The director indeed has an eye for talent. Despite being afraid to watch this drama at first because of my preconceived notions that Jo Jung Suk appeared too old for Park Bo Young and had, to be honest, a scary face, in my opinion- though many would disagree (including myself) after watching this- I have become a new fan of him as well as the other three leads. Park Bo Young is a second reason that I did not want to watch this originally because the editing on the Running Man episode that I watched where she was a guest gave me a rather negative view of her. Unlike my previous opinion, this show opened me up to her through her diverse and entertaining acting skills showing me that she was far from the one-dimensional person I once saw her as. I have seen Im Joo Hwan on variety shows before but was never aware of his powerful acting skills that sent chills down my spine at times. Indeed, the writers did a good job of giving the villain a strong presence that makes you curl up in awe. Lastly, Kim Seul Gi is a name and face that I was not even familiar with before watching this. She reminded me of Gong Hyo Jin at times with a more upbeat personality and a cuteness comparable to Yoon Eun Hye. I will be sure to look out for her in the future and can't wait to see her future works.
Though the actors and writers were entertaining for the two days that it took me to finish this drama, I was quite disappointed in the last two episodes, especially the last. For being such an entertaining show, I expected more out of the ending. My opinion of the show dropped drastically when they added what I thought was a typical, predictable, anticlimactic ending that I've seen many times and one of the ones I hate at that. This is the main reason I deducted points from my score because I don't mind slow beginnings and this show had chemistry that was equal to that found in Master's Sun and suspense equal to that in highly raved-about dramas like You Who Came from the Stars or Healer. Because of this, they led my expectations for the ending to be quite high, and a typical ending just falls too short to make my score any higher.
The cast selection and directing was indeed what made this drama what it is. I was surprised at how well even the minor characters were able to portray the ghost, making it believable to me that the ghost was actually taking over their bodies. I found the ghost and Bong Sun or Jo Jung Suk to be my favorites. Definitely worth the time to watch, but don't expect to be wowed by the ending.
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SO FUN!
This drama came to me at such a perfect time, it was so fun and easy to watch. The storyline is interesting and the switch between Bong-Sun and Soon-Ae was so completely perfect. I LOVE the contrast of two characters. By the end of the show it left me kind of empty because I missed it so much, but I love that feeling.There wasn’t really anything I disliked, I would recommend this drama to anyone who’s kind of bored of everything they are watching and need something easy to digest and enjoy.
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Great comedic paranormal romance
10/10 is my rating. This is a 2015 South Korean drama spanning 16 episodes (~60 minutes/episode). The main character, Na Bong-sun (Park Bo-Young) is painfully shy and socially withdrawn because she sees ghosts and does not get enough sleep. Along comes Shim Soon-Ae (Kim Seul-Ki) – a ghost who is determined to lose her virginity as she thinks that is what is tethering her in place. Bong-sun has long had a crush on her boss, Kang Sun-woo (Jo Jung-suk), who is as arrogant and self-assured as Bong-Sun was shy. With the ghost on board, Bong-Sun's complete change in personal style captures the boss's attention. And the hilarity, uncomfortable situations, and romance continues from there.Spoiler 🚨 This is one I often recommend to those that are new to Asian dramas because I think there are enough “interesting” elements in it that they can't help but get “sucked in.” There were a lot of fascinating cooking elements – an immersion into the high class cooking culture in South Korea. It was a little predictable at times but was such a good mix of drama, romance, crime and comedy. It ended in a perfect spot without being rushed or drawn out which seems to be something Asian Dramas struggle with a bit.
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Surprising chemistry between Cho Jungseok and Park Boyoung!
I love how natural all the moments between Chef and Bong felt, I love love love when characters talk over each other and tease each other, and both Jungseok and Boyoung (as usual) delivered the main leads with believability and charm. I thought the plot was interesting and I liked the dynamic of the chefs by the end (hard to watch at the start, ESPECIALLY the head sous chef). Took me a while to complete it, so I wouldn't say it's much of a binge watch, but it was easy and comedic so I'm glad I completed it!Was this review helpful to you?
I was really baffled at how the drama would handle the romance of the show with Soon Ae at the reins in someone else’s body. But how cute is it when the two of them become friends? Na Bong Sun kind of becomes drunk on the charisma that is a Kim Seul Gi character. Kim Seul Gi just totally commits to whatever she’s doing. Her crying is tragic, her terror is so gut wrenching and her happiness so freakin’ contagious.
The story telling really becomes strong as the drama moves along. I enjoyed the characterisation and the events that happen as it escalates towards the deadline that is Soon Ae’s ghost life.
Sun Woo – male lead
Sun Woo is your typical arrogant, famous, rich, proud kind of guy. I was impressed that he just liked Na Bong Sun even with her “mental illness”. But in general, he was a hero that I didn’t really connect with. He’s unlikeable and I don’t know what he’s thinking. This means that it’s pretty adorable when he loses it over Bong Sun. He is a rather awkward character but he definitely shows his vulnerability when it comes to his lady love.
Romance
Of course Sun Woo is shocked by Bong Sun’s transformation and I liked how he grew to respect her new personality.
He also became less confident around her. I appreciated that he began to be aware and concerned about what she thought of him. It was kind of hilarious how scared he is when he thinks he’s upset her.
I like how the show demonstrated that Sun Woo did have a connection with Bong Sun through her blog.
It was a bit jarring how the possessed Bong Sun kept throwing herself at Sun Woo, but it was kind of cute how Sun Woo started to have the giggles over it too.
Sun Woo becomes a much better person thanks to Bong Sun. I really liked the transformation and the sensitivity he developed towards her.
The show explores the troubles that Bong Sun goes through because of the relationship building that has occurred when she wasn’t conscious. e.g. Soon Ae likes blood sausage and Bong Sun hates it. So there are so many things that Sun Woo is bringing up because of what Soon Ae told him. But it also gets meaningful when he begins to say things he appreciated about her and what made him like her and they were all things that Soon Ae did for him. It’s a shame that he could never really connect with Soon Ae especially when he admits that he loved her too.
I enjoyed the time of separation that Bong Sun and Sun Woo go through. For once it was done well and was effective for the plot instead of just an in between period to play sad songs and mope around. Also the show demonstrates nicely without too much drama that time is rather healing.
After Sun Woo finds out everything towards the end it is endlessly entertaining as he figures out who was who throughout the whole drama.
Joon/Corden
Big shout out to this character who was so hot and funny and cool and nice. He was one of those random side characters that rooted for the main couple.
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This review may contain spoilers
Perfect blend of Rom-com and mystery (Magic of old kdramas)
Oh My Ghost follows Na Bong-Sun, a shy culinary assistant, whose body gets possessed by Soon-Ae — a virginal ghost desperate to resolve her unfinished earthly desires before crossing over. Her target: Kang Sun-Woo, a fierce celebrity chef who works alongside Bong-Sun.At first it seems like Chef Kang only notices Bong-Sun once the ghost possesses her, which feels like a bait-and-switch. But as the arc develops, it becomes clear that Soon-Ae was a catalyst, not a replacement. The chef was falling toward the real Bong-Sun all along; the ghost just pulled him close enough to see her.
The show handles its thornier dynamics better than expected. Chef Kang's discomfort with Soon-Ae's advances is shown clearly and treated as the correct response — there is no moment where his resistance crumbles simply because she is persistent enough. The possession scenes are uncomfortable to watch, and intentionally so. That discomfort is the point: it establishes Soon-Ae as reckless and desperate, not charming. The show does not ask you to root for the pursuit.
Park Bo-Young carries the show on her shoulders, playing two distinct personalities within one body with remarkable precision. Her physical comedy as Soon-Ae is delightful, and her restraint as Bong-Sun is genuinely moving. I loved the chefs' as well there comedy was something I looked forward to. The police officer's acting was something that stole the whole show though.
The series was a bit drag, and became skipable at some points, but still this drama has its charm to bring you back and wait till the finale and it's ultimate reveal.
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If you're introducing Park Bo Young to anyone, show them this first before Strong Woman. Cause I showed Strong Woman first and then Oh My Ghostess. My friend was not impressed with OMG after viewing Strong Girl. Conversely, I watched OMG first and thought it was hilarious, and then Strong Girl, so I got the experience of "upgrading" to a better show.
Anyway, this is a good watch, but beware the seriousness of how this show makes light on the ghost forcing a woman to have sex with a man who actually isn't willing. And then it gets weirder.
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Story: ok, it's not so original, even very foreseeable from time to time, but nice and funny. The only thing I wasn't really happy (overall in the last episode) was that for me, parts of the plot were too similar to Coffee Prince (and I loved this show, but I would have prefered something different).
Acting: the gem of this show is the acting of the three main actors. I have already seen Park Bo Young in Strong Woman Do Bong Soon and I loved her, so I was happy to see her again doing two different roles, sooo funny when she acts as the ghost. I liked the fact that even having seen her in others films/series, it was easy to forget about it, so good was her acting.
Music: it's ok, nothing special, although the main song is nice to hear.
Rewatch value: perhaps some scenes or episodes. Not anytime soon.
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The romantic relationship between the leads has a beautiful pace to it and it's the kind that you just can't get enough of. Normally, people would just be happy to see that they're finally in a relationship and then be bored for the rest of the show cause there's just nothing left to be interested in but honestly, it wasn't like that at all for me. Their relationship was both funny and beautiful.
The mystery behind the main storyline is also great, it was very well thought through and it was interesting how it still connected to the more fantasy theme. Lastly, I would have to say that the one thing that was kind of a letdown was the music itself. It didn't really stand out to me and it felt just like any other song that goes along with these kinds of dramas.
Overall though, it was great! I didn't really binge through it but I did finish it and it did make me curious. It was a fun journey to go through the story and see these people grow to be even better people all because of a ghost.
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Good in parts and off in parts so quite inconsistent but the actors nailed it.
This is a fairly unsubtle drama. The actors play their parts well and the camaraderie in the kitchen is heartwarming.Our two FLs are polar opposites so it is easy to dislike the self-effacing Na Bong Soon, although her character development makes her a lot more likable towards the end. Shin Sun Ae has a very bold personality and feels grieved that she died so young and is nearing the 3 year time of ghost departure. She is focused on possessing female bodies so that she can get laid and ditch her virgin ghost grudge.
Meeting chef Kang Seon Woo seems like the answer to her prayers so she goes all out trying to seduce him. This is so startling to him because of Na Bong soon's about face of character that he is very flattered but decidedly uncomfortable.
This comedy premise is also uncomfortable for the audience as at times it borders on sexual harassment.
There is a mystery about how Shin Sun Ae died and the ever helpful officer Choi plays a dark and damaged character that also is exaggerated towards the end then unbelievably looks like he gets redeemed. WTF!
I almost dropped it whilst the hostage situation unfolded it became too absurd with characters charging off without police assistance and the evil spirit being exposed as the really bad element.
I also do not understand why Asian dramas are so hung up on starting a romance the abruptly leaving to go overseas - probably a cultural necessity ......
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At first glance Oh My Ghost is just a super silly show about Sun Ae, a ghost, who is holding a grudge and not moving on to the next life because she is a virgin ghost! Ha-ha. However, Oh My Ghost's writer quickly establishes that there are darker elements and that something bad happened. Even linking to Seon Woo's, THE male lead, sister's accident. It was a breathtaking balance as the show stayed mostly on the warm, light, and funny side. Most of the time I was totally smiling my face off! However, very human moments about death and how we live our lives creates poignant moments. What are regrets? If we died would something hold us back that we needed to resolve?
There were some big plot holes, I won't lie. Some small ones that most shows make that I won't begrudge it. Yet, the biggest one I couldn't quite over look. After all it center around Bong Seon one of your leads. Bong Seon can see ghosts. The ability comes from her shamanic grandma. Strangely enough it's not really touched upon why Bong Seon couldn't seem to adjust to seeing them. If people believed her grandma was a shaman, wouldn't they think the daughter had talent? How come her grandma couldn't teach her how to handle it? Wouldn't it be a comfort to have someone else with that kind of gift? Wouldn't she know more about seeing ghosts being raised by a shaman? I mean I could go on! AND ON! It baffled me why that wasn't touched on. Especially as Bong Seon is apparently a great vessel for possession. It didn't help that Bong Seon didn't truly get developed until later in the show. Sun Ae was definitely the star. Which makes sense as she is the ghost in the title.
Other than that I thought the story was great. At times there were a lot of elements, but they all fitted well together. I enjoyed that the writing established that something was fishy with Seong Jae and that there was a darker mystery. The other characters and their stories fit in well. In fact, they fit so well that I didn't feel like any of them were gimmicks and that they all contributed something great to the story.
The acting for Oh My Ghost was phenomenal. At first I was disappointed that Kim Seul Gi wasn't technically the lead. She is a main role playing the ghost Sun Ae. However, the true star of the show is Park Bo Young playing the girl who can see ghosts Bong Seon, and the one who gets possessed by Sun Ae. As a die hard fan of actress Kim Seul Gi it was hard letting go the dream. However, Park Bo Young won me over as she has to play Bong Seon and then a Bong Seon possessed by Sun Ae! You could tell who was in residence of her body just from the acting! Each character had their own tick and she figured them out to show them in the role! Not to mention that Bong Seon was an introverted weakling dealing with being haunted by ghosts, then a girl dealing with the horror of being possessed, and then someone who grows into who they were meant to be. Not to mention way in your face Sun Ae! Any character played by Kim Seul Gi is going to be really loud, funny, and expressive. Because even though I was won over by another actress Kim Seul Gi did an amazing job. Seul Gi displayed amazing range. Her role was very heart felt, and towards the end when she cried I did too.
These fabulous ladies aren't the only ones to do wonderful jobs! Seon Woo ended up being a very complex male lead, and in the end a total softy. Which is good as he started out as one of those cold bullies. Seon Woo turned out to be adorable and I love how he handled things once he found out the truth. Because Bong Seon doesn't keep lying to him, she confesses everything to him. They actually have frank discussions about the whole situation and in the end Seon Woo even jokes about how he was in a love triangle with a ghost. What's more is he realized when he was with Bong Seon and then when it was Sun Ae. Even admitting that he had feelings for both girls to some degree.
As I said before the other characters were great! From the shaman that tries to exorcise Sun Ae and ends up helping her with her virgin grudge! To the adorable kitchen crew in Seon Woo's shop. What I love more is that there isn't another lead falling in love with Bong Seon causing unnecessary triangles every where. Technically there was another love interest for Seon Woo, but it was handled beautifully. Showcasing what friendship is and what happens when you fall so much in love that silly crushes can be left behind. Not to mention Sun Ae's family! Her father was just amazing, and her brother a good comedic relief. Seon Woo's sister was adorable and I truly loved her. The only person I didn't care for was Seon Woo's mother, but I think it had more to do with the personality the writer gave her than the actress.
The music really fit the drama well and I loved the warm feeling of it. The “danger” music even had a certain quality to it. The singers they got to sing for the OST were great and I enjoyed the more lively music to the boring ballads other shows have.
Rewatch? Oh, yes! There is no doubt that one viewing is enough. There were too many things to love about this drama and why would you only want to experience the fun once!
Personally I thought the writer did a wonderful job at hinting to the darker tones behind this romantic comedy. Obviously something more was going on behind Sun Ae's death. So when the build up to episode 14, and especially 15 hit, it wasn't that much of a shock. Apparently other viewers did not agree with me, so I guess here's a warning. Both actresses did an amazing job and I really was impressed by the quality of the writing. What truly hit after I started this drama is that the female leads love each other and end up genuinely caring for one another. They're friendship was beautiful and was a love I was so happy to see in dramaland. Too many times the female leads, and pretty much all the females subsequently, tend to be enemies! I love that this is a story of all kinds of different loves and friendships. Most importantly is that Oh My Ghost is a truly fun time. The pacing is excellent and has no room for boring moments. Not to mention that the ending was perfect! D-Day time! ^_-
Honestly I don't think my review truly covers it, however I did review each episode so you can either follow along or check out what I thought in more detail(s) there!
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