“DNA Says Love You” First Impressions (Ep.1 & 2)

I went into DNA Says Love You not knowing anything about the show, and two episodes in, I can’t say for sure if I have a better idea now. The brief (and somewhat generic) plot summary on MyDramaList gives absolutely no indication as to what actually happens in the first two episodes of the series.

It begins with Pu Le Chien (Ah Le) and his friend Li Ching Lung (Xiao Li), who are explorers-cum-vloggers on a quest to find the next urban legend that would make them famous. Ah Le’s mother informs him about “The Returning Temple on the Lone Lamp Ridge”, a place that no one seems to have heard about, and (I presume) which will be an important part of the show, at least in the next few episodes.

Ah Le also meets Amber, who is a mysterious presence- how did he end up at Ah Le’s coffee shop? Did he come here with some purpose? Why did he so readily agree to go on a wild goose chase to the temple where no one has supposedly gone before?

The Returning Temple that Ah Le, Xiao Li, and now Amber, seek to explore, and tragic story narrated to them by the old woman they meet in the forest, are interesting to say the least. I certainly wasn’t expecting it to become a little mysterious (or a lot, because at this point, I really have no clue as to how anything fits together in the plot). The history of the temple seems to be connected to the protagonists; there is indication that Rong from the old woman’s story is the woman in Ah Le’s dream, adding another layer of mystery.

Maybe it’s all a red herring and the subplot about the temple will out to be less relevant in the end. At this point, I know more about the temple than I do about either of the two leads, but I’ll give the show some time to expand more into the larger storyline.

The cinematography and direction seem to be on point so far, and the series is well-paced. I do like how the plot doesn’t immediately jump to the romance and lets the story of the temple develop first. These days I have come to appreciate shows where the focus is not entirely on the romance of the main leads, but on a larger plot where they tackle themes and sub-plots other than their relationship.

If my first impressions of the series make it seem like I dislike it, I’d like to assure that that is certainly not the case. I am intrigued by the narrative because it is quite different from a usual romance, and they seem to be taking it in a direction that at this point, I can’t figure out. While it is still too early to say how they take the plot forward, I am definitely interested in watching more to find out.

Rating- 4 out of 5