The Great Shaman Ga Doo-shim
Imagine a high school where grades aren't just about college — they're about survival. This is the eerie premise of 'The Great Shaman Ga Doo-shim,' a groundbreaking South Korean fantasy mystery series. An 18-year-old shaman-in-training must confront a powerful evil spirit haunting her new high school, yearning for a normal life. She teams up with an unlikely ally, a top student who gains the ability to see ghosts after a bizarre encounter. The series uniquely blends high school coming-of-age themes with supernatural mystery and traditional Korean shamanism.
AI Summary
Imagine a high school where grades aren't just about college — they're about survival. This is the eerie premise of 'The Great Shaman Ga Doo-shim,' a groundbreaking South Korean fantasy mystery series.
- An 18-year-old shaman-in-training must confront a powerful evil spirit haunting her new high school, yearning for a normal life.
- She teams up with an unlikely ally, a top student who gains the ability to see ghosts after a bizarre encounter.
- The series uniquely blends high school coming-of-age themes with supernatural mystery and traditional Korean shamanism.
The Great Shaman Ga Doo-shim
'The Great Shaman Ga Doo-shim' burst onto the scene in 2021 as KakaoTV's very first original fantasy mystery series, captivating audiences with its unique blend of high school drama and the supernatural. Starring Kim Sae-ron and Nam Da-reum, this South Korean production quickly found its way to international viewers through platforms like iQIYI and Viki.
A Prophecy and a Peculiar School
Our story centers on Ga Doo-shim, an 18-year-old girl born with the daunting fate of becoming a powerful shaman. Despite her destiny, all Doo-shim truly desires is a normal life, a wish her grandmother promised might come true if she could just survive past her eighteenth birthday.
However, fate has other plans. Doo-shim's shaman grandmother reveals that a dangerous evil spirit she once failed to capture is now lurking within the prestigious Songyong High School. This revelation prompts a desperate plea to Doo-shim's mother, leading to our reluctant hero's transfer to this new, ominous school.
It's there that Doo-shim meets Na Woo-soo, the school's golden boy — handsome, brilliant, and from an affluent family. Their lives collide dramatically when Doo-shim's grandmother's spirit temporarily possesses Woo-soo, bestowing upon him the startling ability to see evil spirits. This bizarre encounter forces an unlikely partnership between the two.
The Spirit of Songyong High
The malevolent entity haunting Songyong High School operates with a sinister purpose: it possesses students who score the lowest on exams, driving them to take their own lives, typically by jumping from the school building. This terrifying pattern inadvertently fuels the school's academic prestige, as students are pushed to excel out of sheer terror.
The horrifying truth hits close to home when Na Woo-soo discovers that his close friend, Kim Il-nam—the latest lowest scorer—is slated to be the spirit's next victim. With their newfound connection and shared responsibility, Woo-soo and Doo-shim vow to protect Il-nam at all costs.
Their mission is aided by Hyun-soo, the innocent spirit of a student who was himself a victim of the evil entity. Now an ethereal friend to Doo-shim, Hyun-soo becomes a crucial informant, offering insights from the spectral realm to help the duo keep Il-nam safe.
Unmasking the True Evil
As Doo-shim and Woo-soo delve deeper into the mystery, Hyun-soo delivers a chilling revelation: the school's enigmatic principal, Kyung-pil, is inextricably linked to the evil spirit's actions. This discovery intensifies Doo-shim's suspicions that the principal may also be responsible for her beloved grandmother's tragic death.
In a climactic confrontation, Ga Doo-shim and Na Woo-soo combine their unique abilities to battle both the malevolent demon and the corrupt principal. With the evil finally vanquished, peace returns to Songyong High, allowing the students — including Il-nam — to live without the shadow of fear, and Hyun-soo's spirit to finally find rest and reunite with his mother.
The Protagonists
At the heart of the story is Ga Doo-shim, portrayed by Kim Sae-ron. She's a strong-willed teenager blessed — or cursed — with the ability to see and interact with spirits. Her grandmother's sacrifice in a previous battle with an evil spirit has left her wary and somewhat detached from the supernatural world, a facade that begins to crumble as she fights alongside Woo-soo.
Na Woo-soo, brought to life by Nam Da-reum, starts as the quintessential perfect student: intelligent, popular, and from a wealthy background. His life takes a dramatic turn after his ghostly encounter, granting him the very shamanic sight Doo-shim possesses. This shared connection deepens their bond, eventually leading to a mutual affection.
Hyun-soo, played by Yoo Seon-ho, is a poignant figure—the innocent spirit of a past victim of the evil entity. He longs to reunite with his mother and, in his ghostly state, often both assists and playfully annoys Doo-shim. His loyalty proves invaluable in their fight against the school's dark secrets.
The Antagonist & Supporting Cast
The sinister Principal Kyung-pil, embodied by Moon Sung-keun, is the story's primary antagonist, harboring a dark secret that connects him to the school's deadly curse. His seemingly benevolent leadership masks a truly malevolent agenda.
Doo-shim's family provides a crucial foundation: her wise Grandmother Myo-shim (Yoon Seok-hwa), a powerful shaman whose tragic death sets the stage for the conflict, and her mother Hyo-shim (Bae Hae-sun), also a shaman, who despite her outwardly materialistic demeanor, deeply cares for her daughter's well-being.
Other key characters include Kim Il-nam (Yoon Jung-hoon), Woo-soo's friend whose academic struggles make him a target, and various classmates and teachers who round out the vibrant, albeit haunted, world of Songyong High.
Behind the Scenes Magic
'The Great Shaman Ga Doo-shim' was a major undertaking for Kakao Entertainment, marking their foray into original fantasy mystery content. The series was penned by the Joo Brothers, directed by Park Ho-jin, and expertly produced by MAYS Entertainment, a company known for successful dramas like 'Missing: The Other Side' and 'Run On'.
Casting the Leads
The casting process garnered significant attention. Media reports in April 2021 first hinted at Kim Sae-ron's potential involvement, with her agency confirming she was positively considering the offer. By early May, Kim Sae-ron was officially confirmed to co-star, with Nam Da-reum quickly joining her as the male lead.
Production Milestones
With the lead cast secured, Kakao Entertainment announced full-scale production would begin in May, targeting a premiere in the latter half of the year. Yoo Seon-ho officially completed the main cast in June. The production team rapidly moved towards launch, sharing script reading photos and a first teaser video by early July, confirming the two-episode premiere on July 30th, 2021.
Article
The Great Shaman Ga Doo-shim
The Great Shaman Ga Doo-shim (Korean: 우수무당 가두심; RR: Usumudang Ga Dusim) is a South Korean streaming television series, starring Kim Sae-ron and Nam Da-reum. It is KakaoTV's first original fantasy mystery series and premiered on July 30, 2021, at 20:00 Korean Standard Time (KST), also airing three hours later on another local streaming website, Watcha. Internationally, it is distributed by iQIYI (in Southeast Asia and Taiwan) and by Viki (in US, Europe, Middle East, Oceania and India).
Synopsis
The Great Shaman Ga Doo-shim
Ga Doo-shim (Kim Sae-ron), an 18-year-old girl born with the fate of becoming a shaman, tries to live a normal life. Her grandmother told her if she manages to survive being 18, she can live a normal life thereafter. Later when her grandmother tells her mother that she found the spirit she lost to capture is actually in Songyong High school, she urges Doo-shim's mother to transfer to that school. She transfers to the new high school and meets Na Woo-soo (Nam Da-reum). Na Woo-soo, who is handsome, gets outstanding grades and comes from a wealthy family, gains the ability to see evil spirits after meeting Ga Doo-shim when her grandmother possesses him for some time to tell Ga Doo-shim that the evil spirit she encountered while she was a kid is actually here in their school. Eventually, Na Woo-soo and Ga Doo-shim become friends. This spirit that is present in their school is actually an evil spirit that possesses the students who get the lowest score and makes them take their own life usually by suicide (jumping off the school building). This fear of getting low score might take their life, makes student study harder making their school one of the most prestigious. But this takes a turn when Na Woo soo discovers that the next student to fall into this trap is actually his own friend Kim Il-nam–the lowest scorer of the exam. Na Woo-soo with Ga Doo-shim decide to save him. And with the help of Hyun-soo (another dead student soul, also the victim of this evil spirit who lost his life and now friends with Ga Doo-shim) they keep Il-nam safe. As they (Woo-soo and Doo-shim) go on to take down the spirit that takes away their own friends from the school, Hyun-soo tells Doo-shim that it's actually their school's principal who is behind all this, and Doo-shim suspects him to have killed her grandmother. Later, Doo-shim and Woo-soo together fight the demon and the principal is dead. And they start their school life without any worries to die. They meet ill-nam and Hyun-so leaves to meet his mother.
Cast
The Great Shaman Ga Doo-shim
• Kim Sae-ron as Ga Doo-shim. A teenager who has the ability to see spirits. Her grandmother died while trapping an evil spirit which made her cold and indifferent to spirits. She falls for Woo-soo while teaming up with him to drive the evil spirit away. • Jo Shi-yeon as young Ga Doo-shim • Nam Da-reum as Na Woo-soo. Doo-shim's classmate and the topper. He is from a rich family. He gets the ability to see ghosts after a small incident and later falls for Doo-shim. • Yoo Seon-ho as Hyun-soo. An innocent spirit, he died because of the evil spirit. He had been waiting to meet his mother and often annoys and helps Doo-shim. • Moon Sung-keun as Kyung-pil. The principal of the school Doo-shim and Woo-soo study in. He harbours a secret. • Yoon Seok-hwa as Myo-shim. Doo-shim's grandmother and Hyo-shim's mother. She was a shaman who dies while catching the evil spirit. • Bae Hae-sun as Hyo-shim. A shaman and Doo-shim's mother. Even though she seems materialistic, she cares for her daughter. • Yoon Jung-hoon as Kim Il-Nam. He is Woo-soo's best friend who doesn't focus on studying. He helps his mother managing her small stall. • Lee Ji-won as Soo-Jung • Park Yong as Sung-Wook • Baek Soo-jang as Teacher Sa • Jung Min-kyul as Ae-kyung
Special appearances
• Kim Sung-oh as Sound of evil spirits (voice) • Park Gwang-jae as
Production
The Great Shaman Ga Doo-shim
The Great Shaman Ga Doo-shim is created by Kakao Entertainment, written by Joo Brothers, directed by Park Ho-jin, and produced by MAYS Entertainment (the company behind the 2020 dramas Missing: The Other Side and Run On, and movies Romang (2019) and The Divine Move (2014 and 2019)). It is KakaoTV's first original fantasy mystery series.
On April 27, 2021, media reported that Kim Sae-ron was in talks to star in the series; her agency, Gold Medalist, confirmed that she was positively reviewing the offer. On May 6, Kim Sae-ron was confirmed to co-star alongside Nam Da-reum. On the same day, Kakao Entertainment announced that they were starting the full-scale production with plans to start filming in May and to premiere it in the second half of the year. Yoo Seon-ho officially joined the cast on June 24.
Script reading photos and video were shared on Kakao TV's social media accounts on July 2. On July 9, first teaser video and poster were released, and was announced that episode one and two would be released on July 30, at 20:00 Korean Standard Time (KST).