The first episode, which aired on October 12, follows the story of the main character Yoon Jeong-nyeon (Kim Tae-ri), who possesses innate talent as a singer but lives an ordinary life selling fish in her hometown of Mokpo. A fateful turn of events leads her to the world of traditional Korean opera, known as Gukgeuk.
The show’s first episode achieved an average rating of 5.7% in the metropolitan area, peaking at 6.8%, while the national average was 4.8%, with a peak of 5.9%, securing the top spot among cable and general programming channels during its time slot (according to Nielsen Korea, encompassing cable, IPTV, and satellite platforms).
In Mokpo, Yoon Jeong-nyeon lives a difficult life selling fish with her mother, Seo Yong-rye (Moon So-ri), and sister, Yoon Jeong-ja (Oh Kyung-hwa). Although she has singing talent, her mother disapproves of it. When confronted by a thug named Chang-ho (Oh Dae-hwan) demanding protection money, Jeong-nyeon uses her voice to sing “Namwon Fortress,” captivating the market crowd and making Chang-ho retreat.
Among the onlookers are renowned Gukgeuk stars Moon Ok-kyung (Jung Eun-chae) and Seo Hye-rang (Kim Yoon-hye), who invite Jeong-nyeon to their performance. Jeong-nyeon learns that Ok-kyung is a superstar and becomes intrigued by the possibility of a wealthy life as a Gukgeuk actor. Despite her mother’s opposition, Jeong-nyeon becomes determined to pursue this path and seeks Ok-kyung’s help for secret lessons.
As the audition approaches, Yong-rye discovers Jeong-nyeon’s plans and locks her in a storeroom. However, Jeong-ja, wanting to protect her sister’s dream, helps Jeong-nyeon escape just in time for the audition. The episode ends with Jeong-nyeon on the brink of fulfilling her aspirations, while the narrative introduces another character, Chae Gong-seon (Lee Ga-eun), who also seeks to pursue a singing career, hinting at a connection between her and Yong-rye.
Source: Daum
