tsutsuloo

So cute but the PPL gave me second-hand embarrassment.

@Branwen is doing a superb job recapping SYHH at DramaBeans: https://www.dramabeans.com/shows/sell-your-haunted-house/

To answer your question without being too spoilery: By Ep. 15, Ji-ah figures out that her mother is attached to _her_ and not to the house itself. She also finally learns the full truth of what happened the day her mother died. (Ep. 12-13)

By Ep. 15, the relationship between Ji-ah and In-bum has not blossomed into a conventional "romance." Despite In-bum's one-sided crush, I'm not even sure it counts as "slow burn." It's more like the stellar partnership between Shi-mok and Yeo-jin in STRANGER (2017).

In short, Ji-ah and In-bum become the best of partners who trust each other with their lives. Trust deepens with every episode and misunderstandings are never allowed to fester. There's no room for noble idiocy at Daebak Realty!

It's easy to imagine In-bum absolutely being up for a romance with Ji-ah. It remains to be seen if that's even presented as a possibility by the series end. They've both grown so much through their partnership. Ji-ah has lowered her walls and shown more of her warm heart. In-bum uses that sharp, cunning mind for good and thrives in Ji-ah's company. Together, they really kick ass.

It's also unknown if In-bum would lose his powers like other mediums if he has sex with a woman. Maybe our Special Medium could keep his powers if his partner were a certain exorcist.

I'm deeply interested in how different people define "so bad it's good." I love a trashy but well-put-together show but I haven't yet defined what that means for me.

A couple months ago, I was slogging through OH! MASTER, a very tropey show that started great and was off the rails by ep. 9. What kept me going were the brilliantly acerbic critiques here on MDL. But each new episode sank the show further into a horrid soup of cruelty, tiresome tropes and laziness. My affection for the lead actors wasn't enough to stick with it. By the end, the only feelings induced by the show were boredom and rage.

I'll think of a list of shorter C-dramas that might interest you!

Yup, I'm positive that I'll include SELL YOUR HAUNTED HOUSE on my top five list for 2021. It presses all my buttons and feels like one of the most fully realized stories I've watched this year.

Of the 8 shows currently on my watch list, IMPERIAL CORONER and VINCENZO might end up on my top 10 list for 2021—if I can finish them. TENGOKU TO JIGOKU: PSYCHONA FUTARI was very good too. (Admittedly, I hold Japanese shows to a different standard. They're often ... bonkers.)

2021 has been a struggle for me to FINISH most dramas. I've dropped 7 new shows and completed just three (with some generous skip-watching for the last dozen episodes of REBEL PRINCESS, a 68-ep C-drama).

Are you finishing most of your dramas?

Thanks for catching the typo! I'm a User Experience designer/researcher. We love getting into the nitty gritty of things!

Just like everyone else, I sometimes want shows that allow me to "turn off my brain." But this show is so rewarding with its equal parts of escapism and _beautiful_ story telling.

I also wonder what's in Ji-ah's staple gun. Would love to know. The sound alone is terrifying.

THIS OLD HOUSE magazine once featured mishaps collected from their readers. One man confessed to accidentally nail-gunning his balls while working on a roof. Yikes!

For someone as frosty as Ji-ah, it's been so heartwarming to watch her deepening trust towards In-bum.

Check out the brief ending scenario I wrote in response to @Lac's comments above (it's four original posts above this one). It's in keeping with Ji-ah's icy temperament and In-bum's goofiness.

In-bum and Ji-ah are walking together in the splendid bamboo forest when she nonchalantly reaches for his hand—without really looking at him. Astonished, In-bum urgently looks around and asks, "Are you cold? Is there a spirit?!" Ji-ah glances at him and says with smirk, "No. I'm not cold." In-bum's face breaks into a beautiful big smile and the two continue walking hand-in-hand toward the Blue Salt shop. THE END

In terms of feelings, I find the characters' willingness to apologize is one of the most refreshing aspects of this show. But it's hard for me to imagine Ji-ah confessing in the conventional sense. Her actions, however, speak louder than words.

How's this for a possible scenario? [see spoiler]

POINT 1: Why does the show make it seem that it’s impossible to exorcise an egg spirit when Ji-ah and In-bum were able to do it?

—

From the very start, the show laid clues to how our duo would eventually overpower egg spirits. Although the old records say that egg spirits can’t be defeated, the series always showed that naming the spirit was part of the exorcism process.

INTRO TO EGG SPIRITS
We’re first introduced to the concept of EGG SPIRITS in Ep. 8 when Ji-ah combs through Josean-era family records describing their origins. As Ji-ah speculates that the arson victims created the faceless egg spirit that possessed the child (young Oh In-bum), Hwa-jung reads from another text: “If you look here, it states that egg spirits cannot be exorcised with a spirit needle.” (Ep. 8, 2:28).

Ji-ah replies, “That is the part that bothers me. Mom also was likely aware spirit needles were of no use. But Mom definitely used a spirit needle that day.” (Ep. 8, 2:32)

FLAG: At that point, we’re not told WHY spirit needles don’t work against egg spirits. And Ji-ah herself seems to accept this at face value.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?
From the very beginning, the series consistently shows that knowing the name of the dead is the most critical part of the exorcism process. Exorcists cannot send a spirit away unless they know the spirit’s true identity. (Think back to how hard it was to identify the dead painter in Ep. 3.) Ji-ah usually writes the spirit’s name on a small scroll that she inserts in the spirit needle but it also works to have the name somewhere within her hand, as she did during the thrilling impromptu exorcism of the murderous stalker (Ep. 10, 23:18).

IN-BUM’S GREATEST GIFT
In-bum isn’t just a special medium. Our adorable heat pack is also observant, cunning and possesses one of the greatest gifts of all: the ability to connect the dots. He also has the tenacity for dogged research.

It’s unclear whether previous exorcists understood _exactly_ why spirit needles didn’t work against egg spirits. The family records never articulated the reasons and Ji-ah never said, “If only I knew the names of the dead.”

In-bum seems to be the first person to understand that it issue wasn’t “spirit needles don’t work” but rather “you need need the names of EVERYONE who died at the same moment.” Then he meticulously recorded the exact time of death with data collected from first responders and survivors. (Ep. 15, 28:47) This might have been an impossible task in Josean times.

CONNECTING THE DOTS
In-bum’s discovery isn’t just happenstance. It’s a demonstration of a higher level of intelligence. Synthesizing new knowledge is really a superpower. Not everybody can do this—not consistently, anyway.


——————————————————————

POINT 2: And if our heroes could do it, then Ji-ah’s mom should’ve been able to do it too.

Ah, there’s the rub. Even if Mom understood she “only” had to know the names of all the dead—and I don't think she did—was it even possible for to get that information under those conditions?

Mom was essentially faced with the what philosopher Judith Jarvis Thompson dubbed the “TROLLEY PROBLEM.” Mom had just moments to make a momentous moral decision—should she extinguish one life in order to save many more? (Not to mention that she knew she was leaving her daughter behind, one way or another.)

Practically speaking there was no opportunity for Mom to figure out that the uncle’s act of arson created the egg spirit. And she would’ve had to confirm exactly who died when. There was no time.


———————————————————————————————


POINT 3: There’s no explanation of how exorcists can get possessed.

Yes, it’s a fair critique that SELL YOUR HAUNTED HOUSE is fuzzy on the mechanics or differences between “possession” and being “bewitched.”

After Ji-ah's water-soaked encounter with the sauna's vengeful spirit at the end of Ep. 5, she says to In-bum later, "If a vengeful spirit passes through my body, I fall into a deep fantasy against my will." (Ep. 6, 3:11) When she was underwater, Ji-ah was lucid for moment and realized she was bewitched (that was the word used by the Viki translator). Otherwise, it's unclear how those bewitchments are different—if at all—from the possessions In-bum experienced growing up.

At the very least, we know that both exorcists and mediums can be possessed. (Remember that Ji-ah also always wears a special necklace to protect against possession.) But I'm uncertain how those possessions differ, if at all.

@Mariaaa13 —You’ve raised some excellent points but I disagree that these are plot holes. While the show has been very conscientious in its world-building, it hasn’t revealed everything at once. My own understanding has come in spurts throughout the series.

Here’s my take on the elements you’ve identified as plot holes:

Agreed. There's so much attention paid to the OST with lyrics. But the instrumental tracks are even more important in setting the mood!

Ep. 15: The two words I uttered most were "No!" and "F*!"

Without giving the plot away, take note of the mechanics of the exorcism. What does Ji-ah write on the piece of paper she inserts in the exorcism awl? How might that text effect the function of the awl? You'll be rewarded later for your careful attention.

Ji-ah and her Mom are exorcists. In-bum and the other young men are mediums.

It isn't fully explained how the mechanics of yin/yang energy cancel each other out. It had been asked further down thread if it's the case with same-sex relationships. Would a gay medium still be required to be a virgin?

Unfortunately, the background music isn't available. It's a rare treat for shows like STRANGER, VINCENZO and CROWNED CLOWN to release their entire soundtrack, including background music.

I feel for Min Kyung. She's got a bit of baggage for sure but she's endured a great deal of trauma. She had a lot of great moments in Ep. 6: Her jealous reactions (gold!); her rebranding brainstorms in an imaginary taxi; her moments of vulnerability. She's kinda lovable—in a prickly way.

It's a relief, right? The first time I saw a k-drama cross-dressing character was one of the brothers in GRACEFUL FAMILY (2019). His characterization was half-baked and the writer clearly didn't know what to do with them. Blargh.

I see it on USA Netflix.