When You Say “Miss Granny”, I Ask ~ Which One?

“Miss Granny” is a Korean drama movie released in 2014, categorized as Comedy, Fantasy, Supernatural, and Body-Swapping. The film has won multiple awards (Daejong Film Awards, BaekSang Arts Awards, Fantasia Film Festival). However, if fans were in charge “Miss Granny” would get an award for being “the most remade Korean movie in history”.  It is streaming on Netflix.

SUMMARY: A 70-year-old woman gets a second chance at life and returns to her 20-year-old self. Now that she has returned to the years of her youth, this time she will pursue her dreams. Will she be not only successful but happy?

♦ I’m Twenty Again and I’m Dreaming Again!

In “Miss Granny”, Oh Mal-Soon is 70+ years old. She became a widow when her husband died in the war and raised her son, Hyun-Chul, by herself. When her son married she lived with him, his wife, and their children. However, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law did not get along. It was one of those rare instances when the mother-in-law was not at fault. At any rate, her son had to choose between his wife and his mother so that he could live in peace. Oh Mal-Soon overheard the family discussing sending her to a nursing home. She may be old but her two feet were still working, so she left home trying to figure out what to do.

Oh Mal-Soon visited Youth Photo Studio to get her picture taken. After having her picture taken, she became herself at the age of 20. Before she left the studio, however, she didn’t look in the mirror so she did not realize her physical appearance had changed. She had to catch the bus to return home and one of the passengers was wearing dark shades. When she saw her reflection in his dark shades, she freaked out! It wasn’t like she traveled back in time. It’s just that she was 20 years old again! When she tried to go back to the studio, the building wasn’t there. (???) Her son, his wife, her grandson, and granddaughter – didn’t know what had happened to her. The police told them she could not be reported as a missing because she had not been gone long enough. They were completely bewildered. Where is Oh Mal-Soon?

Oh Mal-Soon went to her home and left a note telling her family not to look for her. Then she changed her name to Oh Doo-Ri , changed her hairstyle, bought new clothes, and found a place to live. She always wanted to be a singer, so she decided to pursue the dream of her youth. Guess where she went for her first public performance? Mr. Park and her other elderly friends like to gather and sing karaoke-style. That’s where she went and when she performed in front of the audience they applauded enthusiastically. Her grandson, Ji-Ha, was in the crowd because he came to her workplace, searching for his grandmother and he was amazed by her performance. Seung-Woo, a guy who worked for an entertainment company and was looking for fresh new talent was equally impressed by her vocals. This was the beginning of the fulfillment of her dream. Will she succeed and will it make her happy?

Main Characters:

• Oh Doo-Ri (played by Shim Eun-Kyung, “Psychokinesis”)
• Oh Mal-Soon (played by Na Moon-Hee*)
• Ji-Ha (played by Jin Young, “The Dude in Me”, “Police University”, “Love in the Moonlight”)
• Mr. Park (played by Park In-Hwan, “Iron Family”)
• Hyun-Chul (played by Sung Dong-Il, “The Chase”, “Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth”)
• Seung-Woo (played by Lee Jin-Uk, “Dear Hyeri”, “High Society”, “The Three Musketeers”, “Squid Game 2”, “Sweet Home 1, 2, and 3”)

*Na Moon-Hee is an award-winning actress. She started her career in the entertainment industry in the 1960s. She stars in “The Quiet Family, a black comedy, a hidden gem released in 1998, streaming on Viki. “When Life Gives You Tangerines” should be available on Netflix USA in 2025. Both K-dramas are on my watch list, so check PopGeeks later for the reviews.

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 7.2 out of 10 stars
• My Drama List: 8.4 out of 10 stars
• Letterboxd: 3.4 out of 5 stars
• Google users shared public ratings: 4.8 out of 5 stars

My personal rating is the same as the Viki viewing audience.

I mentioned “Miss Granny” briefly in one my articles where I shared watch list recommendations – Six (6) Korean Drama Movie Gems (Part 2 of 2) – but this movie is worthy of more coverage, so I am publishing this detailed review.

What makes it worthy?

There have been several remakes which is why I thought it should get an award for being “the most remade Korean movie in history”. Check out these trailers of the remakes by different countries.

• China
• Japan
• Vietnam
• Thailand
• Indonesia
• Philippines
• India

Other non-Asian countries have also gotten in on the remakes: Mexico, Germany, and the USA. Some of the Asian countries are releasing remakes AGAIN!

AND … I wasn’t finished. The movie is now a Korean drama series that has just been released. “Who Is She!” (2024) has 12 episodes, is currently streaming on Viki, and already has a rating of 9.5 out of 10 stars.

LINKS OF INTEREST:

“Miss Granny” is a Korean Gem Worth Revisiting | K-Culture with Jae-Ha Kim

The Iconic Miss Granny Makes Us Laugh But Also Teaches Us important Life Lessons | hallyureviews

Kim Hae Sook Transforms Into Jung Ji So in New Trailer for “Who is She” | Kdrama Kisses

TRAILER/TEASER:

Pacific Arts Movement. “Miss Granny Trailer English Subtitles.” YouTube, 19 Mar. 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_wDiuRu8Jw.

♦