A Good Day to be a Dog Episode 11 Review
Plot overview: The protagonist, Han Hae-na (Park Gyuyoung), accidentally kisses her colleague Jin Seo-won (Cha Eun-Woo), triggering a curse that transforms her into a dog from 12 am to 6 am every day. The only way to break the curse is for the same person to kiss her while she’s in her dog form. And while Han Hae-na embarks on a mission to end her curse, the mysterious history teacher Lee Bo-kyeom (Lee Hyun-Woo) has some other plans for the pair.
Yet another tense cliffhanger is defused pretty soon – episode 10 of “A Good Day to be a Dog” ended with Lee Bo-Kyeom going to the pet clinic and doing something to Han Hae-na’s uncle, who is a dog, and viewers know the outcome of his act pretty early on in episode 11. Titled “The Reason They Were Cursed”, the episode begins with Lee Bo-kyeom finally revealing to Han Hae-na that he is the mountain deity that cast a curse on her family. The much-awaited origin story of the curse and the exact moment when Bo-kyeom doomed entire generations of Hae-na’s family to live with the burden of being transformed into dogs when they are kissed is also depicted. Meanwhile, the shamanic Min Ji Ah (Kim Yi Kyung), who is a reincarnation of the woman Bo-kyeom wants to avenge, attempts to reach out to him, but he remains distant and cold.
This episode sees a significant advancement of plot, but the creators also unnecessarily repeat some scenes from the previous episode, including the romance between Seo-won and Hae-na in their past lives. After shifting the focus to the curse, sweet scenes predating the tragic events that led to it hold little appeal, and the makers should have included them in earlier episodes. It would’ve been preferable to add more cozy interactions between the couple in the current timeline to strengthen their romantic bond. Because at the moment, even though the writers wants us to believe that them being torn apart is heart-breaking, it’s still too early in their dating phase to hit as hard. A small sub-plot featuring Han Hae-na’s sister Han Yoo-na (Ryu Abel) and her friend Song Woo Taek (Cho Jin Se) having fun was entertaining and provided comic-relief in an otherwise serious edition.
While music has been a crucial element in elevating this series’ mood and fantastical plots so far, the background score stands out exceptionally in episode 11. The dramatic, moody music pieces that run through the story makes everything seem a lot more intense and serious than it would otherwise. For example, Lee Bo-kyeom reveals how he was instrumental in getting Jin Seo-won and Han Hae-na together, (a fact which was already obvious to viewers) the makers play tense music over the cute flashback scenes of the lead pair meeting at a pastry shop, as if it was something terrible. With the truth out in the open, Lee has strained confrontations with both Hae-na and See-won.
Lee Hyun-Woo continues to dominate the show with his ‘vengeful deity’ act despite his limited screen time. It’s as if this series is no longer about a young, beautiful but cursed teacher trying to find solutions to her problem, but about a heartbroken God seeking retribution for the betrayal that led to his human lover’s death. He now has a proposition for Han Hae-na, a bargain that basically asks her to choose between the devil and the deep sea. It remains to be seen how Hae-na’s love story with the handsome charming Jin Seo-won turns out. The preview for episode 12 promises a fun twist in the tale.
You can stream A Good Day to be a Dog on Viki.
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