Arangsaddojeon

Well, this was a painful watch to get through. The comedy was genuinely bad and the jokes were godawful. What made it even much worse was the terrible background music of these "comedic" scenes. It killed me slowly bit by bit with every attempted joke. The long runtime drove me insane. Just like any other drama with a similar formula, the story doesn't move until the last few episodes. The story itself was weak and padding it with comedic relief characters and side stories wasn't feasible to begin with. The cast performance was fine but they didn't have much to work with in the first place....

I felt that the story was dragging at parts.

There's comedy, romance, action, suspense and mystery.

The comedy can seem a little overdone, and the romance was cute but not heart-stopping-swoon-worthy. The fight scenes were well-made and the story itself is engaging. The soundtrack isn't the best and the acting of some of the minor characters felt forced, but the leads played their roles perfectly.

The main girl does tend to become frustratingly annoying towards the end, but the end itself makes up for it, plus her male lead was always there to save her.

Arang and the Magistrate is a story based on old Korean folklore about Arang, a vengeful spirit that haunts a village after her death. The drama uses the same plots as the original but add romance to spice things up.

Though my expectation was low, this drama turn out to be quite entertaining. Based on its supernatural setting that involves Heaven, Hell and magic, it was able to create interesting storyline. The acting is pretty decent, though I think Shin Minah should dive deeper into her 'sageuk' acting. Her tone and acting is pretty much the same as with modern drama, which at times can be just a little bit emotional cut off. Other than that, she's good.

In the middle of the 20 long episodes, I find myself with frustration because Arang didn't exactly try her hardest with the chance that was bestowed onto her. She's a fun ghost to begin with but then the story take unexpected turn and once again, make her the typical Korean damsel in distress. She caused more troubles than she's solving and of course,luckily, the hero was there to save the day. It could've be more of a solid drama if the writer didn't make Arang such a spoiled princess after showing us how independent she was. Just because she found love doesn't necessarily means she has to be weak and strongly dependent.

Well, don't get me wrong. I love the romance between Arang and the Magistrate but I think at times, it was draggy and unnecessary. While they were actively playing house, they forgets why they get together in the first place. They may forgot their life purpose but I don't. As I keep watching, I wish they would hold their lovey dovey act and get into action. Regretfully, there's no sense of urgency to complete both of their missions even when the clock is ticking real fast.

I was a little bit disappointed that Lee Junki chose this drama as his comeback but maybe he was aiming to distinct himself from typical romance. Regardless, it was a bad choice. For Shin Min ah, I think she holds the beauty for historical drama. She fits right into it. I hope she matures as an actress that can play with sageuk setting.

Overall, I give this story 4/10. It was an interesting folklore but there are so many things that couldn't uphold the weight of a beautiful story it could've been.

Ignoring the poor choice of wigs, and bad fog effects. Arang and the Magistrate, is a Korean Drama that greatly moved me. With an intricate plot where sympathy for even the most gruesome characters is inevitable it draws you in like magic.

The character development is stunning, as each character grows and adapts to their new experiences, and learns more about the appreciation of life and others around them.

A well researched fantasy piece as well, instead of aimlessly throwing in random supernatural features, it seems the world follows on a set of rules, making it even more believable.

Also a great romance that doesn't rely on exceptionally cheesy moments to keep you hooked, but really uses the good heart of the characters to create a fairy tale romance.

A story with, action, suspense, fantasy and a great deal of moral, as well as a poetic dialogue, I would recommend it to anyone looking for a heart touching, engaging story. Just ignore the wigs....