Appreciation for the work of sisters Hong Jung-Eun and Hong Mi-Ran, better known in K-drama circles as the Hong Sisters, continues with a look at their 2010 drama My Girlfriend is a Gumiho (Nine-tailed Fox).
When I watched this drama for the first time, it was for one single reason- Lee Seung Gi. Yup!!! I loved him in Shining Inheritance and was eager to see him in another drama. That led me to this Gumiho drama. This drama is a melding of fantasy and reality with a whole lot of comedy. It's what the Hong Sisters do best, and a thrill to watch.
We open a with a voice over of spoilt rich boy Cha Dae-Woong (Seung Gi), who explains that his girlfriend (Shin Min-Ah) is a beauty and all the men around him fawn over her and are jealous of him. Interestingly, we see that Dae-Woong is clearly scared of her. Why? Because she is a gumiho.
We open a with a voice over of spoilt rich boy Cha Dae-Woong (Seung Gi), who explains that his girlfriend (Shin Min-Ah) is a beauty and all the men around him fawn over her and are jealous of him. Interestingly, we see that Dae-Woong is clearly scared of her. Why? Because she is a gumiho.
We are then taken to some earlier moment in time when Woong-ah (this is the name Miho will call him, and I kind of love it, so I'll use if from now on) is skipping his university classes to attend training in an acting school instead. He has aspirations of becoming an actor in action movies and is secretly practicing to do so without his grandfather's knowledge. Woong-ah has been lying to his grandfather and using his university tuition to attend these classes. His grandfather Cha Poong (Byun Hee Bong) learns of Woong's deceit and a chase ensues, which ends with Woong's grandfather planning to ship him off to the military.
Woong, however, is pretty devious and manages to trick his grandfather and escape his impending fate in the military, while on a bathroom break, no less. After escaping his grandfather, he finds himself in front of a temple, with no money and eventually no cell phone reception. He finally manages to make a phone call, but unknown to him his phone battery dies. He continues his conversation, only to discover that he is conversing with someone on a phone with no battery life. He of course, is petrified and fears that a ghost is present.
The mysterious voice is in fact Miho (the name Woong will eventually call her) the gumiho. She has been trapped in a painting for over a thousand years, and sees this as an opportunity to escape. She convinces a scared Woong-ah, through a series of threats to draw nine tails on the painting, which houses her. He does, and after some magical woodoo, she is released her from her prison. Of course, Woong-ah has long gone before he sees the affects of his deed, since fear had already overcome him.
His fear takes him into the forest and he falls from a cliff and is fatally injured. Thankfully Miho followed him and decides to save his life as thanks for his help. She places her magical gumiho bead inside of him and it miraculously heals him. Woong-ah awakens the next morning surprised that he is feeling quite normal, and not realising that he almost died the night before. He is surprised by Miho and thinks that she is crazy and tries to avoid her. She informs him, in a mater of fact way, that he will die if she leaves and takes her bead with her, but Woong-ah still considers her nuts and abandons her in the city, telling her that if she can find him, she can take her bead back, he doesn't care. Of course, he is found and Miho reveals her nine-tails to him and takes back her bead, but rather than killing him, she decides to forgive him.
Woong, however, is pretty devious and manages to trick his grandfather and escape his impending fate in the military, while on a bathroom break, no less. After escaping his grandfather, he finds himself in front of a temple, with no money and eventually no cell phone reception. He finally manages to make a phone call, but unknown to him his phone battery dies. He continues his conversation, only to discover that he is conversing with someone on a phone with no battery life. He of course, is petrified and fears that a ghost is present.
The mysterious voice is in fact Miho (the name Woong will eventually call her) the gumiho. She has been trapped in a painting for over a thousand years, and sees this as an opportunity to escape. She convinces a scared Woong-ah, through a series of threats to draw nine tails on the painting, which houses her. He does, and after some magical woodoo, she is released her from her prison. Of course, Woong-ah has long gone before he sees the affects of his deed, since fear had already overcome him.
His fear takes him into the forest and he falls from a cliff and is fatally injured. Thankfully Miho followed him and decides to save his life as thanks for his help. She places her magical gumiho bead inside of him and it miraculously heals him. Woong-ah awakens the next morning surprised that he is feeling quite normal, and not realising that he almost died the night before. He is surprised by Miho and thinks that she is crazy and tries to avoid her. She informs him, in a mater of fact way, that he will die if she leaves and takes her bead with her, but Woong-ah still considers her nuts and abandons her in the city, telling her that if she can find him, she can take her bead back, he doesn't care. Of course, he is found and Miho reveals her nine-tails to him and takes back her bead, but rather than killing him, she decides to forgive him.
Miho and Woong-ah therefore become intertwined as he is now her guardian. She realises that threatening to eat him, guarantees that he will look after and care for her, which results in a round of hilarious "threats" against Woong-ah's life. Miho is cute, funny and amusing as she learns to adapt to the modern world.
There's a lot of other intriguing parts of the story including a gumiho hunter, and an annoying girl who wants to be the the only woman in Woong's life even if she doesn't want him. However, before I ramble on further revealing every detail of the plot, the crux of the matter is that the tale of My Girlfriend in a Gumiho is based on Miho's quest to become human. It is the one thing she dreams of: finding love, marrying and having a regular family. So, we have a Little Mermaidequese journey taking place where the mythical creature wishes to become human, but there is obviously some cost for such a desire to be fulfilled.
The Hong Sisters did a marvelous job keeping this drama lighthearted and funny, while emotionally engaging. I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between a human and a gumiho. Furthermore, the typical Hong Sisters' puns, innuendos, allusions to other movies and dramas and their plain old Laugh out loud funny moments were in full swing. For these reasons, I give My Girlfriend is a Gumiho a four stars on the Bel Scale.
According to Bel: Enjoy being showered in the Fox Rain of Love.
The Hong Sisters did a marvelous job keeping this drama lighthearted and funny, while emotionally engaging. I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between a human and a gumiho. Furthermore, the typical Hong Sisters' puns, innuendos, allusions to other movies and dramas and their plain old Laugh out loud funny moments were in full swing. For these reasons, I give My Girlfriend is a Gumiho a four stars on the Bel Scale.
According to Bel: Enjoy being showered in the Fox Rain of Love.
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