Venda Sua Casa Mal-Assombrada (2021)

Solid drama that is neither lacking or giving. Jang Nara is best!

When I first saw Jang Nara and Jung Yong Hwa in the trailers of this drama, I saw the semblance of Hotel Del Luna and Mystic Pop Up Bar as it reminded me greatly of a mythical place where a cold, strong vibe (tsundere) female lead had to stay in order to serve a purpose whilst the male lead in this case are much more prone to being scared by the "ghost" that surrounds this storyline as evident by the title inclusion with "Haunted". Since I was watching the drama around the time after it aired which was around 9:30 pm in KST time, the combination of the night and ghost will always bring out the best in us as we get scared along the way (even when it isn't just meant to be "only horror"). Props to the makeup team and the effect editing team as they did a tremendous job. FYI, it shouldn't be too scary to watch and if you are looking for an immediate romance-comedy story in this, then you are out of luck.

So why did I start this drama?
Because I had just finished watching Jang Nara's previous drama called Go Back Couple recently and the acting she showed there evoked many emotions out of me. I felt that with the theme similar to HDL and Jang Nara as the main female lead, I had to give it a shot and for the most part, I am glad I did because it went swimmingly well. I don't think Sell Your haunted House will be my favorite/top tier drama but it will be a great pick from 2021. There is plenty to love about what went down with the drama ranging from decent cinematography, solid storyline, memorable cast and the OST sounds alright for me (if you enjoy Jung Yong Hwa and Jang Nara's song, that is a bonus for you). It's a high quality drama that feels like it is operating under a smaller budget and less flair.

Plot/Storyline:
Having seen multiple Kdrama with ghost theme in the past, this drama does have a solid writing that revolves around a major mystery which is solved through the smaller cases that pops out which the exorcist has to deal with, "To exorcise ghost that remains and haunting the place, where the exorcist would be a real estate agent and sell the place afterward, completing both their duty to the dead and the one that remains alive". I can safely say that the vibe is similar to Hotel Del Luna but the approach is executed differently in ways where it is less about the romance and more about the intertwining unfortunate fate that links both our leads which need to be cured and released. HDL focuses on the romance aspect more whilst SYHH went the opposite direction. The romance is underwhelming but the story feels more realistic albeit it is a fantasy story. They won't sugarcoat your mistake and instead, reveal it in their entirety. As the audience, you will be the judge if they are correct or wrong. There is enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge though there is still some cliché such as trusting the wrong guy and the villain having too much authority over the police. Out of the genres listed, I would have ranked it like this "Mystery, Fantasy, Thriller, Horror, Comedy and Romance being the last". There is short breaks in the form of humour which balance out those heavier emotional scenes but could be the reason why I didn't feel the emotional impact at times. The drama has thought-provoking themes/ideas of 'letting go', 'resentment', 'unselfish love' and 'forgiveness' which are present in storyline like these and they tackle it meaningfully. The key takeaway here is that "you should do it without any regret before it is too late" and "truth can be unimaginably painful but you have the right to know it." The screenwriter and director has somewhat already provided the answer to the smaller cases for the audience so you wouldn't have to think too much other than watch our cast work out and make mistakes in their journey to solve those. My experience with the drama is that it is a smooth ride.

Cinematography:
Honestly having seen amazing cinematography in many fantasy drama such as Goblin, my short summary are that it is dark, negative with the colour scheme being dull. It's a lot of moonlight shed on the pale skin of Jang Nara as she wore yet another Black Jacket adorned with her cryptic accessories. That isn't bad per say but it is not memorable enough to remember any specific location other than the house where Jang Nara lives in. That sharp contrast in colour make me focus only on her facial expression rather than what she wore or where she has gone to. Jung Yong Hwa would wear opposite colour mainly being white or beige but that doesn't really counteract with Jang Nara colour. What I focused and is intriguing to me are the action choreograph that is much more exciting to watch. I praise that more as Jang Nara shows us what's up and her giving a punch or kick with force is satisfying to watch. Just like how I have mention about the makeup and special effect in my opening statement, they did an amazing job making the alive more dead than ever. I get shivers when I do see those ghost the first time and I became less scared only after they started appearing more. The ritual they create with the item prop and symbol are made to my liking and I would buy if I have the chance to.

Acting:
I am sure I gushed about how much I like Jang Nara's acting seeing the enthusiasm I have for her. She is irreplaceable to the story and is a veteran in acting. Jang Nara's agony, headstrong yet muted personality is done convincingly so I will focus on the other character. The Mom Character (Baek Eun Hye) is just so outstanding first off because you get to see her throughout the story whether she is just standing there quietly or is expressing her sorrow, you can feel the weight and presence behind it. Her face is so positively looking that I can't help but to want to look at her despite the circumstance she got into. I started looking for her as the camera shot at different angle and movement. Her chemistry with Jang Nara is the standout.
Moving forward, you may be wondering how I thought Jung Yong Hwa acting went since I had little to talk about in the previous statement I made. In fact, I actually liked Jung Yong Hwa acting because he has to embody many different character of all ages, gender and method of talking. I have not seen his previous work so I can't judge if he improved or not but he did a convincing work. I did remember his Running Man appearances way back in the days and his other variety show so I have an expectation for the personality he has to which this character is essentially him. Out of the many idol actors/actress, he is the better ones but I can still feel some slight stiffness during the emotional scenes. That's why I feel like he did not let himself go when he cries, thus, making me less incline to cry. I feel his sadness but not to the degree where Jang Nara display her emotion. He put in commendable effort in embodying his character but I didn't feel connected to him when he is depressed. I have this lingering feeling where his sad scene are actually fulfilling the comedic genre. There is a small dedicated side characters that appears frequently enough for you to remember by and they do well in their role.

OST:
I am not sure if this set of OST connect with me too much. Actually, the OST is very much under-utilised in this drama. I remember hearing Jung Yong Hwa - I got Ya many times during the drama but all the other OST was totally not present in my brain until I go search for it on Youtube to which I am not sure if it is significant enough to invoke the memory of me watching a certain scene. OST served the purpose whereby I would remember the scene for years to come just by listening to a song. This set of OST was alright but not to the level I would listen to the song after the drama finish. Take my word for this part with a grain of salt as I notice the song doesn't fit with my personal preference (which is different from all others). Although the song doesn't really fit with my drama experience, Jang Nara Daydream is a nice interesting song that I would not mind a standalone release. The instrumentals does create an eerie vibe throughout the story.

In conclusion, the drama is worth a watch and I recommend giving it a try. With all of what I critique about, they have done just about everything right with substance. Neither it is lacking or giving. I don't feel a strong emotional connection but it also gives me enough feeling to contemplate further on my life choices, to look back in the past and my decisions made. If you are a Jang Nara fan, I believe she plays a vastly more different role than her past and she did well.

Leia Mais

BOO!

The cursed case-of-the-week format! I was more interested in the FL's mother case which is the main case that was developing in the background than whatever case the ML threw himself in. I really wish this was a one big coherent case to follow or at least have the side cases directly connected to the main one. What made matters worse was the poor dynamic between the leads, they just didn't bounce off each other well. There was a weird constant disconnect between them. Thank god they didn't add romance into the mix. The side characters were an embarrassment to label them as a supporting cast. They were just a white noise blended in the background, completely forgettable and faceless. One of the most important things about horror is to set up the atmosphere which this drama forgot to do most of the time. It was more like a flashy horror with some horror elements. This was probably my least favorite Jang Na Ra drama.

Leia Mais

A fantasy drama done right

i’m not a big fan of ghost themed dramas but WOW this drama took my breath away! my initial thoughts upon starting this drama is there’d be scary ghosts and violent scenes but this drama put a unique twist on the supernatural genre: hong ji ah a mysterious, strong enigma who owns daebak real estate, a company that specially sells haunted houses. her abilities to exorcise ghosts were awesome ( the way she’d remove that hairpin from her hair made her look so cool ) but she always holds a mysterious aura that simply pulled you in to her character and made you wonder just what weight does she carry on her shoulders. i love the fact that the ghosts ji ah encountered all had a backstory and gave some depth and meaning to the plotline, which leads us to our other lead: oh in bum, a conman that ji ah encounters. and guess what: in bum specializes in exorcism fraud. what a coincidence.

this drama was packed with action and never was there a dull moment, and the acting especially blew my mind — jang na ra was simply out of this world! she wore a stoic expression but upon meeting her gaze you could see the deeply buried pain that would briefly resurface; when she cried your heart would constrict with her just as much as it would soar upon seeing her have a moment of happiness. jang na ra’s acting was flawless, she fit the role of hong ji ah so well i can’t imagine anyone else playing the role. another thing i loved about this drama was the characters and their portrayals. as ji ah and in bum slowly got to know each other you could see they had developed romantic feelings but nothing needed to be said: they had each other’s backs and i love the maturity they both had ( ex: when ji ah found out her mother’s death was connected to in bum’s uncle’s death and she lashed out at IB, she swallowed her pride and apologized to him, showing her maturity and that she truly cared for in bum ). they worked amazingly together as exorcist and psychic, especially their fight scenes! there was no actual romance but the drama was okay without it, the characters were still enjoyable.

the recurring antagonist, do kak sung, is one that certainly infuriated me with his horrid crimes and manipulative tendencies — the actor did will on his role as I found myself hating DKS more and more as the drama progressed. he played a large role in the deaths of many characters, IB’s uncle as well, and DKS is a prime example that when allowed, greed can poison a person’s heart and lead them to do despicable things; till the end our gang dealt with him and his evil, the ending showing DKS getting sealed away eternally — the villain getting defeated and the characters finally being able to move on well, a satisfying ending in my book. overall this drama was paced well, i found it difficult for me to say goodbye to this drama; i’ll miss the characters greatly, i enjoyed every episode thoroughly, a 16 hours well spent in my eyes. if you’re looking for a good supernatural / ghost themed plot with a steady storyline and no-filler episodes i 100% recommend this drama! congratulations to the actors + directors / producers that helped in creating a truly amazing drama and, in my opinion, one of the best 2021 dramas.

Leia Mais

If you love Del Luna's Jang Man Wol, watch this!

PROS:
- A refreshing genre and plot (this drama was released in the season of thriller/crime dramas).
- Chic, gothic, savage, cool af lead female. I dare to say this is the real Del Luna's Jang Man Wol competitor. IOTNBO's Go Moon Young is crazy, but from the character consistency side, Sell Your Haunted House's Hong Ji Ah is far on the top of hers.
- Touching ending. I'm a male and I couldn't hold my tears watching how Hong Ji Ah's story ends.
- Horror-themed drama is not that common, but this drama bravely shows a beautiful story while maintaining its scary scenes. - The concept is unique (just like Hotel Del Luna's uniqueness, but the story is far different).
- Mesmerizing action scenes by female lead that we can rarely see in K-Drama.

Cons:
- Lack of comedy.
- The anti-climax is not that dramatic and too short.

Questionable Pros or Cons:
- Horror level: It's on the same level as Hotel Del Luna. Jumpscares are there, but only a little amount and intensity.
Not so horror. If you don't like scary stuff, this is one is for you. But if you a horror-drama lover you might find this drama not so satisfying.
- No romance: I personally love it when romance is not taking a big part in the drama. It focuses only on the mystery and horror plot. But, I think most people want to see the male and female lead end up in a romance world.

Leia Mais

Multiple wrongs made right a. Great drama

What a great great Drama absolutely love these type of fun fantasy mysterious crime solving just like zombie detective(watch if you haven't) you didn't want them to end.
Between Jang na ra, Jung yong Hwa, kanh Hong suk and Kang Mal geum there acting was superb made you feel all there emotions happy, funny or sad. Then we have Ahn kil Kang who always aces as the bad guy with his facial emotions. I loved the storyline of an exorcist and a medium who start off on the wrong side. Oh in beom is running a ghost scam and convincing his customers to buy his equipment until he crosses path with Hong ji ah of Daebak reality who rids homes and businesses of real ghost then sell there place. Oh in beom was always told to keep his crystal necklace on no matter what by his uncle who they say killed 7 people in a fire then committed suicide. Now grown-up hes trying to find any information on the fire and what really happened 20 years ago as he remembers being at Daebak realty when he was younger. Once she realizes he's a medium which he didn't know she uses him to try and send off her vengeful mother who's by her side for 20yrs, but it doesn't work.. The story continues as more cases seems to be involving Do Hak sung construction company in his underhanded fight for power and money.
The story continues of them sending off all type of ghost. Until they meet the egg face(which is formed what multiple people die at the same time, samenplace etc.) Its very difficult to get rid of that how Jiah mom. Died. Watch the drama👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Leia Mais

Ghostbusters Kdrama Style

Likes:
1. Perfect combination of badass Jia and cool In Bum 🥰 i didnt mind that they didnt end up together, coz Inbum might lose his psychic (special) abilities ☺ They are like Kdrama version of ghostbusters!
2. I really liked the episodic cases, though towards the middle the main story was losing steam. The tone of the drama also changed from fun to somber.
3. No matter how many times they show it, i cant get enough of Inbum whenever he is possessed by the spirits.
4. Jia's mom had a nice sendoff. I thought they were going to give her a fantastic goodbye but what we got was beautiful and perfect.
5. Loved the bromance between Jichul and Inbum. Even Jia lost to their i love yous 😆 i also liked Hwajeong and how she took care of Jia.
6. This drama had the oddest PPL (men's underwear lol).
7. Are they releasing the OST album? I hope so! I keep hearing "I Got you!"🎶🎶 In my mind all day

Dislikes:
1. The exorcism of the egg ghost wasn't spectacular as I expected it to be.
2. Do Hak Sung was a boring villain.

Leia Mais

Slow storyline

Slow storyline which does not elaborate much on anything else aside from exorcism related, which fits the title, no complains.
The story can bring out more each other's backstory instead. Maybe it is just me, but I felt it is up to the viewers to decide the relationship between each characters. Either the explanation was not clear or vague for my opinion.

Jang na-ra may be a good actress but her expression felt stiff this time through all episodes (unlike her previous dramas, which I know, was supposed to be light hearted). Might be due to her role in this drama, but I felt it could have improvements on this part (see character development).

However jung yong hwa's acting was surprisingly good in this. You can see that he matured through the episodes tho some dialogues are still tacky. And his friend, I am not sure if he supposed to love yong hwa or not??? I felt some BL going on between them, am I over thinking?

The ending! I do not fancy an ending like a first episode kind. Nothing ever changes and I want a season 2 now.

Leia Mais

very very good

Just finished watching this, a couple of years behind everyone else but then there's no expriy date on excellent television. Abolutely loved it, every moment, and jang Na-ra's performance is absultely grupping, spellbinding, notew perfect in every sece. I'm getting used to the excellence of Korean female lead actors but this was a standout alongside IU's work in Hotel del Luna. And the ending - which is sometimes either a little rushed or too drawn out in Kdrama - was completely perfect, giving a completely acceptable rounding off of the story.

Obviously production qualities were superb.

One question, and I hope someone can help; the music we hear on the actual soundtrack does not all seem to be on the OST that I have found on the internet. (I cannot find a copy of the cd) I am particularly interested in the instrumental sections, particularly the main title opening credits theme. PLEASE can someone tell me what the full soundtrack credits are - on the actual drama, not the OST.

Really great television. Next for us is going to be something more recent - THE BEQUEATHED - which I have seen only a few minutes of so far but looks good.

Leia Mais

unexpected bursting chemistry and heartwarming in a pretty dark way

The concept itself is pretty refreshing. One is specialist in eliminating spirits in houses that can't be sold and one is specialist in tricking people believing that their property is haunted by a ghost.
Every exorcism that's been done got a good background story. There are stories that made me sad and even mad of how the victim ended up dead.
The past between the main leads are also quite tragic and what I don't expect is , Jang Nara and Yong Hwa's chemistry is just so good even the skinship is mostly hand holding and there's not even more than that.
Quite satisfied with the ending even I hope there's more between the main leads.

Leia Mais

Ghost Whisperer meets Buffy the Vampire…eh ghost slayer….

…Well sort of. There are some minor similarities between this show and those two shows but a lot of differences too.

The FL is a dark, brooding real estate agent with mommy issues. Her real estate niche is that she exorcise vengeful ghosts in haunted houses then makes a profit when helping the owner sell those homes. In this mist of all this she meets the ML a ghost hunter con artist who turns out to be a true medium. At first they’re at odds but eventually team up to rid various dwellings of vengeful ghosts while unraveling the traumas and conspiracies of their intertwining pasts and present.

This show was an easy watch and works well mainly due to the cases of the week and chemistry between the characters. The underlying storyline with the ghost mom and the town gangster were passable but not enough drive intrigue in the series. I will say the antagonist in this was awful. Hated him. I was absolutely sick of him by the time he met his end late in the series. The acting was good. The FL/ML had good chemistry. It was obvious there were more feelings between them than friendship but the expression of those feelings were minimal at best. The description of this series genre as “romantic comedy” is grossly misleading. Southern if you’re looking for a love story in the midst of ghost slaying you won’t find it here. Still this was good series and thus worth watching.

Leia Mais