When it comes to shows that meld romance and mythical creatures from traditional folklore together, few do it better than South Korean’s dramas and films. After all, the nation’s rich cultural heritage and its eclectic bag of interesting folklore tales have turned out to be valuable pools of inspiration for creatives — such as webtoon artists and scriptwriters — at large. Not only do dramas that boast a fusion of these two genres highly captivating, it’s also a joy to behold the compelling and at times, mysterious (or comical) narrative. It goes without saying that the present trend for K-dramas is with the Gumiho (a mythical nine-tail fox in Korean folklore). Cases in point: My Girlfriend Is A Gumiho and Tale of the Nine-Tailed. 

Joining these titles is streaming giant iQiYi’s first South Korean rom-com drama series My Roommate Is A Gumiho.

In My Roommate Is A Gumiho, princely South Korean actor Jang Ki-Yong plays Shin Woo-Yeo, a Gumiho who is on the verge of attaining humanity. Having lived discreetly on Earth for close to a millennium, Woo-Yeo has been cultivating his special fox bead for that very purpose. In the current era, he works as a professor (talk about recounting from history) at a local college. And yet, destiny and fate has a way with things. An unfortunate accident with a cheerful college female undergraduate Lee Dam (portrayed by Lee Hye-Ri from K-pop group Girl’s Day) sees Woo-Yeo’s bead getting swallowed by Lee Dam. 

In order to protect her and eventually retrieve his bead, Lee Dam must stay with Woo-Yeo in his gorgeous mansion. And just because Woo-Yeo is a traditionalist (or as Lee Dam refers to him as a “senior citizen”), he enforces several house rules, including curfews and an abstinence to alcohol and other dishes, which the spunky and young Lee Dam sometimes struggles to abide by. From Woo-Yeo’s prim and proper demeanour to Lee Dam’s drunken fiascos, the interactions between the two play out to be silly but funny. 

In an exclusive interview with ABC Korea and iQiYi, Lee Hye-Ri and Jang Ki-Yong shared what it was like working with one another, the comical moments on set, and more!

Congratulations on wrapping up the last leg of filming for “My Roommate is A Gumiho”! What attracted you to this new fantasy rom-com drama?

Lee Hye Ri: Dam is a character who expresses her feelings honestly. I thought we had a lot in common, and I've always wanted to play a confident character like her. That's how I decided to star in it.

Jang Ki Yong: What attracted me was partly because of the script. I had so much fun reading it!

What was your first impression when you first read the webtoon drama and the script?

Lee Hye Ri: The character of Dam was impressive. I liked how she's assertive and frank. I've always wanted to play a character like this, so I decided to join the drama. Also, Jae-jin and Hye-sun were very adorable, and Woo-yeo was very sweet. I knew I couldn't help falling in love.

Jang Ki Yong: Also, since Woo-yeo has been living for a long time, I thought he could show many different charms. There were historical scenes, so it was nice to show a different side of me.

What were some preparations you did for your role in this rom-com drama? 

Lee Hye Ri: I wanted to do a good job because it's my favorite genre. The script consists of romance and comedy evenly. I thought about how to make the viewers' hearts flutter when they watched it, and I focused on the chemistry with Woo-yeo. 

Jang Ki Yong: I’ve always dreamed of being on a fantasy rom-com. It’s a genre that every actor wants to try. The character doesn’t exist in reality and you need to use your imagination, so I tried harder to focus more on the script. I read the script a lot and discussed it with the director many times to understand and portray the Woo-yeo in the script.

What are the things audiences should take note of while watching the show?

Lee Hye Ri: The story of Woo-yeo and Lee Dam in "My Roommate is a Gumiho" is interesting, but the chemistry between other characters is also something you must not miss. Jae-jin and Hye-sun are adorable. Seon-woo's feelings toward Lee Dam are also new. The Lee Dam and Jae-jin duo is funny. And on top of that, there’s a mysterious relationship between Jung-seok and Soo-kyung. All characters are charming and have good chemistry. I hope you love all characters in the drama. 

Jang Ki Yong: The actors in the drama have great chemistry. Woo-yeo and Dam’s chemistry is great, and Woo-yeo also has great chemistry with Hye-sun and Dam’s friends. There are so many fun elements. I hope the viewers can focus more on the relationships that the characters have with each other. All the actors had lots of fun shooting the drama, so I hope the viewers will have fun watching too.

A huge part of the show lands itself in comedy. Were there any funny moments happening on set? 

Lee Hye Ri: I remember the karaoke scene. We started shooting at 8 a.m. in the morning. It was my first time singing in the karaoke so early in the morning, but I sang with my best. The production crew enjoyed shooting that scene. I felt proud for making them laugh from early in the morning.

Actually, I laughed more in the romantic scenes than in the funny scenes. I couldn't hold back because Ki-yong and I are actually very close in real life. I couldn't stand the awkwardness. Once I start laughing, I can't stop, so I laughed as much as I wanted and resumed the shoot after I stopped.

What are your favourite moments while filming “My Roommate is A Gumiho”? 

Lee Hye Ri: Because all the actors in the drama are in the same age group, we were able to work together as friends. We took sticker pictures during the break, shared hot packs and heated vests since we shot in the cold winter, and we went for a meal together after the shoot. We spent a lot of time together. There weren’t any moments that were particularly funny. We had a nice time during the whole shooting.

Many fans and international viewers are hooked on the show and giving high praises. Do you have anything to share with them? 

Lee Hye Ri: I was very happy to hear that a lot of people watched the drama and loved it even from far away. I hope I have a chance to meet you in person one day. Please support Dam and Woo-yeo to the end. Please continue watching and supporting it. Take care and I wish you happiness!

Jang Ki Yong: Thank you so much for supporting me from afar. I’m really glad that our drama is doing really well. Everyone, including the actors and staff members, had so much fun while shooting it, so please support it until the end. I hope I can say thank you in person soon. Thank you!

The interview has been edited for clarity. All images featured are courtesy of iQiYi.

My Roommate is A Gumiho is now streaming exclusively on iQiYi.