REVIEW: ‘100 Days of Deception’ Episodes 1-2

From the start, 100 Days of Deception makes it abundantly clear that this is going to be a dramatic and emotionally turbulent series to experience. In 100 Days of Deception Episodes 1-2, the series lays the groundwork for the characters at the heart of the conspiracies. Set against the backdrop of Japanese-colonized Joseon in 1932, the series wastes no time, plunging viewers into the turmoil. As the protagonist, Lee Ga-kyung (Kim You-jung), is pulled in as a potential accomplice, she finds herself in the greatest danger she’s ever faced. 

The first episode introduces viewers to our main group of characters, all coming together the day the newly appointed Inspector-General of Korea, Sato Shinichi (Jin Seon-kyu), arrives in Gyeongseong. The story culminates at a train station, where the crowd gathers for a big affair. This includes the rather cocky pickpocket, Lee Ga-kyung, who, in quick flash sequences, is shown to be quite quick with her fingers. However, how these moments are captured also highlights how obvious she is, whether unintentionally or not, in her thievery.

Be that as it may, her curiosity and greed rule out any sense of self-preservation, and she takes important items from two incredibly important people. This puts Ga-kyung in their paths, both indirectly and directly, throughout 100 Days of Deception Episodes 1-2, as she meets her victims several times. And, unfortunately for her, she stole from people who could easily kill her if they decided otherwise. 

While she may be skilled, Ga-kyung is in over her head in 100 Days of Deception Episodes 1-2.

One of these people is Yoo So-ran (Kim Hyun-joo), a member of an anti-Japanese resistance group who has returned to Gyeongseong as a Chinese woman. Paired in a marriage of convenience with the Korean American Yoo Phillip (Lee Moo-saeng), a journalist whose identity has drawn the attention of Shinichi and the government, the two are tasked with assassinating the newly elected Shinichi as quickly as possible. Unfortunately for them, Ga-kyung steals the bag containing So-ran’s weapons, throwing a wrench into their plans. 

This becomes a consistent occurrence for Ga-kyung across 100 Days of Deception Episodes 1-2, when she later finds herself on So-ran’s doorstep to blackmail her in exchange for money she can use to escape to America. All Ga-kyung wants is to escape the life she’s led (best described as Oliver Twist in feel, down to the sleazy leader of the pickpockets). If it means taking really dumb risks, she’ll do it.

This inability to stop herself from taking risks puts her in the path of the second important person she pickpocketed at the station: Sato Hideo (Park Jin-young), Shinichi’s adopted son. In a well-done exchange that reveals Ga-kyung’s knowledge of English and Hideo’s own savvy, the two bump into each other as she tries to escape the search for So-ran’s missing bag. She takes his wallet, which contains a photograph he will do anything to retrieve. Her theft and their subsequent run-ins immediately make him suspicious of her. 

There’s more than meets the eye with Sato Hideo.

This suspicion grows further in the ultimate inciting incident for all the characters, carried out across 100 Days of Deception Episodes 1-2. Shifting to the Yoo household, So-ran and Phillip go over their plan to assassinate Shinichi when he comes over for dinner. They’ve planned for everything, including So-ran’s death after the deed is done. The thing is, neither could have planned for two factors: Ga-kyung’s surprise arrival and others using this opportunity to kill Shinichi themselves. 

The tension wrung out across 100 Days of Deception Episodes 1-2 during the Yoo household assassination plotline is impressive. The anticipation the audience feels, knowing what the Yoos intend to do, makes us wait with bated breath to see whether they succeed. It also makes the inevitable collapse of their plan all the more distressing when newly introduced factors throw things off course. 

What amplifies the feeling of danger even further is Shinichi and the power he (by extension) holds should (and when) he survives. Throughout 100 Days of Deception Episodes 1-2, we see the extent of his power and the fear he stokes. From the annihilation of So-ran’s village to his shooting a friend of Hideo’s prior to kidnapping him as a child, and the immediacy with which Shinichi’s forces swarm the Yoo household after the attempted killing, this is a man who commands power and inspires others to execute it in force. 

No one is safe around Shinichi, and Jin Seon-kyu’s restrained performance makes the man more terrifying.

The aftermath of the failed assassination in Episode 2 shows how quickly the Yoos think on their feet, but also how tenuous their status is now that this has happened so soon after their arrival in Gyeongseong. However, their web of allies saves them, letting them maintain their cover story as a couple caught up in someone else’s plot. For now, the Yoos seem to be out of the woods, except that Phillip’s position as a Korean-American journalist raises Shinichi’s hackles. Anything that shows the government’s weakness to Phillip is a chance to lose face.

Unfortunately, for Ga-kyung, who was present for the assassination attempt by the unplanned third party, and who was able to warn Hideo just in the nick of time through her English skills, she is now a person of interest. At least, in Hideo’s eyes. Their initial introduction when she pickpocketed him at the train station, followed by their run-in at the Yoos’ household where everything that could go wrong did, is just too coincidental to sit right by him. This suspicion only intensifies across 100 Days of Deception Episodes 1-2.

By the end of Episode 2, Hideo isn’t the only one suspicious of Ga-kyung. Phillip, who clearly cares for So-ran more than she does him in their fake marriage, views the young woman with suspicion. Her random appearance and her threats directed towards So-ran don’t help. But after seeing Ga-kyung with Hideo in the street, Phillip thinks something is going on between the two. Honestly, who could blame him? The fact that So-ran lets Ga-kyung leave the couple so soon after doesn’t help assuage his concerns. 

Danger is prevalent in 100 Days of Deception Episodes 1-2, even if the world itself doesn’t feel lived in.

By the end of Episode 2, it’s clear these characters will be intertwined for the rest of the series. Fate is funny like that. This becomes most apparent when, in dramatic, KDrama romance fashion, Hideo and Ga-kyung end Episode 2 in each other’s arms. Whatever happens next will involve these two, and because of their similar histories and shared trauma, it is sure to be heartbreaking. Because if anything has been made clear by the historical setup thus far, it’s that this world isn’t kind, and any happiness will quickly be snuffed out.

100 Days of Deception Episodes 1-2 make clear the danger that permeates this world, where every action is under intense observation and any mistake can quickly send someone toward death. Even those best prepared to execute hard-earned plans can’t account for everything, even if the end goal of bringing down the oppressive Japanese-run Joseon remains the same. And those like Ga-kyung, who believe they can easily leave rather than stay behind and fight, are in for a rude awakening. 

With each episode ending on a cliffhanger, you can’t help wanting to jump into the next.

While the world-building in 100 Days of Deception Episodes 1-2 is well done, with much done to establish its tone and the harshness of 1932 Joseon, the sets and costuming don’t quite read as lived-in. It’s not quite an artifice per se, but it’s clear these are sets, or at least well-curated locations the cast and crew have found themselves in for a time. One could argue that artifice is the point, given the government’s machinations at the time and its aim to project an image of being put together, but that is doing a lot of lifting.

With that said, 100 Days of Deception Episodes 1-2 quickly set the dramatic stakes, punctuated by an equally dramatic swelling score at opportune moments. With a cast of characters who are already intriguing and curiosity-invoking in their own right, and a penchant for ending each episode with a strong cliffhanger, this is set to be one of the must-watch KDramas of the Fall 2026 season. 

100 Days of Deception Episodes 1-2 are streaming now on Netflix, with new episodes dropping weekly.