Spooky in Love

Romance and Acting Good Enough to Gloss Over the many plot holes

8.5/10

I really enjoyed Spooky in Love overall. The romance between the two leads was genuinely sweet and carried a lot of emotional weight, the main characters felt well-developed and likable, and the ghost cases were some of the most interesting parts of the show. The actors (especially Park Eun-bin and Yang Se-jong) did excellent work and made the central relationship very watchable. There are some noticeable plot holes and underdeveloped threads that keep it from being a full 10 for me, but they didn’t ruin the experience. I could easily rewatch it if it came up again, and I’d recommend it to fans of either lead or anyone who likes this kind of supernatural rom-com hybrid. It’s a fairly unique offering in the genre in how it blends the ghost-helping cases with the chaebol and romance elements.

Spoilers

A lot of the things that held it back for me had nothing to do with the romance itself and more to do with logic gaps and missed opportunities.

It felt odd that so many guys were into Yeo-ri (Cheon Yeo-ri). There were basically three childhood-friend types circling her, and two of them were brothers (Kang Min-hwan and Kang Ji-hwan). The show explained why one brother liked her (she stood up for him as a kid), but it never really showed how or why the other developed feelings, or why they kept it hidden from each other. The other guy who almost married her was confusing too—it was never clear if she was marrying him because she loved him or because it was arranged, and she didn’t seem particularly heartbroken when he backed out.

The water-ghost situation (tied to Ji-hwan, the one who saved her) didn’t fully land. They made him out to be a good guy, so having him try to drown people in the elevator just because they got close to her felt inconsistent.

The heart-transplant plot with Gang-uk (Ma Gang-uk) had multiple issues. You realistically couldn’t get a viable heart from someone who drowned the way it was portrayed, and the show barely acknowledged the medical reality—almost no anti-rejection medication, no lasting physical limitations, and he bounced back from serious events (including his heart stopping) far too easily for a transplant patient. The mutual near-death rescues were also stretched: when he saved her and nearly died, he was basically up and functional right afterward, which made no sense given his condition. Later when she saved him it was treated more seriously, but the imbalance was noticeable.

Gang-uk’s grandmother separating them over a superstition felt especially poorly thought-out. Knowing her grandson had heart problems and still essentially risking giving him a broken heart over something that thin was hard to buy. Yeo-ri going along with it for as long as she did also felt off.

The cousin (Cheon Ha-ri) and the succession plot never made much sense. She showed no real skills for running the family business—she mostly floated around and had terrible taste in men (every guy she was interested in turned out to have killed someone). If she wanted to take everything her cousin had, it was strange she never showed any interest in Gang-uk. The whole argument that Yeo-ri couldn’t stay in the business because she sees ghosts also fell flat. She was a high performer as CEO; boards usually care about results more than private supernatural issues as long as they’re not being broadcast.

I also didn’t love the emotional dynamic where Yeo-ri was the strong, capable woman who didn’t need anyone and was constantly emotionally rescuing Gang-uk, who came across as more emotionally vulnerable. That imbalance felt a bit one-sided.

The ghost cases were some of my favorite parts and I wish there had been more of them. The early setup suggested she would actively work with him on his cases and that the partnership would help him, but it mostly played out as her already having a ghost situation and him joining in. Occasional overlaps happened, but it never became the balanced case-solving collaboration it could have been.

The corporate angle would have been more believable if the aunt (Ok Gye-hui) had seemed competent. Instead she was mainly doing an art extension of the company and embezzling through it. She never demonstrated the skills or presence that would make a board throw support behind her (or her ambitions for her daughter). That undercut the entire succession conflict.

One of the more frustrating moments was when Yeo-ri looked extremely suspicious at the murder scene of Park Seung-jae and Gang-uk wanted to help her, but she wouldn’t let him. It felt like a missed chance to show real mutual support. Another big missed opportunity was the heart connection itself: I kept expecting their temporary separation to involve her doubting whether he truly loved her or if it was just because he had Ji-hwan’s heart. The show never went there at all, which made the specific choice of whose heart he received feel under-used.

Yeo-ri never fully remembered what happened on the yacht. The story kept hinting that she was going to recover the complete memory (including seeing Min-hwan not save his brother), but she only got pieces of it—never enough for that thread to land with the weight it seemed to be building toward.

The 300-year-old love-letter case also felt over-weighted. The way it was presented made me think it might turn into a reincarnation parallel or something more significant for the main couple, but it ended up being just another ghost story they solved. After spending that much time and atmosphere on it, the lack of larger payoff was noticeable.

By the end, after the breakup and getting back together, it still wasn’t clear what the formal status of their relationship was. They were obviously together, but it was never spelled out whether they were still engaged, needed to get re-engaged, or were heading toward marriage.

Finally, the mother’s forgiveness of her adopted son Min-hwan felt off. In most other Korean dramas, adopted children are often treated with at least a subtle difference in social or emotional standing. Here the mother was still so deep in grief twelve years later that the memorial looked like the death had just happened—far more elaborate and intense than what’s usual by that point in other shows. Their relationship had only recently started to heal (partly through the necklace), and she had earlier seemed distant from him. For her to move to forgiveness so readily, while focusing mainly on the brother and barely addressing the second, more calculated murder of Park Seung-jae, didn’t feel consistent with the earlier setup or with typical portrayals.

Despite all of those issues, the central romance and the actors still made it worthwhile for me.

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One of the Most Entertaining Shows in 2026!!

I wasn’t expecting great things when I first started with this mystery romance. I experienced many firsts with this show. This was my first time watching Yang Se Jong in action. It was also my first time watching Ong Seong Wu in a negative role. I’m mostly used to seeing them in chocolate boy roles. Must say, he left me surprised. Our main leads have quite unique personalities though. Cheon Yeo Ri has been stuck with the misfortune of seeing ghosts for almost ten years. Ma Gang Uk is a righteous prosecutor, who works tirelessly against evil suspects & brings them to justice. They have an unexpected encounter when they accidentally discover a corpse together. From there, things spiral out of control because, initially, Gang Uk is suspicious of Yeo Ri’s intentions. Since they are strangers, she can’t exactly confide in him, that she can see ghosts or communicate with them. Hilarious circumstances bring them together when Gang Uk holds hands with her, and he begins to see ghosts as well.

Read the complete article here-

https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2026/08/24/spooky-in-love-series-review/#more-2555

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Fun, charming with a little bit of thrill

This was fun, charming and thrilling to watch.
Like seeing Park Eun Bin acting and doing different roles. The leads chemistry was good and none of them was acting shy or annoying.

There a lot of funny scenes and I will always remember when he spit out the garlic 🤣🤣🤣🤣

You should see my face when Min Hwan pulled out 2 rings from the drawer…he is so delulu

What I didn’t like was that she was careful at every crime scene and decided to pick up the metal and to make herself look suspicious.
After that, she had 5 business days to move before the truck hit her.

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Yang Se Jong and and Park Eun Bin have amazing chemistry!

This was such a needed summer rom com for me! The first 10 episodes of the show was very impressive with its balance of comedy, investigative elements and budding romance. I was already a fan of Park Eun Bin's acting and I seriously did not expect to become a huge fan of Yang Se Jong!! His comedic timing and ability to move between different genres is so impressive, it made me go watch his other shows afterwards.

The chemistry between the two of them was the defining element of the show. Their romance elements are amazing and I wish there was more of it especially in the last two episodes!

The key problem with this show was the writing and directing in the last two episodes. I don't know if they were rushing and trying to cram the material into the short length but the story went too much in the direction of wrapping up all the uninteresting side character stories, instead of focusing on the two main leads.

Overall I still enjoyed it a lot and have been rewatching a the scenes of the two leads <3

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I'd say it's shallow, but charming

I'd say it's shallow, but charming.

The first half was absolutely top-notch—the plot dealing with ghosts and the main characters' developing relationships. But the second half, with its corporate showdowns and investigations, was a bit dull. The creators failed to maintain the plot's momentum.

Nevertheless, the drama's atmosphere and the characters' interactions were very enjoyable, making it hard to put down.

I really enjoyed the actors' portrayals of the main characters—both Yang Se Jong and Park Eun Bin: occasionally touching and awkward, yet strong and responsible.

The drama is good for light viewing, although the writers did give us a bit of a thrill at the end of some episodes.

As for the visuals, I liked everything. Overall, I enjoyed watching it, and I don't regret the time spent.

I think this series will appeal to rom-com fans, even though the director didn't include a lot of kissing.

Rating: 7 out of 10.

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The Ghost of a Good Premise: Why Spooky in Love Loses Its Way

If the trailers sold you a full-on urban fantasy akin to Hotel Del Luna, or Sell Your Haunted House, prepare for some serious bait-and-switch. Spooky in Love opens with a hook that promises a charming blend of spectral shenanigans and high-stakes romance, but the supernatural vibe vanishes astonishingly fast.

The story follows Yeo-ri, an eccentric heiress who uses her connection to the spiritual realm to do good, alongside Kang-wook, a brave, straight-laced prosecutor. Park Eun-bin gives it her absolute all, projecting a natural, stylish elegance reminiscent of IU in Hotel Del Luna, just with a slightly more realistic touch. Yet, even her captivating performance cannot save the show from its core problem: the supernatural elements lose steam long before the actual drama does.

Despite marketing itself as a paranormal romance, the ghost-centric premise disappears almost completely after the first few episodes. Rather than leaning into its unique premise, the plot quickly strays into tired corporate intrigue and predictable family drama.

The writing relies far too heavily on convenient script mechanics instead of genuine character choices, making emotional shifts, especially in the main love story, feel forced and unconvincing. To make matters worse, the addition of a tedious, boring second-male-lead trope only drags the pacing down further.

Spooky in Love remains a sweet, harmless watch, but it ultimately squanders the very feature that made it stand out, trading genre bending potential for safe, repetitive clichés.

The Good: Park Eun-bin's performance, great wardrobe, promising initial setup.

The Bad: Misleading marketing, abandoned supernatural plot, contrived romance, boring love triangle.

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Cuando los fantasmas terminan siendo lo de menos

Spooky in Love es uno de esos dramas que llaman la atención desde el principio porque mezclan géneros que, en teoría, podrían no funcionar juntos: romance, comedia, fantasmas, misterio y casos criminales. Y, para mi sorpresa, creo que la combinación funciona bastante bien.

La historia sigue a Cheon Yeo-ri, una heredera y dueña de un hotel que tiene la capacidad de ver fantasmas. Lejos de ser un “don”, para ella es prácticamente una maldición, porque los espíritus de personas que murieron injustamente aparecen constantemente en su vida. Todo cambia cuando conoce a Ma Gang-uk, un fiscal que investiga casos de asesinato sin resolver.

Lo que me gustó de la historia es que los fantasmas no están ahí únicamente para provocar sustos. Muchas de sus apariciones están relacionadas con historias de personas que quedaron sin justicia, así que el elemento sobrenatural termina conectado con el misterio y con la propia personalidad de los protagonistas.

Me hubiese gustado que siguiera mostrando como ambos resolvían más casos de los fantasmas, aunque claro sería raro porque una heredera de un hotel porque tendría que andar metida en esas cosas y al parecer al único que le parecía sospechoso que ella estuviera y llamara a la policia en todos esos casos era al protagonista a un inicio de apenas estarse conociendo.

Yeo-ri fue, sin duda, uno de mis personajes favoritos. Me gustó que detrás de su apariencia de mujer rica y aparentemente intocable hubiera una persona bastante solitaria. Su capacidad de ver fantasmas la ha obligado a mantenerse alejada de los demás, y eso hace que su relación con Gang-uk tenga un significado especial.

Gang-uk también me gustó mucho. Es el típico personaje que parece tenerlo todo bajo control: inteligente, decidido y con un fuerte sentido de la justicia. Y no solo eso sino también la empatía que mostraba y que no ocultaba sus sentimientos, si quería llorar lloraba.

Ahora hablando de la parejita, la química entre ambos fue uno de los puntos fuertes del drama. Hay momentos muy divertidos, otros bastante tiernos, pero también pienso que la química entre ambos fue muy desaprovechada especialmente en el final.

También disfruté mucho el equilibrio entre comedia y misterio. El drama puede pasar de una escena bastante oscura a otra completamente absurda o romántica sin perder del todo su identidad.

Creo que algunos casos secundarios pudieron desarrollarse mejor y hubo momentos en los que la historia parecía tener demasiadas cosas que contar al mismo tiempo. También entiendo las críticas de quienes sintieron que algunas situaciones entre los protagonistas eran un poco forzadas.

Pero personalmente, creo que el drama gana mucho gracias a sus personajes y a la forma en que combina sus diferentes elementos.

¿La recomiendo? Sí. Especialmente si te gustan los dramas que mezclan romance con fantasía y misterio, pero no quieres algo demasiado oscuro.

Eso sí, no esperes un terror que te haga dormir con la luz encendida. 😂 Aquí los verdaderos monstruos, muchas veces, son los secretos, las injusticias y las personas que los protagonistas tienen que enfrentar.

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Spooky argument

STORY – Starts great and end miserably. Somewhere un the middle of the drama, I lost the plot, and it was dull and boring.
ACTING – It was good, but I felt some strange feelings in the last 2 or 3 episodes, something was different…
MUSIC – it was good for the show, and it stayed in my mind.
REWATCH – not really. And I don’t think that there will be more than a couple of scenes deserving reviewing.
OVERALL – I lost interest going to the end of the drama. I don’t regret watching it, but I wished it was more consistent and well written…

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A charming drama that lost its spooky spark

Spooky in Love opens as a fun supernatural story with a strong ghostly twist that gives the early episodes a fresh, engaging feel. The leads, Park Eun Bin and Yang Se Jong, bring a lot of charm and make the story easy to follow.

I also really enjoyed Lee Chang Hoon and Kim Min Ho — their dynamic added a light, playful energy that balanced the darker elements nicely. Let's not forget Ong Seong Wu: He was a great addition; even though his role became clear early on, watching his storyline unfold was still satisfying.

The acting and chemistry were great, and that’s honestly what kept me watching until the end.

Unfortunately, the ghost theme — the part that initially drew me in — fades away midway through the drama. I would’ve loved to see that aspect explored more, especially since it gave the show its unique identity at the start.

Even with that shift, it remains a light, easy, and overall enjoyable watch. It just turns into a different kind of drama than I expected.

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