This genre is often underexplored or if tackled upon, mostly only used as an accessory for the thrill rather for the plot itself. This kdrama is different as it portrays Korean shamanism as its main story, as well as introduces it to the international viewers, especially to those unfamiliar with it (like me.)

The first half was thrilling and suspenseful, since it showed that the "bad guys" have the upper hand, although at times it was slow-paced. After all, having a powerful and greedy shaman, a well-oiled machinery of thugs to do various evil deeds, and a narcissistic antagonist gave me less hope that Jin-hee and So-jin (the 2 leads) would be able to stop said shenanigans. Nice pacing on the 1st half since it really made me stick my eyes to the screen, curious as to what would happen next. The gory scenes here were also stand-out, and didn't make me feel scared at all.

It was smart for the production team to make it into 12 episodes rather than the standard 16 as it was able to convey the story in a smooth flow without the unneccesary fillers. At the same time, the action part and the rituals especially in the second half was executed well. The plot twist was really able to convince me that the connection between So-jin (the lead with shaman powers) and Jong-hyeon (the main antagonist) was well-thought. If you would be confused with the first few episodes, they would be all answered on the last 3 episodes, and I really appreciate how the flashback episodes were executed, it all really made sense. Add to that was the built-up of my interest with the conflicting supernatural powers between the So-jin and the rest of the antagonists particularly at the finale, it really added to my interest on the whole series.

Despite the cliffhanger however, it wasn't enough to pique my interest to watch the sequel (a movie), as I felt that the story (at least here) has been adequately finished, albeit with a few questions/suggestions:

QUESTIONS:
a. How did the inugami be united in So-jin's body instead of just transferring to the new host, which is not a person?
b. How different are the powers of So-jin and the chairman? Although it is understandable that the evil spirit originally dwelt with her and was just split to both of them, it would've been more thrilling had the chairman possessed just even half of So-jin's power.

SUGGESTION:
- it would've made more sense if Jin-hee and her husband, Seong-joon were just friends instead of a married couple, it just didn't felt that they were married here. In fact, Seong-joon's reaction to Jin-hee's abduction was more of an acquaintance's rather than a husband's.

Overall, was still interesting plot-wise despite the slow pacing of the first half, especially if you are curious as to what is Korean shamanism. There were gory scenes (the deaths of some characters were not only unique, but also brutal), and the rituals, talismans, and curses were executed properly here. I think you would appreciate this show more if you are already interested with the culture (in this case, shamanism), rather than just to watch it for the sake of watching.

Although the ending was a cliffhanger, it didn't made me curious as to what lies ahead. Still, a must watch for Korean shamanism 101.