Recap Korean Drama "Woori The Virgin" Episode 1

Episode 1 of Woo-Ri The Virgin starts in church during an oath of chastity ceremony. A young Woo-Ri steps forward while her mother and grandmother watch on. As we cut to the present, Woo-Ri is at a wedding and catches the bouquet from the bride.

During the reception, Woo-Ri’s friends talk to her about her premarital chastity and reminisce about her lack of relationship. However, she surprises them by revealing she has had a boyfriend for two years, detective Lee Gang-Jae.

Woo-Ri and Gang-Jae leave together and head to church to pray at the evening mass. As they walk out, Woo-Ri asks Gang-Jae if he is happy with the way things are in their relationship. Gang-Jae reassures her that he is happy to be with her and respects her thoughts. However, when she leans in to kiss him, he has to stop her. He runs to see the priest and asks for a confession because of his dirty thoughts.

Woo-Ri gets dropped home and is surprised to see her mum in a car kissing a man. As they walk inside, Woo-Ri chastises her mother so Eun-ran tells her daughter and mother, Seo Gwi-Nyeo that she has found a new man. He is a producer and he will help her record an album.

The three women then discuss Woo-Ri’s relationship. Gwi-Nyeo and Eur-Ran think it’s time for them to get married but Woo-ri quickly dismisses them.

It is now time for them to watch their favourite drama, Mask of Desire, which Woo-Ri is the assistant writer for. Choi Sung-Il is the star and Eun-Ran seems to be smitten with him. While later browsing through the internet, Eun-Ran sees a school picture of Sung-Il and realises that he is Deok-Chil, the father of Woo-Ri.

The next day, Woo-Ri heads in to work to discuss the upcoming episodes with Director Park. She gets a little out of hand when she starts describing a love scene Meanwhile Gang-Jae, who is a detective, discuss Woo-Ri with his colleagues. He wonders if he should propose soon.

Yoo Ye-Ri talks to Woo-Ri about her outburst earlier and thinks she needs to hurry up and get married as she has suppressed her sub-conscience for too long. However Woo-Ri is not sure as she feels something is missing.

As Woo-Ri mentions her first kiss, we cut to the CEO of Diamond Cosmetics, Raphael, arriving home in his expensive car. His wife, Lee Ma-Ri, is having a affair and quickly hides her lover when she realises her husband is home. Raphael then comes in and gives her two documents; one showing that his cancer is gone and the other with divorce papers.

Woo-Ri and Ye-Ri head for a meeting in the hospital as it will be the sponsor of the drama. As soon as she sees Raphael, she recognises him as her first kiss. She then spends the rest of the meeting trying to hide her face from Raphael. He manages to catch her afterwards though but can’t seem to remember where he knows her from.

Raphael later goes to see his father to discuss the future of the company. The chairman then asks why he wants a divorce. Raphael mentions the sperm he had frozen before his treatment and also thinks that he is linked to someone by fate but doesn’t believe it is Mi-Ra.

Mi-Ra overhears the conversation and storms out. She drives away and crashes in the back of a car. The driver steps out, very annoyed, but she charms her way out of it. The girlfriend’s driver gets out of the car afterwards, not impressed.

Mi-Ra arrives in a poor neighbourhood and visits her mother who is in a wheelchair. We then find out that Mi-Ra has been lying about everything, being pregnant to make him marry her, her identity and where she is from. Mi-Ra is upset about the divorce paper so her mother, Mi-Ja suggest that she goes to the hospital tomorrow to be inseminated with Raphael’s sperm.

In the evening, Woo-Ri heads home and finds out from her grandmother that the producer her mother was seeing has taken a loan in her name and has ran away, putting them in a lot of debt. Woo-Ri then storms in her mother’s room, berating her for the way she is. Eun-Ran has always wanted to be a singer though. Woo-Ri then remembers her mother always struggling while growing up because she had her at 16. This is what prompted her to follow the premarital chastity vow.

Woo-Ri meets with Gang-Jae and almost tells him they should take the next step. He quickly stops her as he wants to be the one proposing then takes her home. Coincidently, the couple from the car crash, happens to be in the same place walking and we see them breaking up.

The next day, Woo-Ri heads to the hospital to get her vaginitis treated. Her OB-GYN is none other than the woman from the car accident, Yeo Jin-Hee. Her next patient is Ma-Ri and this is when the doctor realises that she had both patients files mixed up. Mi-Ra tells her she is here for artificial insemination and the doctor realises the mistakes she has done and has inseminated the wrong woman. She later speaks to her ex-boyfriend, who tells her to not say anything for now.

Mi-Ra gives the news to Raphael that she used his last sperm, which of course angers him as he didn’t want it to be her.

All our characters end up in the hospital for different reasons. Gang-Jae is there to investigate a suspect and Eun-Ran arrived to see Choi Sung-Il, who has shown up for an event. When the latter sees Eun-Ran in the crowd, times stop and he remembers her from his school days. Woo-Ri happens to be there too and is surprised when she sees Gang-Jae arresting someone and even more when Sung-Il calls after her mother. All this is too much for her and she faints.

Woo-Ri wakes up in hospital with her mother, Gang-Jae and Raphael by her bedside. Her doctor comes and congratulates her on her pregnancy. Eun-Ran and Gang-Jay laugh it off but the doctor is adamant. Woo-Ri then takes another test and it is positive. She insists that is it impossible and sends the two men away.

Woo-Ri and her mother make an appointment with the OBGYN next who confirms she is pregnant. Jin-Hee falls to the floor to apologise and explains what she did.

On her way home, Woo-Ri sees Gang-Jay and tells him the diagnosis is wrong and that it was anaemia. He then takes her away and finally proposes in front of the church. He has organised a special proposal as the choir comes out with candles, singing. Gang-Jae starts to sing too as the ring is flown to them by drone. Woo-Ri is surprised and is unable to lie anymore, admitting that she is really pregnant.

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The Episode Review

Woori the Virgin starts with a strong fun episode, staying quite true to the original, “Jane the Virgin”. The characters are all fun and have good chemistry on screen as well.

I can imagine we will have the usual second lead syndrome with Gang-Jae and I wonder who people will want to side with the most in this version of the show.

While there are some small plot differences to Jane the virgin, these are really minor, with the plot following the same pace and plot points, which is really fun for fans and newcomers alike.

I do still wonder how the drama will develop since Jane the Virgin had 100 episodes spanning over five seasons. It will definitely be interesting to see how the characters will develop but for now, Woori the Virgin starts with some great potential!