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[HanCinema's Drama Preview] "Oh My Ghostess"

More romance is arriving from tvN, a channel which by now has made romantic comedies its most notable genre. This time around, we have fantasy involved in the form of what sounds like quite an embarrassing ghost possession. With Park Bo-young making a return to dramas and a cast and premise which sound at the very least entertaining, we might be in for a fun summer rom-com.

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Premise

Na Bong-seon (Park Bo-young) is a timid woman who works as a sous chef. She can also see ghosts. Kang Seon-woo (Cho Jung-seok) is a confident man with a firm grip on reality and a top chef. He does not notice Bong-seon, who has a crush on him, until she becomes possessed by a ghost named Sin Soon-ae (Kim Seul-gi). The ghost of a woman who is very different to Bong-seon and very forward with her advances towards men.

The Worrying

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Misguided Romance

Romances where a big secret exists are common, but the case here is an entirely different personality. In order for a romantic series to be such, the pairing which falls in love has to be given enough to go by. When we have possession as the driving force, it could easily turn into a situation where audiences cannot tell which woman the male lead likes and whether he would even approach the living person without some help and groping from the dead. The writing has to be very careful to not ruin the fantasy and therefore its main appeal.

Great Expectations

Given the cast and creators, audiences will probably be expecting a lot from this series. For one, this is Park Bo-young's return to drama after seven years and a very successful movie career. Expectations are not a negative thing by default, but when one is not prepared for a work not meeting them, they can drag it down. By having greater expectations, viewers might also get more demanding and this usually does not go well with the drama filming system. It could also end up devaluing an otherwise good series.

The Reassuring

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Popular PD and Writer Duo

High expectations are a reasonable outcome of past success and despite the problems they might cause when the mindsets they are coupled with are problematic, they are still an indication that things are going well. PD Yoo Je-won and writer Yang Hee-seung worked together in 2014 drama "The King of High School Manners" which had its fans and enjoyed some popularity, despite its questionable romance. Knowing what a creative crew is capable of is at least some reassurance for quality, even if not a major one.

Good Cast

Park Bo-young is an impressive addition, but her co-stars are equally loved by audiences. Cho Jung-seok, Kim Seul-gi and Lim Ju-hwan are the kind of actors whose work choices and characters have given them faithful followers and public approval as more than pretty faces. They are good actors who can be trusted with their roles and assuming the chemistry is there and the writing interesting, they will surely make the best of the material given to them.

Final Thoughts

'Oh My Ghostess' has a premise which sounds fun, a cast which elevates its cult hit potential and a creative team which could do very well if they are careful with the aforementioned premise. A lot can go wrong in any romantic series, let alone one where consent and lovelines are blurred, but the series can hopefully avoid the traps of its premise and create a fun and entertaining romance.

'Oh My Ghostess' begins its run on July 3rd and will air every Friday and Saturday at 20:30, on tvN.

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Written by: Orion from 'Orion's Ramblings'

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