To all those who are tired of watching outrageous dramas, gather in front of the TV again and switch the channel to a daily series with no artificial additive. On December 23, MBC unveiled its daily drama “Shining Romance” (writer Seo Hyeon-joo, director Shin Hyeon-chang), which comes after the rather sensational “Princess Aurora.” However, from the very first episode, the drama proved to be very different from its predecessor.
In the first episode, Kang Ha-joon (Park Yun-jae) and Oh Bit-na (Lee Jin) meet each other by chance. Kang Ha-joon, the owner and president of J Hotel, is doing his round of inspection on his first day at work when he spots a commotion between Oh Bit-na and Byeon Tae-sik (Yun Hee-seok). Thinking that Tae-sik is harassing Bit-na, Ha-joon immediately pins him down. 
The first episode focused on the very different families of Bit-na and Ha-joon. Bit-na’s father (Lee Gye-in) is a strict but warm-hearted father and husband, while her mother (Lee Mi-sook) is the archetypal homemaker and devoted wife. Having grown up in such happy family, Bit-na is upright and kind at heart.  
In contrast, Kang Ha-joon’s mother (Gyeon Mi-ri) is a childish, wealthy wife and a mother fiercely attached to her son. She believes that her son is the best in the world. But Ha-joon is also a son that every mother would be proud of. Born to a super-rich family, Ha-joon belongs to the elite in every way and has the female viewers entranced. Although Ha-joon and Bit-na are off to a shaky start, the viewers are already waiting to see how their relationship will unfold.
The first episode flowed smoothly without any forced twists and turns, but also posed some doubts for the viewers. Oh Bit-na was just too nice a character for the viewers to fully understand her actions. They found it hard to sympathize with her when she could not even firmly reject Byeon Tae-sik who threatened to kill himself if she did not agree to go out with him. It also did not make sense that Bit-na’s father would decide on Tae-sik as his son-in-law without consulting his daughter. It was as if the family still followed the 70s or 80s style in the 21st century. Even a good-hearted heroine can seem awkward and be frustrating for the viewers if she is portrayed as such passive character.
Overall, however, the drama gets a passing grade, and not without the help of the outlandish dialogues and plot of “Princess Aurora.” It is about time that the viewers see a clean, friendly drama that they can watch with the entire family. “Shining Romance” hopes to resonate with the viewers without dramatic elements fueling the plot.