Review: ‘The Witch’ – A Gripping Tale of Romance, Mystery, And Eerie Tragedy (Episode 1 & 2)

If you are a fan of a good mystery-filled romantic drama, ‘The Witch,’ starring GOT7’s Park Jinyoung and Roh Jeong Eui, premiered last weekend, already setting a remarkable record and achieving the highest premiere ratings in Channel A’s history. Set for 10 episodes, the drama will air every Saturday and Sunday at 9:10 PM KST (5:40 PM IST) on Channel A and will be available for streaming on Viki.

Adapted from Kang Full’s webtoon, ‘The Witch’ is a mystery romance about Park Mi Jeong, a woman burdened by a painful past and a man determined to break through her solitude.

Introducing Lee Dong Jin

The drama kicked off with two episodes last week, immediately capturing viewers’ attention. The premiere was largely composed of high school flashbacks, but before delving into the past, we first meet our leading hero, Lee Dong Jin (played by Jinyoung), in the present day.

The story begins in a casino, where Dong Jin, a data miner, demonstrates his expertise. In just the first episode, we learn four things about him:

1. He is exceptionally skilled in his field, as shown by the gambling strategies he devised, leading the gambler to play far beyond his means.
2. Someone might hold a grudge against him—though he insists at the police station that he has no enemies.
3. He has remarkable observational skills, deducing that a scuffle at the police station was merely a brotherly fight.
4. Dong Jin is not particularly sociable. He avoids interactions with colleagues and seems to have only one friend.

On his subway ride home, he sees Park Mi Jeong (played by Roh Jeong Eui), which triggers a series of flashbacks that introduce us to the female lead and the ominous misfortunes that have followed her throughout her life.

Introducing “The Witch”

Episode one is largely told from Dong Jin’s perspective. Boys who come near Mi Jeong keep dying, leading to unsettling rumors that isolate her from all classmates. The entire school begins to believe she brings misfortune, labeling her as the “Witch.” She becomes an outcast, always eating lunch alone on a distant bench. However, Dong Jin is the only one who notices her pain, seeing her cry after a classmate’s death. He even persuades his mother to install a shade over her usual bench to shield her from the sun.

The tragedies in Mi Jeong’s life escalate when she witnesses a schoolmate die from electrocution right before her eyes. Consumed by despair, she eventually stops attending school, disappearing from Dong Jin’s life—until now.

In the present time, Dong Jin follows Mi Jeong on her way home and the next day he sees a trending video on social media. The video shows a man who had confessed to Mi Jeong in the subway collapsing from a sudden heart attack—confirming that the strange occurrences surrounding her have not stopped.

Mi Jeong’s Story

The second episode revisits the same events but delves deeper into Mi Jeong’s side of the story. We see additional incidents, such as the sudden collapse of a church oppa in front of her. Unable to escape all the misfortunes, she stops going to school and chooses to remain hidden in her room, fearing that her “curse” will harm others.

This episode also explores her relationship with her father, who deeply cares for her. He visits her school to ask why she was ostracized, collects her belongings, and supports her despite the rumors. Mi Jeong stops smiling entirely and never graduates from high school. Eventually, her father suggests moving to Seoul for a fresh start, and she agrees. This decision encourages her to step outside and help him with potato farming—but this is where the most horrifying tragedy strikes.

While working on the farm, Mi Jeong is bitten by a snake. To save her, her father sucks out the venom. However, due to his existing periodontitis, the infection spreads rapidly, and he dies in her arms.

Questions & Theories

Though the first two episodes are somewhat slow-paced, the mystery keeps you hooked. And let’s be real—so many questions are already piling up:

• What exactly triggered Mi Jeong’s so-called curse? Could it really go all the way back to her birth?
• Her father’s death—was that just bad luck, or does her curse go beyond romantic interests?
• And what about Dong Jin? Why hasn’t anything happened to him yet? Is it because he hasn’t actually spoken to her? Or is there something different about him?
• And with everything unfolding, can we hope for a happy ending, or is this just another K-drama setting us up for heartbreak?

But what do you think? What are YOUR theories on Mi Jeong’s curse or Dong Jin’s role? Drop your thoughts below!

Written by – Diksha Gangadeen

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