Daebakbudongsan

Lets be honest.

Korean television shows are 99% this: Two people who first don't like each other falls in love. The end.

This, is a different beast however.

The greatest part of this show is the smaller stories told in each episode. Regret, resentment, grief, Losing a loved one, losing a parent, losing a child.

And it hits you hard.

It's been a while since I've cried this much.

The actors are really really good. Everything about the production is top notch (for a television budget).

However the strength of the show is the television format. This would have made a good movie, but the longer runtime allows it to become something great. It allows it to tell not just one story, but multiple stories woven together as well as having a main story as it's core.

It's really really really well written and acted out brilliantly. Baek Hyun-joo as Chang Hwa-mo (the restaurant owner) gave one of the most believable performances I've ever seen.

The only reason I'm not giving this 10/10 is this: It's not long enough.

Unlike shows like 'The sopranos' that ran for over 6 season. This is a stand-alone single season with 16 episodes. That is still over 10 hours and probably one of the most rewarding binges I've sat through for a long time.

The first episode however is a little bit weak. So if you're reading all of the positive reviews here and start watching without feeling convinced. Do yourself a favor and keep watching, it gets better and better. And better.

This series is fairly good with a solid story and an interesting theme. In the occult scene, this one can hold its own. The series also explore its own world while exploring past events that impacted the present of the main 2 characters. The story focuses more on the tragic story, exorcism and everything related to it. The romantic angle is kept to a minimum probably to create an extreme atmosphere of stress. If you are into such themes, this one will be a good one to watch.

This is a rare drama in that it really is an all-rounder: its entertaining, smart, funny, poignant, and creepy. It has a fantastic soundtrack that perfectly suits the story line, eerie cinematography that keeps you grounded in the material, and a smart, well written plot that comes full circle. Most (if not all) questions are answered by the end of the show, and even though many episodes focus on a single story line (i.e. Ghost of the week) the episodes never feel like filler and the show never gets boring. Jang Na-Ra and Jung Yong-Hwa were a great pair and I found the lack of annoying romantic subplots somewhat refreshing. Na Ra really shone at the end, her performance in the last episode was outstanding.

There is no romance and that's a first. This drama is a horror drama with comedy. It's really entertaining and fun to watch. Its storyline is simple but it never gets boring or cliché. It shows a new way of exorcising ghosts and they have done a good job at that. It also gives importance to the life of every character in the show. Overall, it's a simple show that you can watch without getting bored.

Obvious low budget sets, but great use of it. I loved Jang Na-Ra's acting. It was almost empowering. Just enough twists and turns for one to enjoy. Oh not to forget. Interesting genre.