Overall? If you like the supernatural, with themes of ghosts, demons, death and the afterlife in a light hearted manor, with some romance and comedy thrown in there in a historical setting, it's right up your alley. If your not sure, I recommend you watch two episodes and then decide, no drama appeals to everyone.
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Here are the points that I liked:
1) It didn't need several episodes to introduce you to the characters or the plot. I appreciated this a lot since I find struggling through the first episodes always very hard until you can get really into it.
2) The ghost wasn't the usual "Rescue-me-princess".
3) The Magistrate is somewhat a dickhead, but his beginnings and development seem believable unlike in many other dramas
4) The change of their surroundings was great, too, and fitted good into the overall plot
5) I actually did like the background story that tied all together and how the Gods put their tactics into it
6) I liked the ending, it was dramatic, neat and satisfying
This drama is not a huge masterpiece, but it is well done altogether and was good entertainment.
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First, I seriously heart Shin Min Ah. She's beautiful, and confident, and my ideal anti-damsel in distress. This makes her perfect to play Arang, a ghost who knows how to fend for herself, and is determined to solve the mystery of her death. I loved her after watching My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, and this character has similar qualities. She is matched with Lee Joon Gi, who I've never seen (Yes, I've never seen Iljimae), but they are pretty much a match made in heaven (pun intended). I was really impressed by him, and his throat clearing became my weakness. Their chemistry is amazing, their banter is super cute, and they look great together. Their relationship is definitely my favorite part of the drama, but the drama offers so much more.
The rest of the cast is filled with interesting characters. Kwon Oh Jung as Dol Soe is the best side kick ever, and perfectly matched with Hwang Bo Ra as the partially phony shaman Bang Wool - they were too cute, and their flirting was perfect comic relief. The supernatural characters were interesting. The villains had depth, although Kim Yong Gun was perfect at being absolutely evil. I was especially impressed with Kang Moon Young, who's bad plastic surgery (possibly mean, but true) boosted her creepiness, but she also played the role extremely well. There were no weak links in the cast, which helped make everything believable.
The story is pretty epic. It was mostly interesting, and filled with mystery, and twists, and just enough tragedy to tug at my emotions, but there is a point in the plot where things start to drag. The first time I stopped watching around episode 12, and now I know why. I was absolutely hooked and eager to watch the next episode until about then. Then the plot started to stall/lag a little. It's not that it was boring, not exactly, but I just became less eager to watch the next episode. There's also a point where characters, Arang in particular, started to frustrate the hell out of me. The story eventually ends, resolving every complicated plot point in a coherent way, which is worthy of praise, but I still never regained the excitement I had in the beginning. At least I think it was all resolved. I still may be confused about some parts honestly, but it felt resolved to me.
As much as I admired the cast, directing, and writing, I also have to applaud the soundtrack, and the costumes! I loved that the soundtrack. The soundtrack not only mixed genres well, but also incorporated the stars well... Lee Jun Ki's "One Day" is definitely swoon-worthy. I also don't normally pay attention to the costumes too much, even in sageuks, but I thought these were particularly good. I loved the ghost tattoo/mark, loved that each character had a signature look, and was particularly in love with Sato's hat!
Overall, I would definitely recommend this one. It may not make my favorites list, but it really has so many great elements that make it a kdrama classic. I even felt myself grateful that it was 20 episodes long, because around episode 16 I still wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to the characters. I could totally see myself watching this again too, the same way I would reread a good fairytale. It's certainly a memorable, and unique drama.
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My Rating: 8.5
in Short: I’m still surprised that I wasn’t addicted to this drama, because it had all the elements it needed and more. Probably it was a slight pacing problem that held it back from being perfect. The mythology, mystery and cheesy effects were great.
Pros: An extensive universe filled with fun mythology and logical mysteries which kept me guessing. I also enjoyed the main characters and the villain with a believable motive.
Cons: The pacing (and perhaps the sageukness) was probably what held it back from being a crack drama for me.
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I have seen Jun ki in other dramas and he had done a great job, here too he was good but not great (or maybe its his character here thats not so great)
Min Ah, I think was a better gumiho than the ghost Arang, although I liked her as a fiesty rebellous ghost in the begining, she got quite boring in the latter episodes.
The story was different but not gripping. The begining episodes were good and then as the drama progresses, the story slows down to a crawling pace making it slightly boring.
The love story is there but was quite mild and the chemistry quite lukewarm. So dont expect too much on that front. The romance of the other couple was more interesting than the leads.
The ending episodes are slightly better as the story picks up some pace and ties up all the loose ends, but sadly there is not much story there to carry it for 20 episodes.
Finally on an ending note, watch it if you are a Jun ki/Min Ah fan. They look great even if their characters are not that great, and dont expect too much, then you will be fine.
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I am more drawn to upbeat kdramas. Aesthetically maximized ones too like Empress Ki. But this definitely enchanted me with its leads and uniqueness.
Overall, this type is something I'd watch if I'm not looking for or expecting anything in particular and have lots of free time. And if you're really feeling it (the religious drama stuff, twists and all), you'd be engaged midway that the end won't be that acceptable.
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The story of this show was the first thing that caught my attention and made me add the drama to my PTW list. Even the concept itself was novel for me. Once I began watching the show, I realized the dozens of different genres that were being incorporated could either make this the best show I've watched or completely destroy my taste for historical dramas. By the end of it, if not all the way, at least it managed to be one of the good shows I've seen. I read in the reviews that this show had a slow pace and it put me off a little thing it might be boring maybe. But it isn't. I admit, the story moves slowly and not all of the episodes will put you on the edge of your seat but that's fine. It's such a beautifully woven story that you don't notice the slow pace, not as much as you normally would.
The premise of the story itself is ethereally breathtaking. You are taken on such an amazing journey in the show that shows you every aspect of life. The characters in the story are so real and human that you cannot help but relate to them and their dilemmas. Brilliant work on the writers' part.
As I mentioned before the story was what brought me to Arang and The Magistrate, not the star power of Lee Joon Gi or Shin Min Ah, I've never even seen any of their work before. A huge loss on my part since I've been missing out on some phenomenal acting. I can now understand what all the hype surrounding them is about. The chemistry between the two literally oozes out of the screen. And god the fight scnes of Lee Joon Gi! That man has some serious appeal. The rest of the cast did a spectacular job! I enjoyed EVERY single actor's part. The gods, Moo Young, the three officers, Dol Sae, Bang Woori, the mother/Moo Yeon. Fantastic cast, absolutely perfect for each role.
The music was simply magical. Every background score suited the scenes and brought it to life. The songs were great, the feel of the music was spot-on. A special mention to the rap that is played during most of the fight scenes - bloody mind blowing track!
The main thing that keeps you hooked into the drama is the intrigue. The show's got a brilliant style of mystery and suspense that keeps you guessing and craving for more. But as is the case with such dramas, once the mystery is solved, it's hard to watch it again. It's a beautiful story and I loved it but it will be difficult watching it again.
A note to everyone who's jumping in thinking this is a romantic drama - it isn't. It's got that element somewhere interwoven with the other themes but it's not primarily a romantic drama, there's tonnes of other stuff happening. But that doesn't mean there's a dry dish being served to you in the name of love. You get your fair share of romantic scenes and sweet love that's enough to make you sigh but not wiggle in your chair :P
I highly recommend this drama to anyone who's interested in watching a show that serves a dish with every ingredient added right, albeit one that cooks a little slowly. But is worth the patience.
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Story
Yet another take on the Joseon era from Korea, this time with ghosts and spirits as the main twist, which is cleverly executed. The story portrays shamans and shamanism as a form of belief popular in the time as well as traditions and believes about spirits widely spread in the society of the time, making the ghost experience rather interesting. The "life" of ghosts is portrayed according to beliefs and continues showing certain traits of the society of the living.
Similarly, the story looks upon higher beings - gods - and how involved they are in human lives, raising the question of when they are too involved and when not enough. Clever scenes, like the gods playing games to see who will decide upon the lives of humans, show the nature of higher beings in an interesting way.
The story shows a great character development for most of the main characters, showing growth in their view of the world, attitude towards various issues and the ability to show emotions. Which makes a handful of main characters very interesting to observe, however, the shenanigans and intended comic relief of side characters at times is too much to bear. It can be described as almost obnoxious and probably could be let out, as most times it gives nothing to the development of the plot.
Of course, as a true drama of the time, it's layered with several cliches, that all in all are not as bad as one could think at first, but are not the most desired thing in a drama either. But as I say time and time again - you can't escape cliches in K-drama.
Acting/Cast:
The two main leads - Lee JoonGi and Shin MinAh - did a splendid job bringing their characters to live and showing their development as individuals and the growing dynamics between the two as well. I would also say that Yeon WooJin did a great job in his role, showing various layers of emotions and making the character likable, if not lovable near the end of the series.
Sadly, I must admit that in some cases the acting was very comedically over the top and exaggerated. I believe it's not the fault of the cast, but rather what the director asked the cast to do. It's almost distracting with ridiculous expressions or actions and is closely connected with the abundance of side character screen time.
Music:
As with most historical dramas, this can be proud of having a very versatile and beautiful OST. Three stand-outs. K.Will once again delivers an amazing OST, which is not even a surprise. ShinMin Ah shows of her sweet and lovely vocals in "Black Moon. And, of course, "One Day" performed by Lee JoonGi himself. The actor has released music before, however, this was his first, and up to date only, OST. I do recommend giving it a listen.
Overall, the drama was an easy watch, but at moments a bit slow and a bit boring. The side characters were a bit of a distraction, but the main handful was a delight to follow on their journey and I would recommend watching it!
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Lacks pace
This could've been done in half the episodes. It drags in the middle and overall there is so much slow motion and repetition that I fast forwarded through half the episodes. What's more is that you are hoping they're going to surprise you positively and that's why they're dragging, but the pleasant surprise does not come.The three stooges are horrible and cringing, especially since they only look old to teenagers and yet keep getting referred to as old men. And I especially dislike that the fact that Arang becomes so lack of fire after being so spirited at first. It's then about the guy that saves the day and that was totally disappointing.
On the positive note is actually the young master that killed all the women. His story was the most interesting and it is a shame it didn't get developed more.
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The story itself is unique. But unique does not mean good. It becomes way boring as you continue watching. The cast is great ! I loved the characters. But... the lead role.. that character didn't suit Lee Jun Ki in my opinion. He played it well as expected, but it never can be better than any other role he played.
Actually the high score for this drama comes from the cast & for the sake of Lee Jun Ki.
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I hope this review is helpful in your decision on whether you want to watch Arang and the Magistrate, so please enjoy!
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