If you’re a new K-drama fan, you’ll soon run into SO MANY OPINIONS about which classic dramas you absolutely must watch. I certainly did! I’m going to add my voice to the clamor and introduce one of these great classic dramas: “The Tale of Arang.”
The Story
A female ghost wakes up with a reaper’s rope around her neck, mindlessly following through a misty forest. The rope slips off and she runs off into the woods, trying to understand what has happened to her, and names herself Arang. She finds herself in the village of Miryang, fighting other ghosts for food and learning to survive in her supernatural state.
Passing through Miryang in search of his mother, an apathetic nobleman’s son, Kim Eun Oh, gets conscripted into becoming the village magistrate. The local leaders believe the position is cursed, but they have a royal order to fill it anyway. Not caring if the arrogant Kim Eun Oh dies as a result, they put him in the magistrate’s apartments and wait through the night to see if he will survive.
What the local leaders don’t know is that Eun Oh can see ghosts, and the previous magistrates died because Arang kept trying to show herself to them to get help. “The Tale of Arang” truly begins when Eun Oh and Arang join forces to figure out how Arang died and what exactly happened to Eun Oh’s missing mother.
Why You Need to Watch It
New watchers will notice there’s a marked difference in the way dramas before 2015 or so were filmed. They tend to be paced more slowly, lean into slapstick comedy more, and the filming quality is a lot like an American soap opera.
However, there are some pre-2015 gems that need to be experienced, and “The Tale of Arang” is one of them. There are scheming politicians that reminded me more of the Three Stooges than Machiavelli, a ghost who feels free to yell at the Jade Emperor and Yeomra when she’s upset (and they let her!), and an adorably hilarious secondary couple consisting of the magistrate’s slave and a shaman who can’t see ghosts..
Also, Lee Joon Ki has several fight scenes, which are ALWAYS worth watching. Did you know he’s a trained martial artist? He is, and it makes watching his fight scenes even more fun. And Shin Min Ah’s bright personality and snappy comebacks when she’s taking on gods and noblemen made her a pleasure to have on my screen. Arang was definitely not a damsel in distress!
Who’s Who
Arang (Shin Min Ah) – a ghost who makes the new magistrate’s life difficult.
Kim Eun Oh (Lee Joon Gi) – a young nobleman who gets forced into the magistrate position of Miryang. Also, he can see ghosts.
Juwal (Yeon Woo Jin) – as son of the village’s richest man, Lord Choi, he was once engaged to Lee Seorim. Or was he? His true motives aren’t easy to see at first.
Where You’ve Seen Them Before
There are a LOT of recognizable faces in “The Tale of Arang”! Here’s where you may have seen them before:
Lee Joon Gi (Kim Eun Oh) – “Flower of Evil,” “Moonlovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo,” “Lawless Lawyer,” “Criminal Minds,” “The Scholar Who Walks the Night,” “Two Weeks“
Shin Min Ah (Arang) – “Oh My Venus,” “Chief of Staff,” “Hometown Cha Cha Cha”
Yeon Woo Jin (Juwal) – “Marriage Not Dating,” “Introverted Boss,” “Queen for Seven Days,” “Priest,” “I Wanna Hear Your Song“
Kim Yong Gun (Lord Choi) – “Cinderella and the Four Knights,” “Kill Me Heal Me,” “The Master’s Sun”
Hwang Bo Ra (the shaman) – “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim,” “Cunning Single Lady,” “The Miracle We Met,” “Vagabond”
Yoo Seung Ho (the Great Jade Emperor) – “Memorist,” “My Strange Hero,” “I Am Not a Robot,” “The Emperor: Owner of the Mask,” “Warrior Baek Dong Soo“
Park Jun Gyu (Yeomra/King of the Underworld) – “Partners for Justice,” “Return,” “The Rebel,” “Kill Me Heal Me,” “Marriage Not Dating”
There are many, many more, like Kim Kwang Gyu, Ming Sung Wook, Kim Min Jae, and Song Jae Ryong. I’ll leave it to you to discover where you know their faces from!
Why I Recommend It
As I mentioned before, “The Tale of Arang” was filmed pre-2015. The pacing is a bit slower, but KOCOWA’s handy playback speed control solved that problem for me (1.5x for the win!). Also, Yeomra and the Korean river of death are translated as the Greek “Hades” and “the Styx” in the subtitles. However, these are minor quibbles that don’t detract from the story in the least.
“The Tale of Arang” is a classic story that builds layers and layers of mystery and romance. The connection between Eun Oh and Arang forms slowly and organically, making the ending both satisfying and poignant, as well as a little bit funny. I really enjoyed watching it, and I think new K-drama fans will, too.
You can find “The Tale of Arang” here on KOCOWA, fully subbed and ready for a binge when you are!
