Korean drama dvd: Arang and the Magistrate, english subtitle

 

The drama is based on famous folklore.

A nobleman named Kim Eun Oh (Lee Joon Ki) comes to town searching for his mother after hearing a rumor that she is staying at the village of Miryang. He has the special ability to see spirits, but pretends he doesn’t because he gets annoyed when spirits come up to him asking for a favor.

Arang (Shin Min Ah) has lost all her memories when she became a ghost and is unable to rest in peace until she finds out how she ended up dead. However, after appearing to three magistrates, none of them survive the fright of seeing her. When she finds out that Eun oh is able to see her, she begs for his help.

At first, Eun Oh rejects her request. However he changes his mind after seeing that Arang is somehow in possession of the hairpin that he gave his mother at their last meeting. He believes that if he helps her, Arang will regain her memories and give him information about his mother. He exasperatedly (then affectionately) nicknames her “Amnesia” and as the town’s newly installed magistrate, he teams up with her to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death, which may involve the mysterious nobleman Joo Wal (Yun Woo Jin) and have supernatural ramifications.

As Eun Oh and Arang gradually unravel the mystery behind her death, they find out the events that have been set in motion have been a trap of the Jade Emperor, in his attempt to capture a rogue Fairy of Heaven who feeds on human souls. The gods cannot touch her as long as she is in a human body. Arang and Eun Oh’s participation in the events is crucial because this Fairy also happens to be the sister of Moo Young, the Grim Reaper of Hades, who cannot forget the love he once bore for his sister and is unable to bring her to justice. It is later revealed that the Jade Emperor saved Eun Oh as a child from a deadly sickness, resulting in his ability to see spirits. He also set Arang free from the bonds of the Grim Reaper after her death, thereby making her a spirit who roams the earth. In this game of supernatural stakes, Arang and Eun Oh who fall in love gradually have to pay the price because Arang has only three full moons in which to solve the mystery of her death and defeat their enemy…(Source)

Lee Joon Ki as Kim Eun Oh
Shin Min Ah as Arang / Lee Seo Rim
Yun Woo Jin as Choi Joo Wal

Hwang Bo Ra as as Bang Wool
Kwon Oh Joong as Dol Swe
Han Jung Soo as Moo Young
Yoo Seung Ho as King of Heaven
Park Joon Gyu as King of Hell
Kim Yong Gun as Noble man Choi
Kang Moon Young as Lady Seo / Hong Ryun / Moo Yeon
Kim Kwang Gyu as Lee bang
Noh Hee Ji as heaven fairy
Im Joo Eun as Moo Yeon (Moo Young’s sister)
Lee Sang Hun as Hyung Bang
Min Seong Wook (민성욱) as Ye Bang
Kim Min Jae (김민재) as Geo Deol
Song Jae Ryong (송재룡) as Kim Seo Bang
Lee Yong Yi (이용이) as Lee Seo Rim’s housekeeper

Yoon Do Hyun as former magistrate of Miryang (ep 1)
Jung Soo Young as Bang Wool’s client (ep 1)
Im Hyun Sik as ghost (ep 2)

Producer: Yoo Hyun Jong
Director: Kim Sang Ho, Jung Dae Yoon
Screenwriter: Jung Yoon Jung

- This is Lee Joon Ki’s comeback project after mandatory military service and the first historical drama of Shin Min Ah’s career.

- This drama was postponed from July 25th to August 15th due to London Olympics