This series was intriguing, suspenseful with a breakout performance by Yang Jin Sung. She looked stunning with the short hairdo. In my opinion, she carried the entire series. Not that the other actors weren’t good, they were. But Jin Sung was really on her game. Playing two characters is not easy to pull off. Her facial expressions were brilliant. No matter how many times the scenes changed, you immediately knew which character it was.

I’m not a fan of vengeful ghosts, but in this case, it drove the entire underlying story. Each character had a connecting plot to the upcoming wedding night and/or the spirit itself. Each plot was dependent on the others. I must say, they did an excellent job connecting them. I didn’t feel the chemistry between Na Doo Rim and Choi Kang Joo initially, but that’s what romance is all about. Please make no mistake about it; this is not a ghost story. It’s a full-blown romance and a great one at that.

The plot developed slowly, and they took the story in directions that I didn’t think were necessary, but it moves fast. There is enough drama and suspense for everybody. The romance was different and at times hurtful, but isn’t that what love is all about? The story of two people from different walks of life tied together by the red string of love. Usually, that’s not a unique storyline, but they made this one feel like the love of a lifetime, two souls clashing together drawn by the hands of fate reaching over a century. To me, it was beautiful.

The development and flow of the characters are critical to making a good series. The overall storyline was solid.

Some of my impressions:
A few things didn’t make sense but not enough to hurt the story. I didn’t understand Na Doo Rim’s complete switch away from Kang Joo midway through the story. Why say all the hateful things? Was it to protect her friend and Grandmother? Because she now loves Yi Hyun? It wasn’t clear, and it diminished Jin Sung’s character and made her seem less important. I thought the story was shaky at this point, but it comes back together.

As the show winds down, the wine drinking scene between Choi Kang Joo and Jang Yi Kyung feels a little contrived. Why would he even meet her at this stage in the story with Na Doo Rim waiting for him? However, this scene and the aftermath drove the rest of the storyline. Somehow lost in the whole thing, Jang Yi Kyung’s mother tried to strangle Na Doo Rim to death. Now she’s a victim? Having all this happen near the end of the show feels like a storyline put in to make the show longer or create a better finish.

Another thing I didn’t understand, at a press conference Choi Kang Joo tells everybody that he got married in secret and loves Na Doo Rim. Why at the end of the show is she still living with her grandmother if she’s married? The two mothers and Jang Yi Kyung are unhappy with her, so Na Doo Rim is depressed? These are the people that tried to kill her. I found myself looking for a connection for this to make any sense.

Shin Eun Jung did a brilliant job portraying Jang Yi Kyung’s mother. It may have been an evil part, but she did it well.

Nam Jung Hee was so much fun to watch as Na Doo Rim’s grandmother. For decades she’s supported a wide variety of stories. Almost every series she’s been in has been a rating success.

The Yi Hyun character didn’t fit. I never felt anything romantic about him at all. He looked like the “Lurker” always hanging around. His character was bland and unappealing. It took him five minutes to start liking Na Doo Rim and not much longer to propose. Don’t people have to have a romantic relationship before a man asks a woman to marry him? Even after she rejected him, he returns to tell her what she can and can’t do and continues to lurk. I’m not sure if I ever saw him smile. I thought she treated him like a brother when she lived there. I guess he felt more. The moral? Don’t ever buy a tie for a guy unless you want him to start getting ideas? If they intended him to be some outside protector for Jin Sung, that didn’t work either. It made me cringe at times. Even when he tried to save her, I didn’t feel a connection. He doesn’t have a romantic bone in his body. His facial expression never changed the entire series, never. If that was the role he was playing, then he did a good job. However, I accepted this character as he was because he wasn’t relevant.

The character Lee Roo Mi going around investigating like she was the chief of detectives had me scratching my head. But I had to wait for the big picture to develop. Some of her stunts to upset the relationship between Yi Kyung and Kang Joo were funny and made sense. But after a while, it just got repetitive until she learned the truth. After that, her presence was the only voice of reason left.

I thought Lee Hong Ki did a great job as the male lead. I was surprised by how well he adjusted from his typical style. He played his role well and didn’t waver.

Subtitles:
There were a few blips in the subtitles, which is very unusual for Viki. I’m so used to reading subtitles it’s almost as if they are speaking English. For that reason, I rely on facial expression, body language, and timing to feel the emotions of a show. Thus my feelings about the Yi Hyun character. In English shows, I know if there is any bad acting right away. In non-English shows, the spoken voice only accents what I read. I don’t know if that’s a blessing or a curse, but it’s opened my world to a flood of amazing shows.