The Haunted Palace EP1 – a quick review because Holy Sheeyut, this K-drama is surprising

NOTE: There are quite a few spoilers for Episode 1 so — read at your own peril.

The Haunted Palace, Episode 1 premiered on SBS last night to superb ratings. Ratings that were even higher than its extremely popular predecessor Buried Hearts, which aired in the same time slot.

I watched the first episode of the Korean supernatural romance drama early this morning and, around 50 minutes, I was wondering if it was even worth finishing.

The plot seemed average, and some of the performances are a little over-the-top (Kim Ji Hoon, who I normally love, I am talking to you).

Throw in I wasn’t a fan of Yun Gap (the character played by Yook Sung Jae, and someone who is quite bland), and the only character who did seem interesting (dragon Gang Cheol, played by Kim Young Kwang) was apparently a cameo appearance that ran its course before Episode 1 even ended.

Or so I thought.

So, with 20 minutes left to watch, it was honestly a toss-up if I would bother.

Thankfully, I decided a few more minutes wouldn’t kill me and, Holy Sheeyut, if you are struggling to finish The Haunted Palace, Episode 1 like I was, can I just say struggle no more.

Because the final 10 minutes are more, more, more than worth it.

What makes The Haunted Palace look like it may be an epic drama?

While the set up for what is to come takes longer than I would have liked, the pay-off is one of the biggest twists I have seen in a Korean drama in a while.

Not because the twist is unexpected (it’s not really), but that Yook Sung Jae’s performance during the last few minutes of that twist is astounding as he goes from a milk toast guy who is too nice and honorable to be real, to someone who… well, let’s just say, might just end up playing the role even better than Kim Young Kwang — the first person who played it.

The way his facial expressions, body language, voice timber and manner of speaking become markedly different than the first three quarters of the episode as he suddenly turns into Gang Cheol, the dragon.

So much so, he is almost a Master Class in fully embodying the character you portray.

The way earlier in the episode Bona who, up until now and as much as I like her, has been an average actress, suddenly has skills that have her changing from a quiet, unassuming and somewhat insipid woman, to morphing into stubborn incarnate as she refuses to allow Gang Cheol to manipulate her.

While, when she takes on a ghost, she will happily whip their ass with nothing more than a rosemary switch ripped from a tree, and then body slam them up against the wall if that’s what it takes to defeat them.

The way the Korean drama changes from a typical melodramatic period piece that seems predictable to one that, only a few minutes before it’s first episode ends, is suddenly telling a much different story than you first thought.

The way the badly-made-up ghosts (yeah, they’re really pretty awful) suddenly don’t seem to matter, as the supernatural entity now being portrayed just took over the entire screen with his presence — while not requiring any dodgy make-up at all.

In fact, when it comes to lists of Asian dramas with scenes I have played over and over again, the last few minutes of The Haunted Palace, Episode 1 may just end up in my Top 10.

The Haunted Palace, Episodes 2 thru 16?

Now, whether Yook Sung Jae can maintain that stunning performance as Gang Cheol for another 15 episodes, we will have to see.

Or whether Bona’s character, Yeo Ri, shows even more depth of character as her story progresses, and she decides being a shaman is far more important than the optician role she has taken upon herself.

Or whether Kim Ji Hoon’s over-acting as King Lee Seong calms down (I have a feeling it will, and it is his first role in a historical drama in 15 years), or if the K-drama’s screenwriter (Yoon Soo Jung — Sassy Go Go) is able to bring her intriguing premise through 15 more episodes and on to a satisfactory conclusion.

Time is still too early to tell.

But, as first episodes go, once you get through the first 50 minutes or so, The Haunted Palace, Episode 1 kicks off a quite unusual Korean drama that deserves much more than a cursory look.

And now, what with the ending of Episode 1 and the preview to Episode 2 that followed it, one that I am all-in to enjoy.

If you haven’t yet started watching The Haunted Palace, I say give at least its first episode right up until the last cliff-hanger of a second a good go. As, like me, I have a feeling you will (eventually) not be disappointed.

Meanwhile, watch the snippet from Episode 1 in its original Korean below as, even if you don’t understand the language, you can still see what a stellar job Kim Young Kwang did in his cameo role.

Then, watch the Korean drama on Viki, or on Netflix if you are in one of the limited number of countries where it is streaming.