Apparently in dramaland Ghost stories are my ultimate weakness. No really, I just can't get enough of them. Toss in one of my all time favorite comedic actresses out of Korea, Kim Seul Gi, and it's recipe for an outrageously good time! Because ghosts and comedy are one of Korea's best things for movies and TV. At least for me, because it's usually clever, moving, and light hearted with just the right amount of spookier/darker things!
At first glance Oh My Ghost is just a super silly show about Sun Ae, a ghost, who is holding a grudge and not moving on to the next life because she is a virgin ghost! Ha-ha. However, Oh My Ghost's writer quickly establishes that there are darker elements and that something bad happened. Even linking to Seon Woo's, THE male lead, sister's accident. It was a breathtaking balance as the show stayed mostly on the warm, light, and funny side. Most of the time I was totally smiling my face off! However, very human moments about death and how we live our lives creates poignant moments. What are regrets? If we died would something hold us back that we needed to resolve?
There were some big plot holes, I won't lie. Some small ones that most shows make that I won't begrudge it. Yet, the biggest one I couldn't quite over look. After all it center around Bong Seon one of your leads. Bong Seon can see ghosts. The ability comes from her shamanic grandma. Strangely enough it's not really touched upon why Bong Seon couldn't seem to adjust to seeing them. If people believed her grandma was a shaman, wouldn't they think the daughter had talent? How come her grandma couldn't teach her how to handle it? Wouldn't it be a comfort to have someone else with that kind of gift? Wouldn't she know more about seeing ghosts being raised by a shaman? I mean I could go on! AND ON! It baffled me why that wasn't touched on. Especially as Bong Seon is apparently a great vessel for possession. It didn't help that Bong Seon didn't truly get developed until later in the show. Sun Ae was definitely the star. Which makes sense as she is the ghost in the title.
Other than that I thought the story was great. At times there were a lot of elements, but they all fitted well together. I enjoyed that the writing established that something was fishy with Seong Jae and that there was a darker mystery. The other characters and their stories fit in well. In fact, they fit so well that I didn't feel like any of them were gimmicks and that they all contributed something great to the story.
The acting for Oh My Ghost was phenomenal. At first I was disappointed that Kim Seul Gi wasn't technically the lead. She is a main role playing the ghost Sun Ae. However, the true star of the show is Park Bo Young playing the girl who can see ghosts Bong Seon, and the one who gets possessed by Sun Ae. As a die hard fan of actress Kim Seul Gi it was hard letting go the dream. However, Park Bo Young won me over as she has to play Bong Seon and then a Bong Seon possessed by Sun Ae! You could tell who was in residence of her body just from the acting! Each character had their own tick and she figured them out to show them in the role! Not to mention that Bong Seon was an introverted weakling dealing with being haunted by ghosts, then a girl dealing with the horror of being possessed, and then someone who grows into who they were meant to be. Not to mention way in your face Sun Ae! Any character played by Kim Seul Gi is going to be really loud, funny, and expressive. Because even though I was won over by another actress Kim Seul Gi did an amazing job. Seul Gi displayed amazing range. Her role was very heart felt, and towards the end when she cried I did too.
These fabulous ladies aren't the only ones to do wonderful jobs! Seon Woo ended up being a very complex male lead, and in the end a total softy. Which is good as he started out as one of those cold bullies. Seon Woo turned out to be adorable and I love how he handled things once he found out the truth. Because Bong Seon doesn't keep lying to him, she confesses everything to him. They actually have frank discussions about the whole situation and in the end Seon Woo even jokes about how he was in a love triangle with a ghost. What's more is he realized when he was with Bong Seon and then when it was Sun Ae. Even admitting that he had feelings for both girls to some degree.
As I said before the other characters were great! From the shaman that tries to exorcise Sun Ae and ends up helping her with her virgin grudge! To the adorable kitchen crew in Seon Woo's shop. What I love more is that there isn't another lead falling in love with Bong Seon causing unnecessary triangles every where. Technically there was another love interest for Seon Woo, but it was handled beautifully. Showcasing what friendship is and what happens when you fall so much in love that silly crushes can be left behind. Not to mention Sun Ae's family! Her father was just amazing, and her brother a good comedic relief. Seon Woo's sister was adorable and I truly loved her. The only person I didn't care for was Seon Woo's mother, but I think it had more to do with the personality the writer gave her than the actress.
The music really fit the drama well and I loved the warm feeling of it. The “danger” music even had a certain quality to it. The singers they got to sing for the OST were great and I enjoyed the more lively music to the boring ballads other shows have.
Rewatch? Oh, yes! There is no doubt that one viewing is enough. There were too many things to love about this drama and why would you only want to experience the fun once!
Personally I thought the writer did a wonderful job at hinting to the darker tones behind this romantic comedy. Obviously something more was going on behind Sun Ae's death. So when the build up to episode 14, and especially 15 hit, it wasn't that much of a shock. Apparently other viewers did not agree with me, so I guess here's a warning. Both actresses did an amazing job and I really was impressed by the quality of the writing. What truly hit after I started this drama is that the female leads love each other and end up genuinely caring for one another. They're friendship was beautiful and was a love I was so happy to see in dramaland. Too many times the female leads, and pretty much all the females subsequently, tend to be enemies! I love that this is a story of all kinds of different loves and friendships. Most importantly is that Oh My Ghost is a truly fun time. The pacing is excellent and has no room for boring moments. Not to mention that the ending was perfect! D-Day time! ^_-
Honestly I don't think my review truly covers it, however I did review each episode so you can either follow along or check out what I thought in more detail(s) there!
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