Synopsis

“Oh My Ghostess” or “Oh My Ghost” (“Ghostess”), is about Na Bong Seon (Park Bo Young), a timid assistant chef; Kang Seon Woo (Jo Jung Suk), the celebrity chef whom Bong Seon has a crush on; and Shin Sooh Ae (Kim Seul Gi), a virgin ghost who cannot move on.  Because of her shaman blood, Bong Seon has been able to see ghosts her entire life, a fact which terrifies her.  Soon Ae died without ever experiencing romance and she thinks her sexual frustration must be the reason why she cannot ascend to Nirvana.  Soon Ae possesses the weak body of Bong Seon in the hopes of releasing her sexual vexation on the virile Chef Kang.  Though Bong Seon originally resists Soon Ae’s possession, she realizes that Soon Ae’s outgoing and tenacious personality gives her a chance of finally winning the affections Chef, and the two work together to win his love.  Their efforts work and Chef falls in love with “Bong Seon,” but everyone’s emotions are entangled in this unconventional love triangle.  Chef learns of the possession, and after some hurt and anger on his part, he realizes that he is truly in love with Bong Seon, the shy woman with whom he has always felt a connection, as he too, was once timid and afraid of the world.  The plot takes an unexpected turn, however, when the pair begins to uncover the secret behind Soon Ae’s untimely death, that she was murdered after witnessing a hit-and-run accident.  The trio works together to reveal the truth about Soon Ae’s murder allowing Soon Ae to finally release her true frustration and move on to Nirvana.  The series ends with Bong Seon and Chef happily riding bicycles together, as Bong Seon’s voiceover expresses her thanks for how much she learned about living from the ghost whom she only knew for a brief time.    

Love Triangle

“Ghostess” employs the Korean trope of the love triangle.  The love triangle in “Ghostess” is between Seon Woo, Bong Seon, and Soon Ae.  Kang Sun Woo is a cocky, yet talented, celebrity chef.  He expects a lot from his staff and has a reputation of being difficult to work with.  His arrogance, however, masks a painful past of being bullied by others for his timid demeanor. 

Meek Bong Seon works as a kitchen assistant in Chef’s restaurant, “The Sun.”  Her timidity frustrates Chef, who has learned the lesson of confidence in his own life and sees her potential.  Bong Seon has long had a crush on her boss, but does not possess the confidence to make her feelings known, much less pursue him. 

Soon Ae is a ghost who has made a name for herself in the spirit community for possessing humans in pursuit of losing her virginity.  One day, she jumps into Bong Seon’s body while attempting to evade capture by a shaman priestess, Seobinggo (Lee Jung Eun).  When a ghost and a human are a match, the ghost can sometimes get stuck inside of the human, and for a time, Soon Ae is unable to get out of Bong Seon.  Soon Ae’s personality is confident and outgoing, and Chef notices the sudden and extreme change in Bong Seon.  He takes her to see a doctor, where she is diagnosed with bipolar disorder.  According to the National Institute of Mental Health, bipolar disorder “is a mental illness that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, concentration, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. There are three types of bipolar disorder. All three types involve clear changes in mood, energy, and activity levels. These moods range from periods of extremely ‘up,’ elated, irritable, or energized behavior (known as manic episodes) to very ‘down,’ sad, indifferent, or hopeless periods (known as depressive episodes).” Chef thinks that the moments when timid Bong Seon is in control are depressive episodes, while the moments when determined Soon Ae is in control are manic episodes. 

According to the doctor in “Ghostess,” bipolar disorder can be brought on by a sudden trauma.  Chef blames himself for scolding a sick person and thinks that he may have triggered her bipolar disorder with his efforts to toughen her up.  Most researchers believe that “there is no single cause of bipolar disorder,” however, “and it is likely that many factors contribute to a person’s chance of having the illness.”  Some of those factors are brain structure and functioning, as well as genetics.  So, while Chef justifies the attention he gives to Bong Seon and the responsibility for her he assumes, it is most likely a reflection of his affection for her more than his guilt.    

Throughout the K-drama, both women fall in love with Chef, but it is unclear for quite some time which of the women – whom he presumes are two sides of the same coin – Chef loves.  He does not believe in ghosts, and when Bong Seon reveals the truth about her possession, Chef is first shocked, then angry and hurt.  And when Bong Seon suspects that it is actually Soon Ae whom Chef loves, she decides to leave.  While Chef acts cool in front of others, his devoted kitchen staff at The Sun realize that he is hurting.  Seo Joon (Kwak Si Yang), nicknamed Cordon because he studied at Le Cordon Bleu, the famous cooking school in Paris, France, is my favorite member of the kitchen staff, and he urges Chef not to give up on Bong Seon.  After visiting her grandmother in an attempt to track her down, Chef realizes Bong Seon grew up as lonely as he did.  He also realizes he worried about her long before she was possessed by a ghost, finally acknowledging that it is Bong Seon whom he loves.

Symbiotic Relationship

Bong Seon and Soon Ae share a symbiotic relationship in “Ghostess,” in which both benefit from one another.  When Soon Ae was alive, she worked without loving or playing.  She assisted her father at their restaurant, but never made time for herself, dedicating every waking moment to helping her alcoholic father and lazy brother.  Because of her possession of Bong Seon, she is finally able to experience many things she was not able to do during her life, like dating and falling in love.

Soon Ae, meanwhile, teaches the quiet and submissive Bong Seon that it is okay to “have some desires” and to “make some noise.” Because of her fears, Bong Seon has never lived her life to its fullest – neither fully loving herself or others.  Because of the girl who came and went, Bong Seon says, I “learned to love. And…came to realize the importance of people in [my life.]”  Today, because of Soon Ae, Bong Seon loves herself fully.  And in so doing, loves Chef, as well. 

Sunshine

In “Oh My Ghostess,” Bong Seon authors a cooking blog called, “You are my Sunshine.”  It is a blog that features recipes that are inspired by her life and the people in it.  Unlike the timid Bong Seon who works as a kitchen assistant at The Sun, it is through her blog and under her pseudonym, Sunshine – an obvious nod to Chef’s restaurant – that Bong Seon truly shines.  Chef is a big fan of Sunshine, and feels emotionally connected to the blog and its author.  He even prepares one of Sunshine’s recipes for Bong Seon when she is feeling rundown.  And it is through the blog that Chef comes to realize that his love is for Bong Seon and not Soon Ae. 

Officer Choi

The antagonist of “Ghostess,” is Officer Choi Seong Jae (Lim Ju Hwan).  Officer Choi’s character is set up as a very sweet, almost angelic, character who is married to Chef’s sister, Kang Eun Hee (Shin Hye Sun).  We learn that Eun Hee, who is a paraplegic, was a victim of a hit-and-run accident three years ago.  And though Officer Choi seems to be almost saintlike in his service to others, you start to realize that something is off.  It turns out that Officer Choi is possessed by an evil spirit, and that he is not only the driver behind Eun Hee’s hit-and-run, but is also the man who murdered Soon Ae after she witnessed the hit-and-run and staged it to look like a suicide.  Officer Choi eventually realizes that Soon Ae’s spirit is lingering around Bong Seon and kidnaps her.  Through a collaborative effort, Chef, Soon Ae, and Seobinggo track Officer Choi down and save Bong Seon. 

But it is through Eun Hee’s love and devotion that Officer Choi is able to regain control of his body and extinguish the evil spirit by attempting to take his own life.  The series ends with Officer Choi having lost his memory and recuperating in medical confinement.  Officer Choi laments that he has lost his memory, including his last three years of married life with Eun Hee.  But the loss of memory also spares him the pain of remembering the number of atrocities he committed while possessed by the evil spirit, including multiple homicides.  True to her promise to stand by her husband’s side, Eun Hee continues to support Officer Choi, visiting him and loving him in spite of it all.

The Kitchen Staff

The Sun’s kitchen staff is equal parts incredibly annoying and incredibly loving.  The ensemble is composed of Cordon, Heo Min Soo (Kang Ki Young), Jo Dong Cheol (Choi Min Chul), and Choi Ji Wong (Oh Eui Sik).  Min Soo is the Sous Chef and enjoys using his power as the kitchen’s second-in command to brag about his skills, gossip relentlessly, and bully the others into doing his work for him.  Dong Cheol is older than Min Soo, but lied about his age in order to get his job at the kitchen and must humble himself to Min Soo as Korea’s seniority culture dictates.  Ji Wong sucks up to Min Soo in order to remain in his good graces, waiting on him and giving him neck massages.  Only Cordon is unwilling to give Min Soo undue deference or to take part in any of his gossiping, which results in frequent verbal assaults by Min Soo. 

The kitchen staff reflects the way that Bong Seon feels about herself. In the beginning of “Ghostess,” she has nothing but fear, and most of the kitchen staff finds Bong Seon’s timid and apologetic personality a nuisance.  A large part of Min Soo’s gossip centers around her odd behavior.  As the only female in a male-dominated kitchen, Bong Seon is forced to endure inappropriate comments from Min Soo and wait until the men are done before entering the locker room to change.  When Min Soo is called out by Chef for passing some of his duties onto Bong Seon, he resents and mistreats her even more. 

Throughout the K-drama, however, thanks in large part to Soon Ae’s possession and Chef’s private cooking lessons, Bong Seon slowly begins to gain confidence in herself and her abilities. This confidence is reflected in her interactions with the kitchen staff, whose respect she earns little by little. By the end of “Ghostess,” the ensemble embraces Bong Seon as one of them, worrying about her when she disappears from the kitchen, giving her their support when she competes in a cooking competition, and celebrating when she wins third place. 

Mother-Daughter

The relationship between Soon Ae and the shaman priestess, Seobinggo, resembles that of a mother and daughter.  Their relationship starts out antagonistic, but morphs into a sweet attachment, which is particularly meaningful for the motherless ghost and the priestess who cannot have children.  We learn that when a ghost possesses a human with the same bio-frequency, the spirit can get locked inside the human, unable to ascend.  And if a ghost remains in a state of wondering for three years, the ghost becomes an evil spirit.  When we first meet Seobinggo, she is attempting to send Soon Ae on to the afterlife before her three years are up.  It is from Seobinggo that we learn that Soon Ae only has a little time left before she becomes an evil spirit, increasing the sense of urgency for Soon Ae to release her vexation and move on.  It is to Seobinggo that Soon Ae goes when she finds out the horrible truth about her death.  It is with Seobinggo that Soon Ae talks when she realizes her feelings for Chef.  Seobinggo is the one by Soon Ae’s side as she chases after Bong Seon’s kidnapper.  And it is Seobinggo who sheds bittersweet tears after Soon Ae is finally free from her vexation and able to cross over to nirvana.

Final verdict: SKIP  

“Ghostess” has a few wonderful messages, including forgiveness, self-love, and embracing life to its fullest.  The acting is also really great – Park Bo Young plays her dual roles flawlessly and no one does comedic supporting role like Kang Ki Young.   Unfortunately, I really struggled to stick with this K-drama.  I found the characters to be mostly unlikeable.  Chef is too arrogant, Bong Seon is too weak, Soon Ae is too over the top, Min Soo is too obnoxious, etc.  The only character that I enjoyed from start to finish was Cordon, whose role is relatively minor.  He is the only character who treats Bong Seon with respect both before and after her transformation, giving me a slight case of second lead syndrome.  Because of these, “Ghostess” falls on my Skip List.  If you are looking for a human and ghost drama with sweet moments and a better story, I recommend “Bring it On Ghost.”  

So there it is, our review of “Oh My Ghostess.”  What did you think?!  Thank you for joining us on this journey. 

Have a favorite K-drama you think we should review, comment down below!!  We look forward to seeing you back again next week!

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