The plot

When I first read the plot of The Guest I wasn’t that interested because I tend not to like ghost storylines in K-dramas, but this drama proved me so wrong. As the plot was very intriguing throughout the entire show.

The Guest is about the tragic story of its three main leads who each suffer the loss of their loved ones through the hands of a mysterious and evil spirit by the name of Park Il-Do. the show follows their reunion as adults and their various attempts to finally put a stop to the powerful spirit that ruined their childhood.

The Guest maintained its quality and managed to capture my interest from start to finish. It never felt repetitive; even though when crime/mystery dramas have their main leads continuously trying to catch the villain it could get boring and draggy. This drama, on the other hand, always kept me on the edge of my seat and wanting to watch more.

The show is also filled with many twists and turns that will always keep you guessing. Fortunately, they all resolve with a satisfactory climax.

The Characters

Kim Dong-Wook as Yoon Hwa-Pyung

Kim Dong-Wook plays the role of a psychic from a shaman family who loses almost his entire family due to being possessed by the spirit of Park Il-Do. I really enjoyed watching Hwa Pyung’s character. He is both honest and upfront in his determination to catch Park Il-Do. Throughout the show, Yoon Hwa-Pyung is willingly prepared to risk everything in order to put a stop to the mindless crimes that occur because of the spirit of Park Il-Do. Hwa Pyung’s tragic childhood and his drive to protect others make him an incredibly likeable character that you cannot help but love and root for while watching the show.

Jung Eun-Chae as Kang Kil-Young

Kang Kil-Young is a detective who passionately helps the other two leads in their mission. Her character was really unique compared to the usual female lead. They wholly embraced the tomboy look and concept for her character. She always maintains the same hairstyle and pattern of darkish clothes, she even wore the same outfit for the first three episodes of the drama. Like Hwa Pyung, Kang Kil-Young has a tragic backstory that motivates her to help catch the bad guy. Her character, while a tsundere, is kind-hearted and caring.

Kim Jae-Wook as Choi Yoon

The last of the three main leads, Choi Yoon is a priest who helps Hwa Pyung and Detective Kang Kil-Young in their quest to put a stop to Park Il-Do. Played by Kim Jae-Wook, it was interesting to see the actor in a role of a goody-two-shoes priest who strictly follows the rules that have been set out for him. The character of Choi Yoon can get a bit frustrating to watch, as he has trouble communicating with the other two characters and is more isolated from them in that sense. However, his calm and mature aura complements the fiery spirit and the recklessness of Hwa Pyung and Kang Kil-Young.

The chemistry

The chemistry between all three leads is one of the highlights of the drama. Each of the main leads have a different edge to their character, this fed into their mistrust and rejection of one another in the beginning half of the show. These feelings of mistrust of course gradually lead to the growth of a relationship based on understanding and reliance. All three characters share a deeply traumatic experience due to their fateful encounter in the past. But instead of despising each other, they channel their pain towards helping others. There is no limit to how far they would go for one another, despite being almost strangers .

The writing

The Guest is very well-written. It does what it sought to do masterfully; it baits the viewers but keeps their attention and focus. The events all make sense, the twists are not predictable, and eventually everything falls into place beautifully. The Guest starts out with an amazing pilot (seriously one of the best that I’ve ever seen. Movie-level good), maintains a steady quality in the middle, and ends with an amazing set of episodes. I usually have a hard time finishing K-dramas, so I was surprised to see for the first time a show that picks up in the final half; rather than completely falls apart. The ending of The Guest was particularly interesting because it felt that the writer couldn’t decide between a happy or a sad ending so she kind of did both. Depending on preference, you could appreciate each ending differently. Although it didn’t make the final episode feel disjointed or disconnected.

Wow factors

Park Il-Do’s backstory is really fascinating. It raises questions about the source of evil and its existence within everybody. Park Il-Do uses the vulnerability and despair within his victims’ hearts in order to tempt them into committing murder. Whether the evil spirit is entirely to blame for this, or whether it exists because of the inner darkness of people is one of the main concerns of The Guest; particularly in the relationship between Park Il-Do’s inherent evil and Hwa Pyung’s own goodness and innocence.

The revelation behind a lot of plot points is both surprising and thought-provoking. The Guest ends up aspiring for something higher than just what it offers on the surface.

The dynamic between the three characters is definitely one of the highlights of the show.

Rewatchability

I am in love with this drama and will definitely be rewatching it again. It was actually really hard to get over it, it left a big impact on me even after it was over. That’s how good it was.

Ost

Somewhere by O3ohn is the standout track for me. Although the entire OST is great.

Grade

9.0/10

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4 out of 5.

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