My Roommate is a Gumiho is about a college student (Hyeri) who accidentally swallows a gumiho’s (Jang Ki Yong) magic bead just as the gumiho was very close to becoming human. To make matters worse, if a human swallows a gumiho’s bead, they will die in one year.
Jang Ki Yong plays Shin Woo Yeo who is a 999 year old gumiho. Just as he approaches the time that he can finally become human, his magic bead is accidentally swallowed by a college student. As he works to find a way to retrieve it, he wants to keep her close, so he asks her to move in with him.
Hyeri is Lee Dam. She is the college student that swallows Woo Yeo’s magic bead. As she becomes aware of the situation, she agrees to move in with Woo Yeo. Then unexpectedly, she starts developing feelings for him.
We then have Kang Han Na as Yang Hye Sun. She is an old friend of Woo Yeo that used to be a gumiho but has recently become human. Next, we have Bae In Hyuk as Gye Sun Woo who develops one-sided feelings for Dam.
I’ve been really looking forward to the fantasy romantic comedy My Roommate is a Gumiho since it’s one of my favorite genres. Luckily, overall, it was a very solid and enjoyable drama.
I liked that the fantasy element with the gumiho mythology that was nicely woven throughout the story. We get things going right away with Jang Ki Yong and Hyeri having to move in together because his magical bead is stuck inside of her. That gives us a lot of nice interactions between them early on. That’s a big reason why I like cohabitation dramas.
The drama is fairly light with plenty of humor. Hyeri is very fun with great facial expressions as she reacts to her crazy new situation. And Jang Ki Yong plays a nice opposite to her with his more reserved demeanor. He definitely has his funny moments too though.
I liked Woo Yeo and Dam as a couple. Their opposite natures complimented each other. They also had a solid love story with the progression from misunderstandings, to interest, to love. And then they have several big obstacles they have to overcome in order to be together.
There are some darker elements sprinkled throughout the story. This is to be expected since Dam’s life is at risk as is Woo Yeo’s chance at becoming human. He also has a bit of a sad and lonely past that haunts him.
We get a really fantastic supporting cast in this drama too. I greatly enjoyed Dam’s friends Soo Kyung (Park Kyung Hae) and Jae Jin (Kim Do Wan). Soo Kyung was particularly hilarious, and Jae Jin gives us a nice secondary romance to enjoy (SPOILER: His relationship with Hye Sun was very cute and fun! END OF SPOILER)
I didn’t really find My Roommate is a Gumiho gripping, but I enjoyed every episode. The drama had such a classic feel to it that was very pleasant and easy to watch. It’s perfect for those like me that like the fantasy romantic comedy genre and want a solid story with a nice romance.
My Rating: 7.5/10
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