K-drama midseason recap: Kiss Sixth Sense – Disney+’s muddled fantasy romance is seriously in need of an 11th-hour rescue
- Starring Yoon Kye-sang and Seo Ji-hye, Kiss Sixth Sense isn’t very original past its opening conceit, lazily moving from one missed story opportunity to another
- These missed opportunities are frustrating, but they pale in comparison to the rankling mess that is the show’s utterly superfluous secondary romantic pairing
This article contains minor spoilers.
Fantasy romance is a busy space in the realm of Korean dramas, and Kiss Sixth Sense knows it. Rather than have the usual single romantic lead possessing a supernatural power, this show gives very different special abilities to both of its main characters.
Eleven years ago, a South Korean romantic tear-jerker called Pained was released in theatres with a similar gambit. The film was about a man who could feel no pain who falls for a woman with severe haemophilia, for whom even the slightest injury could be deadly.
Based on a popular webtoon by acclaimed artist Kang Full, the film had a large cast (starring Kwon Sang-woo and Jung Ryeo-won) and a compelling twist that doubled down on a popular romantic trope (the terminal-illness melodrama).
Kiss Sixth Sense is based on a popular web novel by Gatnyeo, stars Yoon Kye-sang and Seo Ji-hye, and also plays around with a well-established genre convention.