Disney’s long-awaited K-drama Twelve is finally here, and I have to admit I’m genuinely disappointed that the first thing we see in a show about the 12 zodiac signs, aside from a charming introduction, is how Taesan, the tiger of the zodiac, is a loan shark. What do you mean, that’s the easiest way to catch bad guys? Of all the professions, yuck! Twelve begins with a flashback and narration about how 12 angels, empowered by the 12 animals of the earth and holding the light of God, came to Earth to ward off the darkness, slowly diminishing the darkness of evil and bringing in the light of God, until the light won.
The darkness released evil spirits, but the angels managed to defeat them; eventually, the absolute power of the angels and the power of evil were sealed in the “Hellmouth,” the source of evil, and the angels now live in human form on Earth, among other humans. Episode 1 basically focuses on showing us what Taesan and the rest of the angels are up to now, and what they'll face throughout the series: the evil spirit Ogwi.
Stars: Ma Dong-seok, Park Hyung-sik, Seo In-guk
Episode 1 of Series Twelve introduces Taesan as a tiger-print tracksuit-wearing thug—sorry, a loan shark—who only lends money to criminals, thugs, and delinquents. Basically, you're safe if you don't have a criminal record. Taesan visits a man in jail and tells him he needs to pay. The man wonders how he can go to jail and ask for his money back. Taesan tells him he's been lending money because it's easy to get people to pay him back, what with his tiger-like build and all. The man ignores him for the moment. Meanwhile, we go to Taesan's building. That's where the Angels Capital Group is located; they're in the business of lending money.
Then there's a gym upstairs and Taesan Oriental Medicine in the center, where Bangwool, perhaps the snake of the zodiac (judging by the painting, his attire, and considering his practice), offers unconventional medical treatments. Then there's Jwidol, who handles the computers, so he's basically the technician. I assume he's the rat of the zodiac, while Doni is the pig who assists Malsook in his practice. Bangwool snaps a man's neck and scares a client, only for him to wake up feeling like a new man. They charge very little for the treatment, perhaps because they have all the money from the Angel Group? Or perhaps because they're angels?
Elsewhere, policeman Marok asks Taesan to lend him money because, as a policeman, he must dress well to be taken seriously; although he's actually buying clothes for someone else. He bought them for Mirae, another member of the "family" who has been living abroad for 10 years. He claims to have hurt Taesan, but we still don't know what he's up to. He won't accept the gifts because they were bought with Taesan's money. It will take me a while to figure out what his zodiac sign is because I couldn't decipher it from the small stone he's anxiously looking at. The trailer shows Ogwi searching for a "soul" stone; perhaps that's what it is, and he could have stolen it from Taesan or gotten into a fight with him over it.
Later, Taesan bails the man out of jail specifically so he can get his money back. It doesn't take long for him to fight off the thugs the man has lined up for him. Although Taesan is now human, he still has the build of a tiger, incredibly strong. The same goes for the other angels. They all have combat skills and use them against anyone who might be even slightly evil. The man has no choice but to pocket the money himself. He doesn't hesitate after watching Taesan slaughter everyone.
At the same time, Wonsung, Malsook, Kangi, Jwido, and Doni go beating up other people to get more money back. They're all agile, and Doni, the "pig," is also able to show people their place. Malsook also seems to be always ready for a fight, has no patience, and is lightning fast. On his way home, Taesan runs into an old woman selling street food. But she calls him ajusshi because he's much older than her and has watched her grow from a child to an old woman.
While he's talking to her, an old man tries to yell at Taesan for talking casually to an old woman, but it seems he's also an old acquaintance of Taesan's. It seems he saved these two people and their families from doom, giving them happiness in the future. Geumsoon, the woman, tells him to seek happiness now, because not everyone is evil and there's much goodness in the world now.
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