Straight-up romance in Korean Dramas is not exactly my thing. I have watched some good ones like Something in the Rain and What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim, but it is not something that I constantly look for in dramas. However, I have been constantly binging on some heavy stories lately that explore complicated and layered themes that a light and fun drama where the romantic arc is central sounds nice and refreshing.
So, to give myself that amount of lightness and fun in a narrative, I started watching TvN’s new flick My Roommate is a Gumiho. There are already a lot of stories in Korean Drama that used the Gumiho folklore as part of their narrative, one of which was Lee Seung-gi and Shin Min-ah’s My Girlfriend is a Gumiho. In short, my interest was piqued as to how this Gumiho narrative offers something different from all the other Gumiho stories in Korean Drama; or if the story can truly make me smile, laugh, giggle, and perhaps believe in the cheekiness of love again. 🥰
Here’s our complete thoughts below on the newest Gumiho story:
Character Introduction
Jang Ki-Yong as Shin Woo-Yeo
He is the 999 gumiho in the story who, for hundreds of years, desired to become human. To fulfill that wish, he has to collect human energy and transform the red marble into a blue one.
Girl’s Day Hyeri as Lee Dam
She is the accidental roommate of Shin Woo-Yeo when her friend who got so drunk after his breakup passed out in Shin Woo-Yeo’s car. The marble was accidentally swallowed by Lee Dam. So, to protect the marble, Shin Woo-Yeo proposed that Lee Dam stay with him until they figure out how to extract the marble from her.
Kang Han-Na as Yang Hye-Sun
She was an old acquaintance of Shin Woo-Yeol. She was also a gumhi but was able to finally transform into a human.
Kim Do-Wan as Do Jae-Jin
He was introduced as this guy who falls hard for the women he is in a relationship with. He, in some way, caused the accidental meet-up of Lee Dam and Shin Woo-Yeo.
Bae In-Hyuk as Gye Sun-Woo
Campus crush and breaker of women’s hearts – that is how his character was introduced. But this characterization would seem to change when he finally met a woman, in the person of Lee Dam, who is completely unfazed by his charms although we know exactly why Lee Dam avoids him. 😂
Synopsis
My Roommate is a Gumiho is a fantasy – romance drama between a 999 year old nine-tailed fox, who wants to be human, and that of a college student who accidentally swallowed his bead. The story is based on the original webtoon series Gan Tteoreojineun Donggeo or Frightening Cohabitation.
Impression
It made me smile.
It feels weird seeing yourself smile while watching a certain drama and this one just gave me that. Hyeri as Lee Dam is effective in bringing that funny college girl to life. There were moments in the drama – encounters or conversations with the two leads that put a smile on my face. I feel like I am some teenage girl watching those scenes.
It made me interested.
The premise of the drama is actually not something really new. I have read and seen stories where a character has to complete a certain mission to fulfill his ultimate desire or life goal. However, I am interested as to how this premise extends further beyond the romantic arc. We have seen time and again how a certain desire for something could mean a loss of another. So, I am interested in how this will play out with that literary balance.
It made me root for love.
As cliché and as cheeky as it may sound, the drama made me root for the beauty and transcendence of love. For a story that treads on characters with entirely opposing realms and nature, it allowed me to be reminded that love can transcend over differing worlds and nature. I understand that it is still very early to say it but it gave me that impression; maybe I am becoming a hopeless romantic again, or that I am simply emotional these days, or maybe I just want to be cliché and cheeky. 😜
What to expect for the upcoming episodes
1. Play of feelings
From the teaser for episode three it was shown that Lee Dam and Shin Woo-Yeo will pretend to be dating for the former to avoid Sun-Woo’s advances. This in turn will stir tensions amongst them three. The eternal love triangle indeed!
2. A countdown as to who falls first
The condition above could only result in one of them or expectedly both of them falling in love. Such play in emotions will surely end in the love route. So, for the coming episodes, we can surely expect a heart countdown.
3. Death and Rebirth
Lee Dam’s death is impending. If the two of them can’t find the perfect solution to extract the marble, she will never see the light of day. Whilst death looms over Lee Dam, rebirth surrounds Shin Woo-Yeo. By extracting the marble, he will finally transform into a human, given of course that the marble turns blue.
These expectations are just that- expectations. This could change along the narrative or they may never happen. So, regardless of what was written above, I hope you guys enjoy the drama and continue binging until we see how it unfolds and fulfill the thematic pursuits of the story.
