Kdrama Review: Who Are You (AKA Police, Ghosts and Taecyeon, Oh My!)

My glorious return to romantic comedy kdrama was rather anticlimactic with the oh-so-predictable “Flower Boy Ramyun Shop,” so for my next drama I watched cop show / romance “Who Are You” (2013). Plus, one of the leads is 2PM’s Taecyeon, whom I hadn’t seen since his singing and dancing days in “Dream High.” Good to see you again, T!


“Who are you?” Police officer Yang Si Ohn wakes up after a six-year coma with no memories of the day she fell unconscious. Assigned to the Lost and Found Unit, she starts working with T, er, Cha Gun Woo. Since waking up, she as the ability to see ghosts, conveniently of people who’ve been murdered, which results in her solving closed cases. But the ultimate mystery still looms: What happened that day six years ago? Who is the handsome spirit with sad eyes who occasionally appears?

This drama is a brilliant combination of mystery, suspense, action and romance, with a side of ghostly heebie-jeebies. The plot was downright delightful (especially after all of the clichés in the last drama I watched). “Who Are You” did NOT HAVE A MID-DRAMA LULL. The transition from the initial episodic cases to the main mystery plot line was smoooooth and didn’t lose me for a moment. Though I rather easily identified the villains, other plot twists surprised me. No plot holes to be found. Rare, wonderful closure at the end.

I really liked the characters in “Who Are You.” T’s Cha Gun Woo pulled off goofy funny, puppy-eyed sorrow and crime fighting action. Female lead Yang Si Ohn was a realistic combination of independent, professional and vulnerable. Handsome Oppa Ghost spoke volumes, without saying anything, in scene after scene – ah, his eyes! Great acting. Though the emotional intensity of this drama wasn’t at the same level as “You’re All Surrounded,” it eventually got to my feels and my eyes totally watered near the end. (Besides, it’s not really fair to compare anybody to the amazing Lee Seung Gi.)

If you need a break from the usual jerk-heir-and-poor-girl romance and like a good adventure mystery, try this drama!

Slightly related to “Who Are You” and a more general rant about a theme in kdrama romances:

Unreciprocated physical affection. It happens pretty often in Korean dramas. Off the top of my head, I recall in “Who Are You,” Cha Gun Woo kissing Yang Si Ohn, her pulling away, him kissing her again. Same with a hug later. Though she slightly resists at first, she gives in on attempt two. In “Secret Garden,” one of the best dramas ever, male lead forcibly holds/hugs female lead in bed. Don’t even get me started on how disinterested / terrified Weak Female Lead was every time controlling Kim Tan went in for a kiss in “Heirs.”

Kdramas may not feature sex scenes, but they do regularly feature hesitant females caving to the romantic advances of male leads. And as a viewer, you are totally rooting for it. Like, “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” even if the girl seems unprepared or even resists. Which is weird, because if that scenario took place in reality, a real man would respect her boundaries and a strong woman would have the self-esteem to decide yes or no, not “Not interested, well maybe, okaaaayy…”

If this stuff was real life, I would not be supporting such one-sided physical affection. Girl, you don’t owe him anything! Dude, slow down, she isn’t your property! But kdramas make it seem so romantic. Male lead’s actions are portrayed as pursuit; female lead’s hesitancy is innocence, or some weird form of fragile femininity. And if there’s one thing kdrama male leads have going for them, it’s through-the-roof confidence – usually stemming from their bad boy persona, untold wealth and stunning good looks. That confidence means shameless romantic pursuit of female lead (that is, once he realizes that his strange symptoms mean he’s in love).

One-sided confident pursuit generally makes for an entertaining story. But more healthy, and less guilt-trippy, is a woman confident in what she wants romantically, and the push and pull of two people pursuing each other. Dramas that move into that kind of romance, or that work that angle from the start, are my favorites.


“Who Are You” has several factors that make it good, but this aspect of the romance isn’t one of them. However, the excellent plot and acting make up for it for me.

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