How K-dramas are making shamanism cool for Gen Z and millennials
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She performs a ritual called cheondojae to send off spirits and holds exorcisms to drive away evil ghosts, but the overall tone of the drama is not entirely dark and gloomy. During the solemn cheondojae ritual, her watch alarm goes off, prompting her to hurry the ceremony, saying, 'If I can't finish the ritual in 10 minutes, I have to go.'
As a ghost protests, she says, 'Today is the midterm exam. You know what it means for a high schooler to mess up their grades, right?'
The drama, which premiered on June 23, depicts the relationship between Seong-ah (Cho Yi-hyun), a teenage
shaman who can see ghosts , and Gyeon-woo (Choo Young-woo), a transfer student destined for an early death. Seong-ah strives to save Gyeon-woo, her first love, from his fate.
The drama convincingly portrays the tensions between rituals and exams, shamanism and high school life, blending them naturally into a compelling coming-of-age story.
A scene from Head Over Heels. Photo: Courtesy of CJ ENM
There was a time when portrayals of shamanism on television were meant to evoke fear. It was typically used as part of a setting in remote rural areas or as the backdrop for strange ghost stories.
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