My Girlfriend is a Gumiho
My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, like Wednesday's featured drama You're Beautiful, was written by the famed Hong sisters. The Hong sisters are magical drama wizards, and it's a safe bet that any one of their dramas will be enjoyable. Don't know what to watch? Check out a Hong sisters joint. You'll probably love it! With that endorsement out of the way, let me tell you a little about My Girlfriend is a Gumiho.
My Girlfriend is a Gumiho is the story of Dae Woong, a student at an action school who hopes to become the next Jet Li or Jason Statham or whoever. (I thought "action school" was some kind of joke, but in Secret Garden Ra Im teaches at an action school, so I guess it's a real thing. Stunt people have to come from somewhere, right?) Dae Woong ends up accidentally releasing a gumiho from an ancient painting by drawing in her nine tails. Oh, a gumiho is a mythical nine-tailed fox that, as folklore tells us, feasts on human livers. Sounds like great girlfriend material, eh? Dae Woong ends up getting in a terrible accident that would have killed him, were it not for the gumiho, who gives him her "fox bead" that allows him to live. But, since he has her bead, the gumiho won't leave Dae Woong's side. Dae Woong isn't eager to have a gumiho sidekick, but he's afraid that she'll eat his liver, or the liver of someone else, thus revealing her true identity.
Dae Woong gives her the name Gu Mi Ho (get it?) and the two become unlikely companions. Mi Ho has always wanted to become human, but she couldn't get a husband because of the whole liver eating rumor. Plus she's been trapped in a painting for 500 years. Mi Ho finds out that she can become human by keeping her fox bead inside a human for 100 days, and that person cannot be romantically involved with anyone but her for those 100 days. Her bead is already in Dae Woong, so she just has to convince him to keep it. He's impressed with the bead's healing powers, which are useful to an action star, and agrees to keep the bead. The only problem is, unbeknownst to Mi Ho, if she wants to become human she must take back the bead after the 100 days, and Dae Woong must die. Bummer.
Dae Woong and Mi Ho have a complicated relationship. Not only is she a mythical nine tailed fox, but she's also constantly craving meat (which Dae Woong must get for her ASAP if he doesn't want her chomping any livers), she basically sexually harasses Dae Woong on a regular basis, and Dae Woong is forever trying to keep Mi Ho's true identity a secret. But of course, these two crazy kids end up falling for each other. Too bad about that whole one of them has to die thing.
The best part of My Girlfriend is a Gumiho is Mi Ho herself. She's SO adorable. This character could probably have been too saccharine-cute or just plain dumb if portrayed by another actress, but Shin Min Ah strikes a perfect balance between cute, naive, and liver-eating scary. Mi Ho has so many quirks that make the character interesting and entertaining, and it's fun to see Shin Min Ah take on those characteristics and make them her own. Here, just watch this clip. Ado-ra-ble. (There are no subtitles, but all you need to know is that she's saying she really, really, really likes him and then attempts to do finger guns.)
The other thing that sets Mi Ho apart as a character is that she's a woman who knows what she wants, sex-wise, and isn't afraid to go for it. This is a HUGE departure from almost every other female character in dramas, who are always shy, 25 year olds that have never been kissed, and are afraid of their boyfriends coming near them. How nice and different to see Mi Ho openly express affection for Dae Woong, and even blatantly ask him if he wants to "mate." You go, Mi Ho!
My Girlfriend is a Gumiho is an all around great drama. I know I've raved about her, but Mi Ho is probably in my top three drama characters of all time. She's an adorable badass. A shining star, if you will, in a show that already shines.
Pronunciation: Sorry, this one I say like a normal. The show is also called My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox, but I like the alliterative nature of Gumiho Girlfriend. Oh! I call it Gumiho Girlfriend! I guess that counts.
My Girlfriend is a Gumiho: Free on Hulu or DramaFever