Absolutely adored the first half. Unnecessary angst in the 2nd half. Some bad decisions by FL because you shouldn't act/think on behalf of others - give them input! Thankfully a happy ending! Loved the two leads, great chemistry. And the 2nd pairing - I have confidence they worked it out, although Jun would have been well in elementary school so I hope he remembered the "pretty lady" from his kindergarten years.
Having been out of the school environment for a long time, I was pretty shocked at what they portrayed students doing. The 14 year olds who felt like they were invincible really got me angry!
Read in The Korea Times mid June 2026, that a Gyeonggi Provice education superintendent has met with the Education Minister and put forward a policy proposal to establish a similar organisation Educational Rights Protection Bureau to deal with many of the issues the series highlighted. It was proposed to not be as "hands on" as these inspectors, but will be there to support/investigate/restore classroom order through guidance and discipline (not violence). AND a policy suggestion from the Institute for Democracy proposed bringing a version of the bureau to life as well - a bureau at the Ministiry offices, regional support centres at metropolitan and provincial education offices and field support team. Theirs isn't investigative but providing protective measures, classifying cases and referring to appropriate agencies.
Theory:Personally, I do not believe anyone truly escaped Salmokji. My interpretation is that whoever survived…
I thought Su-In's water hesitancy might be because the grandmother refers to her as someone who almost lost their life to water before. If she almost drowned before, a large body of water would be something to be avoided. But I agree her avoidance was also because she sensed she shouldn't go near.
I didn't understand anything, not even the end. What is this?
From reading comments and theories. Dam built over a cemetery FL previously almost died in water. The ghost lures people in to kill them. There may be rules eg. people arrive during the day, make a wish/rebuild the cairn (which may or may not be the start of the hallucinations) and potentially touching the water, and then they can never leave. The missing senior - they were interacting with his ghost. The grandma may be a ghost or is "stuck" i.e. made a deal with the ghosts to get more people so that she can "live" with her daughter (who is a ghost as well). ML hallucinated that he rescued the FL and they returned to work. She was actually already dead (fell off the boat trying to get the oar), however her spirit didn't want to die and tried to destroy the cairn. Her warning at the end is not to trust anything you see, ever. To avoid hallucinations I have heard that if you cut off your senses (become blind/deaf to what is happening around you) you may be able to "escape" the hallucination. ML may be dead. Or not. He's obviously still hallucinating, but dawn is breaking and the hold may become less. As he didn't follow the "rules", perhaps he has a chance to escape during the day. However he was in the water in the last scene - if that was his first foray touching the water, then maybe he's just at the start of the cycle....
I'm not a horror fan at all. I watched whilst doing something else so that I could retain some sanity! More than scary enough for me thanks. I only watched for Lee Jong Won (kudos - he was great!).
Theory:Personally, I do not believe anyone truly escaped Salmokji. My interpretation is that whoever survived…
Given that Ki-tae is still there at dawn, was he dead (and we're seeing his ghost still hallucinating) or is he still alive (and still hallucinating)? According to other theories/rules - he arrived after dark (not in the daytime) and he didn't wish/put a stone on the cairn - so is he still bound by never escaping? Was entering the water enough to damn him? Obviously people have been there before eg. there were roads and pathways and the nearby highway. If he's still alive will he make it out since its turning to daytime?
Can we have a discussion regarding FL cutting off contact with ML? I would like to hear some opinions please
She said later he needed encouragement to keep going - I took that she was concerned that, without her there with him, he might give up and therefore miss out on his potential. He was basically depressed after she left and when she sent him that ping after the results of the exam (the three taps that let him know her location) he became more motivated. But that's not giving credit to him - he had a lot of drive and sense of responsibility. More pings to him might have helped with the whole connection thing and to know they were still thinking of each other - eg ping him when she got back to Beijing to work. When she was at the wedding. When she was missing him. But she only ever did it once.
Wow, did the ML's family upset a god somewhere? Almost everything that could go wrong, seemed to! At the last crisis I was like.... again!? ML carried the show for me. FL was good, but I felt she was a bit lacking in emotion and connection in the last 3-4 episodes - there were flashes , but it wasn't sustained. And she can't kiss - like there are only a few kiss scenes, she needed to try harder lol. Regardless, loved it overall. Even though bad things happened, it overall was surprisingly a calm, easy watch.
An easy to watch, binge-able romance. Very little angst. Good chemistry between main leads. Seriously annoyed by 2FL's character by about half way through, but not enough to stop watching (just did it through gritted teeth when she was talking!).
Very watchable. A survival show based on shaman et al talents. Good on the participants for putting themselves out there.
I was up for watching all of it - good and bad, so a bit disappointed they cut out things eg. 7 readers selected but we only got to see 2-3. I realise editing was needed to keep the episodes under control, but maybe we could have a longer version as well!?
The selection criteria for moving forward was a bit hit and miss - as was the selection on who could read - press the buzzer first! I am sure there were readers who got no opportunity at all.
Going against each other (reader vs reader) when for shamans this is taboo, was a wrong choice I believe, causing unnecessary angst. Team work was beneficial though as readers are often solo and have little interaction with others in the same profession. I think that mixing was good for them and they have built some friendships through the process.
Some of the shaman's personal stories were heartbreaking. Their guides are hard on them. I was sad for Young Master Plum Blossom's story and all the deaths around him.
The very last section of real readings was mesmerising and a bit scary (particularly client #2). I am not sure who the additional judges were - did they specifically bring in non-believers? The score of the first shaman may be explained that way - as that count steadily rose, the more they saw.
The unseen is given more credence in Korea .... it definitely makes me wonder how those sensitive to the other side cope in other cultures where its not so accepted.
OK, I heard so many things about this and how it was even better than the K version. I really couldn't cope with the Qing dynasty hair. It is SO bad with half their heads shaved. What were they thinking!? (I thought it was a sign of loyalty to the dynasty but the king had it too, so....?)
As I basically knew the story (via the K-drama) and couldn't stop looking at the hair, I skipped around every 3-4 episodes - if I jumped to where I didn't know what was going on, I backtracked an episode. So I can't really give a FULL review... except to say I actually did stop looking at just the men's hair.
On a positive note, as it was the last Chinese dynasty, did they use actual artifacts as props? If not, they were well copied. The set design was incredibly detailed and you would think they had filmed on a real site, but apparently not. Likewise costume design was very detailed.
On a negative note, I did not find most of the princes appealing to look at. Even if you get past their hair. I guess that means I like idol dramas - I like a good looking prince!
There were some plot differences and some characterisations differed as well. The endings are a little different but this version made me cry just as hard as the K version - and considering I skipped episodes, this is a testament to the powerful nature of the production.
Loved the ML and his character, emotionally damaged but still able to love and be kind (once you get to know him). Disliked the FL, she is far too thin - if the screen is supposed to add a few pounds she must be skin and bone in real life. 2ML's character was annoying.
Disliked the FL's character from the first episode when she is an adult but still acting like a spoiled brat. At the funeral she falls and has to go to hospital, leaving the ML and child for hours and hours and hours - and returning with a strain/sprained wrist!? WTF? Soldier on lady, there was no broken bone sticking out, you just fell over! Go to the hospital AFTER the funeral if it still hurts! Her self absorption continues on throughout with her determination to get full time/permanent work and flirt with her first love. Who is supposed to the be the legal guardian again, as the ML is doing all the heavy work!? And even when she started to pull back on the 2ML, she is still an airhead. You just lost the child because you let go of the hand in a very busy place and are up on a legal guardian check and you don't shut the front door so the child gets out and falls down the steps!? Why was the door open anyway?
Basically too much time spent on a love triangle. At the most the 2ML should have been a short attraction. The ML and child deserved more screentime, they were the real stars.
A lovely slow paced romance - a bit like the radio segment they do . Its not flashy, not overly dramatic, a couple of characters that annoy you to bits and others that you sympathise with, but overall soothing like a long hug. (Keep in mind its from 2018!)
I saw a review that said this was a "hot mess" so went in prepared - and wasn't disappointed. Its a B grade drama, reasonable to mediocre acting for the most part and a somewhat disjointed plot. Budget was low with some errors let through eg. a supposedly remote location and you hear a car horn, a remote/ huge forest and you see vehicles driving past in the distance.
But really, if you don't expect much, it's not that bad.
The ML carried the drama - he provided the chemistry, could be brooding, crazy and even gentle. I was surprised at the kissing - there is ALOT and some it is quite good, lol.
The FL's character is very annoying with her misunderstanding almost every important event become mandatory. Her loyalty to her brother became very annoying even when his behaviour and actions were revealed and her on again/off again actions became eye-rolling.
Read in The Korea Times mid June 2026, that a Gyeonggi Provice education superintendent has met with the Education Minister and put forward a policy proposal to establish a similar organisation Educational Rights Protection Bureau to deal with many of the issues the series highlighted. It was proposed to not be as "hands on" as these inspectors, but will be there to support/investigate/restore classroom order through guidance and discipline (not violence). AND a policy suggestion from the Institute for Democracy proposed bringing a version of the bureau to life as well - a bureau at the Ministiry offices, regional support centres at metropolitan and provincial education offices and field support team. Theirs isn't investigative but providing protective measures, classifying cases and referring to appropriate agencies.
Dam built over a cemetery
FL previously almost died in water.
The ghost lures people in to kill them.
There may be rules eg. people arrive during the day, make a wish/rebuild the cairn (which may or may not be the start of the hallucinations) and potentially touching the water, and then they can never leave.
The missing senior - they were interacting with his ghost.
The grandma may be a ghost or is "stuck" i.e. made a deal with the ghosts to get more people so that she can "live" with her daughter (who is a ghost as well).
ML hallucinated that he rescued the FL and they returned to work. She was actually already dead (fell off the boat trying to get the oar), however her spirit didn't want to die and tried to destroy the cairn.
Her warning at the end is not to trust anything you see, ever. To avoid hallucinations I have heard that if you cut off your senses (become blind/deaf to what is happening around you) you may be able to "escape" the hallucination.
ML may be dead. Or not. He's obviously still hallucinating, but dawn is breaking and the hold may become less. As he didn't follow the "rules", perhaps he has a chance to escape during the day. However he was in the water in the last scene - if that was his first foray touching the water, then maybe he's just at the start of the cycle....
ML carried the show for me. FL was good, but I felt she was a bit lacking in emotion and connection in the last 3-4 episodes - there were flashes , but it wasn't sustained. And she can't kiss - like there are only a few kiss scenes, she needed to try harder lol.
Regardless, loved it overall. Even though bad things happened, it overall was surprisingly a calm, easy watch.
I was up for watching all of it - good and bad, so a bit disappointed they cut out things eg. 7 readers selected but we only got to see 2-3. I realise editing was needed to keep the episodes under control, but maybe we could have a longer version as well!?
The selection criteria for moving forward was a bit hit and miss - as was the selection on who could read - press the buzzer first! I am sure there were readers who got no opportunity at all.
Going against each other (reader vs reader) when for shamans this is taboo, was a wrong choice I believe, causing unnecessary angst. Team work was beneficial though as readers are often solo and have little interaction with others in the same profession. I think that mixing was good for them and they have built some friendships through the process.
Some of the shaman's personal stories were heartbreaking. Their guides are hard on them. I was sad for Young Master Plum Blossom's story and all the deaths around him.
The very last section of real readings was mesmerising and a bit scary (particularly client #2). I am not sure who the additional judges were - did they specifically bring in non-believers? The score of the first shaman may be explained that way - as that count steadily rose, the more they saw.
The unseen is given more credence in Korea .... it definitely makes me wonder how those sensitive to the other side cope in other cultures where its not so accepted.
As I basically knew the story (via the K-drama) and couldn't stop looking at the hair, I skipped around every 3-4 episodes - if I jumped to where I didn't know what was going on, I backtracked an episode. So I can't really give a FULL review... except to say I actually did stop looking at just the men's hair.
On a positive note, as it was the last Chinese dynasty, did they use actual artifacts as props? If not, they were well copied. The set design was incredibly detailed and you would think they had filmed on a real site, but apparently not. Likewise costume design was very detailed.
On a negative note, I did not find most of the princes appealing to look at. Even if you get past their hair. I guess that means I like idol dramas - I like a good looking prince!
There were some plot differences and some characterisations differed as well. The endings are a little different but this version made me cry just as hard as the K version - and considering I skipped episodes, this is a testament to the powerful nature of the production.
Disliked the FL's character from the first episode when she is an adult but still acting like a spoiled brat. At the funeral she falls and has to go to hospital, leaving the ML and child for hours and hours and hours - and returning with a strain/sprained wrist!? WTF? Soldier on lady, there was no broken bone sticking out, you just fell over! Go to the hospital AFTER the funeral if it still hurts! Her self absorption continues on throughout with her determination to get full time/permanent work and flirt with her first love. Who is supposed to the be the legal guardian again, as the ML is doing all the heavy work!? And even when she started to pull back on the 2ML, she is still an airhead. You just lost the child because you let go of the hand in a very busy place and are up on a legal guardian check and you don't shut the front door so the child gets out and falls down the steps!? Why was the door open anyway?
Basically too much time spent on a love triangle. At the most the 2ML should have been a short attraction. The ML and child deserved more screentime, they were the real stars.
But really, if you don't expect much, it's not that bad.
The ML carried the drama - he provided the chemistry, could be brooding, crazy and even gentle. I was surprised at the kissing - there is ALOT and some it is quite good, lol.
The FL's character is very annoying with her misunderstanding almost every important event become mandatory. Her loyalty to her brother became very annoying even when his behaviour and actions were revealed and her on again/off again actions became eye-rolling.