✒Outfoxed ❣ A Better Marble Trap °7.8° °Excellent°
He /planted/ something in her!Yeo and Dam don't actually meet as much as collide, which caused the marble he's been cultivating for over 900 years to jump into her body from his. Whoops. Yeo needs to find a way to get it back from her. If it stays in Dam too long it will kill her. Besides, he's been feeding it energy for nearly a millennium. When he's done, he will no longer be a 🦊Gumiho, he will be human. He was nearly done - and he ain't starting over now! So they become roommates. That way, he can keep an eye on her condition until he figures out a way to retrieve his precious property. She declined, initially, until she realized she will feel deathly ill if he's not around to provide assistance.
What's a Gumiho?
It began in old Joseon.
Rumor has it, it's a 🦊-demon that disguises itself as a beautiful human woman in order to devour the liver of its victim. Maybe that isn't /completely/ true. Maybe the Gumiho is only trying to cultivate itself into a human, and eating livers, though quicker, is not required. It takes a thousand years the slow way, which is stealing human energy in dribs and drabs by way of physical contact. All animals, including Gumihos, want to be human, as only humans can decide their own destiny.
Living together is no small thing. Yeo lays down some rules: No 🐔. Chicken blood will weaken both of them. No men, especially men born in the Year of the 🐅, which is every male in Dam's year at school. No alcohol. What!?! He's gone too far❗ No booze. No chicken. No men… What is there for her to live for? She hits him back with some rules of her own, like stop 🚬. So what if it's a 400 year-old habit? He might like smoking, but 🍗 is /her/ favorite thing. Company, misery doeth love.
The first third of the show is them getting used to e/o and us getting a peek at them and their daily lives. Yeo is in danger. If he doesn't become human by the 1000 year point he'll turn into an evil spirit and be targeted for elimination. Dam has a similar deadline. If they don't extract the marble from her inside of a year, she'll die. In ep7 we are introduced to a baddie who covets the marble which puts Dam in more danger. This incident directly leads to a plot shift - a reset, if you will.
The next phase of the show is them trying to make their relationship work. A Gumiho isn't supposed to be in a relationship with a human, so they have more to work out than the average couple. Like good 🦊🦊, they dig through it all. There are some physical incompatibility issues, the main one being that his desires get confused. He loves her. He wants to kiss and hold her, but he also has a primal desire to drain her energy. It sounds alot like Edward and Bella from Twilight along with any number of similar vampire love stories. In a moment of passion it could be rather dangerous. It's sufficiently dangerous that an ancient deity throws a wrench into the works, which only feeds into the relationship issues they must work out. It advances the plot well.
MRiaG is a 2021 release that is rated 91 on AWiki. It is 1 season consisting of 16 65-minute delightful episodes. It's an excellent romcom - no more, no less, and that is good enough. My only complaint is that some of the drama was poorly manufactured since he can teleport. Any emergency can be instantly addressed so their consternation sometimes seems misplaced. Jang Ki Yong (Sweet & Sour-7, My Mister-9.5, The Atypical Family) plays ML Shin Woo “Yeo”. If you haven't seen him before, you would probably be surprised to hear that he can play a first-rate thug. It's nice to see him play a sweetheart here. He's not just a sweetheart. He's got to walk a fine line between stoicism and experiencing brand new emotions. “When you live for such a long time, everything feels like a season that will eventually pass. Everything feels meaningless. But you seem true to yourself every moment. I like your honesty.” So says Yeo to Lee Dam (Lee Hye Ri of May I Help You). Ms Lee is the central character of Reply 1988-8.6, a comfy show about friends, family, and neighbors. She has a genuine infectious exuberance that she brings to everything. Previously dubbed “The Nations Little Sister” after appearing on the show Real Men, SHE is the reason this show is as fun to watch as it is.
The secondary romances are also nice. Kang Han Na (Familiar Wife-8.5, Just Between Lovers, Start-up-8) is Yeo ‘s longtime (we're talking 700 years) friend, Yang Hye Sun. She was a Gumiho, but she recently became human. She has more to do in this series than most shows where she often plays an ice queen/human figurine. I like her in this. Kim Do Wan (Moment at Eighteen, Doona!) and Park Kyung Hye (Goblin, Destined with You, My Lovely Liar) are Dam's BFFs, Choi Soo Kyung and Do Jae Jin. Bae In Hyuk (Under the Queen's Umbrella, Why Her?-8, At a Distance, Spring Is Green) is Gye Sun Woo, a popular guy at school who first comes onto Dam as a farce but ends up developing a thing for her. As cute as this actor is, with double-deep-double-dimples, he plays second fiddle both times I'veseenhim. Go Kyung Pyo (Chicago Typewriter, Private Lives-8.1) makes a surprise appearance mid-show. It's fun to see him across from Lee Hye Ri in an echo back to Reply 1988. They can't hide the warmth they have for e/o in their scenes. The screenwriters are Baek Sun Woo (What's Wrong with Secretary Kim-6.8, Doctor Slump) & Choi Bo Rim (Touch Your Heart-8.2). Director Nam Sung Woo also brought us the very popular Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo, Because This Is My First Life-7.7, and 100 Days My Prince-5.5.
This is an endearing couple. “This is our first date. You think I came unprepared? I've been keeping myself updated with the latest culture via news and books. And I've been watching romantic comedy dramas, so I'm very well aware of the latest dating trends. Plus, I can use magic. You won't be disappointed.” So says the 999 year old 🦊. What he thinks is current intel on dates is actually 20 years old. (For him, that IS current;). “I'm in love. I can't describe this feeling. It's soft and hot. I can't either swallow it or spit it out.” Dam is quite elegant in delivering these lines. “This doesn't mean anything. It's another meaningless relationship that will end soon.” That's what Yeo tells himself, until he can no longer deny it. They are mellow and comfy. Her joy is contagious, he caught it, and the viewer catches it. They spent some time apart, but it didn't take.
“According to Mingxin Baojian, one's mouth and tongue are the door to anger and worries, and they are the axes that kill one's body,” we hear. Amen - preach it! While I've relegated this to simple romcom status, MRiaG is not low IQ. The writers show their depth-of-field in several places. The most popular boy at school supposedly is interested in Dam. Not believing that she can truly be attractive to him, Dam is skeptical of his motives. Yeo (already outfoxed by her himself) quotes poignantly from an old story: “To him, she seemed so beautiful, so seductive, so different from ordinary people, that he could not understand why no one was as disturbed as he by the clicking of her heels on the paving stones, why no one else's heart was wild with the breeze stirred by the sighs of her veils, why everyone did not go mad with the movements of her braid, the flight of her hands, the gold of her laughter. He could not understand why anyone wouldn't fall in love with her.” (Excuse me while I fan myself). ‘If you live long enough, you begin to become indifferent to everything,’ Yeo realizes. “Feigning love is not love. The more it's done, the emptier one feels.” Yeo had been posing and faking and acting for a millenia. Dam came to his house knowing his secret. He could be real in her presence. He became comfortable with her. That will make an average looking person a “10” to the beholder.
“According to Sajasohak, one must be clean-cut and well-dressed. It means you should be neat and dressed nicely.” Dam is alittle casual about cleanliness. Instead of berating her, Yeo appeals to her best nature. The entire show appeals to our best natures. Not much happens, yet every episode is a treat. It simply works. They also tie up the last episode very nicely. Not all shows do, so it's appreciated. Any romcom fan will find MRiaG to be their natural habitat.
QUOTES📢
There is always some madness in love, as Frederick Nietzsche wrote in "Thus Spoke Zarathustra”. That you like someone means that you are misunderstanding that person in your own way.
Dishonesty cannot beat honesty. Never.
The more you know the more you see.
〰🖍 IMHO
📣8 📝7 🎭8 💓6🦋5 🎨7.5 🎵/🔊7.7 Best song - My All 🔚8.3 ▪ 🌞6 ⚡3 😅3 😭3.5 😱3 😯2 🤢2 🤔3 💤0
Age 12+ Some scary elements. A disturbing evil spiri
Rated TV-15
Re-📺? Sure would
Loving someone from “another world” - In order of ~lite&trite~ to ~heavy&serious~ you may also like:
99 days with the Superstar-7,
The Legend of the Blue Sea-7.2
Live Up To Your Name-7.6;
My Secret Romance 7 (if you ff thru overdone flashbacks),
Boys Over Flowers 8 ~ melodrama to the max,
The Bride of Habaek 7,
Hotel del Luna-8.4,
A Korean Odyssey-7.2,
Romance is a bonus book-7.9;
Heirs 7.3,
That Winter, The Wind Blows 7,
Something in the Rain 9,
C🇨🇳: Well-Intended Love 7.5 Rom-porn - extra points for the dopamine,
You are my destiny 6.8 cute, sweet & 1/2 padding,
A Little Thing Called First Love 8.5,
Find Yourself 8.9
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Upon watching it again, I loved it even more!
I found this story very interesting, a fantasy with serious parts that wasn't too melodramatic. I found myself smiling a lot throughout, because most of the characters were well-written and extremely likeable.STORY: It’s been done before, but this one was easy to watch without too much angst. I especially loved the development of the friendships and the relationships, Jang Ki Yong and Hyeri had wonderful chemistry, as did Kan Han Na and Kim Do Wan. I scored down because of the constant use of drunkenness (their livers would have been pickled already!)
ACTING: Jang Ki Yong as Shin Woo Yeo was very good, going from being almost an automaton to developing a deep and abiding love. Though he, at times, had some borderline control tendencies, it was kind of understandable because he didn't know how to be human. He was very effective in playing someone so old and jaded, you could feel his loneliness and his feeling that continuing to live was just pointless. Hyeri is just gorgeous and her hairstyle really suited her. Her character was kind of the girl next door, someone that you are just automatically drawn to and want to be friends with. Her bubbly personality and lovely smile were the perfect foil for his aloofness. At the beginning, I thought that I was going to absolutely hate Kim Do Wan as Do Jae Jin - he was just such a pitiful, immature, sad sack. However, when paired with the excellent Kang Han Na as Yang Hye Sun, the second lead couple was very funny, and the actors brought naivete and innocence without stupidity, which I appreciated. They were such polar opposites, and watching them grow and mature together was great to watch. I have to say that Bae In Hyuk as Gyu Sun Woo grew a lot throughout this show. He started out as a complete jerk, but I found myself rooting for him as the episodes unfolded. He cared so much for Lee Dam and was able to learn from his mistakes. I had moments of SLS, wondering if there was any way he could win the girl. I could also appreciate the love/hate relationship between Shin Woo Yeo and Yang Hye Sun – their storyline developing into a lasting friendship was seamless and very touching.
SET DESIGN/COSTUMES/CINEMATOGRAPHY: His house was just beautiful and the college had some very interesting room setups. I loved the use of light and dark, the scenes with him were darker, conveying his loneliness. Her scenes were bright with color, and that really suited her personality.
OST: Good, and I especially loved the haunting song by Jeong Sewoon.
RE-WATCH: Totally!! Upon this rewatch, I had forgotten how wonderful the romantic chemistry was between the leads.
OVERALL: It was definitely worth a watch for me (I don’t like stuff too heavy, so this was right up my alley). This moved up from me liking it a lot to loving it!
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Well executed show hobbled by a lack of direction
Crosswalk cliche score - 4 - did manage to squeeze in a bit of a twist, but couldn't stay away from this tropeLittle sib score - 6 - Dam's bro was dull but Kim Do-Yeon was fantastic as Sun Woo's little sister. She barely appeared as the show wore on though.
Power coat score - 9 - Woo Yeo may not be the most dynamic character, but the dude had a sweet collection of threads.
Product placement score - 1 - Subway, ewww. They even centered an entire episode around it. Ick ick ick.
Cameo score - 10 - Ko Gyung-Po is nice and Jung So-Min is even better (although a few more speaking lines would have been nice). But Oh Jung Se's appearance is sublime. It's brief but magical.
Overall, I enjoyed the show but it's a sugary snack of a show rather than a memorable, must-rewatch powerhouse. Hyeri nails Lee Dam's impulsive and positive character. Jang Ki-Yong certainly sell the weariness of a near 1,000 year old creature and seems to be having a nice arc to the character in the first half. But unfortunately, the writing lets down and it's back to Boringville for Woo-Yeo. And that's the main problem with the show. It progresses sharply in the first half, but it struggles to set up any lasting tension. Obstacles arise, but none seem particularly threatening and, soon enough, are easily dispatched.
I think that the impression that secondary couples are usually better than the primary is very often incorrect. But IN THIS SHOW? Kang Ha-Na and Kim Do-Wan are heavenly. Every moment they are together on screen is a joy. Very likely the best secondary couple of any show I have seen.
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Good but not perfect.
The first half I totally understood the hype. It was a refreshing story with a very refreshing FL, one who isn't afraid to enjoy eating and doesn't do it in a dainty, feminine way and one who doesn't bother with short skirts, high heels and perfect makeup. In short, she is everything that I've been dying to see in a Kdrama FL.Watching the two leads get to know, respect and then love each other was a delight and they both felt very rounded to me. But then the last third of the drama came, with its inevitable dragging and unnecessary drama...
And why did they suddenly move the focus from the two main couples to new couples that you didn't really know as a viewer and didn't particularly care about???
The producers realised that it should have had only 14 episodes instead of 16 and they still didn't change it. That for me is drama negligence.
I still loved it overall, but it could have been a masterpiece and in the end it wasn't.
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Second leads in this ruled!
Fun romance/drama/comedy with a few unexpected creepy suspense moments.The secondary leads Jae-jin and Hye-sun killed it, completely stealing the show from the leads in this.
Unfortunately for the ML, I wish the FL had chosen the other guy. Lol. That's never a good sign. I don't know he was more down to Earth and cool. The ML was too controlling. But it still works I would say. I liked the Mountain Spirit's role in the story, and the FL was really, really good.
This show excels at nothing but does a lot of little things right that do add up. The story progresses well.
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If you're in it for the romance, go for it. If not, keep moving.
The show itself was fine. The acting, directing, and music were all great, there were a good amount of funny scenes that didn't detract from the plot, and the storyline was fine. However, the romance aspect of the plot takes up the majority of the run time and if that's not your thing than it can get quite boring after a while.I wanted to watch it for the supernatural aspect and, while I don't mind romance, I ended up skippikg through most of the show and almost dropped it because it really hit a slump in the action/supernatural department. I wanted to finish it in case it got more exciting, however, th ending was much more lackluster than I had hoped.
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Bit too long
Interesting drama but a bit too long. I don't follow much of the k world, so maybe I don't know why the 16 episodes formula. With some exceptions, most of the dramas could have fewer episodes...STORY - A simple story with great FL acting.
I liked the chemistry of the main couple, the acting of the secondary characters, their relationships. The struggle to become human is the main reason.
ACTING - FL was awesome,ML was good. Great chemistry and well performances by almost the entire cast.
I think that a 1000 years Gumiho should be more clever. There was a story and then almost nothing happens.
OST - can't remember very well so...
REWATCH? - there are a lot of cute or funny moments so, it is rewatchable for sure.
I don't understand why the love triangles. Is there a thing on Korea about that? Is it the dream of everyone to be involved in one?
I think, personally, the females actresses are gorgeous. But I don't understand the way they portrait beauty, as if someone looks could be the most important thing...
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2nd Male Lead syndrome :)
First half was super hilarious - slapstick, corny, lol kinda funny. 2nd half the humour became tiresome and repeated.Can I just say-I LOVE Jang Ki Yong, but this is the first time I was rooting for the other guy Seon-Woo to get the girl!! His character development was more interesting. At the start he was sneaky and a jerk, but after getting to know and falling in love with Lee Dam he changed, and stood up for her. He even confessed 3x times, but was bitterly rejected. I truly felt his pain and cried during those scenes :(:(:(
The love story between main leads was kind of dull. It was cute and funny before they started dating, after that it got boring and lacked chemistry. Mr Gumiho was rather clueless for a fox who has lived 999 years. And his best friend Hye Sun was equally as dull, all she did was give advice. I think the scriptwriters could have done more with their characters- some action and more magic would have been nice.
The Marble story was rather confusing. It seemed repetitive, going around in circles, like they had to drag the story for 16 episodes. I did like the supporting casts- some ppl preferred the love story of Hye Sun / Jae Jin more than the leads. Towards the end, I started skipping quite a bit. I found the last episode dull, and his comeback a bit of an anti-climax.
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great modern day fantasy romcom!
This is pretty much a chill romcom with gumiho's in present time. The storyline was pretty good and I really enjoyed the chemistry of the whole cast.I love Jang Kiyong and he always shows great acting aside from his good looks. I'm not a big fan of Lee Hyeri's acting but she did pretty good in this series; mainly because it was a comedy filled series. I also loved Kang Hanna, she's literally so hilarious! Her character's relationship with Jaejin was just so cute too!
I watched this back in 2021 so I can't fully remember the details but overall, I enjoyed the series!
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Unwhelming
If I had to describe this drama in one word, it would be underwhelming. The premise is great and the first couple episodes are also great, it was moving fast, and then nothing happens for 13 more episodes. I'm not kidding. You could watch the first episodes and the last one and nothing in the story would change. Sure there are some comedic bits and some very minor misunderstandings but there is no actual conflict that needs to be resolved until the very last episode. And the minor issues that do occur, the female lead doesn't even know about them because the male lead is constantly treating her like a child and not telling her anything.The female lead is great. She has a lot of charisma, is independent, and goes for what she wants. The male lead and the second male lead are 2 of the most boring characters I've ever seen. It got to a point where I was thinking, no matter which one she ends up with I don't care either way. None of them deserve this queen. Also, the fact that he is 1000 years old usually isn't an issue for me. I'm weird and I like that kind of theme but ugh they kept pressing the fact that he was old, and constantly comparing him to an old man it was so CREEPY. And it really doesn't help that he was constantly lying and withholding information from the female lead. It really gave me weird abusive vibes similar to real relationships when the man is too old and takes advantage of a young woman.
I'm guess more than anything, I'm just disappointed. I feel like with this kind of theme they had free rein to do whatever they want and instead they gave us the bare minimum.
I would not recommend unless you are very new to dramas.
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Mostly fresh and fun—but the main OTP bored me
I understand why people like this. It is easy to recommend for those who like forced cohabitation/school romcoms with bits of fantasy.I enjoyed nearly all of the various relationships and interactions in this series (the friends, the two sets of siblings, the secondary and tertiary OTPs). I liked the production as a whole (the colors are nice, the animations are funny) and didn't mind the paper-thin fantasy. Our leads Jang Ki Yong (as Shin Woo Yeon) and Lee Hyeri (as Lee Dam) also make one good-looking pair.
However, as the show progressed, the main OTP (and their issues) bored me. So much so that somewhere from the middle of the drama until the end I was fast-forwarding most of their angsty/contemplative/sugary moments and just wanted to see everyone else instead.
I'm sure a lot of people loved their swoony moments the way the writer intended them to be. But it just didn't work for me. Woo Yeon was written way too calm, passive, and dull for my tastes. He ruminated by his window too much and he kept Dam in the dark a lot of times. I only looked forward to his moments with our ditzy ex-gumiho Hye Sun (played by Kang Han Na) because he comes alive every time with their petty arguments.
As for Lee Hyeri herself, I liked her in the little bit I've seen her in the reality shows before (We Got Married bits and House on Wheels premiere). Her brand of comedy here is rarely seen in dramaland nowadays. She reminds me a bit of the (slightly) embarrassing FLs in older kdramas like Lee Da Hae in My Girl and Kim Sun Ah. I liked her here but I hope she chooses more diverse projects after this so she won't be typecast.
Anyway, all the supporting characters and their story arcs were fun and interesting so I'll probably rewatch this for them. I'll just be fast-forwarding through the scenes of the OTP.
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