“Oh! My Ladylord” ~ You Must Call Me Master

“Oh! My Ladylord” (aka “Oh! Master”) is a 2021 Korean drama series, with 16 episodes, and categorized as (Rom-Com) Romance and Comedy.

SUMMARY: A fussy and temperamental scriptwriter known as the “King of Crime Thrillers” refuses to cast a top actress for the lead role because she is only known for her roles in romantic comedies. He’s particular about the actors who portray his characters and does not want to waste time or money casting a rom-com actress in a revenge role. A scandal erupts that tarnishes the writer’s reputation and nobody in the entertainment industry wants to work with him. He has to eat humble pie and beg the top actress to take the part since she’s the only one who will work with him. Complicating matters, she ends up purchasing the home he lives in. He get writer’s block when he tries to work in his new home so he returns to his old living space and rents the room in the house where the actress now lives. One of the conditions in the lease agreement required him to call her “Master”. As they navigate this unconventional living arrangement, their relationship develops and they begin to understand and appreciate each other’s professional and personal challenges.

♦ But I’m Perfect For the Part

In “Oh! My Ladylord”, Han Bi-Soo is described by some as narcissistic with OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). He is a temperamental scriptwriter and not very easy to please. To call him narcissistic is unfair and his so-called OCD can be traced back to a trauma he experienced when he was younger. Most disorders can be traced back to trauma. He has a reputation as the “King of Crime Thrillers”, and is very particular about his scripts and the actors and actresses he thinks are suitable to play the roles of his characters. He especially has no tolerance for an actor or actresses who want to rewrite their parts because they feel uncomfortable with what he has written.

Oh Joo-In is a top actress, however, she has starred mainly in rom-coms (romantic comedies). She begged Han Bi-Soo to let her star in his K drama series. Three times he said NO! Emphatically absolutely NO! Why? She stars in rom-coms and he doesn’t want to waste time and money on someone who is not a perfect fit for his crime thriller. Waste of money. Waste of time. NO!! But Oh Joo-In insists that she is perfect and can star in a crime thriller. Han Bi-Soo ignores her pleas.

During the filming of a particular scene, another actress wanted his script changed because she was playing a doctor but did not want to operate on the patient. She asked for the script to be rewritten “for her”. Han Bi-Soo was incensed! Is she serious? Needless to say, he raised in voice in anger and protested. She pretended that he pulled a knife on her and tried to attack her. That wasn’t true. But … do tabloids report truth? They are just interested in a sensational story. 

Oh!  So Now You Need Me?

Before Han Bi-Soo knew it, he was being reported as a violent man who attacked and injured an actress, etc. The truth about what really happened was replaced with LIES. The reported story caused him to become a pariah in the entertainment industry. Nobody wanted to work with him or invest in his scripts.  This time Oh Joo-In had the upper hand. This time Han Bi-Soo would have to come to her and ask her to accept a role. Ask? NO! BEG!! The awful stories had circulated everywhere and now she was the only actress who would be willing to work with him. Han Bi-Soo did not want to bend but eventually … they agreed to work together.

But before they reached an agreement, Han Bi-Soo’s mother had gone behind his back and sold the house he was living in. Who was the buyer? Oh Joo-In bought the house. It turns out that Han Bi-Soo’s current residence was once Oh Joo-In’s childhood home. Her father passed away, they had to move out of their home, and her mother was currently living in a nursing home. Oh Joo-In worked very hard to earn money to buy back her home but it was not for sale until one day … she got a call. Oh Joo-In quickly purchased her home but the seller, Han Bi-Soo’s mother, asked her to keep it a secret. She said if her son found out he would stop the contract. It wasn’t until later that Oh Joo-In realized that the woman’s son was Han Bi-Soo.

You Can Rent a Room, As Long As You Call Me Master

Since the home had been sold, Han Bi-Soo had to move elsewhere. But he encountered a problem. He couldn’t write in his new home. The new surroundings caused him to have writer’s block. When he returned to his old home, where Oh Joo-In now lived, she agreed to rent him the room he had used for his writing work. There was one condition in the lease and he either agreed or would have to go live elsewhere.

What was the condition? He had to call her “Master”.

Yep! That’s the deal. Take it or leave it!

What could Han Bi-Soo do? He just couldn’t write anywhere else. So he took it.

From that point, their relationship begins to develop. He learns that she is caring for her ailing mother and begins to admire her. She learns that he is OCD and can’t stand doors that are slightly ajar, drawers that are partially pulled out … anything that is slightly ajar or partially open must be closed completely. OK! Adjustments must be made. Oh Joo-In has to learn to live with his OCD quirks and Han Bi-Soo has to remember to always call her “Master”. It’s not the worst living arrangement in the world. Is it?

Main Characters:

• Han Bi-Soo (played by Lee Min-Ki, “Behind Your Touch”)
• Oh Joo-In (Im Jin-A aka Nana, “My Man is Cupid”, “Glitch”)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 6 out of 10 stars
• My Drama List: 6.7 out of 10 stars
• Amazon customers rated the series 3.7 out of 4 stars

My personal rating is 7 out of 5 stars.

I wasn’t overwhelmed by this series. But I wasn’t underwhelmed. I wouldn’t say it’s super good. But I wouldn’t say it was bad either. I will say it is G-rated for age 13+ and it’s what you would expect for a series with that rating. “Oh! My Ladylord” is about a scriptwriter. Compare it to “Snow White’s Revenge”, another K-drama about a scriptwriter and they are equal.

If You Liked This Series, You Might Also Like:

This series has made me curious about two other Rom-Com K-dramas with a storyline about a scriptwriter.

Full House (2004) – (Watch on Viki.) Friends trick their friend, who is a scriptwriter, into believing she has won a vacation. While she is away they sell her house. While she was on vacation, she meets an actor. When she came back and realized her house had been sold, she took a job as a maid in the house of the actor. The actor wants to make his former lover jealous so he asks his maid, the scriptwriter, to become a make-believe wife. What happens? What usually happens when contract marriages start as “just pretend”? The plot is predictable but the actors are cute!

• [Revisiting Dramas] Full House: When it Rains, it pours… | Dramabeans ~ “Despite the simple plot and repeated scenes (such as breakfast and brushing teeth), this drama is unforgettable.”

Fantastic (2016) – (Watch on Viki.) A successful scriptwriter is diagnosed with cancer. Her first love is an actor and she wants to rekindle the flame with him and live life to the fullest, with the little time she has left to live. Her doctor, knowing she doesn’t have much time left, wants to win her affection and live his life with her. Who will she choose so that she has no regrets?

• ‘Fantastic’ K-Drama Finale: JTBC Series Concludes With High Viewership Ratings But Continues ‘Safe’ Conclusions For Cancer Concept Dramas [WARNING: Spoilers] | Inquisitr

LINKS OF INTEREST:

K-Drama Review: “Oh My Ladylord” Consistently Soared In Heart-Fluttering Moments Despite The Lack Of Narrative Fulfilment | kdramadiary

First Impressions: Oh My Ladylord | K is for Kdrama

Dropped: Oh! Master [Oh! My Ladylord] | The Fangirl Verdict

TRAILERS/TEASERS:

iQIYI 爱奇艺 – Get the iQIYI APP. “Official Trailer: Oh! Master | Oh! 珠仁君 | IQiyi.” YouTube Video. YouTube, March 8, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVvACmu43zA.‌