I just woke up one morning hearing a familiar Korean song. I know I must have heard it somewhere. No. I believe there was a time that I was closed-eyes, leaning my head in the dirty green wall of our house loosely holding the remote control of the 4-year old DVD player we have while hearing the closing theme song of a Korean TV series all so late at night. Its lead girl is someone who is too terrible not to miss when you finish watching it. I got up and stared at my in-process morning face in the mirror. I made a drift onto our TV and I saw that lovely girl again. Thanks to ABS-CBN, a lot of Filipinos will earn the same addiction I had with MY GIRLFRIEND IS A GUMIHO.

Before the 2010 December break, I accidentally opened a video on a unit at the primest Internet Cafe in the university. Since I heard it was a Korean song, I could have closed the video if that cute girl who got luminiscent tails did not show. She was even floating while a not-so good-looking man, who wasn't on his senses, was watching her. The girl was chased by another man holding a knife. The first guy (the not-so good-looking one) fell off a cliff. There was this blue stuff the girl was transferring to the guy who just passed out after the fall. Wow. My thoughts flew. What is this Korean TV Series? A action-packed supernatural adventure with gorgeous-looking creatures? Or a Twilight-like series which is a love triangle between people who are not normal? My questions were answered after I finished the almost 17-hour series. And the answer? It's cooler and more romantic. Something a person of my age bracket can easily relate too.

This is supposed to be a review but I won't handily flip all the details out. The story centers on a nine-tailed fox, or a Gumiho in their language, once trapped inside a painting. She wanted to be human before but rumours about gumihos eating human liver were all spread out. At his rebellious getting away from his grandpa, a guy named Dae Wong accidentally went to the temple where the painting was sealed. The gumiho threatened him. He was scared so he followed her instruction: drawing nine tails on the fox in the drawing. Thus, the gumiho was released.
Later, another accident took place. Dae Wong fell off a cliff. He could have died right there. But the gumiho, now on her human form, chose to help him by transferring the orb that would make Dae Wong recover. Dae Wong woke up perfectly fine. However, the Gumiho was already sticking to him. She did so because of her orb in Dae Wong's body. At first, Dae Wong rejected her but accepted her later after realizing he was vitally helped. He called her 'Mi Ho'. Then the story proceeds with Dae Wong trying to hide Mi Ho's identity as well as introducing her the modern world. Mi Ho later wanted to become a human. Dong Ju, another male character, half-supernatural being, told Mi Ho that Dae Wong should keep Mi Ho's orb for 100 days. The deal must be pure. No other girl should get close to Dae Wong in order not to disturb the process. That became a problem due to Noona, Dae Wong's crush who seemed antagonistic. Mi Ho felt death-defying pain on the 100-day process as she gradually loses her tails. However, it was revealed that Dong Ju did not disclose that Dae Wong has to die for Mi Ho to be fully human. How could this happen when all along, the monstrous mood-swinging relationship turned into lovely moments everyone can fall in love with? *Play any MYMP song here*. How did it end? Who died? Who was gone? I won't tell. I'd just say that their love has its own miracles.

I normally do not last watching a TV Series which isn't thrilling, action-filled or at least hugely humorous. This one is an exception. I learned character-centered subscription with the series, unlike my usual facial-judgment mode. I'm referring to the actor playing Dae Wong, I thought the series would not hit with him on the lead. I could feel deep to my bones his perfection for the role. He acted moderately, not overdoing facial expressions while maintaining the Korean way of I-know-you-will-love-me acting.

Talking about Shih Min Ah, the woman who plays Mi Ho's character, will make people who watched it talk endlessly about how adorable she is. Her histrionics slips nothing off. She's like an angel. Trapped in the painting for 500 years, she managed to convince audience that she's like a child waiting to be fed by knowledge. And love too.
She has super strength and when she uses it, she really captures viewer's laughs and adoration.

This TV series teaches about fighting someone you love who can't be accepted by the society. Love doesn't see forms, it only hears its mode of expression. And I learned too that "When you can't sleep at night without seeing someone who tells you they are sleep, you must be in love. Hoi hoi."


Trivia:
Lee Seung Ki was awarded Best Actor and Shih Min Ah Best Actress respectively at the 2010 SBS Drama Awards. And together, awarded as Best Couple Award by the same award-giving body.#