“I’m very appreciative of this show because it’s the first time I’ve repeated playing the same character,” Kuo, still affectionately called Yao Yao by many, says. “Since I have returned to this role, I think I have grown a lot as an actor, as much as the character has grown.”

Now 29, Kuo plays 17-year-old reluctant temple helper Xiao Zhen. In season one, she discovered the joy and pain of first love, and coped with peer pressure and the demands of her abilities. In the new season, her character finds more confidence, new male attention, and possible rivals at school and at the temple.

“We have a new cast and new direction in the stories. The show’s development is very interesting moving forward,” Kuo says. “It’s interesting because even though the stories involve the supernatural, it’s still about real life, so that’s why I think audiences connect with Xiao Zhen.

“But it is really difficult [to play a 17-year-old],” she adds, laughing. “I need to maintain my youthful look and appearance, and act like a teenager. It’s much easier to carry out the character’s inner life. In reality, I do believe in the spiritual realm. I do believe in reincarnation and supernatural powers. And believing in the supernatural is different than superstition.”

Credit for the series’ authenticity of Taiwan’s temple culture goes to series creator Chen Ho-yu, who also directed the first season (Liu Yan-fu took over as director for the second season).

In spite of the pan-regional viewership, the show has been kept distinctly Taiwanese. The best example is the dialogue. The students all speak Mandarin in the formal classroom, but outside they break into a more Taiwanese Hokkien dialect.

Chen based the series on his short film, The Busy Young Psychic. In turn, the short film was inspired by real-life medium Sophiyah Liu Po-chun, who is now also the series’ spiritual consultant.

“The show was born because of Sofiyah,” Kuo says. “In real life she has the abilities to connect with spirits and so the director moulded Xiao Zhen from her. For me, it’s about learning from Sofiyah and even imitating her. The boyish nature of the character is kind of Sofiyah as well.”

In more than one instance, the medium spooked the cast and crew with paranormal observations.

“There was one scene – the members of the show’s drama club were playing a game and Sofiyah said she saw the spirits around wanting to join in,” Kuo says. “But nobody saw anything, only she sensed the spirits. Personally, I don’t have any paranormal abilities and I hope I never see a ghost in real life.”

For newcomer Fan, the show’s Taiwanese realism is reflected in the common acceptance of ghosts and spiritual matters. It helps that the temple scenes were shot on location at the Jide Temple in New Taipei City.

“I think it’s a very unique culture and experience to Taiwan,” Fan says. “It’s very traditional and typical of Taiwanese and Chinese culture. Even when I was young I was involved in such practices, being in the temple and seeing spiritual rites and rituals.

“If I have visitors to Taiwan, I love taking them to such temples and showing that this kind of mystical experience is what happens. So, yes, I believe in ghosts.”

The young actor signed on following his appearance in the sports drama We Are Champions. As a result, pre-production preparation proved quite a challenge for the series’ new male lead.

“In We Are Champions, I was a basketball player so I had to work out and build muscles to look more athletic,” Fan says. “But my character in The Teenage Psychic is asthmatic so he’s very lean and weak, and gets picked on by other kids. I had to lose 8kg [18 pounds] in three weeks, so this was the most difficult and challenging thing.

“Also, in real life, I am quite outgoing and cheerful. I smile a lot and I get a lot of love from my family compared with this character who can’t really express himself, and he keeps everything to himself. I had to start doing the total opposite [to what I am used to]. That was also challenging.”

The show’s success ultimately rests on the quirky and lovable charm of Kuo’s character. From her enthusiasm and affection while talking about the character, it shows she is far more comfortable as an actress than a bubbly sex symbol.

“Being an actress is very interesting,” Kuo explains. “To me, she transforms in season two to a very selfless and genuine character. Her job is as a medium, a communicator to pass messages between the spiritual world and those alive, so it’s not about her solving problems.

“And definitely you can see an obvious development when she goes through a traumatic personal, real life-and-death experience. In season two, there is a definite continuation of that.

“Hopefully we will do a season three and more. Eventually I want to carry this character all the way from Teenage Psychic to Grandma Psychic.”

The Teenage Psychic, Now TV (HBO, channel 115), October 6 at 9pm Hong Kong time