It’s been a BANGER of an summer drama season so far in 2023. I am spoiled lol but appreciate every moment of it. Last week fantasy romance drama See You in My 19th Life ended its consistently plotted 12-episode run and this week SBS horror drama Revenant also wrapped with just 12-episodes. Revenant was my Fri-Sat backburner addiction, I relished every episode but it didn’t emotionally hook me to write about it. It probably was the Kim Tae Ri show, she put on another expansive and nuanced performance and brought this slow burn story to life. Oh Jung Se was surprisingly just okay or maybe it was his character and he did the best he could, for once he didn’t blow me away like he normally does. Hong Kyung also took his breakout role and ran with it and definitely made his mark. I was heartbroken over the story of how extreme poverty and extreme greed collided to result in the death of two young girls and turning one into the so-called Evil Ghost/Demon/Devil of this tale. The drama is definitely worth watching but if you go in with too high of an expectation it may not deliver the scares you expect but the journey ends in a satisfying way.
The drama’s pretty good but it lost some logic towards the end. I don’t get how they are able to kill the ghost just by only burning her finger when the shaman had already said that you need the 5 items, the ghost’s name AND destroy the ghost’s finger in order to kill the ghost.
With that said, it was still a satisfying watch for some scare thrills. It seems that we only have Korean dramas to deliver us good modern horror stories nowadays, as China bans ghosts and fantasy for modern dramas. I wish Taiwan can step up their game a bit, take advantage of the void left by Chinese dramas and venture into these niche genres.
And some actions are so logic defying for a moment I was hoping the ghost will win. But the ending is good. Acting is good too except too much heavy shrieks breathing and a professor who doesn’t look like professor.
When Kim Tae Ri’s character, Sanyeong, finally chose to live according to her own will, she was able to defeat the ghost.
The ghost was using her victims’ weaknesses against them from the beginning.
They wanted greed and power.
That’s why the ghost told Sanyeong that the latter was different from them (the scene where the ghost hugged her from the back).
Moreover, remember in the scene where Sanyeong was running and being dragged around by the “ghost” under the green hue?
She could have succumbed to the ghost and die afterward.
However, she chose to fight for her life. Hence, the scene where she controlled the ghost this time.
Even if life has always been difficult for her and her mother, she still chooses to live.
The flashback scene showed that the one dragging her around was herself.
She realized that she has to live according to her will this time. She chose to live, instead of suicide.
They already found the five items and knew the juvenile ghost’s name (Lee Hyangi).
The finger was the last item needed to be burned after securing the five items.
Oh Jung Se (actor) placed and sealed the items on the locations where the victims died.
Five items:
Hair accessory, clay pot, rubber, jade hairpin, oil paint
The drama only showed 3 items sealed though. And the way they depicted it, each item after being sealed actually became a tool for the ghost to trap/kill Sanyeong instead.
It doesn’t make sense to me that the ritual for the “owner” of the ghost to kill off the ghost actually gives the ghost more control over the “owner’s” body with each item found, and then gives the ghost a tool to trap/kill the “owner” with each item sealed before the “owner” can perform the final part of the ritual which is burning the ghost’s finger.
It would make more sense if one part of the ritual on the instructions paper had been altered by Haesang’s grandma. For example, perhaps the correct way is to read the ghost’s name aloud when the person seals the 5 items, but by changing it to burning the name on a paper, it becomes another ritual which gives power to the ghost instead.
If i understood correctly, there are two methods of getting rid of the evil spirit: the 5 items + name ritual to seal the evil spirit, OR burning the finger to get rid of the evil spirit for good (in case the spirit took over the host completely). What they didn’t bother to explain was how the 5 items ritual can backfire and allow the evil spirit to take over completely (obv none of the characters knew either since they were unsure what happened
As someone who usually avoids Horror genre this one made me watch. Maybe the horror isnt as horror but the mystery element was good. The acting was really good, fast becoming a Kim Tae Ri fan. Theres some issues and small loopholes in the story but overall its an interesting 12episodes. Worth watchin if you havent.
Pingback: SBS Fri-Sat Horror K-drama Revenant Concludes Brisk and Tense 12-episode Run with Satisfying Ending - MOCHiPOP
For anyone who has seen The Guest, is Revenant better or not?
Revenant is not as scary but still a good drama imo. The guest first ep is still my fave first ep for a horror drama.
Thanks Raki!
I enjoyed both The Guest and Revenant. The Guest is straight up horror (if you like demonic possession dramas) while Revenant has less horror/supernatural elements (i dont have to close my eyes and there are less jump scares). I enjoyed Revenant as i am intrigued by the ghost’s backstory, the shamanism element (i feel that this is not well represented in Korean dramas) and how the characters work to destroy the ghost. Overall, as Koala said, this was the Kim Tae Ri show. She has always been good but imo she’s phenomenal here!