Question: Was this marketed as a Christian drama? Not that I am against it as it has angel in the title. Just wondering because of all the religious overtones. I am still enjoying it though.
Don't feel bad. I made it to episode 13 and couldn't go on. The story started out illogical and ended illogically.
I don't lack brain cells. I just have knowledge about genres and storytelling. Even fantasy dramas have to contain some sort of logic. The fantasy genre is all about redemption. The person who needs redemption is not Kim Shin. It is the king who killed two of his loyal subjects because he was too timid to fight against his advisor.
Based on the fantasy genre, there are only two things that make sense in this drama. Kim Shin killing the advisor in modern times and Sunny walking away from the grim reaper. Also, there is no chemistry between any of the two couples. There is more chemistry between the two male leads and between the two female leads than the couples themselves.
I don't know about that!Is it harsh to expect the drama to stick to the premise it promised? this could have been…
Exactly, why are all the women in the drama CEOs? Why create a world where women run all the businesses while the men dominate the law offices? This is very symbolic. The drama repeatedly points out that a business can only be successful if its reputation is good and runs on public opinion. The drama pokes fun at this belief as throughout time, society (men) has said women can't run a business because they let emotions run their lives. Well, businesses run on emotion. Yes, you can make logical choices (a fake engagement, an arranged marriage) to boost profits, but it is still run by the emotions of the public. Notice Yeo Ri wins her seat because of the emotions of her "ghost" voter who is a woman who has a female secretary.
On the other hand, notice the law office is dominated by men. Symbolically, it says, "Men are law. They only deal with cold hard facts. They are logical. They don't let emotions run their lives." The drama pokes fun at this belief as all the main men, except Prosecutor Ma, let emotions run their lives and what happens, people die! This is illustrated in the ghost world as well as the drama real world.
Choi Mung Ji writes a story that plays on opposites and pokes fun at traditional and modern beliefs about women, men, love, marriage, death, and ghosts. This is a modern kdrama, but also a traditional kdrama. It flips the chaebol kdrama world on its head while still maintaining the format of a chaebol kdrama.
Classic kdrama romcoms, especially chaebol dramas teach a lesson. The lessons of this drama are "don't judge a book by its cover", "look beneath the surface", and "what runs your life". The first two lessons are always in a chaebol kdrama while the last one is a modern theme.
Viewers and reviewers simply want an entertaining ghost procedural for 12 episodes and then to move on to the next drama. Choi Mung Ji (CMJ) actually pokes fun at this kind of viewer. In the first few episodes, she gives the viewers what they want. Yeo Ri and Prosecutor Ma do work together to give ghosts justice and peace in a comedic fashion (slapstick). Once these episodes are over, she writes, "if you want comedy and ghosts you're going to have to think about the drama"! Choi Mung Ji says this in the first five minutes of the drama, "viewers must look beneath the surface", "don't judge a book by its cover". Yet, viewers and reviewers did exactly what Choi Mung Ji expected. They only looked at the surface for whatever reason and wrote their reviews accordingly.
Choi Mung Ji understands viewers of today. Viewers allow emotions to dictate whether a drama is good or not. In her writing this drama, she says, "I don't care, and I'm going to poke fun at you."
I hope this helps. This drama is intelligent, clever, witty, and expertly written. Sadly, many viewers don't see this, and that is okay.
Also, I have to thank you, your comment helped me clarify something I had been thinking about, so thank you for it.
I don't know about that!Is it harsh to expect the drama to stick to the premise it promised? this could have been…
Actually, the chaebol arc has more to do with Yeo Ri being a figurative ghost to her employees and shareholders. This is emphasized throughout the drama. In the first episode there is a split scene where you see Yeo Ri sitting at the head of the table but in a haze looking out of the hotel lobby. Because the employees never see her and don't know why she distances herself from them, they say mean and nasty things about her. Yeo Ri's image hurts the stock prices. Ha Ri describes Yeo Ri as a water ghost (someone who drags the company down with her image). Also, it plays on the fact that women CEOs are still very much like ghosts in the business world as they are not seen very often. By the end of the drama, Yeo Ri must stop being a living ghost which means her "curse" needs to be lifted in order to be the director of the whole company (Kathryn_51).
There is so much more going on in this drama than viewers and reviewers realize. It all has to do with writer playing on traditional and modern beliefs, values, and superstitions about love and ghosts. The drama is a parody on the movie it is based on and on the use of classic kdrama tropes. It is done in the style of Hollywood's Scary Movie franchise.
Yes, many viewers had the same expectation and the synopsis on many platforms doesn't help with that impression.…
I can lead you to water, but I can't make you drink. You should really watch the movie the drama is based on (on Tubi) to understand all the nuances of the drama. The writer, Choi Mung JI, does an excellent job of transferring the themes, spirit, and essence of the movie to the drama. Here is an analysis of how she does that.
First, Spellbound is not a procedural about ghosts which is what most viewers want, and, sadly, the synopsis on many platforms lead viewers to believe that the drama is this type of drama. However, if viewers and reviewers would have dug a little deeper rather than just basing their opinions on what they want, they would understand, that the drama is exactly what they want just done in a different way. There are ghosts in every episode and Yeo Ri and PM do work on them together. The ghost just might not be a literal ghost which is what the viewers wanted. So the ghost drama didn't forget about the ghosts. Choi Mung Ji uses the term ghost in different ways. For me, the Singapore arc was quite creative as they use the business term for ghost to help Yeo Ri keep her job. Also, the props crew does do research on the death symbols of the traditional and modern Malay culture (the stuffed owls and the stain glass window owl in the hotel) to maintain the ghostly image. The drama is full of these types of ghostly images and symbols, the lions in the CL hotel, the bats in closing credits, the crow that keeps popping up, ghost buildings, etc. So the ghosts never disappear, you just have to be willing to look deeper for them which is the theme of drama, "don't judge a book by its cover" or "look beneath the surface to what is underneath".
Also, just like the movie, the drama is a classic kdrama romcom with a splash of horror. The ghosts in the movie are symbolic and the ghost stories serve a purpose. They are not just thrown into the story for a spooky effect. In the movie, Yu Ri, only calls in cases of suspicious accidents as that is how the main ghost who haunts Yu Ri dies. The cases serve as foreshadowing to tell the audience the story of what happened to Yu Ri and her best friend in the past. The movie only has three literal ghost stories as every night Yu Ri plays a "ghost" in the magic horror show of the male lead. Her part in the magic show is the "literal" ghost who wants justice.
The writer, Choi Mung Ji, takes this premise and applies it to the drama very well. Yeo Ri only calls in cold cases of spur of the moment killings. Only two cases seem to be premeditated: the Joseon story and the one with the girl who is killed for her money. I'm working on how the premeditated part fits the narrative as Ji Hwan's death was not premeditated. All of the ghost stories put together foreshadow what happened to Ji Hwan and Yeo Ri and explain why he died and she lived. They also reflect what is happening in the drama real world. I'll let you figure that one out on your own as that is half the fun of watching a drama for me.
As for the chaebol plot, there are many reasons why this plot is very appropriate for this drama. First, the movie has a chaebol male lead who doesn't fight for succession but creates his own successful business, a magic horror show. Yu Ri is the inspiration for it and the star of the show. Second, many kdrama romcoms center around chaebol males who fight for the CEO position against relatives and fall for girls who the parents or grandparents don't approve of (Boys over Flowers, Secret Garden, High Society). In the end, the parents or grandparents give in and allow the males to marry the women they love. These dramas were plentiful from 2000-2019. Spellbound came out in 2011.
Choi Mung Ji (CMJ) modernizes the chaebol kdrama romcom subgenre by making Yeo Ri, a female, be the one literally fighting for the CEO position against another female relative (this is almost unheard of in the kdrama world). High Society (2015) is the only drama I can think of that has this scenario. Women CEOs are still ghosts in the business world. Also, CMJ plays on opposites on the movie and within the drama itself. In the movie, the male is the chaebol and Yu Ri is a part timer. In the drama Yeo Ri is the chaebol and PM is the "poor" person. But if you notice CMJ doesn't play on the rich/poor theme between Yeo Ri and Prosecutor Ma. They are equal in achievements. In addition, chaebol dramas were popular during the release of the movie. There are more reasons, but you get the picture. After knowing this, it only makes sense that the drama be "a boring" chaebol drama.
There is so much more going on in this drama than what viewers see, but the viewer has to be willing to think about it. Which is the lesson of a classic chaebol romcom kdrama, "don't judge a book by its cover" or "look beneath surface".
i myself am asian though? my criticism isnt even with skinship, it's with the idea of getting engaged to a person…
You're right. Everyone has the right to an opinion, However, opinions, based on the evidence provided, can be misleading and give false impressions and information of the topic.
For instance, the proof you give for the use of drama tropes is weak and spiteful. You say the writer couldn't write anything better because she hasn't written anything since before 2010. So, she doesn't know any better than to use the terrible classic kdrama romcom tropes. Did you know that this drama is based on the movie, Spellbound, written in 2011 which is a classic romcom with horror elements? Also, that there is a character in the movie who is a romcom drama writer? The drama is written from a traditional romcom drama experience of that character. In other words, tropes used in classic kdrama romcoms from 2000-2011. With this information, it makes sense to use classic romcom drama tropes with the elements of horror. In addition, maybe because modern writers do not have experience writing classic kdrama tropes (as viewers hate them), they needed to bring in someone who could use those tropes meaningfully and correctly based on the movie from that time. jmo
The modern writer Choi Mung Ji serves as a ghost writer who must think like this character, but also give the drama a modern twist which she does in several ways. Choi Mung Ji plays comically with the concepts of traditional and modern beliefs. Every single one of those tropes is a traditional concept, but she gives them new meaning in this drama.
If Choi Mung Ji had written the drama how people wanted it to be written, it would no longer be an adaptation of the movie. It would just be another drama that used ghosts superficially. This drama doesn't. The ghosts actually mean something and play an important role in the story.
I love parodies, so thank you for the recommendation. This drama is a parody in the style of Hollywood's Scary Movie franchise.
Also, if you don't want people writing comments about your review, just hit the box that says don't show the comment section.
Thank you for the discussion and happy drama watching.
i myself am asian though? my criticism isnt even with skinship, it's with the idea of getting engaged to a person…
I write to learn, so I apologize if you are offended by all my comments.
You do realize this drama is poking fun at traditional and modern beliefs on love, marriage, and ghosts, right?
Actually, your take on Yeo Ri and Prosecutor Ma's relationship is correct, but it is not accidental. It is very intentional by the writer. The writer, Choi Mung Ji, throughout the drama has written the characters opposite to their characters in the movie. The girls in the movie are very liberal when it comes to sex. In fact, Yu Ri (the movie spelling) says, "I want to feel an orgasm." She and her friends (one who is a romcom drama writer) talk about sex, kissing, and love. In the end, Magician Ma and Yu Ri have sex in her tent, and Yu Ri tries out all the kissing techniques that the romcom writer character describes. It is a very cute scene.
Now since the drama writer Choi Mung Ji is going for opposites here. What's wrong with being conservative when it comes to sex and love? It seems you found it ludicrous that they would get engaged before even dating. Eighty one other people agree with you, and that's okay. But the drama writer is playing on traditional beliefs on love. Yeo Ri chooses to not allow Prosecutor Ma to not hold her hand, but she does allow him to hug her, kiss her, and show her affection all while respecting her boundaries. When she does this the literal ghosts disappear because he is bringing warmth into her life. Ghosts are not attracted to warmth; they are attracted to cold (her hands).
That white truck of doom people hate, was very intentional, and got a big response from the audience. The shaman told them that there must be a sacrifice if Yeo Ri wants to get rid of her literal ghosts. This is why she stands in front of the truck, she has to die in order for life to go back to normal. She needs to deal with her final ghost, Ji Hwan. Even in the end, atheist Prosecutor Ma becomes a believer in tradition or faith, he returns the pendant to Ji Hwan, so that Yeo Ri and Ji Hwan can be separated.
Whether you want to believe me or not, this is a very witty and cleverly written drama. I have never laughed hard and so much at a drama and the audience's reaction to it. But I am very frustrated that people are bashing it for things that are simply not true.
My takeaway from the adopted child part was that the scorn a child feels (adopted or otherwise) never goes away…
I really like your analysis. Can I take it one step further for you? This drama is a parody on classic romcom dramas. One of the themes of the drama is the age old fight of which is better traditional vs. modern beliefs, values, and superstitions when it comes to love and ghosts?
This goes along with Min Hwan's adoption arc. In the brothers' family, Min Hwan is a figurative ghost. Min Hwan's granny holds the traditional belief that adopted kids will bite the hand that feeds them. Even though the mother says that Min Hwan is part of the family (the modern belief), she still makes Ji Hwan wear the talisman pendant. If she truly felt that Min Hwan was not an issue, she would not have made Ji Hwan wear the necklace, so mom is just as superstitious as the granny. Ji Hwan even says, "How come I have to wear one and Min Hwan doesn't?" Having Ji Hwan (the biological) wear it all the time is really a slap in the to Min Hwan (the adopted one). For me, the mother is saying, "I will protect Ji Hwan, but not Min Hwan." Nobody had to say anything, the pendant was proof enough that they didn't love him. Like you said, if you see and hear something enough it becomes ingrained in your psyche. So, granny and mom lost Ji Hwan to their superstitious beliefs. Both allow superstition to run their lives and in the process they lost something very precious to them. Min Hwan, granny, and mother all fell victim to a self-fulfilling prophecy. Now, I'm not saying that what Min Hwan did was right. He does need to serve his time, but his "mother" coming to say that he can come back into the family is just laughable as she again is not doing anything to get him out on early release. Even Ji Hwan falls victim to a self-fulfilling prophecy. "I'll die instead of you."
When you think of this drama as a parody on kdrama romcoms, everything the review says is true, but the writer is poking fun at it and showing both sides of the belief.
The writer does the same thing with PM and YR's relationship, but I will let you think about that one.
The writer plays a great deal on opposites with the movie this drama is based on and within the drama itself. Min Hwan (figurative ghost, creates ghosts, feels remorse for crimes) is the opposite of Ji Hwan (literal ghost), Yeo Ri (helps ghosts), and Park Seung Jae (doesn't feel remorse). I'll let you think of others.
Again, I love your analysis. Happy drama watching.
How are you going to tell someone their opinion is invalid and they shouldn’t leave a comment? Just because…
Like many viewers, this poster has no understanding of what the writer is doing in this drama. The poster simply wanted to be entertained with a ghost procedural which is okay. But that is not what this drama is. It is a classic romcom kdrama based on a classic romcom movie, Spellbound (2011). The movie was not a procedural about ghosts. One of the characters in the movie is a romcom drama writer. The writer writes the drama based on her character, but gives it a modern spin. One of the main themes of the drama is traditional vs. modern beliefs, values, superstitions, love, and marriage.
The reviewer says they find the relationship between the two main characters ridiculous because they get engaged without really knowing each other. Here is my response to the poster.
"You do realize this drama is poking fun at traditional and modern beliefs on love, marriage, and ghosts right? In the Joseon period couples were put together to raise the status of a family. The two people may not even know each other. Yeo Ri and Grandma Baek even talk about this.
Well, Grandma Baek at least wanted to put Yeo Ri together with Min Hwan a childhood friend of Yeo Ri's because by all appearances they would be a good match.
You're right. Yeo Ri and Prosecutor Ma don't really know each other and haven't really dated, but here they are getting engaged with the promise of marriage. Isn't that a traditional belief?
This drama plays on opposites. Yeo Ri complains about being set up with Min Hwan just like marriages in the Joseon period. But doesn't Yeo Ri do the same thing? She sets herself up with a fake engagement (an illusion) that turns into love. Isn't that the whole traditional belief system with arranged marriages. That the couple will fall in love after they are married because it is a good match? This is why the saju is so important. The couple's temperaments must be compatible. This is why Grandma Paeng is so upset. The couple's temperaments are not compatible.
Viewers have the wrong impression of this drama. It is actually an expertly written kdrama if you're willing to really delve into what is going on. The main theme is don't judge a book by its cover which is a classic romcom kdrama theme, especially with chaebol drama.
So the opinion of this poster gives the wrong impression of this drama because they have no clue what is going on in it as they just wanted to be entertained. Their words not mine.
As for the adoption piece that is whole other comment again taken in the wrong way.
I came in expecting it was like a "ghost of the week" type of procedural mixed in with romcom. But it…
Yes, many viewers had the same expectation and the synopsis on many platforms doesn't help with that impression. This drama is based on a classic horror romcom movie, Spellbound (2011), so the ghosts are not just thrown in there. Viewers miss or refuse to see this because they want no part in thinking about the purpose of the ghosts. They just simply want to be entertained with superficial ghosts. That's okay, but this drama is not that style of drama. It is a classic romcom drama that "teaches you a lesson" (pun intended on another kdrama). The ghosts are a part of that lesson.
For me, the more I think about this drama and what the writer and production crew did, it gets funnier and funnier. I loved all the easter eggs from the movie and the new ones. I loved the writer's play on opposites on the movie and within the drama itself. It is a cleverly written script and production.
What is underneath the spoiler: the four biggest complaints about this drama by viewers and reviewers. Also, an…
The more I think about this drama, the funnier and more clever it gets from the writing to the visuals. Unfortunately, I do not know Korean, so I know I missed many puns, idioms, and inside jokes that only viewers who are familiar with Korean culture will get. However, this disadvantage didn't ruin my experience or understanding the drama, mainly because of the visuals.
So before I start the analysis, I want to give a gigantic THANK YOU to the cast and crew for this thought-provoking, comedic adaptation of the movie, Spellbound (2011). You nailed the themes, essence, and spirit of the movie and still made the story your own. Kudos!
Throughout this drama, the initial viewers had many complaints. However, four come out the most.
First, the synopsis of this story gives the impression that our main characters will play detective and give ghosts justice in every episode with a sprinkle of romance as a subplot. While this synopsis is true, this drama is not a detective style drama, try Park Eun Bin's Ghost Detective for this type of drama. This drama is first and foremost a classic romcom kdrama with spooky (in every sense of the word) elements. Yeo Ri and Prosecutor Ma DO investigate ghosts and give them peace or justice, but the ghost stories serve a different function than ghost stories in a detective style drama.
In addition, viewers complain that after several episodes the ghosts disappear. While the literal ghosts disappear for a few episodes, the figurative ghosts remain. This drama is a symbolic drama. Meaning viewers must look beneath the surface of the story in order to understand what is going on in the drama. The writer bombards the viewers with this message in the first five minutes of the drama when Yeo Ri and Prosecutor Ma are beating each other up because they think the other is the criminal. Did viewers not stop and think that if Prosecutor Ma had just identified himself with his badge at the very beginning, we would have had a very different ending to that scene? This theme of "look beneath the surface" runs throughout the entire drama. The ghosts do not disappear; they just change form. They become figurative ghosts, and even figurative ghosts must be dealt with in the same way the literal ghosts are handled, with research.
Which leads to the next complaint. When the literal ghosts disappear, viewers think the story goes off topic. It does not, far from it. If the story had continued with Yeo Ri and Prosecutor Ma (PM) investigating ghost cases, like viewers want, that would have been off topic. In the last few episodes, with PM's help, Yeo Ri deals with the two biggest ghosts from her past: Ji Hwan (a literal ghost) and Min Hwan (a figurative ghost), and this starts with the main plot of many classic romcom dramas, a chaebol boy battling his relatives for the CEO position and his mother to marry the girl of his choice. This drama is no different, and it sticks to the original main plot (succession).
Lastly, viewers complain about the use of all the classic kdrama tropes. Well viewers, this drama IS an adaptation of a classic romcom movie made in 2011. In order to maintain the spirit and essence of the movie, make it a romcom drama, and as a homage to one of the characters in the movie who is a classic kdrama romcom writer, wouldn't the use of classic romcom tropes be the only way to write it? And as I said, the cast and crew do make it their own by giving it a modern update. Think parody!
I hope this analysis helps future viewers to appreciate this work of art. Just remember to look beneath the surface.
What is underneath the spoiler: the four biggest complaints about this drama by viewers and reviewers. Also, an analysis as to why these biggest complaints are simply not true and an explanation as to the use of the kdrama tropes.
The points in a nutshell: 1. Although Yeo Ri and Prosecutor Ma DO investigate ghosts, this drama is not a detective style drama.
2. The ghosts disappear.
3. When the ghosts disappear, the writer goes off topic and focuses only on the chaebol arc.
4. The overuse of traditional romcom kdrama tropes
Just finished this wonderful drama, and I understand why after this one Park Eun Bin needed some comedy in her roles with Wonderfools and Spooky in Love (both excellent dramas). The moral of the story: Students can teach teachers if teachers are willing to let go of their pride and ego, but students also need to be willing to learn.
Came for the cast, the Ma Gang Uk comedic scenes (the first few episodes were promising), and stayed bc I'm stubborn.…
Yes, the synopsis for this drama on many platforms was misleading. It was like they watched the first two episodes and called it a day and formed the synopsis from those two episodes. So I understand why many viewers were upset. However, even on MDL the promotional articles stated this was a romcom based on the movie, Spellbound, a horror romantic comedy, not a detective style story which is what many viewers wanted. Also, the two do investigate cases, just not like how people wanted, a ghost story every episode.
Yet, I also have to blame the viewers. If this drama is not what you wanted or expected, it doesn't make it a bad drama or story. Drop it and move on. No need to bash it and give it a low rating just because it wasn't what you wanted.
This drama is actually a very well written parody on the movie it is based on and kdramas in general, especially romcoms found in the years between 2009 and 2011 when the movie came out. I found it quite hilarious from the beginning to the end with all the ghost jokes, puns, ghostly images, symbols, and idioms. Something most viewers missed as they were too upset that the two weren't solving ghost cases every episode (even though there were ghosts in every episode).
Just finished this and can we say the Korean version of Charlie's Angels! I've always wondered what that would look like, now I know. All around good fun and wonderful action scenes. Though I love Charlie's Angels, for me, this is much more exciting. The action scenes reminded me of those found in Hong Kong movies with Michelle Yeoh. I love MY.
Based on the fantasy genre, there are only two things that make sense in this drama. Kim Shin killing the advisor in modern times and Sunny walking away from the grim reaper. Also, there is no chemistry between any of the two couples. There is more chemistry between the two male leads and between the two female leads than the couples themselves.
Happy drama watching!
On the other hand, notice the law office is dominated by men. Symbolically, it says, "Men are law. They only deal with cold hard facts. They are logical. They don't let emotions run their lives." The drama pokes fun at this belief as all the main men, except Prosecutor Ma, let emotions run their lives and what happens, people die! This is illustrated in the ghost world as well as the drama real world.
Choi Mung Ji writes a story that plays on opposites and pokes fun at traditional and modern beliefs about women, men, love, marriage, death, and ghosts. This is a modern kdrama, but also a traditional kdrama. It flips the chaebol kdrama world on its head while still maintaining the format of a chaebol kdrama.
Classic kdrama romcoms, especially chaebol dramas teach a lesson. The lessons of this drama are "don't judge a book by its cover", "look beneath the surface", and "what runs your life". The first two lessons are always in a chaebol kdrama while the last one is a modern theme.
Viewers and reviewers simply want an entertaining ghost procedural for 12 episodes and then to move on to the next drama. Choi Mung Ji (CMJ) actually pokes fun at this kind of viewer. In the first few episodes, she gives the viewers what they want. Yeo Ri and Prosecutor Ma do work together to give ghosts justice and peace in a comedic fashion (slapstick). Once these episodes are over, she writes, "if you want comedy and ghosts you're going to have to think about the drama"! Choi Mung Ji says this in the first five minutes of the drama, "viewers must look beneath the surface", "don't judge a book by its cover". Yet, viewers and reviewers did exactly what Choi Mung Ji expected. They only looked at the surface for whatever reason and wrote their reviews accordingly.
Choi Mung Ji understands viewers of today. Viewers allow emotions to dictate whether a drama is good or not. In her writing this drama, she says, "I don't care, and I'm going to poke fun at you."
I hope this helps. This drama is intelligent, clever, witty, and expertly written. Sadly, many viewers don't see this, and that is okay.
Also, I have to thank you, your comment helped me clarify something I had been thinking about, so thank you for it.
Happy drama watching.
There is so much more going on in this drama than viewers and reviewers realize. It all has to do with writer playing on traditional and modern beliefs, values, and superstitions about love and ghosts. The drama is a parody on the movie it is based on and on the use of classic kdrama tropes. It is done in the style of Hollywood's Scary Movie franchise.
First, Spellbound is not a procedural about ghosts which is what most viewers want, and, sadly, the synopsis on many platforms lead viewers to believe that the drama is this type of drama. However, if viewers and reviewers would have dug a little deeper rather than just basing their opinions on what they want, they would understand, that the drama is exactly what they want just done in a different way. There are ghosts in every episode and Yeo Ri and PM do work on them together. The ghost just might not be a literal ghost which is what the viewers wanted. So the ghost drama didn't forget about the ghosts. Choi Mung Ji uses the term ghost in different ways. For me, the Singapore arc was quite creative as they use the business term for ghost to help Yeo Ri keep her job. Also, the props crew does do research on the death symbols of the traditional and modern Malay culture (the stuffed owls and the stain glass window owl in the hotel) to maintain the ghostly image. The drama is full of these types of ghostly images and symbols, the lions in the CL hotel, the bats in closing credits, the crow that keeps popping up, ghost buildings, etc. So the ghosts never disappear, you just have to be willing to look deeper for them which is the theme of drama, "don't judge a book by its cover" or "look beneath the surface to what is underneath".
Also, just like the movie, the drama is a classic kdrama romcom with a splash of horror. The ghosts in the movie are symbolic and the ghost stories serve a purpose. They are not just thrown into the story for a spooky effect. In the movie, Yu Ri, only calls in cases of suspicious accidents as that is how the main ghost who haunts Yu Ri dies. The cases serve as foreshadowing to tell the audience the story of what happened to Yu Ri and her best friend in the past. The movie only has three literal ghost stories as every night Yu Ri plays a "ghost" in the magic horror show of the male lead. Her part in the magic show is the "literal" ghost who wants justice.
The writer, Choi Mung Ji, takes this premise and applies it to the drama very well. Yeo Ri only calls in cold cases of spur of the moment killings. Only two cases seem to be premeditated: the Joseon story and the one with the girl who is killed for her money. I'm working on how the premeditated part fits the narrative as Ji Hwan's death was not premeditated. All of the ghost stories put together foreshadow what happened to Ji Hwan and Yeo Ri and explain why he died and she lived. They also reflect what is happening in the drama real world. I'll let you figure that one out on your own as that is half the fun of watching a drama for me.
As for the chaebol plot, there are many reasons why this plot is very appropriate for this drama. First, the movie has a chaebol male lead who doesn't fight for succession but creates his own successful business, a magic horror show. Yu Ri is the inspiration for it and the star of the show. Second, many kdrama romcoms center around chaebol males who fight for the CEO position against relatives and fall for girls who the parents or grandparents don't approve of (Boys over Flowers, Secret Garden, High Society). In the end, the parents or grandparents give in and allow the males to marry the women they love. These dramas were plentiful from 2000-2019. Spellbound came out in 2011.
Choi Mung Ji (CMJ) modernizes the chaebol kdrama romcom subgenre by making Yeo Ri, a female, be the one literally fighting for the CEO position against another female relative (this is almost unheard of in the kdrama world). High Society (2015) is the only drama I can think of that has this scenario. Women CEOs are still ghosts in the business world. Also, CMJ plays on opposites on the movie and within the drama itself. In the movie, the male is the chaebol and Yu Ri is a part timer. In the drama Yeo Ri is the chaebol and PM is the "poor" person. But if you notice CMJ doesn't play on the rich/poor theme between Yeo Ri and Prosecutor Ma. They are equal in achievements. In addition, chaebol dramas were popular during the release of the movie. There are more reasons, but you get the picture. After knowing this, it only makes sense that the drama be "a boring" chaebol drama.
There is so much more going on in this drama than what viewers see, but the viewer has to be willing to think about it. Which is the lesson of a classic chaebol romcom kdrama, "don't judge a book by its cover" or "look beneath surface".
Happy drama watching.
For instance, the proof you give for the use of drama tropes is weak and spiteful. You say the writer couldn't write anything better because she hasn't written anything since before 2010. So, she doesn't know any better than to use the terrible classic kdrama romcom tropes. Did you know that this drama is based on the movie, Spellbound, written in 2011 which is a classic romcom with horror elements? Also, that there is a character in the movie who is a romcom drama writer? The drama is written from a traditional romcom drama experience of that character. In other words, tropes used in classic kdrama romcoms from 2000-2011. With this information, it makes sense to use classic romcom drama tropes with the elements of horror. In addition, maybe because modern writers do not have experience writing classic kdrama tropes (as viewers hate them), they needed to bring in someone who could use those tropes meaningfully and correctly based on the movie from that time. jmo
The modern writer Choi Mung Ji serves as a ghost writer who must think like this character, but also give the drama a modern twist which she does in several ways. Choi Mung Ji plays comically with the concepts of traditional and modern beliefs. Every single one of those tropes is a traditional concept, but she gives them new meaning in this drama.
If Choi Mung Ji had written the drama how people wanted it to be written, it would no longer be an adaptation of the movie. It would just be another drama that used ghosts superficially. This drama doesn't. The ghosts actually mean something and play an important role in the story.
I love parodies, so thank you for the recommendation. This drama is a parody in the style of Hollywood's Scary Movie franchise.
Also, if you don't want people writing comments about your review, just hit the box that says don't show the comment section.
Thank you for the discussion and happy drama watching.
You do realize this drama is poking fun at traditional and modern beliefs on love, marriage, and ghosts, right?
Actually, your take on Yeo Ri and Prosecutor Ma's relationship is correct, but it is not accidental. It is very intentional by the writer. The writer, Choi Mung Ji, throughout the drama has written the characters opposite to their characters in the movie. The girls in the movie are very liberal when it comes to sex. In fact, Yu Ri (the movie spelling) says, "I want to feel an orgasm." She and her friends (one who is a romcom drama writer) talk about sex, kissing, and love. In the end, Magician Ma and Yu Ri have sex in her tent, and Yu Ri tries out all the kissing techniques that the romcom writer character describes. It is a very cute scene.
Now since the drama writer Choi Mung Ji is going for opposites here. What's wrong with being conservative when it comes to sex and love? It seems you found it ludicrous that they would get engaged before even dating. Eighty one other people agree with you, and that's okay. But the drama writer is playing on traditional beliefs on love. Yeo Ri chooses to not allow Prosecutor Ma to not hold her hand, but she does allow him to hug her, kiss her, and show her affection all while respecting her boundaries. When she does this the literal ghosts disappear because he is bringing warmth into her life. Ghosts are not attracted to warmth; they are attracted to cold (her hands).
That white truck of doom people hate, was very intentional, and got a big response from the audience. The shaman told them that there must be a sacrifice if Yeo Ri wants to get rid of her literal ghosts. This is why she stands in front of the truck, she has to die in order for life to go back to normal. She needs to deal with her final ghost, Ji Hwan. Even in the end, atheist Prosecutor Ma becomes a believer in tradition or faith, he returns the pendant to Ji Hwan, so that Yeo Ri and Ji Hwan can be separated.
Whether you want to believe me or not, this is a very witty and cleverly written drama. I have never laughed hard and so much at a drama and the audience's reaction to it. But I am very frustrated that people are bashing it for things that are simply not true.
Happy drama watching.
This goes along with Min Hwan's adoption arc. In the brothers' family, Min Hwan is a figurative ghost. Min Hwan's granny holds the traditional belief that adopted kids will bite the hand that feeds them. Even though the mother says that Min Hwan is part of the family (the modern belief), she still makes Ji Hwan wear the talisman pendant. If she truly felt that Min Hwan was not an issue, she would not have made Ji Hwan wear the necklace, so mom is just as superstitious as the granny. Ji Hwan even says, "How come I have to wear one and Min Hwan doesn't?" Having Ji Hwan (the biological) wear it all the time is really a slap in the to Min Hwan (the adopted one). For me, the mother is saying, "I will protect Ji Hwan, but not Min Hwan." Nobody had to say anything, the pendant was proof enough that they didn't love him. Like you said, if you see and hear something enough it becomes ingrained in your psyche. So, granny and mom lost Ji Hwan to their superstitious beliefs. Both allow superstition to run their lives and in the process they lost something very precious to them. Min Hwan, granny, and mother all fell victim to a self-fulfilling prophecy. Now, I'm not saying that what Min Hwan did was right. He does need to serve his time, but his "mother" coming to say that he can come back into the family is just laughable as she again is not doing anything to get him out on early release. Even Ji Hwan falls victim to a self-fulfilling prophecy. "I'll die instead of you."
When you think of this drama as a parody on kdrama romcoms, everything the review says is true, but the writer is poking fun at it and showing both sides of the belief.
The writer does the same thing with PM and YR's relationship, but I will let you think about that one.
The writer plays a great deal on opposites with the movie this drama is based on and within the drama itself. Min Hwan (figurative ghost, creates ghosts, feels remorse for crimes) is the opposite of Ji Hwan (literal ghost), Yeo Ri (helps ghosts), and Park Seung Jae (doesn't feel remorse). I'll let you think of others.
Again, I love your analysis. Happy drama watching.
The reviewer says they find the relationship between the two main characters ridiculous because they get engaged without really knowing each other. Here is my response to the poster.
"You do realize this drama is poking fun at traditional and modern beliefs on love, marriage, and ghosts right? In the Joseon period couples were put together to raise the status of a family. The two people may not even know each other. Yeo Ri and Grandma Baek even talk about this.
Well, Grandma Baek at least wanted to put Yeo Ri together with Min Hwan a childhood friend of Yeo Ri's because by all appearances they would be a good match.
You're right. Yeo Ri and Prosecutor Ma don't really know each other and haven't really dated, but here they are getting engaged with the promise of marriage. Isn't that a traditional belief?
This drama plays on opposites. Yeo Ri complains about being set up with Min Hwan just like marriages in the Joseon period. But doesn't Yeo Ri do the same thing? She sets herself up with a fake engagement (an illusion) that turns into love. Isn't that the whole traditional belief system with arranged marriages. That the couple will fall in love after they are married because it is a good match? This is why the saju is so important. The couple's temperaments must be compatible. This is why Grandma Paeng is so upset. The couple's temperaments are not compatible.
Viewers have the wrong impression of this drama. It is actually an expertly written kdrama if you're willing to really delve into what is going on. The main theme is don't judge a book by its cover which is a classic romcom kdrama theme, especially with chaebol drama.
So the opinion of this poster gives the wrong impression of this drama because they have no clue what is going on in it as they just wanted to be entertained. Their words not mine.
As for the adoption piece that is whole other comment again taken in the wrong way.
For me, the more I think about this drama and what the writer and production crew did, it gets funnier and funnier. I loved all the easter eggs from the movie and the new ones. I loved the writer's play on opposites on the movie and within the drama itself. It is a cleverly written script and production.
Happy drama watching.
So before I start the analysis, I want to give a gigantic THANK YOU to the cast and crew for this thought-provoking, comedic adaptation of the movie, Spellbound (2011). You nailed the themes, essence, and spirit of the movie and still made the story your own. Kudos!
Throughout this drama, the initial viewers had many complaints. However, four come out the most.
First, the synopsis of this story gives the impression that our main characters will play detective and give ghosts justice in every episode with a sprinkle of romance as a subplot. While this synopsis is true, this drama is not a detective style drama, try Park Eun Bin's Ghost Detective for this type of drama. This drama is first and foremost a classic romcom kdrama with spooky (in every sense of the word) elements. Yeo Ri and Prosecutor Ma DO investigate ghosts and give them peace or justice, but the ghost stories serve a different function than ghost stories in a detective style drama.
In addition, viewers complain that after several episodes the ghosts disappear. While the literal ghosts disappear for a few episodes, the figurative ghosts remain. This drama is a symbolic drama. Meaning viewers must look beneath the surface of the story in order to understand what is going on in the drama. The writer bombards the viewers with this message in the first five minutes of the drama when Yeo Ri and Prosecutor Ma are beating each other up because they think the other is the criminal. Did viewers not stop and think that if Prosecutor Ma had just identified himself with his badge at the very beginning, we would have had a very different ending to that scene? This theme of "look beneath the surface" runs throughout the entire drama. The ghosts do not disappear; they just change form. They become figurative ghosts, and even figurative ghosts must be dealt with in the same way the literal ghosts are handled, with research.
Which leads to the next complaint. When the literal ghosts disappear, viewers think the story goes off topic. It does not, far from it. If the story had continued with Yeo Ri and Prosecutor Ma (PM) investigating ghost cases, like viewers want, that would have been off topic. In the last few episodes, with PM's help, Yeo Ri deals with the two biggest ghosts from her past: Ji Hwan (a literal ghost) and Min Hwan (a figurative ghost), and this starts with the main plot of many classic romcom dramas, a chaebol boy battling his relatives for the CEO position and his mother to marry the girl of his choice. This drama is no different, and it sticks to the original main plot (succession).
Lastly, viewers complain about the use of all the classic kdrama tropes. Well viewers, this drama IS an adaptation of a classic romcom movie made in 2011. In order to maintain the spirit and essence of the movie, make it a romcom drama, and as a homage to one of the characters in the movie who is a classic kdrama romcom writer, wouldn't the use of classic romcom tropes be the only way to write it? And as I said, the cast and crew do make it their own by giving it a modern update. Think parody!
I hope this analysis helps future viewers to appreciate this work of art. Just remember to look beneath the surface.
Happy drama watching.
The points in a nutshell:
1. Although Yeo Ri and Prosecutor Ma DO investigate ghosts, this drama is not a detective style drama.
2. The ghosts disappear.
3. When the ghosts disappear, the writer goes off topic and focuses only on the chaebol arc.
4. The overuse of traditional romcom kdrama tropes
Happy drama watching.
Yet, I also have to blame the viewers. If this drama is not what you wanted or expected, it doesn't make it a bad drama or story. Drop it and move on. No need to bash it and give it a low rating just because it wasn't what you wanted.
This drama is actually a very well written parody on the movie it is based on and kdramas in general, especially romcoms found in the years between 2009 and 2011 when the movie came out. I found it quite hilarious from the beginning to the end with all the ghost jokes, puns, ghostly images, symbols, and idioms. Something most viewers missed as they were too upset that the two weren't solving ghost cases every episode (even though there were ghosts in every episode).
Happy drama watching.
Yes, Spooky in Love is a parody in the style of Scary Movie in the U.S.