Do you… believe in magic?
The Sound of Magic is a story about a magical theme park that’s said to be completely insane. A good looking magician is said to stay there, but he’s said to be completely insane. It’s also said that he does real magic too.
The school’s magic is always in motion, as students go whizzing through the corridors, inexplicably dancing and bursting into song.
This slick opening eventually leads to the actual story. Ah-Yi is late to class, and bumps her knee on the stairs. Unfortunately, with the Dean now their homeroom teacher, it doesn’t look good for her. Another latecomer is Il-Deung, the top student in school. ..
Ah-Yi is a bit of a loner who is also poor. Despite her circumstances, she is doing well in math, so good in fact that top student Il-Deung is convinced that she will attend an academy. This isn’t true though, as Ah-Yi is actually studying at the same time as working.
Despite collecting 50,000 won for her day, Ah-Yi heads home her note flies out of her hand and down the street. Ah-Yi follows, desperate to get it back.
A young woman named Ah-Yi runs across a bank note as she makes her way home from work. The note turns out to be a fake, but the magician who created it seems to believe in its power. He asks her if she believes in magiic, and Ah-Yi’s reply is simple: “I don’t know.” She rushes back home without looking back.
She takes a look at the sender and realizes that it is from her old friend, the landord. She can’t believe that she has been invited to a party in his honor. She decides to go and see what all the fuss is about.
Ha-Na asks Ah-Yi what happened and Ah-Yi tells her that she dropped a 50,000 won note on the floor in front of her. Ha-Na asks if she was caught and Ah-Yi says no, she just happened to pick it up and put it in her pocket. Ha-Na then asks if she was embarrassed and Ah-Yi says yes, because everyone saw her.
Ah-Yi’s curiosity gets the better of her and she decides to go to the theme park to find the 50,000 won bill that she saw earlier that day. ..
The magician arrives and thanks Ah-Yi for arriving and promises to give her the best magic show she’s ever seen. He believes it’s all about the magic but in reality, Ah-Yi just wants her money. He doubles the money for her, producing two 50,000 won bills. Morally though, Ah-Yi can only bring herself to take one.
This is an important moment for Ah-Yi. Despite being very poor, she still upholds her morals. As a sort of reward, the magician throws her a special bubble show just for her. ..
Il-Deung and Ah-Yi talk about their work at school. Il-Deung likes math because there is a definitive answer, which you can find by working at it. Ah-Yi likes math because it is a way to understand the world around her.
Ah-Yi’s father abandoned her and her sister when they were young, leaving them to fend for themselves. This has had a profound impact on Ah-Yi’s life, as it has left her feeling alone and vulnerable. ..
The woman’s boss agrees to loan her 300,000 won to pay the rent. She’s shocked and promises to work hard from now on. However, he begins to touch her inappropriately. She pushes him off her when he tries to get close.
The man pulls her close and tells her that if she helps him, he’ll take her to jail.
The magician comes to the rescue and saves Ah-Yi from a dangerous situation. He repeats a familiar mantra, “Do you believe in magic?” before making him disappear.
Ri-Eul is a magician who performs at local festivals. Ah-Yi, a friend of Ri-Eul’s, suggests that he get a job and take care of himself. Ri-Eul tells her that he doesn’t need a job because he has everything he needs. Ah-Yi believes him and leaves. ..
After telling Ah-Yi that she doesn’t believe in magic, a whole flock of butterflies arrive and turn on all the lights in the theme park.
After a stunning performance just for Ah-Yi, she slowly starts to realize that this could actually be magic.
The Episode Review
The Sound of Magic is a beautifully written and exciting K-Drama that is sure to please Netflix fans. The visuals are stunning, the cinematography is impressive, and the musical numbers work so well to give this a unique edge. This show is sure to keep you entertained for the entire season.
We’ve seen other K-dramas dabble in fairy tales and Grimm fables but this one feels pretty unique in its ideas. It’s a story about a young girl who is forced to leave her home and live with her grandparents, who are also witches. The girl is forced to learn about the magical world and how to use its powers for good.
There is a lot of character work done with Ah-Yi, who despite being poor and desperate for money, wants to earn money properly and with a sense of pride. She doesn’t want to take hand-outs. Only taking one of the 50,000 won bills in the magician’s hand works wonders to show her character and what she stands for.
There are also the usual societal messages in this story about bullying and how poor people are viewed, while the general set-up and mystery surrounding the story has been masterfully crafted so far to take full advantage of pushing these characters in interesting directions. ..
Based on this episode, it seems that The Sound of Magic could well be one of the most anticipated K-drama this year.
