Sell Your Haunted House – Full Review
Welcome to Sell Your Haunted House – Full Review. An exorcist and medium team up to rid buildings of unwanted vengeful ghosts. If you haven’t watched this drama yet, I recommend checking out my unspoiled review here.
Sell Your Haunted House
♥ Aired: April 14 – June 9, 2021
♥# of Episodes: 16
♥Where to Watch: Viki
♥Genre: Mystery Thriller
♥Starring: Jang Na Ra and Jung Yong Hwa
The Story
Hong Ji Ah comes from a long line of female exorcists who have handed the skill down through the generations. She opens Daebak Realty where she removes vengeful ghosts before putting buildings on the market. Oh In Beom has made a living conning people into believing their homes are haunted. But when Ji Ah realizes he is actually a medium, she offers him a temporary job. And as they work together, they discover a shared history that could have a profound impact on both of their lives.
The Leads
Jang Na Ra as Hong Ji Ah
Hong Ji Ah comes from a long line of exorcists. But after a ritual goes wrong, her mother is killed and Ji Ah is forced to step up and take her mother’s place. She opens Daeback Realty so that she can couple her gift with revenue from building sales. But inside her own home, the ghost of her mother still wanders and Ji Ah is unable to send her on to the afterlife. When she meets Oh In Beom, she quickly realizes that his medium skills are “special”. He may be just the person to finally help her put her mother to rest. But In Beom also shares a tie to the night her mom died, and finding the truth about what really happened could drive a wedge between them.
Hong Ji Ah has had to be cold and tough her whole life. Witnessing her clients final memories is often heartbreaking and without proof, her cries for justice are often viewed as crazy. So she decides to not get involved with the personal stories of the people she helps. But in private she reveals the inner turmoil of her kind and sensitive spirit. Jang Na Ra was fantastic in this emotional role and I felt like the subtle comedy hit just right. And her enormous appetite and addiction to the home shopping network showed her frail, human side. Ji Ah’s difficult past and complex emotions allowed Jang Na Ra to dig deep into the character and push her acting to new limits.
Jung Yong Hwa as Oh In Beom
Oh In Beom is a conman who has mastered the art of deception. His latest operation involves convincing people that their house is haunted and providing the “equipment” to get rid of the ghost. But when his scheme overlaps with a real ghost case being handled by Hong Ji Ah, the two immediately collide. And when he is accidentally possessed by the ghost and later the ghost’s memories, Ji Ah offers him a temporary contract to work with her as a medium. As he works and spends time with Ji Ah, details of his uncle’s mysterious “suicide” begin to come to light and seem to somehow be connected to Ji Ah’s mother’s death. Now he will help Ji Ah find out what really happened to her mother in the hopes of shedding some light onto his own past.
Oh In Beom is charismatic and in control. Though most would see his occupation as unethical, he justifies his action by only scamming those who he says “deserve” it and can afford it. But when his job as a medium makes him live through the memories of the ghosts they encounter, he begins to see life from a new perspective. I love Jung Yong Hwa and it’s fun to see how much he has matured as an actor since starring in “You’re Beautiful”. I don’t know that this was his strongest role. It was a bit understated, especially when compared to the intense character of Ji Ah, but he did a nice job with the role as it was written and I enjoyed seeing him in this more grown up style drama.
Supporting Characters
Ahn Kil Kang as Do Hak Sung
Do Hak Sung is the villain of this drama. He is the chairman of Dohak Construction and he has gotten rich by taking advantage of the poor and giving and taking bribes wherever it could help him. He bribed In Beom’s uncle into setting a fire that killed some residents and then poisoned him so he couldn’t tell anyone the truth. Now he is trying to kick Ji Ah and her neighbors out of their businesses, so they can redevelop the area.
Kang Hong Suk as Heo Ji Cheol
Heo Ji Cheol is Ji Ah’s honorary “aunt”. She met Ji Ah’s mom, Mi Jin, when her mom helped send the ghost of Ji Cheol’s baby daughter away. Before Mi Jin’s death, she asks Ji Cheol to take care of Ji Ah. Now she serves as Daebak Realty’s office manager as well as Ji Ah’s maternal support. She knows the truth about Mi Jin’s death, but has hidden it from Ji Ah because she doesn’t want to see Ji Ah hurt by it.
Kang Mal Geum as Joo Hwa Jung
Joo Hwa Jung is In Beom’s best friend and “business” partner. When In Beom agrees to work with Ji Ah,he insists on bringing Hwa Jung as part of the deal. Hwa Jung’s specialty is computers and he puts his skills to work in his new job. He considers In Beom his only family, and the two are absolutely devoted to each other.
Things I Liked
♥ Villain “Demise”
It would have been easy to have Hak Sung arrested and thrown in prison, but this is a ghost drama after all. There is something much more satisfying about him suffering for eternity for his crimes. And in this case, even death was not final enough. Sealing his spirit in a box tucked away for safe keeping seems like the perfect punishment for this ultimate villain.
♥ Character Growth
I liked that none of our main cast are the same character at the end that they were in the beginning. Each one had their own story and growth. In Beom and Hwa Jung have left behind the grifter life to do something for the betterment of humanity. Ji Ah and Ji Cheol have finally put their pasts behind them and are recommitted to the job. And the four of them are working as a team but also living as a family. And each one has benefitted from their relationship with the others.
♥ Virgin Twist
It’s interesting that this drama presented the idea that In Beom must remain a virgin from the very beginning. It laid a good basis for why their romance never went beyond some sweet flirting and unexplored feelings. Sure, they could have found some random work-around, but I kind of liked how they left it. While romantic chemistry wasn’t much of a factor, I really enjoyed the close friend vibe these two put off. And I laughed out loud when the owner of the Blue Salt told In Beom to be honest about his feelings, so he went home and confessed his love to Hwa Jung, not Ji Ah.
Things I Didn’t Like
Blue Salt Owner
Who exactly was the Blue Salt Owner? I would have liked a bit more insight into how they found her and where their relationship started. Also, for an ability that is passed genetically, it would seem like a problem that she is living in the woods like a hermit with no heir in sight.
In Beom’s Wish
We see In Beom make a wish and tell Ji Ah that it’s a secret. This trope is nothing new in kdrama. But usually they come back around to reveal what that secret was. Otherwise, why bring it up at all. But we never actually hear what In Beom wished for. There are a couple obvious guesses having to do with him and Ji Ah, relationally or with their business, but it would have been nice if they had worked it back into the end of the story.
Egg Ghost
The egg ghost story worked well as an explanation of what happened to Mi Jin. But the case with the new victims and Do Hak Sung came and went without much real development, compared to the other cases. For them to just kind of stumble onto an answer that had evaded exorcists through history and then just wing it and hope for the best felt underwhelming. And while I loved the idea that Ji Ah was finally choosing her ability instead of it choosing her, I don’t think there was ever much question that she would get them back somehow.
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The Ending
“Sell Your Haunted House” has a nice ending that wraps up most of the storylines well. Do Hak Sung dies but his ghost possesses In Beom. Ji Ah traps them and performs the sealing ritual to bind Hak Sung’s ghost, so he will never harm anyone again. But this ritual has a serious side effect. Ji Ah has lost her ability to see or exorcise ghosts. Ji Ah finally realizes she is the one who has been holding her mom’s ghost here. Even without her abilities, In Beom helps her see her mom off safely. Ji Ah decides to go away until she can find a way to get her skills back. So Daebak Realty is temporarily closed down with an “on vacation” sign on the door. One year later, Ji Ah finally returns, and finds In Beom working in the records room. Later we see a new client pulling up outside, as the team welcome him with their usual questions about the property in question. And in the final scene, Ji Ah and In Beom are going to do a preliminary survey. But their system has been refined with ear pieces and the other half of the team on standby outside, in case back up is needed. Apparently business is alive and well again.
Should I Watch
“Sell Your Haunted House” is a supernatural mystery drama about a woman who gets rid of ghosts so a property can be sold by its owner. This one is dark and creepy without ever getting too gory. Each ghost comes with its own backstory that provides some heart to each episode. The dark, understated cinematography sets the right mood without feeling heavy handed. While romance is never a focal point, there are plenty of endearing relationships between the characters. This drama sets a nice balance between fantasy ghost stories and character driven plots. I give “Sell Your Haunted House” an 8 out of 10 ramen.
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I was on the fence. Your review has led me to add this drama to my NEL. Thanks!
Glad I could encourage you to give it a chance. I hope you like it as much as I did.