49 Days
49 Days is a 2011 South Korean television series starring Lee Yo-won, Nam Gyu-ri, Jo Hyun-jae, Bae Soo-bin, Jung Il-woo, and Seo Ji-hye. It aired on SBS from March 16 to May 19, 2011 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 20 episodes.
Synopsis
Gullible yet cheerful Shin Ji-hyun is living a perfect life: she is the only daughter of wealthy, doting parents and is surrounded by supportive best friends. She is also engaged to be married to the perfect man, Kang Min-ho, in just a few weeks. Meanwhile, Song Yi-kyung is in an existential crisis following her boyfriend's tragic death. She works third shift at a convenience store, sleeps in the afternoon, and often spends what little time she has left in the day contemplating suicide.One fateful day interweaves the two characters' stories as Yi-kyung attempts to kill herself by walking into oncoming traffic. A bystander saves Yi-kyung by pulling her out of harm's way. However, a massive pile-up ensues from her actions. Ji-hyun fails to hit the brakes as she approaches the collision site and crashes into a truck. When she regains consciousness after the accident, she shockingly finds that she could neither make physical contact with the people crowding around her car nor could any of them hear her protests. She also sees her own body being carted into an ambulance. A motorcyclist nearby seems to be the only person who can see her. After Ji-hyun leaves him to follow the paramedics attempting to revive her body in the ambulance, she meets the cyclist again at the hospital. The cyclist reveals to her that he is indeed the "Scheduler," an angelic being charged with guiding souls to their final destinations. He explains that since it was not yet her time to die, she is given the chance to recover from her comatose state and live again. The offer is contingent, however, on the completion of a mission: Ji-hyun must gather three teardrops shed out of pure love by three people not related to her by blood within the next 49 days. Elated by the seemingly easy task, Ji-hyun immediately thinks of her fiancé and two best friends and is certain she will live again. She then finds herself in the body of the suicidal Yi-kyung for which she will remain for the duration of her quest.
Ji-hyun proceeds by seeking employment as a waitress at a restaurant owned by her high school friend, Han Kang. While in the process of obtaining her proof of employment at a hotel where the real Yi-kyung worked, Ji-hyun's memory begins to return to her. Before the accident, Ji-hyun had agreed to meet up with her best friend Shin In-jung to show her the bridesmaid dress Ji-hyun had chosen for her. Ji-hyun's excitement is muted when she makes a significant discovery that reveals the deception around her. She painfully realizes her life was less than perfect, and that it won't be as easy to find people who truly love her.
Cast
Main
- Lee Yo-won as Song Yi-kyung / Shin Ji-hyun / Shin Ji-min
- *Kim Hyun-soo as young Ji-min
- Nam Gyu-ri as Shin Ji-hyun
- *Kim Yoo-bin as young Shin Ji-hyun
- Jung Il-woo as Scheduler / Song Yi-soo
- Jo Hyun-jae as Han Kang
- Bae Soo-bin as Kang Min-ho
- Seo Ji-hye as Shin In-jung
Supporting
- Choi Jung-woo as Shin Il-shik, Ji-hyun's father
- Yu Ji-in as Jung Mi-ok, Ji-hyun's mother
- Bae Geu-rin as Park Seo-woo, Ji-hyun's close friend who later shed a tear out of pure love for Ji-hyun
- Son Byong-ho as Oh Hae-won
- Moon Hee-kyung as Bang Hwa-joon
- Kang Sung-min as Noh Kyung-bin, a doctor who stalks Song Yi Kyung. He is the one who saved the latter from accident where Shin Ji Hyun is one of the victims. He offered medical help to Yi Kyung by doing some tests.
- Yoon Bong-gil as Cha Jin-young
- Kim Ho-chang as Ki Joon-hee
- Jin Ye-sol as Ma Soon-jung
- Lee Jong-park as Go Mi-jin
Special appearances
- Ban Hyo-jung as Senior Scheduler
- Kim Hyung-bum as Another 49 days traveler
- Jung Da-hye
- Jo Young-jin
- Goo Seung-hyun as Little kid
- Kim Min-jwa
Religious themes