A Supernatural Romance Comes to a Close
The tvN and Netflix series Spooky in Love concluded its run with what TIME describes as "the happiest of endings." The drama, a remake of the 2011 film Spellbound, stars Park Eun-bin as Cheon Yeo-ri, a hotel heiress who can see ghosts, and Yang Se-jong as Ma Gang-uk, a sceptical prosecutor. The series, which aired in South Korea and was distributed globally by Netflix, opened with a ghost-of-the-week format before shifting to its back half, where corporate in-fighting and family drama moved to the fore, according to TIME's recap—the only detailed coverage of the finale we have seen.
The Origin of Yeo-ri's Gift
Yeo-ri was not born with her ability. She developed it 12 years before the series begins, following a near-fatal yacht accident that killed Kang Ji-hwan (Kim Min-chul), the boyfriend she had at the time and the younger brother of the series' antagonist, Kang Min-hwan. As a result of the accident, Yeo-ri can see ghosts, but only if she touches hands with another person—they temporary gain the same sight for a month. That condition keeps her isolated, forcing her to wear gloves and maintain distance from everyone around her, as TIME reports.
The accident's true nature is revealed through the story: the pendant Yeo-ri wore that day swapped her fate with Ji-hwan, leading to her ability. Min-hwan, in a moment of jealous desperation, deliberately let go of Ji-hwan's hand in the water, allowing his brother to drown and setting of the cycle of events. Ji-hwan's heart eventually went to Gang-uk in a transplant, linking the four central characters in a chain of surrogacy that TIME recounts in detailing the finale.
A Final Reckoning
In the finale, as reported by TIME, Yeo-ri suffers a serious accident. She pushed Gang-uk out of the way of a lorry and ends up in a coma. While she is unconscious, the ghosts she has helped over the years arrive, and Ji-hwan appears—taking her place on the ferryman's boat that would carry a spirit to the afterlife, allowing Yeo-ri to wake up. The gesture frees her from her debt to the ghostly world: after she wakes, Yeo-ri no longer sees any ghosts.
The finale also deals with the villains. Min-hwan faces the consequences of his earlier misdeeds—the drowning of Ji-hwan and the murder of Park Seung-jae, who attempted to blackmail Min-hwan with camcorder footage of the beach incident. Min-hwan is arrested, and his mother visits him in prison, telling him she will wait for him.
Seung-jae's death had been blamed on him initially—he was found guilty, in part because of his father's influence, but later evidence pinned the murder on Min-hwan. But that evidence came only after a protracted trial in which Seung-jae was at first acquitted, a twist that TIME mentions as part of the series' involvement in family politics and the use of power.
A New Season of Life
The final shot of the series skips one year into the future. Yeo-ri is announced as the new chairwoman of Reina, the hotel and resort company her family runs. Gang-uk, having been promoted back to Seoul, continues his work as a prosecutor, and the pair returns to Siena Hall, a place that has meaning for them both, and walk hand in hand—a ghost-free gesture. It is, as TIME notes, an unambiguously happy ending.
The series also introduces a supporting character: Ok Gye-hee, who is Cha-ey's step-daughter, and Chairwoman Baek is Yeo-ri's grandmother. She has, throughout the story, pushed Yeo-ri toward an engagement, but the relationship that emerges with Gang-uk starts as a fake cover and becomes real.
Themes and Final Notes
TIME emphasizes that the drama's emphasis shifts: it starts as a supernatural romance with a clear 'ghost-of-the-week' structure, but the second half turns toward corporate power plays and family secrets. The finale's resolution ties those threads together—as Yeo-ri loses her touch to the dead, she gains control over her own family's company and the freedom to love who she chooses.
The series has enjoyed international viewership: it spent multiple weeks in Netflix's global non-English top ten, and the finale aired with a nationwide rating of 7.9% in South Korea, per TIME. A second season has not been confirmed.