Introduction
Why watch this drama when you’re not in high school?
Head Over Heels is NOT just a high school romcom. While romance is a central theme in this drama, the story weaves in elements of shamanism, fantasy, and mystery, elevating it beyond a simple high school love story.
The pun of ‘head over heels’
The literal meaning refers to a physical movement where someone turns over. The figurative meaning is being completely in love with someone. In this drama, when they first met, she saw him walking upside down in the spiritual realm. In the drama’s shamanism, upside-down people are plagued with misfortune that will eventually kill them.
Unromantic or non-romantic?
Did I suppose to write “non-romantic” instead of “unromantic”? Nope. Non-romantic means a lack of romantic feelings or attraction. The male lead and the female lead are attracted to each other. Unromantic means something that is not romantic in nature or lacks romantic qualities. In this title, the situation that makes the couple hold hands and sleep together does not incline towards romantic gestures.
Why “unromantic holding hands and sleeping together”? [Medium spoiler]
In Episode 7, the male lead was possessed by an evil spirit. Whenever the female lead touched him, he would return to his original character. The exorcism ritual didn’t work on him. She had to keep holding his hand so he would stay as himself.
The review below is my likes, dislikes, and impartial thoughts on what I observed while watching the drama. Spoiler tags included for those who haven’t watched the drama. Please agree or disagree through the comment box below.
Drama Info
Drama title: Head Over Heels (Native title: 견우와 선녀 )
Alternative title: Gyeon U and Fairy, Gyeonuwa Seonnyeo
Genres: Romance, Comedy, Drama, Supernatural
Aired: Jun 23, 2025 - Jul 29, 2025
Episodes: 12 | Duration: 1 hr. 10 min.
Director: Kim Yong Wan ( 김용완 )
Screenwriters: Yang Ji Hun ( 양지훈 )
Adapted from the webtoon "Gyeonuwa Seonnyeo" (견우와 선녀) by An Su Min (안수민).
Where to read: Naver (raw official version) or bato.to (English unofficial translation)
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
Trailer:
Original Soundtracks
부담 (“Burden”) by Jo Hyun Ah (URBAN ZAKAPA)
Synopsis
Seong A is a student by day and a shaman by night. She’s looked down upon by others for seeing and dealing with ghosts, but she smiles and perseveres. She’s used to being different. Handsome Gyeon U is like a candle in the wind, plagued by misfortune, and Seong A vows to protect him the day he walks into her shrine upside-down. This is a story about first love and how love conquers all. (Source: Amazon Prime)
Characters
Character Chart
Main Characters
Cho Yi Hyun ( 조이현 ) as Park Seong A / Fairy Cheon Ji
18 years old. A high school girl by day, a shaman by night. It’s her side job.
Day and night, she traverses the human world and the spirit world. Even though she’s exhausted and sleeps through every class, Seong A insists on sticking it out through high school. And that’s not all. She says she’s going to college, too. If possible, a four-year university. “I want to be as ordinary as possible. I want to worry about my grades and cry over love like everyone else.”
Choo Young Woo ( 추영우 ) as Bae Gyeon U / Bong Su
18 years old. It seems like every bad luck in the world is prepared for Gyeon U. He’s amazed that he’s still alive. Due to the persistent bad luck that followed him wherever he went, he moved and transferred schools many times. “It’s goodbye as soon as we get close, so now I don’t even bother trying to get close in the first place.” This is exactly why Gyeon U is such a jerk. That’s why no one knows he’s naturally kind. This warmth was hidden so perfectly that no one noticed, but one person. It’s Park Sung Ah. And her true identity is Fairy Cheonji. A shaman, someone he absolutely loathes!
Bong Su is the evil spirit that has taken up residence in the abandoned house in Bongsu-dong. Dozens of people have died in connection with the house alone. “It’s true that they were the ones who harmed me. I killed them all.” Until the first person he doesn’t want to kill appears, she’s a shaman called Fairy Cheonji. The sight of her dancing with flower lanterns was quite beautiful. He wanted to see more. This is the biggest reason why the evil spirit takes over Gyeon U’s body.
Cha Kang Yoon ( 차강윤 ) as Pyo Ji Ho
18 years old. Outwardly, everyone agrees they can’t see the appeal, but secretly, his popularity is under-the-radar, whose charm only Sung Ah truly understands. Maybe it’s because he’s as simple as she is. Then one day, the icon of misfortune, Bae Geon U, appeared. The problem is, Seong A is head over heels for that rude guy. Watching her struggle, Ji Ho, who had been quietly observing from the side, feels a strange emotion. “It bothers me, it annoys me, I don’t like it.”
Choo Ja Hyun ( 추자현 ) as Yeom Hwa
30 years old. A graceful and sophisticated appearance that’s universally appealing, everything she wears, from head to toe, is a designer brand, limited-edition must-haves. Her Instagram feed is as flashy as a top influencer’s. She’s a famous shaman who’s busy, from TV and radio to YouTube channels. But don’t be fooled by her shiny packaging. The devil always comes with the face of an angel.
Supporting Characters
General Dongcheon / Mother Sin (Kim Mi Kyung) – Seong A’s spiritual mother
Do Ryeong / Flower Master [Shaman] (Yoon Byung Hee) –
Ku Do Yeon (Kim Min Ju) – classmate, otaku girl
Kim Jin Ung (Kim Jin Ung) – classmate, a delinquent
Cho Hye Ri (Hwang Se In) – classmate, snotty class prez
Maeng Ju Seong (Cha Yoo Hyun) – classmate, giregi (trash journalist)
Mo Beom (Ham Sung Min) – classmate, a nerd
Park Jung Pyo (Yang Jung Seop) – archery coach
Other guest characters shown in character chart:
Right to Flower Master: the blind Grand Shaman/Great Aunt Shaman, Aunt Shaman who helps with rituals, and Bae Gyon U’s grandmother.
Right to coach Park: are the class teacher, and another teacher.
My Likes
Not just the usual high school romcom
I don’t watch school romance dramas, especially the high school ones, unless they’re mixed with dark genres. With the infusion of shamanism, Head Over Heels effectively blends the supernatural genre with a high school drama. It focuses on integrating mystical elements into relatable teenage experiences (Seong A fell in love with Gyeon U, who was plagued by misfortune), and character development. In her attempt to save Gyeon U’s life, Seong A’s character grew through facing danger and taking action.
Surprisingly, it’s a healthy romance/relationship/friendship
Despite Gyeon U despising shamans, due to his life experience, surprisingly, his hate towards Seong A being a shaman, as written in his character’s description, didn’t last long. He found out that her being a kindhearted shaman to everyone and truly cared for his well-being. He gradually opened his heart to her. Their romance is kept PGwith subtle glances and tension adding to their on-screen dynamic
The friendship between Gyeon U and Ji Ho is hilarious and endearing. Every bromance scene between Gyeon U and Ji Ho gave the best fun moments. They were some comedic relief stemming from their interactions, giving some light to the somber situation around Gyeon U and the creepy ghosts.
There was also a healthy approach to a ‘love triangle’ by avoiding unnecessary drama and focusing on honest communication between characters.
We know that in every Korean school drama, either with or without romance, there is always school bullying. In this drama, the school life is mostly normal despite the quirky student characters. Yes, there is some bullying from a different school, but the classmates mostly show support and empathy for one another.
The female lead’s lovable character
Seong A is cute and quirky, but the most important thing is that she also has a lovable personality.
The first time I watched the leading actress Cho Yi Hyun was in the Korean sageuk The Matchmakers ( 혼례대첩 ). I thought she was very pretty. Her role as an adult and mature noble widow in that drama was completely different from her role in this drama, but Cho Yi Hyun nailed both characters with her charm.
Cho Yi Hyun also briefly played a different character brilliantly [medium spoiler]
When Bong Su was hunted down by Yeom Hwa, Seong A trapped him inside her body. Both of them went into hiding. Bong Su then possessed Seong A, but with the appearance of a biker chick and Bong Su’s upbeat personality. Cho Yi Hyun’s acting and physical change (makeup and costume) surprised me! At first, I didn’t recognize Seong A.
Seong A is not an airhead when it comes to love, either. Yes, she fell in love at first sight with Gyeon U because he’s handsome, but she tested his character right away, if it matches her ideal type. Even without falling in love with him, Seong A would love to help him because she empathized with his background.
Not the stereotyped male lead in dramaland character
The stereotyped male lead in dramaland is good-looking, rich, smart, but cold to the borderline of an a-hole. But we have to forgive him, because he has a traumatic background. Gyeon U was handsome and cold with a traumatic background, alright, but he was also dirt poor. After being abandoned by his parents, he lived modestly with his grandma. We also don’t know about his effort in studying.
Moreover, Gyeon U is kindhearted, and we knew right away from the beginning [minor spoiler]
In Episode 1, Seong A saw Gyeon U hold his grandma’s hand to comfort her. She tested his character with a question: “Let’s say a stranger is crying on the street all alone. You happened to see them. What would you do?”
Choo Young Woo’s acting as Bong Su
When Gyeon U was possessed by the evil spirit, who was later dubbed Bong Su by Cheong A, Gyeon U became a totally different personality. Choo Young Woo successfully differentiates the two characters through his acting. He portrayed Gyeon U’s initial misfortune and subsequent possession by Bong Su with distinct nuances.
Bong Su’s personalities in contrast to Gyeon U’s [minor spoiler]
Bong Su was only 12 years old when he died; he was a teenage spirit with unresolved issues. Bong Su was a mischievous and playful spirit with every trait a teenage boy has.
A nice and supportive second male lead, adorable, too!
Pyo Ji Ho was already Seong A’s best friend before Gyeon U entered their world. Although he was initially shocked that Seong A fell in love at first sight with Gyeon U, and realized that he had liked her for a long time. He established a strong bond with Gyeon U to expand their duo to a trio. As the only person who knows that Seong A is a shaman, Ji Ho always had her back, and loves and respects her for exactly who she is. Although he had an unrequited love for Seong A, at least he confessed his feelings to her, and didn’t end up heartbroken when she chose Gyeon U. He even thought Gyeon U’s confession to Seong A was “cool”.
Ji Ho is a really great friend, not only helping Seong A but also Gyeon U. My favorite part was when he offered himself to be Gyeon U’s human amulet. Not for Seong A to favor him, but he genuinely wanted to help Gyeon U overcome the misfortune. He likes Seong A, but doesn’t let his jealousy affect his friendship with someone who badly needs support.
The striking visuals of the shamanism
The drama features visually striking shamanic rituals, including vibrant costumes, powerful sword dances, and graceful lantern dances. I was wondering the reason shamanism utilizes colorful costumes and props. In many shamanic traditions, colors are not merely decorative but serve as powerful tools for healing, guidance, and transformation. Each hue is believed to resonate with specific energies and vibrations that can influence the human psyche and the natural world.
The ending of Head Over Heels
The details of the drama ending are put as a spoiler below [major spoiler].
Happy ending. Seong A became a full-fledged shaman. Gyeon U was selected in the national selection team for archery. They shared kiss in the end.
However, the ending was not wholesome in my opinion, and I will share my dislikes about the ending in the next section.
My Dislikes
The screenwriter seemed not to know how to resolve the male lead’s misfortune issue
Same with any life problem people encounter in their lives, to escape death, Gyeon U has to confront it. Since he was plagued by misfortune, there was definitely a curse. Viewers found out later who the person was who cursed him and the reason. However, it was never shown that he confronted the person.
Since I didn’t read the Webtoon, I didn’t know how his misfortune plague was resolved in the original source. However, the resolution of his misfortune was accidentally and conveniently resolved by Bong Su. The possession of Bong Su not only took away Gyeon U’s identity but also the seriousness of his issue.
How did Bong Su resolve Gyeon U’s misfortune plague? [medium spoiler]
Initially, Gyeon U was shown to be destined to die within 21 days. Seong A tried to keep him alive during those 21 days. Bong Su possessed Gyeon U on the last night. Because the evil spirit was inside his body, Gyeon U didn’t die. Even when he got his body back, he was free from the misfortunes.
The ending of Seong A
Don’t worry, she didn’t die.
But there were some details in the final episode about Seong A that I disliked [major spoiler]
Because Seong A and Bong Su went into hiding from Yeom Hwa for 3 freaking years, she missed the final exam and graduation. The ending didn’t tell us that she graduated from high school. In South Korea, a high school equivalency exam allows students to graduate despite missing the final exam and graduation. Instead, she went full-fledged as a shaman, replacing her dead spiritual mother.
I’m an advocate for education. In my opinion, as she wanted to graduate from high school and enter university at the beginning of the drama, she should at least graduate from high school. I was surprised that a high school drama allows its protagonist not to graduate from high school!
The ending of the villain
No, the villain didn’t die, either. No, I don’t advocate that the villain dies.
Again, I don’t like the way they ended the villain’s story [major spoiler]
Yeom Hwa was the ‘accomplice’ of Bong Su’s killing 99 people, including children. Because of her greed to be a celebrity shaman, she milked rich families like Gyeon U’s by utterly destroying his life through casting misfortune curses. Where was the karma? Even after her spiritual mother sacrificed her life so Yeom Hwa would live, she still wanted to kill Bong Su. She was the cause Seong A and Bong Su went into hiding, and Seong A wasted her 3-year of youth.
My Impartiality
I skipped the teachings of shamanism
Some viewers complained about the focus on shamanism and their business-like rituals in some parts of the drama. The shamanic scenes take up too much time and are too serious. The shamanic rituals and complicated relationship between the shamans outweigh the comedic part. I don’t care about any teachings on religions or spiritual beliefs in any drama. So I skipped any religious scene that I deem preachy or is complicated in this drama
I wish the plot had stayed around our unusual couple and their struggle to survive and thrive in that supernatural world.
Conclusion
In my opinion, because it’s a high school drama, the tone is kept light-hearted despite some emotional moments. The ghosts are not scary, the villains have motivations, flaws, and backstories that you don’t want to butcher. The romance and friendship are amusing to watch.
I read that Head over Heels was reportedly cut from 16 to 12 episodes due to broadcast demands for shorter, faster-paced narratives. The production team adapted accordingly, filming the revised 12-episode script. The final episodes of this drama (Episodes 11 and 12) were affected by this decision. I feel they rushed towards the ending, and some edits created a disconnection from the previous episodes.
Despite the flaws and plot holes, Head Over Heels offers a fresh perspective on shamanism in Korean dramas, moving away from purely horror-focused portrayals and exploring themes of emotional healing and relatable characters.
