Television series
Arang and the Magistrate
A spirited ghost and a magistrate who can see the dead investigate her murder in Joseon-era Korea. This is a breezy supernatural mystery that balances comedy and romance without ever letting either overwhelm the other. It's got charm, genuine emotion, and the kind of chemistry that makes you want these two people to figure things out together—even if one of them is technically deceased.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you enjoy a ghost story where the murder plot is a pretext for sparring banter, a mismatched investigating duo, and a slow-building romance between two people who can't quite touch.
Skip it if you want a tightly plotted whodunit, because the mystery loosens as the comedy takes over, and the slapstick can wear thin across twenty hour-long episodes.
What it asks of you: Twenty hour-long episodes make it a committed watch, and it moves at a leisurely, chatty pace, so settle in for a slow build rather than quick clue-chasing.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Tale of the Nine Tailed2020
A gumiho (nine-tailed fox) and a reporter investigate supernatural occurrences in modern Seoul, with gorgeously moody cinematography and a similarly excellent-chemistry pairing. The mystery deepens as you go, and the emotional stakes creep up on you.
But It skews darker and more dramatic than Arang—less comedy, more weight. If you're here purely for lightness, you'll find yourself in a heavier place.
Alchemy of Souls2022
Two impossibly charming leads navigate a fantasy world with a murder mystery, a found family, and a magic system that rewards watching carefully. It has that same blend of adventure, mystery, and genuine affection between characters.
But The plot tangles significantly in season two, and some threads feel abandoned. The first season is nearly perfect; the second asks a lot of patience.
Oh My Ghost2015
A timid chef and a clumsy virgin ghost navigate food, romance, and self-discovery. It's warm, funny, utterly earnest about its feelings, and proves that the supernatural-romance-comedy mix works beautifully when the leads genuinely like each other.
But The premise hinges on a very specific kind of physical comedy that doesn't land for everyone. If body humour feels juvenile to you, you'll find yourself sighing.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Arang and the Magistrate
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
The Handmaiden2016
Both are period mysteries where characters are not what they seem, and both use supernatural or hidden-identity plotting to explore how thoroughly we can be deceived about who someone really is.
A con artist and a pickpocket infiltrate a wealthy household in 1930s Korea with deception, misdirection, and a central mystery that reframes everything you've watched. It's visually sumptuous, genuinely shocking, and shares Arang's pleasure in slowly revealing the truth about characters' motivations.
But It's a feature film, not episodic television—a completely different rhythm and scale. It's also sexually explicit and deeply cynical about human nature, the opposite of Arang's warmth. It will feel like a tonal gut-punch if you're expecting similar lightness.
More like this (6)
Goblin Slayer2018
A goblin and a grim reaper untangle centuries of backstory while a young woman tries to pull them both toward life. It's lush, funny, devastating by turns, and absolutely earned its cultural moment. The mystery unfolds with real precision.
But It's 16 episodes and it knows it—there's a lot of ground to cover. Some people find the middle sag; others find it atmospheric. The ending divides rooms.
Killer in the Guest House2020
A woman moves into a mysterious guesthouse and uncovers the secrets of its inhabitants through supernatural means. It has Arang's investigative DNA and a similar pleasure in slowly revealing what actually happened beneath the surface.
But It's quieter and more introspective than Arang's chattier energy. If you want constant banter and lightness, this will feel contemplative to the point of slowness.
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha2021
A dentist and a drifter slowly reveal their true selves in a small coastal town. It shares Arang's commitment to character warmth and mismatched-leads chemistry, with a similar patience for letting you fall for these people before the real drama hits.
But There's no supernatural element or murder mystery—it's purely grounded romance. If you're specifically hungry for the fantasy component, you'll miss it.
The Uncanny Counter2020
A team of supernatural fighters investigates demonic activity with charm and genuine stakes. It balances action, mystery, and character work in ways that feel effortless, and the ensemble bond rivals the central pair in warmth.
But It's got more action and violence than Arang. The tonal whiplash between comedy and genuine threat is sharper here—less the gentle balance you might expect.
My Roommate Is a Gumiho2021
A student and a magical creature navigate modern Seoul with humor and surprising tenderness. It's lighter than most on this list, cheerfully silly, and committed to the bit of two fundamentally different beings learning to coexist.
But The central mystery is thin and solved quickly. If you're coming for Arang's investigative throughline, you'll hit a wall where the plot stops mattering.
A Whisker Away2020
Both pit a character against their own nature and circumstances to be close to someone they love, and both trust that sincerity and comedy can live in the same moment without undermining each other.
An animated feature about a girl who can transform into a cat to get closer to her crush, with surprisingly moving meditation on identity and love underneath the magical-girl premise. The tonal balance—comedy, genuine emotion, magical logic—mirrors Arang's effortless genre-blending.
But It's animated and explicitly a children's film, which can feel slight after live-action television. Some viewers find the magical-girl premise cutesy rather than compelling, and the romance is achingly earnest in ways that read as saccharine if you're not in the mood.
People
Cast
Production
- Kim Jin ManExecutive Producer
- Kim Ho JoonProducer