Supernatural elements in a kdrama can give a character an edge and they can certainly make a plot more interesting. It remains to be seen whether supernatural elements consistently provide a super boost to a drama's ratings. So far, one new drama, "I Hear Your Voice" is off to a pretty good start, with its opening episodes getting better ratings than the finale of its time slot competitor, "When A Man."
Supernatural elements in Kdrama are nothing new. Several dramas have employed them to good advantage.
When Yeon Jung Hoon played Mi Tae Yeon, the prosecutor-turned-vampire in "Vampire Prosecutor" and "Vampire Prosecutor 2," his character could solve crimes with supernatural abilities. He could sense the memories of crime victims by tasting their blood. But he was a vampire, so it was only natural that he had such abilities.
Gumihos or mythical nine-tailed foxes are a supernatural kdrama favorite. A gumiho was the leading character in the successful drama "My Girlfriend is a Gumiho." And Lee Seung Gi stars as a half-gumiho in "Gu Family Book." His monster daddy Koo Wol Ryung, played by Choi Jin Hyuk, also made quite an impression.
In "Arang and the Magistrate," Arang played by Shin Min Ah, was a ghost who needed to find out why she died before she could spend eternity at peace. Her spirited attempts got solid ratings.
However, those characters were born or transformed into creatures with supernatural abilities. The new drama, "I Hear Your Voice" and the upcoming drama, "The Master's Sun," feature human characters that have special abilities that could either be considered supernatural or place them in contact with the supernatural.
In "I Hear Your Voice," Lee Jong Suk plays Park Soo Ha, a high school student, who can hear other people's thoughts. This comes in handy for a legal team who is trying to solve cases that have already been considered unsolvable. The legal team, which stars Lee Bo Young as Jang Hye Sung and Yoon Sang Hyun as Cha Kwan Woo, takes on these tough criminal cases and Lee Jong Suk's supernatural ability gives them a chance at achieving justice.
"The Master's Sun," the series that will follow "I Hear Your Voice," also has a character with special abilities. In this drama, Gong Hyo Jin is Tae Kong Sil, a secretary who suddenly develops the ability to see and hear ghosts. She must convince her boss, greedy CEO Joo Jong Won, played by So Ji Sub, that she is not imagining things. It's not a pleasant ability to have as it keeps her awake at night.
Hopefully the horror/romantic comedy will make good use of her abilities and let her eventually get some sleep.
Do you have a favorite kdrama with supernatural elements? Since we can't read your minds, let us know.
