[비즈한국] You wake up one day and suddenly you’ve aged from your late 20s to your mid-50s? It’s a terrifying thought. But wait, what if the opposite happened—what if you suddenly went from your 50s to your 20s? Would it still feel like such a horrific nightmare? The JTBC weekend drama 'Miss Night and Day' follows a protagonist who turns into a 50-year-old when the sun rises, only to revert to her original 20-year-old self once the sun sets. Is a body that changes between day and night a curse, or is it an opportunity to experience a different world?
'Miss Night and Day' tells the story of Lee Mi-jin (Jung Eun-ji), a job seeker who has been preparing for the civil service exam for eight years, only to suddenly transform into a middle-aged woman in her 50s overnight. Although afflicted by this "senior time curse(?)" that changes her into a 50-year-old by day, she doesn't give up. Borrowing the identity of her aunt who went missing, she begins working as Lim Sun (Lee Jung-eun), a senior intern for public works at the Seohan District Prosecutors' Office. Along with the romance that unfolds with prosecutor Gye Ji-woong (Choi Jin-hyuk)—who is entangled with both the 20-year-old Mi-jin and the 50-year-old Lim Sun—the show doesn't miss the trend of mixing in crime thriller elements, essential for romantic comedies since 'When the Camellia Blooms'. Public reception is also positive. Starting at 4%, viewership ratings have climbed steadily, hitting 8.4% by the 10th episode.
There have been many "body-swap" genre works. Having grown up reading the Brothers Grimm fairy tale where a kiss turns a frog into a prince, and recently watching works like 'I Moved Into a High Schooler’s Body', we’ve been exposed to countless variations of this trope. While the premise of swapping bodies is extremely familiar, 'Miss Night and Day' is unique in that two actors of different generations portray the same character at different times. It seeks to bridge the generational gap by overcoming the hardships each age group faces and the prejudices directed at them.
As a long-term job seeker, Lee Mi-jin has always lived diligently, yet she has never heard the sweet sound of acceptance in this high-standard society. Despite scoring first in aptitude tests and physical evaluations, she is treated as a "loser" for being older than her early-20s counterparts who share her name during civil service interviews. Even with her wealth of miscellaneous knowledge, certifications, and passion gained from various part-time jobs, society has never clearly declared her qualified.
Then, the physical transformation into a 50-year-old, which feels like a curse, offers an opportunity that the 20-year-old Mi-jin (born in '96) never had. By using the identity of her missing aunt, born in '69, she is celebrated—solely for being "young" compared to other applicants—and is hired as the youngest senior intern at the public works interview. Of course, while only her outward appearance is aged, her accumulated knowledge and physical stamina remain, so there is no reason for her not to be selected.
It is heartbreaking that opportunities never afforded to her in her 20s only arrive once she inhabits a 50-year-old body. But is the reality of being 50 any easier? Of course not. Is there any place in the world as discriminatory based on age as South Korea? Once hired as a senior intern, Lim Sun happens to prevent a sulfuric acid terror attack on top star Ko Won (Baek Seo-hoo) and is appointed as an administrative assistant in Prosecutor Gye Ji-woong’s office. However, even Prosecutor Gye, who appears to act with rational logic despite his prickly personality, views the older Lim Sun as an eyesore. The reason is simple: he is uncomfortable with someone older.
It doesn't matter that Lim Sun (actually Lee Mi-jin) has a typing speed near 1,000 characters per minute, can handle Excel and coding with ease, or can complete difficult delivery orders at a speed that rivals Gen Z. Prosecutor Gye and investigator Joo Byung-deok (Yoon Byung-hee) are simply bothered by the fact that Lim Sun’s age and appearance don't fit the role of an administrative assistant. Look at what Gye says to the investigator after berating Lim Sun for telling the victim, Ko Won, about the death of the sulfuric acid attacker: "This is why I don't like working with people who are old, lack experience, and talk too much for no reason." Gye’s words, and the way society treats Mi-jin or Lim Sun throughout the drama, reflect our bitter reality where no opportunity is given to those who deviate even slightly from established standards. No experience other than part-time jobs by age 30? Rejected! Old but lack experience? Rejected! What exactly are they supposed to do?
In that sense, seeing the 20-year-old Lee Mi-jin, who sobbed after failing exams and being scammed, continue to explode in moments of sorrow even as the 50-year-old Lim Sun is deeply heartbreaking. Look at the scene in the latter half of episode 5 where she wails, "You should have just made me really old, made me a hunched-over granny. Then it wouldn't be 'hope torture.' What can I even do looking like this!" Our society’s prejudice against age is cruel. The problem is that every age group has its own hardships to bear and prejudices to endure. Whether it's the "MZ generation," often called the poorest generation compared to their parents yet frequently mocked, or the "sandwich generation" struggling with fewer job opportunities while still supporting families, everyone is having a tough time. Like Lim Sun said, would it be better if we were hunched-over grandpas and grandmas? In a society where over 30% of the elderly population aged 70 and older are still working?
Of course, while 'Miss Night and Day' adds a thriller layer, its genre is undeniably a romantic comedy. Even so, watching this drama, I often find myself ruminating on the weight of life carried by each generation. Thoughts like, "Wow, she can type like that, knows Excel, and can even code, yet can't find a job? If I were born in the 90s, I would never have been hired," or "Things are tough now, but what do I really do when I'm 50? Should I start looking at the senior job market early?" arise. Perhaps it’s my own age that makes me more interested in the "Senior Avengers" like former detective Seo Mal-tae (Choi Moo-in) or the prosecutor's right-hand man, Joo Byung-deok, rather than the love triangle between Gye, Mi-jin (Lim Sun), and Ko Won.
The passionate performances of Lee Jung-eun and Jung Eun-ji, who weave together the generational narrative, are the strongest reasons to watch 'Miss Night and Day'. In particular, Lee Jung-eun’s performance, throwing her entire being into playing a 50-year-old with the soul of a 20-year-old, is truly dazzling. This looks to be Jung Eun-ji's third career-defining role, following 'Reply 1997' and 'Work Later, Drink Now'.
Who is Jung Soo-jin?
She has worked across various magazines, covering film, travel, and pop culture. She doesn't want to fall behind on trends, but she has become an "old person" who predicts only obvious clichés when watching the latest dramas. Drifting through the vast world of OTT platforms, she is trying to regain her lost edge. Her current wish is for a single, integrated OTT subscription plan.