My Roommate Is a Gumiho (2021)

Some thing to pass the time...

I originally stopped watching this show midway and I wasn't sure why...I think I just got bored and it was at the part the ML almost ate up the FL. You would think I would want to watch more....but I didn't. Funny enough...I kinda wanted the FL with the SML. That dream she had look more lovely and natural than she had with the ML.

I'm not sure what to make of this drama....even the reunion in the last episode was so lacklustre. I finished it because I like to finish dramas. On a side note, I like the secondary couple...they were cute and so much more interesting than the leads.

The OST was okay and the acting was just alright. The obstacles they faced were so minuscule or were made to feel that way after a couple of episodes. I am not actually sure why or how they fell in love which makes their romance not believable.

You can watch it if just for the laughs here and there, surface-level romance and sneak peeks of Go Kyung Pro...Also, with that said, Hye Ri's performance does remind me a bit of Reply 1988.

Read More

A Delightful Rom-Com Fantasy: "My Roommate is a Gumiho"

My Roommate is a Gumiho" is a captivating South Korean romantic comedy that seamlessly blends fantasy elements with heartwarming moments, creating an entertaining and enjoyable viewing experience. This series, which aired in 2021, introduces viewers to the unlikely cohabitation of a modern-day college student and a mythical creature known as a gumiho, adding a unique twist to the classic roommate trope.

The storyline follows the life of Shin Woo-yeo, a centuries-old gumiho who has accumulated wealth and knowledge throughout his long existence. Things take an unexpected turn when a college student, Lee Dam, accidentally swallows Woo-yeo's precious bead, an essential item for the gumiho's survival. To complicate matters, the two are forced to live together until they can find a way to retrieve the bead, leading to a series of humorous and endearing situations.

One of the standout features of "My Roommate is a Gumiho" is the charismatic and well-matched lead cast. Lee Dam, portrayed by Hyeri, brings a refreshing energy to her character with her charm and comedic timing. Jang Ki-yong, who plays Shin Woo-yeo, delivers a nuanced performance that captures the complexities of his character's long life and emotional struggles.

The chemistry between the two leads is palpable, contributing to the series' overall charm. The progression of their relationship is well-paced, allowing for both comedic moments and heartfelt scenes that tug at the heartstrings. The show effectively balances the fantasy elements with the emotional development of the characters, creating a storyline that keeps viewers invested from start to finish.

The production values of "My Roommate is a Gumiho" are commendable, with vibrant cinematography and visually stunning effects that bring the fantasy elements to life. The incorporation of traditional folklore into the modern setting adds depth to the narrative and allows for creative storytelling.

The supporting cast also adds layers to the series, with memorable characters and subplots that contribute to the overall enjoyment. The combination of romance, comedy, and fantasy creates a well-rounded viewing experience suitable for a wide audience.

While the series excels in its lighthearted and humorous moments, it also delves into themes of identity, love, and the passage of time. This depth adds a layer of substance to the narrative, making "My Roommate is a Gumiho" more than just a typical romantic comedy.

In conclusion, "My Roommate is a Gumiho" is a delightful addition to the romantic comedy genre, offering a fresh take on the classic trope of mismatched roommates. With its charismatic cast, engaging storyline, and a perfect blend of fantasy and romance, this series is a must-watch for fans of the genre and anyone looking for a feel-good drama with a touch of the supernatural.

Read More

Side Characters Carried This Boring Drama

I don't like the categories for rating on here. My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.

I normally don't watch these kinds of dramas - a drama with a fanfic type plot that appeals to teen girls - but I want to see Jang Gi Yong (장기용) in main roles. He was awesome in My Ajusshi playing a scary loan shark, but he had limited screen time. All of the main roles I've seen him in so far after that, he's played the same character type - stoic, no emotion, robotic. I don't know why he seems to be only playing these roles now, after he did so well with his character in My Ajusshi. Maybe he was afraid to be typecasted as a villain?

Acting/Cast: The promising cast is deceiving. Yes, the acting was good and the humor was good, but the story itself was so boring that the cast and their acting couldn't save it. I thought the two leads were the weakest in this area. Maybe it's more of a writing/directing issue though. The male lead was the "stoic" type which a lot of times (in badly written dramas) means that they can't convey emotions well and makes for a boring watch. It's difficult to write and portray a good stoic character, but it's not impossible (Terius Behind Me male lead, My Ajusshi male and female leads). The female lead's character building in the beginning gave me false hope - that she was going to be a distinct and unique female lead. She started out that way but by the end, I was annoyed by how she talks and acts, specifically with the male lead -- It felt too childish. The side characters were great, however, and I really just wanted to watch them. 7/10

Writing: The plot itself is pretty boring. There's not much to it. The fantasy element really didn't add much, since it became a simple cohabitation plot and a college romcom plot. There was this really annoying back and forth regarding the relationship between the two leads that made me want them to just give up on the whole human and fox love story and be with their own kind. They kept stressing how the male lead is "just an animal" as if he is literally a fox and that he's a super old man...so that made me feel weird about the leads being together romantically. He felt more like her guardian rather than a potential love interest. I also love love triangles when they're done right. This is also something that is difficult to do, but not impossible (Cheer Up, True Beauty, The King In Love). This drama had a weak love triangle, so much so that it was completely pointless for it to be included. Literally, it was only used to make the male lead jealous. It was clear that there was no way the female lead would even consider the second male lead. I actually felt bad for the second male lead and thought that he could possibly be a better match for the female lead than the male lead. Also, why make the female lead a history buff and not use it in a meaningful way for the story? So pointless... 1/10

Direction/SFX/Music: I want to blame the acting of the two leads on the direction. The music is nothing special. SFX was ok I guess. There was a stupid scene in a sauna involving ice powers for some reason...That might have been when I started really losing interest. The sauna scene in Episode 9 is a good marker for the beginning of the decline. 1/10

Entertainment Value: It was decent up until episode 9 when it first started going downhill. Then, when the red string was added in at episode 10 and the weak love triangle was created, I was just annoyed. I kept watching hoping that maybe there would be some unexpected twist. I almost dropped this drama at episode 13, but I decided to continue watching to see what would happen with the side characters. I should have dropped it though. 1/10

Overall, it was tough to give this a final rating. I ended up giving this drama a 2.5/10. I can't help but compare it with Tale of the Nine-Tailed, which I gave a 3/10. I didn't like Tale of The Nine-Tailed either, but I never considered dropping it like I did with this drama. The nine-tailed foxes in Tale of The Nine-Tailed were much more interesting characters with a certain kind of charm and with more interesting lore.

Read More

Suspend reality and enjoy a roller coaster ride of emotions

8/2/2021

First of all, one needs to get over the 977-year age gap. If you have a problem with a thousand-year guy/fox dating a 22-year woman, this is not the drama for you. Well, at least our female lead is not a high school student (aka Goblin).

I enjoy the general plot of the drama, though there are some plot holes. Others might have problems with the age gap or the professor/student relationship. These don't bother me much but I understand why others are OK with it. I am fine with the professor/student relationship since they started their relationship before this happened and it's the reason how ML can see FL everyday. I also like that the story didn't end when the bead is given back to ML or when they got back together. I enjoy the relationship development, how they maintain their relationship, and going through extraordinary struggles. I do feel that there are some plot lines that were dropped or forgotten. What happened to the discovery that the evil spirit transform into ML to kill people? I thought the police was going to investigate and ask ML questions? I guess once the evil spirit is disintegrated, we can forget about that plot. I also don't understand the double-standard of how ML and 2FL's requirements to turn human. Does the mountain spirit just make up his own rules and it's not standard practice for all gumiho? I also would like to learn more about 2FL's background story of her failed romances and how she achieved humanity. There are parts that are a little slow and I felt that there's not enough material for 16 hour-long episodes. Maybe 12 episodes would be enough.

Romance takes center page in this drama. I love ML's smiles and FL's personality. FL's role here is very similar to her role in "Reply 1988". It's great to see a FL who is straightforward, honest about her feelings, communicates (for the most part) and loyal to her friends. I am also a fan of ML and enjoyed his role in "Search WWW" , "Come and Hug Me", and "My Mister". I do find his acting here a little weaker than this other dramas that I watched. I don't feel that his eyes are conveying enough emotions, but when he smiles shyly, it brightens the screen and melts my heart. Our third wheel could probably cause some second-lead syndrome. But I do find his persistent confession and chasing after FL a little too much and clingy. He's cute though :) The secondary romance is cute and fun. The secondary leads are both a little clumsy in their own ways and they make quite a lovable pair.

This drama is a lot funnier than I thought it would be. There are many comedic moments by our female lead (FL)and the supporting cast. It's no doubt that the funniest is our fox-turned-human second female lead (2FL). She is so lovable and clueless and sexy that you can't help but love her. Our 2FL and 2ML are an odd pairing but it worked.

I love the friendships between the two gumihos and FL's friendship with her besties. ML and 2FL form a funny pair with their banter, yet deep down they care of each other. They are both old yet childish in their petty little ways. I also love the friendship between FL and her male BFF. It's great to see a pure platonic friendship that is full of laughter and tears. I do find FL's female BFF a little hard to tolerate at times, as she's very loud and her comedy is very in-your-face.

Read More

SO DISAPPOINTING :( I WANTED to like it but...

It looked promising at first but then... the story was just so lacking?
It felt like the climax never hit? Just some sorts of problems here and there, and the couple (note, I love the actors separately) but the CHARACTERS they had to play just didn't FIT.

The dude seemed so mature and the girl seemed SOOO childish - like - it would have been a cute college love but just didn't fit together.

I just think as a couple they didn't really match well or mesh well - parts seemed awkward and almost too cringey. Uncle + Niece vibes were WAY more accurate.

I also loved the side loves/stories so much more - humor was there though. I truly did laugh a lot but I was NOT interested in the PLOT at all. I literally whizzed/skimmed through it to just find out the ending results etc.

The antagonists of the stories were also just meh and were solved so quickly - like no effort put in.

Overall, wouldn't watch again but still glad I did bc I know now. Wouldn't really recommend if you find your time precious but the main actor + 2nd leads were such eye candies.

Read More

Amazing and light fantasy romcom

Not planning to leave a long review but just to let anyone doubting whether to start it or not, you totally should. This is one of the best romcoms, the leads have great chemistry, the characters are mature, the FL is one of the best FLs ever: she's a strong woman with a great personality, decided, independent, stands for herself, outgoing, true to herself... And she doesn't have the typical "femme fatale" image that kdramas associate this type of woman with, which makes her even more outstanding. All the side characters and stories are very interesting and nice to see, the second romance is super cute and lovable. The drama stays strong till the end, I was personally never bored with it, not even after the MLs get together, which is when dramas usually start dragging the plot. MRIAG managed to stay funny, fun, exciting till the end. Even though it's a fantasy drama and the fantasy is a main part of the show, it's easy to forget it's actually a fantasy drama because of how realistic and relatable all the characters are. The last ep had like 20 minutes of drama but it's not a big deal. I usually like light dramas without villains or unnecessary dark plots and MRIAG is exactly that. If you are looking to watch a light romcom with great romance, characters and plot, this is definitely for you.

Read More

A very cute and sweet story with one of the best and healthiest relationships I have seen

I have never watched a love story like this one before. Most or all of the ones I have watched before had made me really frustrated and sad most of the times so this was really refreshing to watch. I don't even think I cried, not because it was not deep enough to make me feel pain or because the acting was bad but I knew whatever the problems were it'd be solved soon. I had a lot of trust in the main couple's relationship. Even though they did sometimes keep things from each other most of the times they communicated really well that I knew I don't have to worry about them having too many misunderstandings... also they had really good friends to put sense into them when they did make mistakes. The story was deep, but not too complicated. Even if there were problems it gets solved in an episode or two so it never felt like the story was dragging on. The pace was just perfect and I'm glad it ended the way it did, even though I'd have loved to watch more of Dam and human Wooyeo being cute together. It was not just the main couple that I loved, all the characters were really good! I really loved Hyesun and Jaejin's relationship. They were the best and both of them were too cute! Hyesun and Wooyeo's friendship was another thing I loved. I loved watching them fight... they were really like kids when they did? Sookyung was so funny as well and I loved how both her and Jaejin really cared about Dam. I really loved their friendship!

Now to talk about the acting, all the actors did a wonderful job and I especially loved Kang Hanna. She was so cute and I have only watched dramas of her where she's a really cold or bad person so it was nice seeing her being all cute and funny. This role really suits her and I hope I'll get to see her playing more characters like this in the future. And Jang Kiyong... I don't know why but he really feels like a different person with different hairstyles. But I'll focus on his acting now, and he is really good! I feel like he can do any kind of roles! He did a great job being both serious and cute. And his smile is the prettiest I feel like I could look at him all day long! Sometimes when he smiles I also felt like he could play the role of a psychopath as well? This is the first drama of Lee Hyeri I watched and I'm really impressed with her acting! She did especially well during the emotional scenes and she's really funny as well! Kiyong and Hyeri's chemistry was too good! I definitely want to see them in more dramas together... hopefully romcom. They were too funny together so I'd like to see that than anything too emotional. Kim Dowan was really cute and this is, I think, the third drama of him I'm watching and his acting was good as usual. All the other actors were good as well and I don't think there's anyone I didn't like... except Sunwoo but that was not because of Bae Inhyuk's acting, which was really good and he was really cute as well, but I just hate people like that. And I have to mention this one... Kim Doyeon, I really loved her! She was so cool and funny and I really want to see more of her.

The OSTs were really good and it all fitted perfectly with the scenes. And I especially liked Door(Your Moon) by Jeong Sewoon. I have been listening to it a lot and it's really beautiful!

Overall I loved this drama and I'd actually love to see some special episodes as well. And I'd love to see the cast reuniting for another drama as well! I'm really going to miss this drama which made my Wednesdays and Thursdays brighter... and I know I will be re-watching this soon.

Read More

If I could choose not to watch this drama, I definitely wouldn't.

The drama manages to struggle just by trying to make the couple NOT HAPPEN. We have to put up with Lee Dam's sunbae humiliating himself for his attention and love, something that doesn't even exist. Every time the protagonists solve a problem, a worse one appears, if tvn didn't want them to be together it was better to have shelved the story. I would never see this drama again, it's something so drawn out and tiring that you just want to finish watching it. The romance is good and sweet but you realize that secondary couple is more interesting than primary couple and that's not good.

Read More

weak story with not much payoff. good for casual viewing.

i thought that this show was very empty with a weak story. i initially watched it for Jang Ki Young and Hyeri, as well as the cohabitation trope, but there wasn't much angst between them. i mean, i expected there to be more so that might be on me. also, they fell in love pretty quickly, especially the female lead, which doesn't do much for the development of their relationship.

but overall, the story was just uninteresting and the show felt hollow and surface-level. also, their first kiss was so weird that it made me want to turn off the show? lol. i get the reasoning behind it but i thought that it was just uncomfortable. i feel like they should've shown that the ML was having a hard time being intimate with the FL for [redacted] reasons in another intimate kissing scene and not during their first kiss. i don't know, i feel like it kinda ruined it.

but either way, it can be watched as a head-empty drama when you don't feel like doing too much thinking. plus, both Jang Ki Young and Hyeri are very hot in this show so, you know, it's worth it.

Read More

contemporary

A very easy-going fast-paced extremely cute light fantasy rom-com.
Nothing original but very cute and emotionally moving. It showed college life, friendships, immature bullies, family antics,
loneliness, love, insecurities, a sweet protective ML and a VERY headstrong and determined FL.

I liked how the gumiho and Dam had a very honest and cute relationship. They both cared deeply about each other (I awwed every time they smiled/grinned at each other!!) and never gave up on each other.

I liked how it also focused on their lives apart and the other characters. It wasn't anything new (Tale of the nine tailed and Goblin) but it had its own vibe and that's why it can't really be compared to the other two. TotNT and Goblin had a more serious vibe with a fair share of action while this series focused way more on the mc relationship and how funny and cunning Lee Dam is, hence giving it a very contemporary slice of life vibe, but it didn't lack the fantasy aspects.

They had to overcome many problems but him being a supernatural wasn't given the same importance/role as the mc in tale of the nine-tailed. His life is ordinary and he doesn't really have a separate fantasy life. his powers were used for entertainment purposes and him being a gumiho showed how different he is and served as a main obstacle for the couple. But it was never too weird to imagine him being a human, something which was harder to imagine with Goblin and Lee Yeon because they had a whole separate supernatural life that separated them from the human world and being human.

It was great to see how the gumiho changed over time and became a really warm person when in the beginning he had 1 facial expression the whole time. I liked his non-toxic jealousy and protectiveness and I loved the side characters and their little stories.
The ending was great. I liked the pickup lines scene (gumiho and Lee Dam) and how they had a real red thread between them, making it obv that they r soulmates.
I also liked how the girl BFF is soulmates with the class president (been shipping them since the start) and how they showed that by tying a string (wool sweatshirt) to her ring (ADORABLE)
the second lead couple was such a delight to see bc of the cuteness overload and all the misunderstandings between them!!

I give it an 8 bc : while it's very cute and funny and has its fair share of interesting characters, it was nothing new and everything was about the couple and the romance (not much plot).
From the start there was one problem and that 1 problem was solved in the end, but it didn't involve many others or anything IYKWIM. So it was simple, extremely cute but no real suspense/action/heavy plot. But they also never promised more so its just high expectation after the two other similar dramas ;)

Read More

There was laughter, sadness, horror and a lot of feel-good vibes!

I don't remember the last time I laughed out loud so much in the middle of the night! A hilarious take on the tired gumiho/supernatural genre, but so so good.

One of the best things about the drama was the strong-willed FL, which was refreshing to see. She never changed character or personality throughout the show and I was so glad there was no character improvement arc for her, because she was perfect! The leads had awesome chemistry together too.

But my absolute favourite character was Kang Han-na's. She simply stole the show! Her character as someone who lives life fully suited her so well.

I don't have any complaints - the pace was perfect, there were elements of horror, fantasy, history, comedy etc thrown in without too much unnecessary focus on any, all characters were fleshed out well and everything tied up nicely at the end. A must watch for romcom lovers!

Read More