I’ll preface this by saying that newly arrived tvN Wed-Thurs romance fantasy drama My Roommate is a Gumiho is not a quality drama in any respect. Not writing, directing, or acting, and yet it’s my newest drama crack. Like, I love it! It’s so flimsy, low-budget, and ridiculously watchable. The first episode actually got high premiere ratings of 5.282% but clearly K-drama watchers understand this one isn’t winning any awards and episode 2 dropped a whole percent to 4.279%. So why do I like it? Leads Jang Ki Yong and Hyeri have chemistry, not tear your clothes off sexual chemistry but that true love calling sweet chemistry that K-drama casting agents dream about. They are so complementary in both character personality and acting style, he’s the underacting gumiho and she’s the overacting college student. I love that the drama gets all the misunderstandings (he’s going to eat her!) and broad physical comedy (toilet jokes!) out of the way because all I need is these two hanging out and getting to know each other. It also helps that she needs him frequently not because she’s useless but because that darn gumiho bead runs havoc on her physical state. All the side characters are thus far wasted and good for exposition and plot development but there is potential and I hope the drama utilizes it. I also get a kick out of how low budget this drama looks, when Woo Yeo turned into a gumiho he was like 20 feet tall and the grade school special effects had me cackling. I’m sure the source material webtoon borrowed copiously from plenty of dramas and stories out there on supernatural being + human romance but it works in this go-around because I like how simple it feels to see two chemistry-laden leads spark and spend time together.
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I didn’t see this on Viki or Netflix. Where can you watch?
You can find it on iQIYI.
I enjoyed it, too! 100% everything you wrote. It’s no masterpiece, not even close. But it was silly and a LOT of fun and everything I was looking for in DAYS which that drama didn’t deliver.
Ratings-wise, I think it’s doing good. As far as I know, the leads aren’t huge stars. And its ratings + the drop are still higher so far than the ratings of DAYS (4%, 3% and dropping) with bigger stars and bigger budget.
Kinda weird that tvN is airing two supernatural-human romance dramas around the same timeframe. I see a few similarities between both dramas, actually. Examples: cohabitation, skinship for a valid reason, death timeline. But between the two, Roommate is the more enjoyable drama for me.
Yes, it finally posted!
Ooooh yayayay, let’s enjoy Gumiho Roomie together for the exact same reasons! I also HATE Doom at Your Service and wonder if I should post about why it sucks so bad….
Please do ma’am. I’m also hate watching it atm & re-writing scenarios in my head. Sorry for intruding. Thank you kindly.
Yes please because being bad is one thing but being pretentious is another!
I didn’t watch DAYS after ep 2 because I found it tonally so weird and meh, but I would welcome a post because my last thought at the end was “I’m bored”…
DAYS is trying too hard to be profound when it is anything but that. I don’t know how it has 8.8 on MDL because it is not even close to that level.
MDL is more about popularity than quality. From the viewer comments I’ve read so far, they’re also baffled at such a high rating for such a mediocre drama. Given how shallow the audience can be, I daresay those who rated it so high only did it for visuals. ‘Who cares about plot when Oppa is so hot’ type of reasoning. Tragic.
Please TB had 9.1 ratings at one point and Sisyphus was 8.5. Wait till the drama ends then the ratings will come crashing down as more people vote and not just the fans.
The dialogue for Doom is by far the worst thing that has ever been written. Super long sentences that make no sense and I doubt it’s being lost in translation. The chemistry is flat for the mains while the side characters have more chemistry but are completely disconnected from whatever is happening in the main plot.
@LOL – not about SIG here but that mentality surrounding certain “oppas” and a few “unnies” is so freaking tiring. They take any and all criticism so personally and throw tantrums over “haters” (we’re criticising the drama/acting, not your fave’s personality, damn). You see it with every Kim Eun Sook or big name’s drama.
Here to provide a bit of balance in regards to criticizing a drama’s weakness. One can condemn the writing, uneven pacing, sloppy editing, horrible dialogue, pretentiousness, poor characterization, poor acting, lack of chemistry etc but to label fans who like the drama as shallow smacks of arrogance & disrespectful of other fan’s personal tastes & preferences. Fans are not here to judge it for the Oscars or Bafta’s performance level. We all know k-dramas’ standards are pretty low nowadays. I’m sure some of you and the blogger of this site have loved some really bad dramas that others hate so going by these criteria she and the rest are shallow as well. Let’s agree to disagree and move on graciously without putting down the fans who like DAYS. I think it’s fair to give assessments without being too proud of our own opinions & standards. Different people different choices.
Well said. Most commenters here hate SIG & are waiting to pounce on Doom even before it airs. They are smart enough not to attack SIG personally so they hit fans who like the show where it hurts by calling us shallow, etc. The other haters will come in full force once a Doom post gets put up by koala.
@proud to – speaking as a DAYS “hater”, I just want to say that I was really rooting for it to be good because I’m a fan of both Seo In Guk and Park Bo Young, unfortunately the first 2 eps just didn’t work for me even though the actors are good and cinematography is beautiful (especially the shots inside Myeolmang’s house).
If people say it improves in upcoming eps, I would be happy to give it another chance but right now I just don’t think it’s worth that 2 hours a week for me. I also disagree with calling fans of the show names for liking it btw, even if I duslike it myself.
@proud to like days
How do you automatically conclude people here hate SIG when no one’s even mentioned his name? That’s your ‘oppa insecurity’ showing. People are criticizing the weak writing and prententious plot and you immediately jump to conclusion that they hate SIG? Did he write the drama? And are there even recent posts about him on this site? I don’t know about other ‘haters’ but he’s definitely not on my radar. Go to MDL, DB, Asianwiki for starters, the viewer feedback is polarizing there, too. Not just on here.
And to @Kelly
I’ve read a LOT of viewers admit the show is terrible but they’re only sticking with it for the ‘visuals’ or the ‘pretty’ or for ‘oppa’ and they proudly admit they’re shallow. And FYI, SIG is not the only oppa in the show. Don’t you be arrogant. If you and @proud are not one of those fans sticking around for oppa or rating the show high just for visuals, why are you getting triggered? Insecure, much? That’s on y’all. I can’t help y’all with that. Go sort your own sh/t out.
@blue
PREACH! I’ve seen those oppa-worshipping comments. They don’t say anything about the show, just lusty praise for the oppas in it. And if they themselves admit they’re shallow with a capital S, why can’t others call them shallow? I bet that Kelly and @proudtobeanoppalover are among those commenters. That’s why they’re shooting at the hip, because they feel attacked. Hahahahahaha.
Welcome to international Hallyu fan culture where loving dramas is not about the dramas. But whether you salivate over who acted in it. And so that drama is a masterpiece only because your fave is in it. And any viewer who dares criticize the show (because they’re not allowed to criticize) is instantly a hater. Specifically a hater of the oppa of their (wet) dreams. Hahahahahahahaha
@Kelly @proud, go to Soompi to play. This site is not for you. Plenty of supporters there, hehehe. All very polite & moderated.
@blue, I have replied. My comment came up below. Thank you for responding to my earlier comment.
@Royal We, I know you are not a hater. Lol. Thank you for your feedback. I dislike the writing so far but I really like the OST & cinematography. I’m sticking around for a few more episodes to see where it goes coz I’m interested in the second leads’ storyline. I will give my final judgement after the whole drama ends.
Blast, my first comment didn’t post.
To add to my first comment that’s still not posting, I love Kang Ha-na’s character here! She’s smoking hot and a bit obtuse as opposed to the cold and smartypants In-jae. I want to see more of her. I like the drama because it’s not pretending to be profound or deep or high quality. Unlike *cough* DAYS *cough* Also, they did good by getting the supernatural backstory out of the way early. Unlike *cough* DAYS *cough* that kept it mysterious and wound up confusing and/or losing a lot of viewers. I wonder though if there’s enough story to stretch for 16 episodes. Ah well, I’m still onboard to find out.
What is DAYS?
Ok i got it
Just finished EP2 and I’ve fallen even HARDER for this drama! Still laughing at all the comedy. Rolling on the floor? “This is not about my image. This is about privacy of my intestine and human dignity.”? Hehe. I LOVE their soft ‘getting to know each other moments’. And I’m calling it now, that sunbae is gonna fall HARD for her.
That cliffhanger! Why does the bead turn blue at random? What did they mean by he already knows how to get it out of her? As in kill or harm her? If not, why hasn’t he gotten it out already?
Hyeri is lovable. And Jang Ki-Yong is jjang! Lol. Can’t wait for next week!
I did not have high hopes for this one especially because I really liked what I read of the webtoon (especially the female main character) so I’m glad it’s at least an entertaining watch so far. Not a fan of Hyeri either but it makes sense based on the roles she was previously successful that she’d be able to step up for this type of role in particular.
I’m not in the mood for darker kdramas AT ALL, i’ve been watching enough western shows like that and needed something like this! I’ve actually been watching older rom-coms recently, been missing them so much lately.
I’m pretty sure the drop in ratings wasn’t because Kdrama watchers realized it was “bad” because Mouse which aired right before this in the same time slot had basically the same drop (4.9% to 4%) in its first two episodes, and it had more hype and a better budget than this drama. If episode 3’s ratings drop further then yeah it’s a worry but otherwise the ratings are fine.
I totally agree with u,i really like this drama. Recently no dramas make me laugh hahaha. But this one is so funny, i even like the supporting ml and fl interactions. Covid days need more this drama genre.
Totally agree with Koala about the first two episodes. It’s no masterpiece but i enjoyed the first 2 episodes so much. I laughed so hard when Hyeri’s character rolled on the floor to avoid her tiger senior. Her character here reminds me of Deok Sun from her Reply drama, rather dorky but Ernest & adorable ,and I think that works well for Hyeri, otherwise I tend to find her acting annoying. I checked this drama out for JKY, boy has so much good looks and talent, and I’ll definitely stick around for more. Just hope it doesn’t go down the drains as the series progresses.
I just re-watched the first two episodes again and it’s even better the second time around! I was squealing like a stuck pig at the end of episode 2, we know she’s probably the reincarnation of his lost love from long ago and he’s just been in stasis and this is totally going to get both of their destinies flexed finally. THIS IS WHAT I WATCH K-DRAMAS FOR!
Also, Jang Ki Yong is so ridiculously good looking with sublimely relaxed acting here it’s like silk on skin watching him onscreen. Hyeri is adorable and I love her avoiding the playboy senior and just trying so darn hard to keep some semblance of dignity in her cohabitation.
Oh I enjoyed the webtoon and love the female character. I’m going to check this out, seems like it will be as entertaining as the original material.
I wasn’t even going to check this out because of Hyeri but I did after this post and love it !
After one episode, Jang Ki Yong has become my favorite gumiho ever. This guy just nails every role he gets, I shall not doubt you again, JKY !
I also drop Doom after first episode despite rooting for Seo In Guk. Glad that this drama has worked out for me.
Absolutely! I was surprised by their chemistry. I found myself laughing and enjoying the cheesiness of these two. Hyeri is nailing her role. To be honest, I thought I would get annoyed by her acting. But, no. She is gold here.
Hyeri is so good with this kind of role so this really fits her genre of acting.
Happy to see that i’m not the only one that find DAYS annoying , i dropped even if i like SIG , 2nd time for PBY to be in a mess after Abyss . After reading all the comments, i’m going to watch this drama . Imitation is not bad at all too . After , Beyond evil, Mouse and Taxi i was looking for something light .
DaYS spells SLOW drama. What happened to PBYs acting. This and Abyss are dramas I really have a hard time to finish.
Byw,But still PBY is so beautiful. She isn’t aging. Am not a fan of SIG but he delivers his character good.
Abyss was just terrible imo. Such a waste of PBY.
I prefer Doom, the actors are way better! I don’t think Hyeri is better, she’s still overacting. Kang Hanna is funny in this role, it’s sad she’s the second lead, again…
Actors are better in days, but writing/story isn’t. I really love Park Bo Young but I am struggling to finish an episode.
Hyeri is still ott but her ott acting is serving this drama well. Story is funnier and fast paced, unlike days that is a snoozefest.
Totally agree, May! ?
Doom is not a comedy and the subject is more complicated. But the point is good actors can make me forget the weakness when Hyeri can’t.
Hyeri is really fun to watch in the comedy scenes, her voice is what it is but I appreciate that she commits to the goofy faces she has to make and doesn’t try to look “pretty”.
Her crying scenes are still bad (and you know there will be more “emotional” scenes before this drama is done) but for this type of slapstick comedy role, she’s ok and she has decent enough chemistry with Jang Ki Yong to make this worth the watch (at this moment, I’m actually enjoying watching her more than him).
@Sayaris, thanks for liking DAYS. Looks like you are the only one here. Must be lonely. Here to cheer you on. 99% commenters on this site hate DAYS but international fans on tvn’s YT channel seem to love it so much. English subs are provided for some BTS vids. One is so popular it has already passed 700K views. I can see it doing well if it airs on Netflix later on. Anyways, even if the whole drama is horrible, I’m happy SIG is making his comeback. Looking forward to Pipeline & Wolf Hunting.
@Sayaris is not the only lonely viewer in need of cheering. I’ve seen the negative feedback on DB. They’re way harsher there than here. And those who like the show there need your cheering more.
You’re a SIG fan? Hahahahaha. No wonder you’re so defensive. No one knows or gives a damn about your oppa. Most viewers are watching for PBY and LSH. FYI, this isn’t the SIG show.
All dramas are subject to viewer feedback and opinion, whether positive or negative. We don’t have to like a show just because you do. And as viewers who invested time to watch a show, we’re free to praise or criticize it all we want. If you like the ‘horrible’ drama just because you worship SIG, that’s your prerogative. But don’t expect everyone else to worship him too. That’s very narrow-minded, shallow and arrogant of you.
Thanking a viewer for liking a drama???? How pathetic this SIG stan Kelly is. If a viewer likes the drama, they like the drama. Who are you to thank them for liking it? And why should you thank them? Are you the writer? A member of the production team? Part of the cast? You work at the network? Who are you, exactly? Some i-fans like the BTS videos, so what? Is that extraordinary? And nothing flops on Netflix so of course it would do well there. Doesn’t mean it’s a quality drama. So many terrible K-dramas and K-movies do well on Netflix. Doesn’t make them quality works. Put your pom-poms down, kid.
Put down your pom-poms, kid. How pathetic a stan are you to thank a viewer for liking a drama. Are you the writer? A member of the production team? Part of the cast? You work at the network? Who are you, exactly? Some i-fans like the behind-the-scenes videos? So what? Is that extraordinary? Nothing flops on Netflix, so of course it would do well there. Doesn’t mean it’s a quality drama. So many terrible K-dramas and K-movies do well on Netflix. Doesn’t make them quality works. Go fly a kite, bambino.
Woaah, this comment section is heating up. Half of them here are not even about Gumiho. Lol. All the name-calling & mudslinging is gold. Please koala, please, please do a Doom post.
The worse thing is not being talked about at all. Warring fans here are giving it such a publicity boost for tvn, good or bad. Lol. Getting ready for round 2 in Doom Fight Club. This is more entertaining than the drama itself.
I suddenly miss adyjunjihyun, Lai Pei Yee, jcw & others whose names I forgot. Where are they? Lol.
You mean Vannishing? She’s really good with her comments too!
I have to add Joane. She’s gold too.
All the name calling just proved my point. I never once said everyone should like the drama the way I do neither do I worship ML or have wet dreams of my oppa. I have also never mentioned ML’s name in my first comment because it’s not about him. I only mention his name to Sayaris in a separate comment bcoz I thought she’s a fellow fan & gave her an acknowledgement which is within my rights as this is a public blog after all. @blue, if I have offended you with the words arrogant & disrespectful, I apologize for it. If I come across as attacking you personally, that’s also not my intention. My point is to respect people who like the drama and also those who don’t like it. If you think I’m shallow for liking the drama bcoz of ML, then so be it. To those who like & dislike the drama because of various reasons & share about them, good on you. Good day.
@Sayaris Kang Hanna is so delightful in this drama, the leads are fine together but she’s the best actor in it. This is the first time I’ve seen her do comedy, and I’m loving it, she really has the skills.
For the first time, I agree with you koala! I don’t think I have watched a kdrama in recent times which made me crack so hard lol. It is seriously funny, have so many ironical dialogues, ( like those innuendos with phrases) , and the way that the plot is so ridiculous that the girl starts living with a gumiho like two minutes after meeting him, but the drama is well utilizing the cliches haha. I think the total credit goes to the webtoon, cause it seems to be so well written! The character of Lee Dam really suits hyeri and I also agree that she has an awesome chemistry with jang ki yong’s character! And oh, that scene where she avoided the second lead when he was trying to save her, hahaha, that was really hilarious. I also love the side characters like her friend who was so wasted. Seems like he is going to have a love line with the other gumiho/woman. Can’t wait for the next episode!