Wednesday, January 8, 2014

59. Arang and the Magistrate 아랑사또전 (2012) Korean

Lee Joon Ki, Shin Min Ah, Yeon Woo Jin

Drama Rating: 8/10     Neck Score: A+

I really liked this one.  It is a fantasy/horror sageuk.  Mostly fantasy though.  Shin Min Ah is a ghost with no memory and Lee Joon Ki can see ghosts.  He looking for his mom, she might know because of a hair pin, so he becomes the magistrate to help her figure out who she is so he can find his mom.  Then you have lots of other mystery that is tied up in it, and the Jade Emperor and Yama (king of the underworld) pulling strings here and there to have the mystery (and their problems) solved.  There is fighting (yay to Joon Ki's sexy fighting skills) and mystery, romance of course, and plenty of funny.  It is very compelling, especially as the mystery unfolds and the plot thickens, etc.  It's got lots of buddhist things in it, obviously with the Jade Emperor, so you have to be ok with that kind of stuff.  These ghosts are also not scary, but there are scary or rather intense or suspenseful parts.  I mean, Arang was murdered and there are several more attempted murders so yeah.  Lots of good characters too, to love and hate and love.  So, good one.  Liked it.  One of the best parts is the servant friend dude flipping his wet hair.  Animal magnetism.  Love it.