My Girlfriend is a Gumiho is a Korean televised melodrama that aired back in 2010. I've seen a lot these types of shows over the years and this one's not bad. I won't heap the undeserved praise (my opinion) on it that the other two reviewers did, and I feel its current IMDb rating of 8.2 stars is a bit on the high side. Nevertheless, it is good enough and solidly watchable.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
If you don't know what a Gumiho is, you clearly haven't watched much Korean cinema. This is at least the 6th different Korean movie or show I can think of (just off the top of my head) that involves one; there are probably dozens more of these stories though. A Gumiho is a mythical creature in Korean folklore; a nine tailed fox to be precise. The most similar mythical creature I can compare it to in western culture is a mermaid, and that's because they are both usually beautiful enticing creatures with or without supernatural powers that may or may not lead to your doom if you happen upon one.
Gumiho stories and mermaid stories have been overused to say the least, but both legends provide a wide ranging spectrum to craft a story however you like. I've seen some really dark gumiho-centric stories, that involve torturing men and eating their livers, bringing about the destruction of the human race, taking over the world, etc. This particular show sits on the other end of the spectrum, and it's basically just a fluffy romantic comedy.
I don't really have any problems with this show, it's just that it's pretty forgettable; it breezes right in and breezes right away just as quickly. Shin Min-a is your lead actress (the Gumiho). I've always had a thing for her, but that pretty much goes the same for any talented and pretty Korean actress. She's solid enough here. The lead actor is played by Lee Seung-gi, who is a young solo singing artist that I don't recall seeing in any acting role before this. He doesn't yet have the star power of Min-a, but he did just fine in his role as well. He plays a struggling young action actor who's trying to break into the big time. EDIT 10-9-2018: Seung-gi is quite well known now compared to when I originally wrote this review years ago.
The story (which I will try to recall from memory) begins with Min-a trying to be married off in the Joseon era. Rumors are swirling that she might be a Gumiho though, so she has no takers; everyone fears it will bring doom and destruction upon their village, and as a man, I'd rather slowly destroy my liver the old fashioned way, instead of having it ripped out of my torso and watch it being eaten as I die a painful death. Heartbroken that nobody wants her, Min-a realizes she has no place in society and is subsequently banished into a temple painting/mural to be stored for all eternity (this is another common Korean legend concerning how immortal and inhuman creatures, beasts, etc...can be dispatched of). I can't remember if she does this voluntarily out of sheer despair, or is captured by a Gumiho hunter.
Flash forward to 2010. Min-a is getting pretty tired of "living" in this painting for the last several hundred years, so she tricks our young male lead who happens upon the temple into uttering the right phrase or doing the right thing that will release her. He does so, and from there it's mostly a straightforward "mythical" rom-com (kind of along the lines of the American movie: "Splash"). There are lots of cute moments that follow where he discovers who/what she really is, and where she learns about the modern world and follows him around so she can eat more of her favorite dish (i.e. cow). Her 9 tails pop out uncontrollably whenever she gets overly excited, and she's helps him out of numerous jams using her super human abilities. At one point, she even saves his life using her special powers.
The 2 leads quickly begin to fall in love, but all is not perfect; other characters find out about, or begin to suspect something is a little off with, Min-a, as she and Seung-gi try to keep her true identity secret. There's also a modern day Gumiho hunter (who apparently does not understand how shirt buttons work) that's hot on her trail. Eventually, Min-a decides she wants to become human and live her life as a "normal" person with her true love. She's given a magical elixir by the Gumiho hunter that may just fulfill her wishes; it's not without risks though, as she or her new love or both may perish if she takes it. Down the hatch it goes though and let's see what happens.
From there, it's a matter of what will happen to the two leads as they wait to see if they'll survive her transformation into becoming a human. And, of course, whether he, she, or both survive is dependent upon how strong their love is for one another.
Bottom Line: I don't think this show belongs in the 8-10 star range the current IMDb reviews and ratings suggest (again, just my opinion). I've seen a lot of Korean melodramas over the years, so I feel I have a pretty good prospective on this genre. That being said (written), this show is quite enjoyable overall, and I have no problem recommending it. I also think it's a good recent "starter" show if you're not yet familiar with KTV dramas, as it's not as overly "taxing" as many other KTV melodramas can often be. It's a light and short comedic romance series that's pretty effective at what it's trying to accomplish, and what's not to like about that?
I think 7 stars is just about right, so that's what I'm giving it!
