Review: Arang and the Magistrate

As most kdrama fanatics probably know, the popular drama Arang and the Magistrate just finished airing last weekend. A historical fantasy about a female ghost searching for her killer, this show essentially combined all of my favorite things.

It had drama, romance, action, mystery, magic, suspense, folklore, comedy, and Lee Jun Ki…need I say more?

The man in command

In terms of story, Arang and the Magistrate did a fantastic job of leaving viewers guessing while still giving up enough clues to keep the story engaging. Nearly every episode ended with a nail-biting cliffhanger, and even when I thought I had everything figured out, there were still twists and turns in the plot up until the very end.

What really made this show for me, though, were the intricate relationships between the characters. There was, of course, the main relationship between Arang and the magistrate, which slowly developed into a full-blown love story by the show’s finale.

There was also the endearing bromance between the magistrate and his manservant, as well as a romantic side story between the manservant and shaman Bang Wool.

In addition to those, we had the truly heart-wrenching and tragic story between Arang and Joo-wal, who was Arang’s love interest while she was alive.

We also had the touching relationship between the magistrate and his mother, which was a relationship I think most people can relate to. 

There were certainly more relationships in the drama than these, but that’s just to give an idea of how important characterization was in this series. There were no “throw away” characters. Each one contributed in some way to the overall plot development.

I have to be honest and say that Arang and the Magistrate came across as more of a melodrama than a historical horror/comedy in the sense that there were many heartbreaking moments filled with passionate sobbing. This was not just limited to the female characters, either. More than once I saw Lee Joon Ki’s crying face…and it was not the most attractive thing in the world. It was nice, however, to see the actors really get into their roles.

Overall, Arang and the Magistrate is by far one of the best dramas I’ve seen, historical or otherwise, and I would highly recommend it.

First Impression: Vampire Prosecutor

Just in time for Halloween, the Korean drama Vampire Prosecutor has just released its second installment, Vampire Prosecutor 2. Partly in honor of the season and partly out of morbid curiosity, I decided to check out the first rendition of this horror melodrama.

The show is 12 episodes long and has a primarily episodic format, with each episode focusing on a different case (or cases).

When it starts, we’re in the middle of a high-speed car chase, wherein the criminal is a mysterious, hooded figure driving a truck. We eventually discover that this hooded figure is actually a vampire, and amidst the scuffle between the vampire, the prosecutor, and a third party in the chase, our prosecutor gets bitten.

Fast forward to the future, and Prosecutor Min has developed some unique vampire abilities that help him solve crimes using victims’ blood. His eyes change to a steely blue color and he grows fangs whenever he uses these abilities.

For the remainder of the episode, the story focuses on two cases. In the first case, a woman who appears to have been murdered is found to have actually committed suicide. In the second case, Prosecutor Min and his team investigate a murdered orphanage girl.

The second case affects Prosecutor Min in particular because, at first sight, the girl looks like she was bitten by a vampire. She has two holes in her neck and her blood is nearly drained.  The investigators later find out, however, that this murder is not all that it seems, throwing in a twist at the end that’s sure to disturb viewers…in a good way of course.

The show also has its comedic moments:

I don't think this particular scene is meant to be funny, but I mean, a random half-naked guy comes out of nowhere and starts fighting our hero...I couldn't help but bust out laughing.

Another thing about this drama that stands out is the unique cinematography. There are a lot of jerky camera cuts, image superimpositions, and reverse motion shots, which really add to the horror/criminal investigation aspects of the show by creating a highly-stylized, disorienting presentation of events.

A drop of blood in slow-mo

Reverse motion: the blood drop reforms itself

The lighting in the drama is also notable. The whites in each scene appear to be enhanced, giving the drama a very bright, surreal feel.

To compare it to an American TV series, I’d say Vampire Prosecutor is something like True Blood meets Criminal Minds. It’s disturbing, suspenseful, and eerie with a hint of the supernatural. If you’re a horror fan, I would highly recommend checking it out.

First Impression: Arang and the Magistrate

Arang and the Magistrate is a 2012 historical drama based on Korean folklore. In the story, Arang is the daughter of a magistrate in the city of Miryang. She is mysteriously murdered one night, and she comes back as a ghost in order to find the truth about her murder. She ends up enlisting the new magistrate to help her, but the magistrate, who can see ghosts, has some secrets and mysteries of his own...

I was a little skeptical about watching this drama at first because I am not a fan of historical dramas, but the romance aspect of this show reeled me in, and I’m glad it did.

What I like the most about this drama so far is the chemistry between characters, and the elements of the story itself. The show perfectly combines comedy, romance, history, and horror to create a truly entertaining television series.

Arang, played by Shin Min Ah, is extremely beautiful and spunky. Her character is refreshing because she is assertive and carefree, unlike most Kdrama heroines.

Arang

The magistrate, played by Lee Joon Ki, is handsome and easygoing. In the show he is burdened with the stress of looking for his lost mother, but his character is a funny, go-with-the-punches kind of guy, and he and Arang have a great on-screen chemistry.

The magistrate, Eun-oh

The magistrate’s…er…sidekick (manservant?), also provides plenty of comic relief in the show with his antics.

The magistrate's manservant,  Dol-sue

We also have a shaman with a weak sixth sense (she can hear ghosts but not see them). Arang repeatedly harasses her for favors and she, like the magistrate’s manservant, provides a lot of the show’s comedic moments.

Shaman Bang-wool

In addition to these characters, three of the king’s officials assist the magistrate with his magisterial duties. They enlist the magistrate at the start of the drama (initially by kidnapping him…), and they also add to the comedic aspects of the show.

The Trio
(I'm not sure what else to call them...but they are almost ALWAYS together)

These are the characters who stand out to me the most so far, but there are other characters in the show who I feel will play a more prominent role as the drama gets deeper into its 20-episode run.

???

A human skull

Overall, I’m pretty excited about this series, and I love the fact that it combines comedy and horror. It’s a strange combination, but in this drama it works. The horror moments are genuinely creepy while the comedy had me laughing throughout the first few episodes. I would definitely recommend this show to fans of romance and the supernatural!