Currently Watching: Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
* Contains some minor spoilers from episodes 1-6 of Bring it On Ghost. *
Also known as Let's Fight Ghost, Bring It On Ghost is a quirky and hilarious drama with a sprinkle of mystery and suspense, which makes for a very lighthearted and fun watch!
Our Protagonists
Dorky Park Bong Pal and Sassy Ghost, Kim Hyun Ji
Taec Yeon as Bong Pal is a delight to watch - from his exorcism methods, which include beating up ghosts, getting beaten up by stronger ghosts and wielding various ghost-busting and exorcism weapons. His father, as of Episode 6, seems to be missing, while his mother passed away under mysterious circumstances when he was just a kid. The fact that he could see ghosts did not make his childhood any easier for him, forcing him to be alone all the time. However, as he grows up, he begins to earn money through getting paid for exorcisms.
It is during one of his commissions that he meets Kim Hyun Ji (portrayed by Kim So Hyun), who has no memory of her death or her life when she was alive. While fighting against each other, they happen to roll down a flight of stairs and of course, their lips meet.
In that moment, Kim Hyun Ji has a flashback where she remembers a moment from her death. Convinced that it was the kiss with Bong Pal which will help her recover her memories, she follows him around, and soon they join forces to fight ghosts.
Taecyeon and Kim So Hyun make for one of the most adorable couples I have seen on-screen, despite there age difference (on a side note, what is up with current dramas casting older male leads with much younger female leads?). It also helps that Taecyeon looks much younger than his age, and he flaunts his dorky charm. Kim So Hyun truly amazes me with her range of acting skills; I have never seen her acting so adorable and her aegyo is on point. Their relationship is the classic bickering/love relationship and it is a treat to watch the two of them together.
Mysterious Professor Joo Hye Sung
Joo Hye Sung (played by Kwon Yool) is the epitome of "Don't judge a book by its cover." Deceptively nice and kind, not to mention generous, he is a mystery in that his real personality is being revealed gradually. Till episode 6, we see him being directly responsible for two deaths - an animal and a human. Clearly, he makes no discrimination when it comes to killing, but to the world, he is an extremely benevolent professor of the veterinary sciences and a veterinarian in a private clinic.
However, he is also somehow linked to Bong Pal's mother's death and it seems that he can see or, at least sense, ghosts as well. Seriously though, this character gives me the creeps and Kwon Yool is doing an incredible job portraying the dichotomy in this character.
The Plot
Suspense and horror, blended with romantic-comedy and outright comedy, makes for a rather balanced plot. While a majority of the time your sides are aching with laughter at the antics of our adorable protagonists and the supporting cast, at other times the drama hooks you onto the mystery of Bong Pal's mother's death as well as Kim Ji Hyun's death. However, the tone is dominantly light-hearted, which makes sure that you get your laughs, while also being kept at the edge of your seat.
Hilarious Supporting Cast
Choi Chun-Sang and Kim In-Rang
I live for scenes of these two. The only members of the club, GhostNet, they try hard to recruit Bong Pal and to increase membership of their club to pay off their rent for their club room. They, inevitably, get into a variety of sticky situations which include trying to live broadcast ghost activity in various places and striking up a business deal with Bong Pal to exorcise ghosts. Frankly, although they are present as comic relief, they also offer a great commentary into being outsiders who believe in the supernatural.
Monk Myung-Chul
Guardian to Bong Pal, Monk Myung-Chul is past his prime as an exorcist and struggling to get by. Another comic character, Monk Myung-Chul clearly cares about Bong Pal and knows the mystery that is Joo Hye Sung, which leads us to suspect that he probably also knows the reason behind Bong Pal's mother's death. Kim Sang Ho is phenomenal as always, not just with his comic-timing but also with his serious acting. He continues to be one of my favourite ahjusshis in kdrama-land.
If you're tearing your hair over the series of intense dramas that are currently airing, Bring It On Ghost will
provide you not just with comic relief but also with some mystery, while maintaining its light-hearted tone. Moreover, Taecyeon and Kim So Hyun's chemistry is worth watching!
