfast where Ji-sook criticizes her mother for being compassionless while raising her, Mal-soon meets her only friend, Park Gab-young. Together, they attend workshops for senior citizens before Mal-soon heads to an audition at UNIS. This is the moment she has been preparing for, and it ties into her long-standing rivalry with Kim Ae-sim, a famous singer and now the chairwoman of UNIS. Mal-soon begins singing but falters when she fails to hit the high notes. Ae-sim, who recognizes her, mocks her, saying not everyone is destined to be a star.

Heartbroken and humiliated, Mal-soon returns home to find Ha-na announcing to her parents that she does not plan to go to university. When Mal-soon tries to support Ha-na, Ji-sook explodes in anger, suggesting her mother should leave the house. Gathering her belongings, Mal-soon walks out in a daze. A taxi driver offers her a seat in his cab, and she falls asleep during the ride.

When Mal-soon wakes up, she finds herself in a photography studio with the same taxi driver, who now poses as a photographer. Using an antique camera, he takes her picture. To her shock, when she opens her eyes, she discovers she has transformed into her 21-year-old self!

The Episode Review

Who Is She kicks off with a strong debut episode, establishing itself as a light-hearted drama featuring a body-swap trope. The episode introduces just enough intrigue to pique curiosity about Mal-soon’s past, particularly her claim over one of Ae-sim’s songs. Did Ae-sim steal one of Mal-soon’s compositions to achieve fame?

The episode also highlights Mal-soon’s internal struggle with her ambitions and the limitations that age imposes on her dreams. Despite her relentless practice, she is unable to recapture the quality of her younger self’s voice.

Mal-soon’s character is also quite captivating—bold and resilient. Now that she has been granted a second chance at youth, thanks to the mysterious “man in the yellow shirt,” the show promises to be an engaging and entertaining ride. What do you think?