These leading ladies see dead people

WHO ARE YOU

Mondays and Tuesdays, 10pm

Channel M (StarHub Ch 874/ SingTel mio TV Ch 518)

Rating: 3/5

THE MASTER'S SUN

Final episode airs tomorrow, 8.55pm on Channel ONE (StarHub Ch 820/SingTel mio TV Ch 513)

Rating: 3.5/5

Paranormal activity has been at a high in kimchi dramaland of late.

See, the female leads of these two recent South Korean dramas possess the uncanny ability to see ghosts. But their penchant for helping spirits out is about the only thing both dramas have in common.

Romcom The Master's Sun offers light-hearted fare, following the budding love affair between the bumbling Tae Gong Shil (Gong Hyo Jin) and mall chief exec Joo Joong Won (So Ji Sub).

Now, having a ghostly presence in the couple's relationship made for pretty novel TV.

In one episode, for instance, Joo, who is too proud to give Tae a necklace himself, enlists the help of an "uncle" ghost, whose existence he is aware of through Tae. Amusingly, the spirit is permanently stationed next to a dustbin in the shopping mall.

A little lacking in the scares department, perhaps, but audiences lapped it up, with the drama having top ratings in South Korea.

On the other hand, crime thriller Who Are You has a darker feel from the start, when we meet undercover police officer Yang Si On (So Hi Hyun), who is knocked unconscious during a shoot-out.

Fast-forward six years, and Yang awakens from a coma with no memory of that night. What she does have, however, is a newfound ability - she can see dead people.

At her new job posting at the police force's lost-and-found department, she finds clues to crimes - often involving the dead - via the misplaced belongings.

Four episodes in, I've found that the scriptwriters have served up fast-paced and, more importantly, compelling crime cases.

But while Who Are You's storylines trump the often illogical plot of The Master's Sun, what's lacking is the natural chemistry between the lead actors.

Though Yang looks set to find solace in a younger colleague, Cha Gun Woo (Ok Taec Yeon of boy band 2PM), the pairing feels more like a sibling relationship rather than a romantic union.

Overall? Paranormal thrill-seekers, you're better off looking elsewhere.

nggwen@sph.com.sg

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