Love and Healing in the Shadow of Spirits: “Chilling Romance” Starring Park Eun-bin and Yang Se-jong
The Korean television world’s knack for shattering traditional genre boundaries by blending romance with elements of fantasy, mystery, and emotional healing evolves to a more mature point with each passing day. Meeting viewers on Netflix, the 12-episode series “Chilling Romance” (2026) takes this deeply rooted tradition a step further. Transforming ghosts from cheap horror tropes into symbols of suppressed emotions, unfinished reckonings, and human bonds, the show draws the audience into an atmosphere that is both uncanny and deeply heartwarming.
At the center of the story is Cheon Yeo-ri (Park Eun-bin), the heiress to a prestigious hotel empire who, behind the scenes of her privileged life, carries the heavy burden of being able to speak with restless spirits. Surrounded by the endless whispers of the otherworldly, Yeo-ri’s life is shaken to its core when her path crosses with Ma Gang-wook (Yang Se-jong), an ambitious prosecutor who views the world entirely through the lens of logic and reason. As this contrasting duo begins solving mysterious cases shrouded in supernatural occurrences, professional obligations gradually turn into deep trust and an emotional bond. While each spirit they encounter unearths hidden family secrets, regrets, and traumas in the world of the living, the pair’s shared journey transcends a mere investigation, turning into a collective healing session.
Chilling Romance is one of the freshest installments of the “Healing Fantasy Romance” subgenre, popularized globally by productions like Hotel Del Luna, Goblin, or The Master’s Sun. Park Eun-bin’s outstanding ability with delicate emotional transitions and Yang Se-jong’s rational yet sincere stance keep the mystical and romantic pillars of the series in fantastic balance. Meanwhile, the CJ ENM-signed cinematic production quality, sleek visual effects, and atmospheric cinematography successfully construct the story’s uncanny yet enveloping universe.
NO-26 Editor’s Note
Rather than those merely looking for gory horror tropes or ordinary romantic comedy clichés, if you enjoy productions that use supernatural events as metaphors to dig into human psychology and grieving processes, Chilling Romance is a screen experience you should not miss. Elevated by the strong chemistry between Park Eun-bin and Yang Se-jong, this captivating series promises a heartwarming, honest human bond while opening the doors to a fantasy world.
