Flower Boys Next Door (2013)

 

After my review of Backstreet Rookie, I thought I would take a break from writing about K-dramas (I was initially thinking about doing a review of Psycho II). I changed my mind after watching Flower Boys Next Door. On the surface, it is your standard romantic comedy – it follows the formula to perfection: boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl back. Yet, like most K-dramas, there are a lot of interesting things going on beneath the surface.  Flowers Boys Next Door is populated with interesting characters, all of whom are incredibly different, at least on the surface, but also very similar, especially when it comes to insecurities and ambitions.

Go Dok-mi (Park Shin-hye)

Dok-mi edits manuscripts for a living - one of the benefits of her job is that she can work from home. She rarely leaves her apartment, except when it is necessary (in one of the earlier episodes she runs out of toothpaste and toilet paper).  She also tries to avoid interacting with people – she has lived in her apartment for three years but has never said a word to any of her neighbors.  However, despite her distant nature, she does harbor a massive crush on Tae-joon, a doctor who lives in the apartment across the street, opposite of hers. She watches him from her window every morning, often using binoculars to get a close look at him. I have always said there is a thin line between horror movies and romantic comedies – in a different series this act of voyeurism could have more sinister implications and lead to truly bad things. However, in Dok-mi’ s case, due to her introverted nature, she is content with watching him from afar.  When Tae-joon’s cousin, Enrique – a popular video developer – catches her spying on them, Dok-mi’s life changes drastically. Park Shin-hye is effectively cast in the role of Dok-mi, with her expressive eyes she is often able to convey a lot by doing very little. It’s also interesting to note that, like three previous Korean actresses I have written about (Park Bo-young, Kim So-hyun, and Kim Yoo-jung), was once given the title of the “Nation’s Little Sister.”  

Enrique Geum (Yoon Shi-yoon)

Enrique is a famous video game developer, who moved to Spain, with his mother, at the age of ten. He is visiting his cousin Tae-joon with his friend, Seo-young, in tow.  His plan is to play cupid with Seo-young and Tae-joon. Seo-young was Enrique’s first love but she threw him over in favor of Tae-joon. However, rather than remain bitter about her rejection, Enrique decided he would help her out.  Though, it turns out to be more difficult than he imagined, because it turns out his cousin is kind of a dick.

Enrique is defined by his upbeat, hyperactive demeanor. He is the opposite of Dok-mi – she internalizes all her emotions while Enrique wears his emotions on his sleeve. His enthusiastic nature can be annoying at times – he is constantly laughing and bouncing around – but this is largely a mask to hide his insecurities.  He is also an empathic soul – when we are first introduced to Enrique he is on a plane and cheering up a crying child by performing a makeshift puppet show.  While Dok-mi avoids people, Enrique genuinely likes them and wants to cheer them up. 

He initially believes that Dok-mi is a pervert, but when he witnesses her current situation, he is determined to help her come out of her shell and embrace the outside world.

Oh Ji Rok (Kim Ji-hoon)

Ji Rok is a webtoon artist who lives next door to Dok-mi. He has a massive crush on Dok-mi but has never worked up the nerve to talk to her, because he was afraid that he would scare her away.  He begins to write a webtoon called “Flower Boys Next Door” based on Dok-mi and the men in her life.

 
Even before they meet, he is already connected to Enrique – he was accused of plagiarizing Enrique with his webtoon, “Zombie Soccer.”  He also has legally changed his name from Jae-weon to Ji Rok, because of the scandal associated with his former name. It is also revealed that he comes from a wealthy family, who disavowed him when he became a webtoon artist – his older brother keeps pressuring him to relinquish his inheritance.

When Enrique enters Dok-mi’ s life, this makes Ji Rok jealous – it annoys him how “easy” it was for Enrique to break the ice with her. He desperately wants to White Knight for Dok-mi, by ridding her of this nuisance, but much to his annoyance, he finds himself liking Enrique. When he confronts Enrique on apartment roof, he concludes that Enrique is a “decent guy.” He wants to hate him, but it proves to be difficult.  In fact, Enrique initially has no romantic interest in Dok-mi and even tries to play cupid for Ji Rok and Dok-mi – he gives the former tips on how to talk to her and he speaks highly of Ji Rok when he is around Dok-mi. Yet, Ji Rok still hesitates to make a move and, predictably, Dok-mi and Enrique fall for each other. 

Cha Do-hwi

Do-hwi owns a clothing store and has her sights set on Ji Rok – she knows about his true identity and desperately wants to hook up with him.  She was also Dok-mi’ s best friend growing up, but the two of them had a falling out in high school. They both had a crush on their literature teacher and when he showed interest in Dok-mi (in a pure academic sense), Do-hwi got jealous and started a salacious rumor about Dok-mi and him. The teacher threw Dok-mi under the bus and transferred to another school, while Dok-mi was shunned and bullied for the rest of her high school experience. When she learns that Dok-mi lives next door to her crush, Do-hwi tries to rekindle their friendship, but Dok-mi is suspicious about her motives. 

Oh Dong-hoon (Go Kyung-pyo)

Dong-hoon is Ji Rok’s roommate and assistant on the webtoon. He also works a part time job at night, as a designated driver, to help pay the bills.  He is often the voice of sanity – he often questions Ji-Rok’s motives and is baffled by his friend’s constant rejection of Do-hwi.  He also has a love/hate relationship with the editor of their webtoon, Seul-gi, who is simultaneously annoyed and infatuated with him.

Kim Seul-gi (webtoon editor) (Kim Seul-gi)

Seul-gi is the stressed-out editor of Ji-Rok’s and Dong-hoon’s webtoon, Flower Boys Next Door. She gets very little sleeps and always has rings under her eyes. She becomes infatuated with Dong-hoon and even co-signs a $5800 loan for him after he damages his car. 

Yoon Seo-young (Kim Yoon-hye)/ Han Tae-joon (Kim Jung San)

Seo-young is Enrique’s best friend (and first-time love) who has romantic designs on Enrique’s cousin, Tae-joon – she specifically came to South Korea with Enrique so she could be with Tae-joon.
However, it proves to be a rather toxic relationship – Seo-young pours her heart out to Tae-joon but he just shrugs her off. He also decides to leave the country to fulfill his dream of being an island doctor and, unfortunately, there is no place for Seo-young in Tae-joon’ s dream, and he leaves her flat. Seo-young’s main reason for coming to South Korea has left and she wants to go back to Spain and insists that Enrique come back with her. These are the two least interesting characters in Flower Boys Next Door and, mercifully, very little time is devoted to their drama.  Indeed, they both exit the series midway through.

Mitzuke Kouki (Watanabe Ryu)

Mitzuke is the super friendly Japanese tenant whose main reason for coming to South Korea is the cuisine. He offers cooking classes in his apartment and befriends the tenants on his floor – he forms a close bond with Enrique.  He may be the only character who doesn’t have a major hang up. 

Hong Song-chul (Lee Dae-yeon)/ Jung Im (Kim So-yi)
Song-chul is the friendly apartment security guard who is in love with Jung Im – a classy middle-aged woman, who many suspect is the landlord.  Song-chul constantly tries to court Jung Im and always falls on his ass – he has the best intentions, but he is also incredibly awkward.  Jung Im is an agreeable person, who is interested in her neighbors (especially the younger males) and even makes a few friends. 

While Flower Boys Next Door is a romantic comedy, it is often a painful show to watch. This is in large part due to the characters’ troubled histories and their inability to move on from them. Dok-mi was betrayed and bullied by her best friend in high school and, understandably, has trust issues.  The main characters, despite their different backgrounds and personalities, have a few things in common:

Loneliness
They are all lonely individuals. Dok-mi has become content with isolating herself from the rest of humanity by hiding in her apartment. When Enrique takes an interest in her, at first, she is baffled by his presence – she doesn’t know what to make of him. When she begins to like him, this causes her to panic, and she pushes him away – she doesn’t want to risk having her heart broken. Enrique begins to mistake her quiet nature for indifference and even gets mad when, after he tells her he is leaving for Spain, she can only muster up a simple “Goodbye.”

Enrique has a legion of devoted fans and is often recognized on the street but has never had any meaningful relationships – he loves Seo-young, who in turn loves his cousin.  Enrique’s spastic behavior can be off putting at times, but he genuinely means well.  He is a fish out of water – he has grown up in Spain, so South Korea is like a foreign country to him. That’s probably why his behavior – like incessantly ringing on Dok-mi’s doorbell and knocking on her door – baffles everyone else. He is not really concerned with social customs, especially when he believes a person needs help. It genuinely annoys Ji Rok that Enrique’s “annoying” behavior ends up working on Dok-mi, while his more sensitive and methodical approach has failed to make any progress. 

Ji Rok, like Dok-mi, mostly confines himself to his apartment. Though, he at least has a handful of friends and often interacts with his neighbors. He has admired Dok-mi from afar but, other than a few exchanges in the elevator, has never made any effort to talk to her.  He does leave drawings on the milk cartons that are left outside of her door, but never reveals to her that he is the artist (even though she likes the drawings).  His extremely cautious approach annoys Dong-hoon, who wishes he would just work up the courage to talk to her. It’s only when Enrique enters Dok-mi’s life that Ji Rok FINALLY breaks the ice with her.  

Do-hwi surrounds herself with hangers-on and enablers but she doesn’t have a genuine friend. She betrayed the one real friend she had in high school and all her attempts on winning back Dok-mi are massive fails. She tries to appeal to nostalgia by giving Dok-mi a box filled with pictures and other mementos from their teenaged years. She throws a party in Dok-mi’s honor but only ends up pushing Dok-mi away further when she invites their literature teacher (the man who threw Dok-mi under the bus).  I initially wondered if Do-hwi was deliberately trying to traumatize Dok-mi, but it turns out that she is a stupid woman who can’t read the room. It was also revealed the reason the teacher showed up to the party was to apologize to Dok-mi. 

Unrequited Love/Idolization
The themes of idolization and unrequited love constantly pop up in Flower Boys Next Door; every character is inflicted with one or another (or sometimes both).  Dok-mi idolizes Tae-joon – she admires him from afar because on the surface he is the ideal male: young, handsome, and successful. The idea of Tae-joon is attractive and, I suspect, the main reason she never contacted him was the reality of Tae-joon could never live up to her illusion. She put him so high on a pedestal that any interaction with him would only knock him down a few pegs. 

The same applies to Ji Rok – he is in love with the idea of Dok-mi – the quiet, helpless girl who needs his sensitive guiding hand.  The few times they do interact, he treats her with kid gloves, out of fear that any sudden move or suggestion might traumatize her for life.  He mistakes her silence for weakness. His overly cautious approach towards her ends up opening the door of opportunity for Enrique. In fact, Enrique tells Ji Rok to confess his feelings to Dok-mi, because if he waits too long someone else will come along. Enrique never believed that “someone else” would be him. 

It is also sad that Enrique can learn more about Dok-mi in a couple of days than Ji Rok has in three years.  This is largely because Enrique doesn’t idolize Dok-mi; his intentions are not initially romantic in nature – he sees a lonely woman who he wants to help.

While Enriques doesn’t idolize anyone, he is idolized by his devoted fans. This is represented in the form of Bae Bok, a passionate fan who Enrique befriends at the restaurant MItzuke works at.  However, Bae Bok’s fandom turns completely toxic when she learns about his relationship with Dok-mi.  Enrique was initially supposed to be in South Korea for a month, then he was supposed to return to Spain to begin work on an animated film based off one of his video games. He prolongs this trip after Dok-mi and him begin to date. This enrages Bae Bok, who first sprays paints “DIE” on Dok-mi’s apartment door and then post pictures of Dok-mi on the fan forums to rile up the fanbase.  They are so angered over an animated movie that they are willing to ruin the life of woman who has done nothing wrong. It’s only a matter of time that the salacious rumors that haunted Dok-mi throughout high school make their way to the internet. They can’t believe their idol would date a woman “like that.”  Enrique calls a meeting of the local fans (including Bae Bok) and sets them straight on a few things. Basically, he tells them to “grow up” and assures them that he will return to Spain to being work on his animation project, but they need to stop attacking Dok-mi.  He also brings Dok-mi with him to put a human face to the woman they irrationally despise – it is easy to attack someone online but it is very difficult when they are in the same room as you. This subplot also gives Do-hwi her character arc, when the vicious rumors make their way to the internet, Doh-wi goes online to defend Dok-mi.

Enrique’s affection for Seo-young falls under unrequited love because he has poured his heart and soul out to her, but she only sees him as a friend and has feelings for his cousin.  Seo-young and Tae-joon are also a more clear-cut case of unrequited love – she is constantly by his side, pleading her case, and he just gives her the cold shoulder. Every time the two of them are seen together, Tae-joon looks annoyed and just views Seo-young as an inconvenience.

Do-hwi constantly throws herself at Ji Rok, but he spurns her advances. Once he learns that Do-hwi is responsible for Dok-mi’s introverted lifestyle, he tries to avoid her like the plague.  Do-hwi also mistakenly believes that Ji Rok is wealthy, unaware that his family has disavowed him. 

To a lesser degree, we see this theme of unrequited love play out between Sung-chul and Jung Im; he is constantly looking for reason to talk to her, but she remains oblivious towards his feelings. 

However, as painful as Flower Boys Next Door can be, it is also extremely uplifting at times. It’s hard not to cheer for Dok-mi as she slowly begins to embrace the outside world and make new friends. She is a character who has been through so much that when something finally goes her way, you can’t help to smile. There is also a nuance to Park Shin-hye’s performance – there is a scene, early on, where Enrique convinces her to go on a road trip and he takes her to the beach, and you can briefly see a smile flash across her face. Yet, despite this heart-warming moment, Dok-mi’s cynicism takes over and she asks Enrique if they can pretend that they never met. What I like about this series is that Dok-mi transition from being a cynical hermit to open minded individual is a gradual process; there is no scene where she gets invited to a party, gets shit faced, and, in her drunken state, becomes the life of the party.  She does get drunk in one scene, but she is more of a quiet drunk, and never becomes the focal point. 

The American equivalent to Flower Boys Next Door would be She’s All That, where the extremely dorky Laney Boggs is given a radical makeover by popular jock, Zack, and overnight becomes the most talked about woman on campus. Despite her introverted nature, she is magically able to make friends with a few of the popular girls and is nominated for Prom Queen. There is no scene in Flower Boys Next Door where Dok-mi is given a radical makeover. There is a scene later in the series where Enrique and she go clothing shopping, but that is about it. She is already a pretty woman and doesn’t need a makeover to emphasize that point. Her shopping for clothes is more about diversifying her wardrobe rather than compromising her personality.  She doesn’t magically morph into a social butterfly by the series end; she is still a bit awkward but is happy with Enrique and her handful of friends.  This leads me to two other themes that are prominent throughout the series:

Real Love
To quote Haddaway, “What is love?”  This is a question that constantly gets tossed around throughout the series.  The characters often express their love for individuals, because often they mistake attraction for love.  Dok-mi is attracted to Tae-joon and likes the idea of him, but chances are if she got to know the guy, she would gradually despise him.  It is easy to claim you love someone when times are good, or when you know very little about them, but the true test is when the shit hits the fan. 

Real love is often forged in fire – Dok-mi and Enrique get into multiple fights and witness each other’s worst qualities, but at the end of the day are still there for each other. In one of the show’s more realistic moments, after they have agreed to start dating, both are initially at a loss over what to do. This is a new experience for them.  Enrique doesn’t just magically transform into a passionate lover; he plays his romance with Dok-mi by ear.  The most interesting thing about their relationship is that they can communicate without words: Enrique often knows what Dok-mi is thinking just by the look in her eyes and body language; later, Dok-mi also learns this same skill with Enrique. 

There is an interesting role reversal in the second half of the series – in the first half, it is Enrique who pesters Dok-mi and gradually melts her icy heart.  In second half, after Enrique gets attacked by an outraged mother, he begins to have a crisis of faith and believes that he has a negative influence on the youth; when he shows this darker side to Dok-mi, she pleads for the old Enrique to come back and then is determined to cheer him up.  

Their relationship is, to a lesser extent, mirrored with Dong-hoon and Seul-gi – they initially start off as being combative towards one another. Seul-gi constantly screams up a storm over how unsatisfied she is with Ji Rok’s and Dong-hoon’s webtoon. However, as the show progresses, the two of them become fond of one another (Seul-gi co-signs a long for Dong-hoon and he gives her polite tips on how to improve her image) and it eventually turns into love. It’s a relationship that was formed in the trenches and can survive because both have already witnessed each other’s worst traits. More importantly, Dong-hoon falls in love with Seul-gi when she still looks like shit – he even comments that the permanent rings under her eyes are “kind of cute.”

Community
This theme is prominent in most K-dramas – the protagonist begins the series as a loner and by the end has built a small community around him/her.  In some instances, like the entertaining Birdie Buddy, they already belong to a strong community, and this is what props them up in their toughest moments.  Flower Boys Next Door begins with Dok-mi alone in her apartment and ends with her outdoors, walking on the sidewalk with Enrique and a handful of friends (including Ji Rok).  This a literal representation of the phrase “strength in numbers.”  Dok-mi begins the series believing that she can do everything on her own, but once she gets to know Enrique, and the joy he usually brings to the proceedings, she realizes this is a fallacy – especially after Enrique pronounces his love for to his less than receptive fanbase. He is willing to alienate his fans and potentially derail his career, because his love for Dok-mi is more important.  When she sees what he is willing to sacrifice, she can’t help but be moved. Early in the show, she states that her high school experience would have been bearable if only ONE person had stood by her side. Just one person she could lean on and pour out all her troubles to. It turns out that Enrique is that one person and she is perfectly okay with it. However, it certainly helps to have some back up and her fellow tenants at the apartment perfectly fill those roles. 

This theme of community extends to Mitzuke – he is a foreigner in another country, but rather than alienate himself from everyone, the first thing he does is make friends. He introduces himself to his neighbors and invites him to his apartment for cooking lesson. In fact, it is these weekly gatherings at his apartment that help cement the bonds the characters form. In one scene, Jung Im is bummed that Enrique is not there, because he is the one who makes the gatherings fun. This is not to say communities are inherently good – after all, the fanbase are a community and they behave in a toxic manner towards Dok-mi – but it certainly helps surrounding yourself with a handful people who understand and support you.

Flower Boys Next Door is not a perfect show. It often suffers from two tropes that annoy me: an overreliance on flashbacks to drive home a point – it often flashbacks to a scene that happened seconds ago. It also is heavily reliant on creating drama by people either missing a phone call or ignoring it. However, despite these flaws, it is still a pleasant diversion, and it does fly at a fast pace. Like most K-dramas, it is addictive – it is difficult to watch just one episode. 

Cast: Park Shin-hye (Go Dok-mi), Yoon Shi-yoon (Enrique Geum), Kim Ji-hoon (Oh Jin Rok), Park Soo-jin (Cha Do-hwi), Go Kyung-pyo(Oh Dong-hoon), Koki Mizuta (Watanabe Ryu), Kim Seul-gi (webtoon editor), Lee Dae-yeon (Hong Soon-chul), Kim So-yi (Jung Im), Kim Yoon-hye (Yoon Seo-young), Kim Jung San (Han Tae-joon), Kim Da-ye (Bae Bok).

Director: Jung Jung-hwa
Writer: Kim Eun-jung
16 episodes ~ 60 minutes

Bring It On, Ghost (2016)/Cheo-Yong: The Paranormal Detective (2014)/ Oh My Ghost (2015)

 

I have recently been binge watching television shows from South Korea. In the last month, I have watched The Ex-Girlfriends Club, Bring It on, Ghost, Cheo Yong: The Paranormal Detective, The K2, and checked out a few Korean variety shows; Running Man, Knowing Brothers, and Hello, Baby. These are all fascinating shows, but for brevity’s sake, I am going to focus on Bring It On, Ghost and Cheo Yong: The Paranormal Detective. On the surface, they are very similar shows - they both feature a lead protagonist who can see ghosts, and the ghost of a teenage girl (virgin ghost), who has lost her memories.  The crucial difference between the two shows is that Cheo Yong is a police procedural drama with a supernatural slant while Bring It On, Ghost is supernatural romance with horror and comedy thrown into the mix. 

However, before I dive into the two shows, I am going to take a short detour to go over Korean Ghost Lore (this information comes courtesy of two websites, korelimited and Creatrip). In Korea, the main type of ghost is called the Gwishin. They are spirits that have not fulfilled their life’s purposes and are cursed to roam the earth as a result.  They are different types of Gwishin:

Cheonyo gwishin– the ghost of a virgin girl who could not serve her purpose in life – in early Korean times, this meant serving her father, husband, and children.  The male equivalent is called the Mongdal gwishin.

Mul gwishin – the ghost of who drowned. They live in the cold water and will often pull their victims underwater.

Dalygal gwishin – an egg-shaped ghost with no discernible ghosts

Baby ghosts – Babies who passed away before their third birthday. 
                              A boy ghost is called a taejoo.
                              A girl ghost is called a myeongdo.

Child ghosts – Children who passed away between the ages of five to fifteen.  Usually benevolent.
                               Boys are called dongja
                               Girls are called dongnyeo

Kong Kong ghost – The ghost of someone who fell off a building. It normally appears standing on its head.

House ghosts – Ghosts who inhabit certain houses and buildings. They are usually benevolent unless you try to chase them away.

Lovesick ghost: Ghosts that come back longing for the love they felt was unfulfilled while they were still alive. If they were in a relationship before they passed away, they can come back to haunt their lovers or even take them away with them.

Spirits of Good-Hearted Women – The spirits of good-hearted young women who passed on. They possess strong spiritual power and can possess shamans who acts as a medium for them.

Gwishin are specifically ghosts of people who have died. They are other spiritual entities in Korean lore, as well.  The Dokkaebi is a demonic, or goblin-like, spirit with horns and a distorted face.  They are known to be pranksters and are often of games. They are also the Robin Hood of Korean monsters – they rob from the greedy and reward those they deem worthy.  The Gumiho is a shape shifting nine tailed fox (that usually takes the form of a beautiful woman) and is known to eat the hearts, and souls, of men.

Now that I got the folklore out of the way, it is time to delve into character analysis (YAY)!

1.      Park Bong-pal (Bring It on, Ghost)/ Cheo-yong (Cheo Yong)

The main protagonist in Bring It on, Ghost is Park Bong-pal – a full-time college student (majoring in Economics) who also makes money on the side as an exorcist. Ever since he was a child, Bong-pal has been able to see ghosts. However, not only can he see ghosts, but he can also physically interact with them (an ability he inherited from his late mother). He beats up ghosts and sends them to the afterlife.  The secret to his success it that he picks the battles he knows he can win; in the first episode, he encounters a ghost twice his size and, without hesitation, runs away.

He is emotionally distant from his classmates (he prefers to work alone instead of in a group) and the closest thing he has to family is the monk, Myung-cheol. He is estranged from his father and his mother was murdered by a ghost when he was a kid. He initially harbors a crush towards his fellow student, Seo-yeon, but doesn’t know how to talk to her; even when she is the one who is breaking the ice.  He is far more comfortable interacting with ghosts than he is with the living.  Yet, he is very suspicious of most ghosts – when he first meets Kim Hyun-ji he immediately assumes the worst intentions. 

Cheo-yong, like Bong-pal, can see ghosts but he can’t physically interact with them. He does, however, possess a knife that can send them to the afterlife. Cheo-yong is a detective who prefers to work alone, much to the chagrin of his partner, Sun-woo, and the other members of his team. It is also revealed that he has a personal connection with the main antagonist of the first season. He is a man who is drowned in guilt and doesn’t want to get too close to anyone, because he doesn’t want to experience the pain of losing someone close to him.  His secret nature also proves to be detrimental at times - to the point that he, inadvertently, puts people at risk because he didn’t bother to share vital information with them.  

The emotionally distant main character, with a secret to hide, has been a recurring trope in all the Koren shows I have watched so far (which I admit aren't many). It pops up in Tell Me What You Saw, The K2, and even in The Ex-Girlfriends Club. The main characters in each show (except Tell Me What You Saw) all have the same character arc: they start off as loners but eventually loosen up and allow themselves to open up to the people around them. By the series end, they have created a surrogate family.  It is not exactly mind-blowing television, but it is effective. 

In a way, the two lead actors, Ok Taec-yeon (Bong-pal) and Oh Ji-ho (Cheo-yong) have the more thankless job in their respective series; they are both essentially the straight man. Both characters often wear a mask of indifference, but on occasions the mask will slip, and they reveal their true personalities. Taec-yeon is especially good at this – there are moments throughout the first half of Bring It On, Ghost where Hyun-ji does something silly and Bong-pal has a hard time suppressing his smile; he wants to be a stern taskmaster, but he even he struggles to resist Hyun-ji’s charms.  Oh Ji-ho, on the other hand, does a great job of portraying a man hiding a dark secret. There are moments where he it looks like he will pour his soul out to either Sun-woo or Na-young, but then stops himself. He finds being a miserable loner preferable to potentially losing someone close to him. Oh Ji-ho manages to bring humanity to what could have easily been a one-dimensional, bad ass character. 

2.        Kim Hyun-ji (Bring It On, Ghost)/Han Na-Young (Cheo Yong)

Kim Hyun-ji and Han Na-young are two virgin ghosts whom the male protagonists, in both shows, form a bond with. Initially, both male protagonists are act very suspiciously towards these two female spirits – the first time Bong-pal meets Hyun-ji, they get into a physical altercation, with him walking away the loser.  Cheo-Yong encounters Na-young at the precinct he works at; she haunts this building and cannot leave it.  When she discovers that Cheo-yong can see her, she is elated.  She desperately wants to help, but everyone has been oblivious to her existence.  The other thing that two virgin ghosts have in common, neither one of them can remember their time on earth.  For some reason, Han Na-young is drawn to Sun-woo, but she can’t figure out why that it. Hyun-ji occasionally has glimpses of her previous life, but she can’t make sense of them.

Kim Hyun-ji, initially, doesn’t have any real purpose – her main goal is trying to figure out the circumstances surrounding her untimely death. While fighting with Bong-pal, the two of them accidentally lock lips and this ends up triggering a brief memory of Hyun-ji’s past life. She begins to follow Bong -pal around because she is convinced that he can help her remember.  Throughout the series, we are slowly given information about the “accident” that ended her life – she was the victim of a hit and run accident. 

The mystery surrounding Na-young’s death is revealed midway through season one – she was Sun-woo’s best friend and was murdered while trying to protect her friend. It also turns out that Cheo-yong was the detective on that case and was literally a few feet away from potentially saving Na-young. Sun-woo and Na-young owned a set of friendship rings; Sun-woo wears both to honor her fallen friend. It is also this sentimental link that allows Na-young to possess her friend on certain occasions; normally when she has discovered important information and needs to get it to Cheo-yong. The only time Na-young can leave the police station is when she has possessed Sun-woo’s body.  Though, she does it one time to get out and have dinner and drinks with Sun-woo’s co-workers. This often results in a scolding from Cheo-yong, but even he acknowledges that her intentions (for the most part) are good. 

Hyun-ji, despite being a ghost, has still held onto her earthly vices – she likes to eat (especially meat); is still obsessed with fashion (she asks Bong-pal to buy her a dress) and even drinks alcohol.  The only time Na-Young can experience any of these worldly pleasures is, vicariously, through Sun-Woo’s body.  The main differences between the two characters are that Hyun-ji is the main character in Bring It On, Ghost while Na-young is a supporting character in Cheo Yong. Hyun-j is a proactive character throughout the series – she helps Bong-pal fight ghosts and even puts his life in danger at times. As the series progresses, Hyun-ji’s and Bong-pal’s feeling towards one another become increasingly more complex – they fall in love.  Na-young’s relationship with Cheo-yong is never that complex – they start off as business acquaintances and gradually become friends.  However, because Na-young is limited to the police station, she gets sidelines for a good chunk of the series.

It should be noted that both actresses, Kim So-hyun (Kim Hyun-ji) and Jun Hyo-seong (Han Na-young) are exceptionally good and are the heart of their series. They are both extremely funny at times and tragic, as well – both play characters who were killed in their teens and are trying to make the most of their purgatory existence. Even though they are surrounded by people, they are both still alone.  There is poignant scene in Bring It on, Ghost where the members of the ghost hunting club are playing a guessing game and Hyun-ji, at first, plays along until she realizes that no one can hear her (except Bong-Pal, who chooses to ignore her) and she walks away, depressed. 
There are similar moments like that throughout Cheo Yong, where Na-young tries to give the investigating team crucial information, but it falls on deaf ears.

3.        Supporting characters

Bring It on, Ghost features four supporting characters: the monk, Myung-cheol, the two founding members of the ghost hunting club, Ghost Net, Choi Cheon-sang and Kim In-rang, and Bong-pal’s classmate, and initial crush, Li Seo-yeon. The major supporting characters (of season one) in Cheo-Yong are: Ha Sun-woo (Cheo-yong’s partner and Na-young’s best friend), and the other members of the investigation team; Lee Jung-hyun, Park Min-jae, and Byun Gook-jin.

In Bring It on, Ghost, after having witnessed Bong-pal’s abilities firsthand, Cheon-sang and In-rang desperately want him to join their club.  Bong-pal initially rejects their offer but changes his mind after they have successfully pressured Seo-yeon into joining their club. Bong-pal is a huge introvert and, while he harbors a crush on Seo-yeon, he doesn’t know how to break the ice with her.  He hopes that by joining Ghost Net this will give him the opportunity to get close to her, much to the annoyance of Hyun-ji. Seo-yeon is a sweet natured girl, who doesn’t have a malicious bone her in body, but she is not interested in Bong-pal, romantically.  She likes him as a friend but her heart belongs to the college professor, and veterinarian, Joo Hye-sung. If I have one gripe about Bring It on, Ghost it is how the series completely forgets about Se-yeon in the second half of the season; after she pours her heart out to the professor and he rejects her, she is thrown to the wayside.

The main function of Cheon-sang and In-rang is to provide comedy relief (especially in the second half of the season). They spend most of the series coming up with various schemes and dodging their landlord (because they are months behind on the rent).  In one of the series funniest concepts, In-rang has an accident and he, briefly, sees Hyun-ji, looking at him and asking him if he is okay. He is instantly smitten with her and believes that she is an angel.  It is also after In-rang begins to show interest in Hyun-ji that Bong-pal behaves in a jealous manner; when In-rang buys her a new pair of shoes, Bong-pal lies and says that she hates them.

There is also some good writing in this section: Bong-pal tells his Ghost Net partners that In-rang’s angel is, in fact, a ghost (Hyun-ji) and she is helping him fight ghosts. While they are now are of her existence, they still can’t see her, but that doesn’t prevent In-rang from trying to touch her. He extends his arms and begins to feel around the space next to Bong-pal, hoping that he can touch Hyun-ji.  Bong-pal objects to this and lectures In-rang about how he “shouldn’t touch a girl like that.” This is a huge turning point in the Bong-pal/Hyun-ji relationship because prior to this moment Bong-pal has been dismissive towards Hyun-ji and only thinks of her as a ghost. However, the fact that, in this scene, Bong-pal specifically refers to her as “a girl,” shows how much his attitude has changed towards Hyun-ji. She is no longer a bothersome ghost but a genuine human being in his eyes. 

Monk Myung-cheol, initially, disapproves of Bong-pal’s relationship with Hyun-ji. He pleads with both, separately, to break it off because he is convinced that it only can only lead to misery. It is to the writer’s credit that Myung-cheol is a sympathetic character, instead of a strict authoritarian trying to control Bong-pal’s life. He genuinely believes he is acting in Bong-pal’s best interest and, more importantly, doesn’t want to see his ward get hurt. He wants Bong-pal to be happy and believes the best thing for Bong-pal is to move on from Hyun-ji.

In contrast to Cheon-sang and In-rang, Cheo-yong’s co-workers are apprehensive towards him. They don’t approve of his method – he is too much of a wild card for them and he tends to disappear for long stretches at a time.  However, it is also revealed that their hostilities toward him are rooted in jealousy, especially with the character of Lee Jung-hyun, who resents how successful Cheo-yong is at solving cases. He tries to copy Cheo-yong’s methods, so that he can beat his rival and solve a few cases, and he nearly gets killed in the process. He mistakenly believes he is dealing with a common criminal, while Cheo-yong understands they are up against a more sinister force.

Sun-woo is more sympathetic to Cheo-yong, and is a potential love interest, largely because they share a history – he helped her escape the clutches of the serial killer who took Na-Young’s life.  Her main reason for joining the police force was to avenge the death of her best friend.  Like Cheo-yong, her job is her life. She is so single minded in her determination to find the killer that she has no time for a social life – when her fellow detectives invite her out for dinner and drinks, she declines their offer. Oh Ji-eun, the actress who plays Sun-woo, has the toughest acting job of the entire cast, because she, essentially must play two roles: Sun-woo in her normal form and Sun-woo when she is possessed by Na-young’s ghost.  She does an exceptional job; when the character is possessed, her entire demeanor changes – she eerily adopts the same mannerisms as Jun Hyo-seong (the actress who play Na-young) and even talks with the same inflections.

4.        Villains

Bring It on, Ghost and Cheo Yong have two different set of villains. In Cheo Yong, the series’ main villain is set up in episode one (in a precredit sequence) and doesn’t reappear until the second last episode (where his origins, and his grudge towards Cheo-yong is fully explained). The main villain is an evil spirit, who has possessed the body of Cheo-yong’s former partner. 

Otherwise, the series is more episodic in nature. In each episode there is a murder that needs to be solved, and we are shown a full police procedural – Cheo-yong and company interview witnesses and gather up evidence until they finally catch the culprit. While Cheo-yong can see ghosts, the murderer is usually a living human being (who covers up their crimes by making it look supernatural in nature). If there is a flaw to the police procedural format, it is that it often means sidelining Na-young for a good chunk of the show. This is unfortunate as Na-young is easily the most interesting character in the series.

Bring It on, Ghost has a more compelling villain in the form of Joo Hye-sung, a veterinarian who also teaches veterinarian science at the campus Bong-pal is attending. He wears the mask of benevolence – he is first seen rescuing a puppy from a storm drain. He is also extremely popular among the student body and has his share of female admirers (the female students in his class and the two nurses who work with at the clinic).  Hell, even Hyun-ji is initially attracted to him. Hyun-ji’s lovesick ghost pal, Oh Kyung-ja, also develops a crush on Hye-sung; to the point where she leaves her current crush so she can cling to, in a literal sense, Hye-sung. This, unfortunately, does not end up working to her benefit.

Joo Hye-sung’s sinister nature slowly begins to emerge as the show progresses. He murders a stray cat, which is witnessed by a female student. He accidentally leaves his pen at the scene of the killing and the female student picks it up. She then gives it to Seo-yeon, who in turn gives it back to Hye-sung. When he asks Seo-yeon how she got the pen, she tells him she got it from the female students and, inadvertently, seals the girl’s fate in the process.  It is revealed that when Hye-sung was a child, he was possessed by an evil spirit (the same spirit that murdered Bong-pal’s mother).  Hye-sung was also the driver who ran down Hyun-ji at the intersection.

Kwon Yul is perfectly cast as Joo Hye-sung; he has such a pleasant demeanor that you would never suspect that he is a psychopathic killer. 

Out of the two shows, I prefer Bring It on, Ghost.  Cheo Yong is an entertaining show with a great cast, but Bring It on, Ghost gets a huge boast from the terrific chemistry between its two appealing leads, Ok Taec-yeon and Kim So-hyun. There is a wonderful give and take between these two and its extremely easy to care about their plights. It’s also interesting to note that in the show the two of them play characters who are the same age, but in real life Ok Taec-yeon is ten years older than Kim So-hyun; you would never know.

Bring It on, Ghost is also the more unpredictable of the two shows – it takes all sorts of twists and turns; without giving away spoilers, in episode eleven, there is a revelation that completely changes the dynamic of the show.  Cheo Yong is a supernatural police procedural, but it is really hard to define what Bring It on, Ghost is. It’s often labelled as a comedy, but that is a huge oversimplification.  The first few episodes have a more comedic tone; most of Bong-pal’s and Hyun-ji’s fights with ghosts are played for laughs. However, as the show progresses it becomes more serious, and darker, in tone.  Bring It on, Ghost is simultaneously a comedy, romance, horror, and police procedural all rolled into one. The fact that it manages to hit as these beats with absolute perfection is a credit to all the artists involved with production.

Afterwords – Oh My Ghost

It was while writing this article that I watched the series Oh My Ghost, starring Park Bo-young, Jo Jung-suck, Kim Seul-gi, and Lim Ju-hwan.  This show shares a lot of similarities with Cheo Yong and Bring It On, Ghost. Just like these two shows, it features a virgin ghost, Shin Soon-ae, who can’t remember the circumstances surrounding her death.  She possesses young women and uses them to seduce men in hopes of settling her virgin grudge. There is a time element involved here: if she doesn’t settle her grudge before the third anniversary of her death, she will turn into an evil spirit. While trying to escape the shaman, Seobingo, she possesses the body of Na Bong-sun, a timid woman whose aspiration is to be a chef and is currently working for famous chef, Kang Sun-woo, as a dishwasher.

Kang Sun-woo is an arrogant, and distant, employer who has little patience for Bong-sun. The thing he dislikes about her is not that fact she is mistake prone but how much of a pushover she is – she constantly says, “I’m sorry,” even when she is not the one at fault. The other chefs often take advantage of her gullible nature by having her do their jobs for them. Though, the main reason Sun-woo resents her is that she reminds him of his younger self – he was bullied in high school. Our initial impression of Sun-woo is negative one, yet we sense that despite his disagreeable personality, he is a decent guy.  This is first hinted at by the way he looks after his sister, Eun-hee, who was crippled in a hit and run accident.  There is a telling scene where an obnoxious food critic (who writes on a blog) allows her hyper son to run around Sun-woo’s restaurant, and it nearly results in Bong-sun, spilling the woman’s food all over the place. Sun-woo gives the brat a talking to and this immediately offends the woman, who criticizes Sun-woo for trying to “discipline her son.”  Sun-woo takes her criticism in stride (it is to be expected, after all), but when the woman makes a disparaging remark about Eun-hee, this hits a nerve, and he kicks the food critic out of his restaurant. It doesn’t matter to Sun-woo that it might hurt his reputation (the woman later sues him for assault), no one insults his younger sister. 

 

Bong-sun, like Cheo-yong and Bong-pal, has been able to see ghosts ever since she was a child. This ability made her an outcast among her peers. When she gets possessed by Soon-ae, there is a huge shift in her personality, and this baffles Sun-woo and the staff at the restaurant.  Overnight, this shy, timid girl has turned into a loud, confident woman who also behaves in a sexually aggressive manner.  Sun-woo takes her to see a psychologist and he concludes that she musts be manic depressive and suggests that Sun-woo keep an eye on her. 

Oh My Ghost is a highly entertaining show that gets a huge boost from its charming lead actress, Park Bo-young. It’s interesting to note that both her and Kim So-hyun have been labelled “The Nation’s Litle Sister.” In fact, with their similar looks (moon-shaped face, wide eyes) one could easily mistake them for sisters. The success of the series really hinges on Park Bo-Young’s performance; one false note on her part and it would all fall apart.  Like Oh Ji-eun in Cheo Young, Bo-young gives two very distinct performances: when she is playing Bong-sun in her normal state she slouches, never makes eye contact, lacks confidence, has a slight stammer, and talks in a near whisper so that it is often hard to hear her.  When Bong-sun is possessed by Soon-ae’s spirit, her entire demeanor changes: she is loud, talkative, extremely confident, and always walks in an upright manner. These performances are so unique that it often feels like you are watching two different actresses.

My initial fear was that Bong-sun would spend most of the series possessed by Soon-ae that there would be little room for any character development – Soon-ae possesses Bong-sun at the end of episode one and I worried it wouldn’t be until the final episode that the two finally separate. Thankfully, this wasn’t the case and, in fact, the two of them separate midway through the series.   Bong-sun is, at first, frightened of Soon-ae, but eventually warms to her and gives Soon-ae permission to possess her body – she believes that it will, ultimately, benefit both of them – Soon-ae can settle her grudge and Bong-sun will get to be with Sun-woo.  However, the downside to all of this is that Bong-sun doesn’t remember anything that happens while possessed. Sun-woo will often bring up something Bong-sun did while she was possessed, and Bong-sun has no idea what he is talking about. This creates an existential crisis - who is Sun-woo in love with: Bong-sun or Soon-ae?  To further complicate matters, Soon-ae falls in love with Sun-woo and becomes jealous of Bong-sun.  When Sun-woo is about to kiss Bong-sun, Soon-ae is overtaken by jealousy and pushes Bong-sun out of the way.  She is appalled by her behavior and runs away, but it also apparent that she is dangerously close to turning into an evil spirit.  

With Soon-ae out of the picture and doing her own thing, it is now up to Bong-sun to discover her inner strength and begin to do things for herself. Sun-woo gives her the task of making an eggplant soup for the main dish; she is nervous at first and spends the entire night preparing the dish. It takes her multiple attempts to get it right, but finally she perseveres, and the dish is a success.  She has finally achieved a personal victory, and this gives her a much-needed boost to her confidence.  One of the show’s cleverest ideas is that Bong-sun and Sun-woo are already kindred spirits without even realizing it – Bong-sun has a blog where she, anonymously, shares recipes (one is for cabbage soup) and it turns out that Sun-woo regularly reads this blog. He even writes an encouraging comment.  Later, when Bong-sun is feeling sick, he makes her the very same cabbage soup.

Jo Jung-suk is also good as Sun-woo. His character often behaves in an arrogant and rude manner, but this is an act to cover up his own insecurities. He was bullied when he was a kid and had his heart broken when his college crush, Lee So-Hyeong, wound up dating his best friend. It also doesn’t help that he still sees her on a regular basis; she is a television producer, and she wants Sun-woo at appear on a cooking competition.  After Sun-woo’s best friend passed away, Lee So-Hyeong has been single for some time, and she realizes that she has feelings for Sun-woo. Unfortunately for her, Sun-woo has already developed feelings for Bong-sun, so this is just another wrench in the works. Soon-ae doesn’t appreciate So-Hyeong budding in and acts extremely catty around her. Bong-sun, on the other hand, is not the least bit intimidated by Seo-Hyeong and the two of them hit it off.

Sun-woo is also at odds with his superstitious mother, Jo Hye-young. She had him at a very young age (nineteen) and was rarely around (she was working towards her degree). He, essentially, raised himself and Eun-hee. Hye-young genuinely feels bad for not being around for him and tries to make it up for it by playing matchmaker to Sun-wo – she tries to hook him up with a few of her students and, then finally, So-Hyeong.  She doesn’t like Bong-sun because of a reading given to her by Seobingo.

Oh My Ghost has a similar villain as Bring It On, Ghost – a respected authority figure possessed by an evil spirit. In Oh My Ghost, it comes in the form of Choi Sung-jae, a seemingly benevolent figure who is also marred to Eun-hee. This is also another piece of inspired casting - Lim Ju-hwan (as Choi Sung-jae) has a boyish charm to him to him that it’s difficult to believe he is a psychopathic murderer.  Choi Sung-jae is an interesting villain, because it is implied there is a decent side to him. He does terrible things throughout the show, but it was his intervention that stopped Eun-hee from committing suicide. He is a torn soul – there is constantly battle between his inner demons and angels; a man who is simultaneously capable of great good and great evil.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention Kim Seul-gi’s performance as Shin Soon-ae. It is easy to overlook her performance because she is offscreen for a good chunk of the series, yet she manages to really hold her own in the second half of the series when she is giving more screentime. At first, her performance is, by design, a bit one note – it often feels like a throwback from an early 2000s teen sex comedy.  Soon-ae desperately wants to get laid so she can settle her virgin grudge; she is baffled when Sun-woo rejects her advances.  She initially scoffs at how old-fashioned Sun-woo is regarding sex; but it is also this very quality that she eventually learns to appreciate.  Indeed, Sun-woo could easily have anyone woman he wants, but he is not interested in a one-night stand. He wants a meaningful, long-term relationship.  Yet, the series (and Seul-gi’s performance) rapidly shift gears once Soon-ae starts to remember the circumstances surrounding her death and becomes more focused on solving that mystery. It turns out that maybe her grudge isn’t a virgin one but rather finding the culprit responsible for her death.  Kim Seul-gi does remarkably well in the second half of the series and turns in a tear-jerking performance.

 One of the show’s subplots is that Seul-gi, in her amnesiac state, stumbles upon her father, Shin Myung-ho, and her lazy younger brother, Gyeong-mo, and their failing restaurant.  Myung-ho has never gotten over his daughter’s death and has taken to drink to drown his sorrows.  Shin Soon-ae is drawn to him but, at first, doesn’t know why. In the form of Bong-sun, she does everything she can to help her father get back on his feet. She also constantly berates Gyeong-mo for being a burden on their father.  One of the more remarkable things about Oh My Ghost is how well drawn most of the characters are; hell, even Gyeong-mo, who could have easily been a throw away character, is given an arc. 

The other surprising thing about Oh My Ghost is that, given its premise, is how poignant it is. The show’s two underlying themes are love and forgiveness.  There is a rather moving scene where Sun-woo runs into a former classmate and offers to host a high school reunion at this restaurant. One of the attendees is Chul-min, the guy who bullied Sun-woo in high school.  Sun-woo initially wants to use this reunion as an opportunity to lord over and humiliate his one-time tormentor.  This is a moment he has looked forward to in a long time.  However, when Sun-woo sees the state Chul-min is in (he is an unsuccessful vacuum salesman), he feels sympathy towards Chul-min and even offers to help him out. Later, Sun-woo buys a vacuum from Chul-min for his new restaurant. 
The point is Sun-woo could have chosen to remain bitter and use the reunion to embarrass Chul-min, but he chose to be the bigger man. It would have, briefly, given him satisfaction to rub his success in the face of his one-time bully, but he would still be a bitter soul. Instead, by choosing to face and forgive his former bully, it allows him to close the door on his past and gives him a peace of mind.

I highly recommend these three shows. If you are not averse to reading subtitles and want to watch something different, then check them out, they are infinitely better than those godawful Marvel and Star Wars shows that have infected Disney+. 

Bring It On, Ghost credit
Cast: Kim So-hyun (Kim Hyun-ji), Ok Taec-yeon (Park Bong-pal), Kwon Yul (Joo Hye-sung),Kim Sang-ho (Myung-cheol), Kang Ki-Young (Choi Cheon-sang), Lee David (Kim In-rang), Baek Seo-yi (Lim Seo-yeon), Yoon Seo-hyun (Detective Yang), Jung Ji-soon (Detective Kim), Lee De-yeon (Oh Kyung-ja), Kim Min-sang (Park Ji-hoon – Bong-pal’s father), Son Eun-seo (Hong Myung-hee – Bong-pal’s mother), Lee Seung-woo (young Bong-pal), Jang Ho-joon (young Hye-sung), Nam Kyung-min (Nurse Jung), Yeon Ji-hae (Nurse Kim), Choi Ji-na (Seo Jeong-geum – Hyun-ji’s mother).
Directors: Park Joon-hwa, Myung Hyun-woo
Writers: Lee Dae-il .  Based off Let’s Fight, Ghost by Im In-seu
16 episodes (~60 minutes)

 

Cheo Yong: The Paranormal Detective (season one) credits
Cast: Oh Ji-ho (Yoon Cheo-yong), Oh Ji-eun (Ha Sun-woo), Jun Hyo-seong (Han Na-young), Yu Seung-mok  (Byun Gook-jin), Yeon Je-wook (Lee Jong-hyun), Han Sung-yun (Kim Yeon-jin), Yoo Min-kyu (Park Min-jae), Choi Deok-moon (Yang Soo-hyuk), Kim Jin-ui (Dong-mi’s friend), Baek Sung-hyun (Jang Dae-seok), Lee Sang-in (Lee Dong-mi).
Director: Kang Chul-woo
Writer: Hong Seung-hyun|
10 episodes (season one)  ~ 60 minutes

Oh My Ghost
Cast:  Park Bo-young (Na Bong-sun), Jo Jung-suk (Kang Sun-woo), Kim Seul-gi (Shin Soon-ae), Lim Ju-hwan (Choi Sung-jae), Shin Hye-sun (Kang Eun-hee), Shin Eun-kyung (Jo Hye-young), Park Jung-ah (Lee So-Hyeong), Lee Dae-yeon (Shin Myung-ho), Lee Hak-joo (Shin Gyeong-mo), Kang Ki-young (Heo Min Soo), Kwak Si-yang (Seo Joon), Seo In-guk (Edward), Lee Jung-eun (Seobingo), Oh Eui-shik (Choi Ji Woong), Choi Min-chul (Jo Dong-chul), Ryu Hyun-kyung (Officer Kang).
Director: Yoo Je-won
Writers: Yang Hee-seung, Yang Seo-yoon
|16 episodes ~ 60 minutes.