My Roommate Is A Gumiho: Best K-drama Series Review 2024
Table of Contents
My Roommate Is A Gumiho: Best K-drama Series Review 2024
Introduction
As I sit down to pen my thoughts on “My Roommate Is A Gumiho,” I find myself swept away once again by the enchanting tale of Miho and Shin Woo-yeo. This captivating kdrama effortlessly combines elements of romance, comedy, and the supernatural, weaving a spell that has left an indelible mark on viewers around the world. Join me as we take an in-depth journey into the whimsical world of Gumiho and humans, exploring the nuances that make this series a must-watch for all kdrama aficionados.
A Tale of Love and Mythical Creatures
At the heart of “My Roommate Is A Gumiho” lies an ancient folklore, which serves as the springboard for a modern-day love story. The series introduces us to the mythical creature known as a Gumiho, a nine-tailed fox with the ability to shape-shift into a beautiful woman. Amidst a chance encounter, Miho, a college student, accidentally swallows a bead, forging an unexpected contract with Shin Woo-yeo, an immortal Gumiho. What ensues is a delightful tale of two individuals from different worlds navigating the complexities of love, trust, and sacrifice, all against the backdrop of supernatural wonder.
The Dynamics of Romance and Comedy
One of the standout aspects of “My Roommate Is A Gumiho” is its masterful orchestration of romance and comedy. Hyeri’s portrayal of the exuberant and free-spirited Miho beautifully contrasts with Jang Ki-yong’s stoic and logical Shin Woo-yeo, creating a nuanced and compelling dynamic. Their on-screen chemistry is palpable, taking viewers on a rollercoaster of emotions as they witness the evolution of their relationship. From heartwarming embraces to mischievous banter, the series adeptly tugs at the heartstrings while eliciting genuine laughter, leaving an enduring impression on its audience.
Unraveling Mythology and Emotional Depth
Delving beyond mere romantic entanglements, “My Roommate Is A Gumiho” delves into the rich tapestry of Korean mythology, showcasing the depths of emotion and the struggle for acceptance and understanding. Through the lens of Gumiho lore and their associated abilities, the series presents a compelling exploration of identity, vulnerability, and the consequences of existing in two worlds simultaneously. The intricacies of the characters’ emotional struggles provide a deeply resonant narrative that elevates the entire viewing experience, urging viewers to introspect and empathize with the protagonists on a profound level.
A Stellar Supporting Cast
In addition to its stellar leads, “My Roommate Is A Gumiho” boasts a vibrant supporting cast that contributes immeasurably to the show’s charm. Kang Han-na’s portrayal of Lee Dam, Miho’s best friend, injects both levity and emotional depth into the narrative, serving as the perfect foil to the main characters. The robust interplay between the ensemble cast captures the essence of genuine camaraderie and strengthens the emotional weight of pivotal moments, ensuring that each character bears a significant role in shaping the trajectory of the story.
A Visual and Auditory Feast
Visually and aurally, “My Roommate Is A Gumiho” is a triumphant spectacle. The series delights in enchanting its audience with picturesque landscapes, vibrant aesthetics, and a plethora of colors that truly transport viewers into the magical world of the Gumiho. Every scene is thoughtfully composed, breathing life into the mesmerizing backdrop against which the characters’ emotions unfold. Complementing the visual splendor is a spirited soundtrack that perfectly encapsulates the mood of each moment, heightening the emotional impact and beckoning audiences deeper into the narrative tapestry.
Jang Ki-yong and Lee Hye-ri move their kiss to the bedroom | My Roommate is a Gumiho Ep 14 [ENG SUB]
Watch this on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxNL7-otk6M
Official Trailer: My Roommate is a Gumiho | 我的室友是九尾狐 | iQiyi Original
Watch this video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQTGpY8m9uM
Introduction
Xu Banxia’s mother died in childbirth, and her father did not care about her since she was born. But this instead cultivated Xu Banxia’s proud and daring character. With China’s economic takeoff, Xu Banxia took his brothers Tong Xiaoqi and Xiao Chen to start a steel scrap, transport business. In the male dominant steel industry, Xu Banxia was supported by the virtue of the spirit of adventure and pragmatic attitude, to enter Russian markets.
Through all the hardships and even near-death experiences, she started an independent international steel import business, striking her first pot of gold. At this time, the steel market is very competitive. However, with foresight, her bold personality and sense of the market, Xu Banxia overcome all difficulties, and gradually expand her business territory. After the experience of life, relationship and work, Xu Hanxia knew how to solve problems decisively and how to break through herself, and gained career and love.
Cast
ZaniliaZhao, Oho Ou, Li Guangjie, Liu Wei, Michelle, Ren Zhong, Feng Jiayi, Wang Jinsong, Vivienne Liu, Sun Qian, Bill Huang Chengcheng, Song Xi
Conclusion
In conclusion, “My Roommate Is A Gumiho” stands as a testament to the prowess of kdrama in crafting an immersive, multifaceted, and thoroughly enjoyable viewing experience. From its captivating narrative and well-rounded characters to its seamless integration of romance, comedy, and supernatural elements, the series leaves an indelible mark on anyone who ventures into its world.
Whether you’re an ardent fan of rom-coms, mythology, or simply yearn for a captivating series that transcends genre labels, “My Roommate Is A Gumiho” promises to ignite your imagination and captivate your senses. So, set aside an evening, immerse yourself in the enchanting world within, and allow “My Roommate Is A Gumiho” to weave its irresistible magic around you. You won’t be disappointed.
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Review of People
If u are undecided if u must watch this drama, this is the sign. WATCH IT ❣
At first I was reluctant to watch this since it is another fantasy/all about gumiho type of drama. However after the first 2 episodes id say it’s very fun and hilarious to watch. Hyeri is made for comedy! The way she exaggerates her movements and facial expressions makes me laugh so hard. Also it is good to see somewhat another side of Jang Ki-yong; didnt really peg him for comedy but his character suits him. Loved Kang Hana from Start Up, and seeing her in this drama with a completely different vibe is a treat.
Updaaate! Just finished ep 16 This drama is worth your time!! The main actors (and second leads) are just so perfect for their roles. Their chemistry is on point.
The story has good pacing too! Altho it’s a gumiho/ fantasy drama; the writing is good and not boring at all.
romcom fantasy done right
90% of the reason this worked out was Lee Dam, 9% of it was the mythical creature ML that was civil and sweet and 1% was for the age gap done right
Lee Dam is my ideal type of FLs, she was realistic, she had low tolerance for bs, she thought on her own, she went after what she wanted, she trusted with her whole heart but she didn’t let others take advantage and best of all she was HILARIOUS! and also fashionable❣ and so so cute ❤o❤these things sound so simple yet romcom writers 99% of the time ruin their fls, but Lee Dam was the perfect representation of gen z, she was believable as a person and that helped this fantasy drama feel realistic as far as fantasy goes
on the other hand as a mythical creature oh so amazing out of everyone’s reach ML, Woo Yeo was again done right. he smiled when he had to, he talked and interacted with people though he never cared for their presence, he was imperfect, sometimes rash disguised as wisdom in his eyes -ie he’d leave cuz it’s the “best” choice- but he was also weak infront of his own decisions, he was emotionless but he changed with Lee Dam (she didn’t “change” him, he just reacted to her presence), he was curios because of her, he was happy because of her and he opened up his heart to his lost dream of family and love because of her
another point I really loved was the friendships, the 2FL was not a jealous evil character that was desperately in love with the ML, they were friends, they were siblings and they were each other’s home.
Hye Sun is confident, poised, elegant but kinda sloppy and though her relationship with Woo Yeo felt like tom and jerry she cared for him and she ended up becoming friends with lee dam as well~Jae Jin is the soft naive uwu type of character, he again was like a brother to lee dam, he always protected her and sometimes he needed the protection and again it’s great to not only see the FL have friends but to see normal male characters that love and respect the fl in a non romantic way is always welcome (special shoutout to sunbae Jung Suk who was also a great normal friend to lee dam)
Sun Woo was the cute type of typical jerk ml but he was kidna overboard by the end, but he was still cute, I hope to see more of the actor~
I did also love lee dam’s friendship with Soo Kyung but I’m kinda sad they made her too comedic even more than lee dam.
another great part of this drama was the comedy, I’ve not laughed this much since Birthcare Center, it was exactly my type~ like the drama never tried to take itself seriously, it was a fantasy after all there was no need for life threatening “I love you but you’ll keep getting chased by the truck of doom cuz of our love” randomness.
it did have the star cross lovers that started too soon and took too much time, but as a long term webtoon it did need more than one conflict so I forgive themalso, my FAVORITE part was the no past connection! I think this is the 1st romcom, and fantasy with no past 1st love fate bs. and that made their love so much more endearing.
they met, had a accidental tie down, lived together, saw each other’s true selves and they fell in love, how normal and sweet is that?❤❤❤❤
in the webtoon they seemed to imply a lee dam’s brother x sunwoo’s sister and I think that’d be hilarious and sad for them to make the 2ml her brother in law xDI didn’t like some of the guys’ reactions, their possessiveness, their tears, their clingyness, or the way jaejin x hyesun happened and also the way lee dam felt the need to apologize while Woo Yeo stayed quiet as if she needed to apologize, but overall the perfection of lee dam and the cuteness of Woo Yeo smiling when he didn’t go through the writers “we can’t be together” brooding mood, everything was perfect~
tbh I hated all of the breakups and near deaths, I wish it was more like 49 days (minus the ending) where they had to collect tears of love
so like they could’ve done more things to make him feel human. I was more touched at Hye Sun’s tears over Woo Yeo’s return than anything
though I was happy with the subtle change in his personality, like he got more carefree and dorky and my girl lee dam was always rational about itI like the ost enough and I actually rewatched some scenes for my article so I’ll say I’ll rewatch lee dam’s hilarious comedies and the cute dates ;p
The Nine-Tailed Fox Tale With A Romantic Twist…
Admittedly whilst the quality of these fantasy dramas are often variable upon screenwriting ,‘ My Roommate Is A Gumiho’ surprisingly hits most of the marks by portraying well-rounded characters, strong chemistry between the main leads and an intriguing premise which felt enjoyable and surprisingly heartfelt for viewers.Taken from the eponymous webcomic and adapted by screenwriters Baek Sun Woo and Choi Bo Rim , ” My Roommate Is A Gumiho” revolves around Shin Woo Yeo( Jung Ki Yong)- an ancient nine-tailed fox ( Gumiho) who yearns to be human. Woo Yeo must turn his fox bead marble blue before reaching his 999th year, otherwise he will never be able to attain this possibility of becoming mortal . However, nothing ever runs smoothly for supernatural beings in K-dramas. When young and feisty university student Lee Dam (Hyeri) swallows his bead, Woo Yeo soon finds himself battling between his desires and a new obstacle of affections for Lee Dam…
Starting off his performance on a slightly lacklustre note, Jang Ki Young soon proved his talents to animate the sagacious and mysterious onscreen persona as Shin Woo Yeo to life through his surprisingly heart-rendering scenes of Woo Yeo’s complex past and sweet interactions with Lee Dam.
It is surprising how underrated Lee Hyeri’s acting talents are by truly delivering a resonant performance as headstrong Lee Dam. Lee Dam ( as a character) is arguably an evidently “down-to-earth heroine” than a lot of K-drama female leads out there- deadpan expressions, shamelessly honest comments and straightforward priorities ( not least the fact that she was more worried about not being able to eat fried chicken again with the bead) helping to epitomise this.
However to be more brutally honest with Lee Dam’s characterisation, it was evident to see some nuanced problems here also. This didn’t mean her sentience as a character was non-existent. Early on in the series, Lee Dam established she was no pushover when calling out the sexist remarks of second male lead Gye Sun Woo ( Bae In Hyuk)’s friendship group upon her body. She comments defiantly that she is a human being; ” not an object” in a moment which truly brought forward the taboo issue of misogyny in South-Korea . ( Kudos as well for screenwriters Baek Sun Woo and Choi Bo Rim for having addressed this issues overtly than burying them under the carpet also.)
In addition to this the screenwriters also used the opportunity to explore more with her interactions outside of romances alone, with her two best friends; Do Jae Jin( Kim Do Wan) and Choi Soo Kyung( Park Kyung Hye) . The ” best friends” archetype in K-dramas is often used to present “animosity”( either through love triangles, lies or relationships) or as “unnecessary” ( they are used to fill-in time or for comical relief). At times, the duo were manipulated into both roles in order to heighten drama, however, they was something oddly sweet here ; they genuinely cared about Lee Dam.
However, the biggest problem occurred sometimes in between this development of ” comical” and ” serious” Lee Dam scenes, there was a opportunity to use this time to sketch-out more about Lee Dam’s sense of identity . Admittedly , this also fuelled more tedious interactions between our main leads in the beginning as we had little to truly grasp ( as viewers) about their characters.
Arguably, however, it this was necessary to foreground who are characters were as individuals and to get to know one another first. This seemed to remain evident in later episodes with a more fortified pairing feeling refreshing, gradual and healthy-both for the characters, and the logic of the plot without having to define Woo Yeo merely as the ‘ supernatural and inhuman’ character of the series for angst and tension.
Although some viewers have risen red flags about the “ improper” relationship between Woo Yeo and Lee Dam’s addressed name to him ( “ Elder/ Sir”) in Korean, there was undeniably something well-matched about the chemistry between these two characters.
The storyline could’ve presented Woo Yeo as a “ callous” or “ disruptive” towards Lee Dam, but the male lead was fairly respectful towards our female lead and likewise with Lee Dam towards Woo Yeo. Their relationship was undeniably slow-burning but built upon gradual mutual respect and symbiotic feelings, rather than the stereotypical causes which often reduced the main pairing in fantasy dramas being there “ for the sake of plot”.
The supporting leads were in a similar boat. Second female lead Yang Hye Sun ( Kang Ha Na) was an absolute delight with her wholesome friendship with our male main lead . There was initial fear that perhaps Hye Sun would go down the stereotypical ” female animosity” route due to her close-knit relationship with Woo Yeo ( due to her established ” vixen-style and mischievous ”personality).
However, thankfully the show allowed Hye Sun to steer clear of this route. Instead Hye Sun is paired together with an unusual side character which you won’t see coming . Now, without spoilers ( to either the drama or the webtoon), there is a particular reason why the storyline paired these two polar opposites together, however, first-time viewers will possibly feel disconcerted with this pairing choice due to the more ” comical” approach taken on at first. (Although admittedly there are some surprisingly heartfelt moments between these two also.)
Our second male lead Gye Sun Woo ( Bae In Hyuk) was a little bit of a curve ball. Bae In Hyuk was undeniably delightful as our main lead. However although the series did attempt to present Sun Woo as the “ forlorn lover with unrequited feelings” towards Lee Dam, lacking character growth and missed opportunities to use Sun Woo’s egotism in order to explore more about his backstory, truly derived from the screenwriters’ intended desire of presenting him as this sentient individual rather than merely a story writing trope.
On a more positive note the ending was fairly well-matched for the series and did leave a sense of completion towards the overall events of the drama.
So aside from the seeming abundance of high ratings for this series giving it “10/10”, is “ My Roommate Is A Gumiho” actually that good? Well, the drama undeniably has its flaws in parts. Whilst it hits the mark with good acting, prominent messages and brilliant relationship chemistry between our leads, the fresh spins upon tropes are sometimes mismatched against more tiresome cliches particularly with later storyline developments, slower pacing in parts and evidently the character development of Sun Woo. On the other hand, “ My Roommate Is A Gumiho” was an entertaining watch with chemistry which sparked alive onscreen and will definitely win the heart of any avid romance fan.
Wonderful Story
At first I did not know if I would enjoy this drama but I was wrong. it is a wonderful drama and I fell in loved with it since the first episode. I love the way the relationship started and kept forming. The lead female character (Lee Dam) captivates you with her smile and comedic expressions and attitude. The lead male character (Shin Woo Yeo) just hypnotizes you with his looks and compose face expression.
The rest of the characters bring this drama into a complete story. Her friends (Do Jae Jin and Choi Soo Kyung ) who are supportive of her and stay by her side all the time. The young men (Gye Sun Woo) who can’t understand why she does not like him, as handsome and popular as he is.
The female Gumiho (Yang Hye Sun) who is “Sir” (Shin Woo Yeo) friend and becomes a friend to “Lee Dam” and helps her to understand what is “Sir” going thru. I love how “Lee Dam” stay true to her character the whole drama. She is independent, strong minded, and does not let the other characters change her mind. The ending was great. We get to know what happens with the other characters not just the lead couple. The actors performance was great and I give 2 thumps up to the writer and the director.
