Confession: I’m a big scaredy cat and can’t handle most horror dramas (“Dark Hole,” I’m looking at you). But the trailers for “Sell Your Haunted House” intrigued me — there were darkness and creepy things, yes, but there was also Jang Na Ra looking amazingly serious and confident, which was enough to completely draw me in. Read on for the top 5 reasons I think you should watch “Sell Your Haunted House” too!
Here’s the trailer that started it all:
REASON #1 – Jang Na Ra Like You’ve Never Seen Her Before
Having watched Jang Na Ra in several dramas, I thought I knew what to expect here — a sincere woman with a bright smile who would do her best to make it through the challenges that come with being an exorcist. See also her roles in “Hello Monster,” “School 2013,” “Go Back Couple,” and “The Last Empress.”
I was wrong.
Instead, what we got was Jang Na Ra playing the very cool and competent Hong Ji Ah, an exorcist who is completely confident in her skills and doesn’t care what anyone thinks about her. She wore all black all the time and rocked long coats and heeled boots as she flew at ghosts, her needle raised to send them off this mortal coil. She was strong and ate a lot and generally went against every heroine stereotype EVER. I loved her.
REASON #2 – Jung Yong Hwa is an Adorable Con Man
I’ve never watched Jung Yong Hwa in a drama (I know, I know, “You’re Beautiful” is on my to-watch list and I’ll fix it soon), so I had no expectations for his performance. What I got was a delightful ball of sunshine who was an excellent contrast to the dark Hong Ji Ah. He cared deeply about the people close to him and absolutely took his role as Ji Ah’s special psychic seriously.
Watching Jung Yong Hwa play Oh In Beom and take his character from an intelligent conman to a reliable exorcism partner was a delight. Yong Hwa sold me on In Beom’s transformation, and I really appreciated his chemistry with Jang Na Ra.
REASON #3 – There is a Judgmental Ghost and It’s Hilarious
The crux of the story, of course, is the unrested or restless ghosts who stick around instead of ascending after their deaths. They carry grudges, unresolved issues that keep them attached to the people or the places they left behind. From a child who just wanted to tell her mother she loved her to a man who was after the apartment he was promised, the ghosts ranged from angry to pitiful to loving.
Yes, loving.
One of the first ghosts we meet is Ji Ah’s mother, and she seriously ROCKS, even in the afterlife. She’s been sticking with Ji Ah since her passing when Ji Ah was still young, and Ji Ah still has conversations with her, even though her mom can’t respond.
The best part, though? In the very beginning, we see that Ji Ah is addicted to the shopping channel on TV, and every time a black pair of boots comes up, she decides she ABSOLUTELY must have them. Ghost Mom doesn’t share that opinion, though. When Ji Ah is contemplating another boot purchase, Ghost Mom knocks the 20 pairs of boots that Ji Ah already owns out of the closet. This familiar-feeling spat between a verbal and a non-verbal party made me laugh and laugh.
REASON #4 – Canned Underwear. Need I Say More?
Product placement (or PPL) is a must in every drama, because the drama can’t fund itself. Turns out money does NOT fall from the sky or grow on trees. (Someone please come explain this to my children! Anyway.) “Sell Your Haunted House” had the usual — cars and a certain moisturizing stick, for example — but my favorite was the canned underwear.
CANNED. UNDERWEAR.
First of all, I did not know you could buy underwear that came in a can. Also, I was not aware that buying canned underwear for your favorite people was considered a thoughtful gift, but it certainly was in “Sell Your Haunted House”! If nothing else, it made me laugh, and that was more than enough.
REASON #5 – The Found Family Vibes Are Strong
The found family trope is one of my preferred tropes, especially when it involves people with opposing goals coming together and forming a team. In “Sell Your Haunted House,” the found family was also about balance. Hong Ji Ah comes across as cold and uninterested in talking to people, so she has Secretary Joo to balance her out. Secretary Joo, in addition to being Daebak Realty’s competent administrator, has cared for Ji Ah since her mother died, and is personable and affectionate with everyone around her.
I mentioned it before, but In Beom serves the same purpose — his light balances out Ji Ah’s dark energy. It often felt like the director was playing with the concept of yin and yang in Ji Ah and In Beom’s relationship. Jin Ah would be the yin, dressing in dark clothes and leaning into the cold and closed-off aspects of her personality. In Beom was almost always dressed in white or light colors and was the sunshine to Ji Ah’s rainy day. I loved the push and pull of their relationship; it worked well.
I have to admit, drama fans, that “Sell Your Haunted House” defied ALL my expectations in a really good way. The story itself was solid and never felt as if it dragged; in fact, the end of episode 10 made me stand up and cheer. The theme song, sung by Jung Yong Hwa, has a cowboy ghost hunter vibe and perfectly fits the drama from beginning to end. The villain was a true villain through and through, and his character arc concluded with a fantastic case of poetic justice.
In case my exuberance hasn’t convinced you, let me say this: If you like horror lite, if you like found families, if you like good chemistry, if you like confident female leads and cheerful male leads, THIS is the drama for you. May we resolve all our grudges and never become unrested spirits.
“Sell Your Haunted House” is a completed drama and you can find it right here on KOCOWA.
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