The Ghost Bride is a Taiwanese-Malasian netflix originals based on the novel The Ghost Bride written by Malasian writer Yangsze Choo. The story is about a young Malasian Chinese woman living in Colonial Malacca in 1890. As a daughter to a struggling spices dealer and with her mother deceased Li Lan is asked by the family of her childhood friend and crush to marry his deceased brother.
Ghost marriages are real
Ghost marriages is an actual practice in several countries, It’s origins is unknown but the most important reason for the act is to continue family line, not bring shame to a family or as per request of the deceased’s ghost. As an unmarried daughter, you would be prohibited to die and be mourned for in your own home, many would be send to spinsters homes or become married in the afterlife, this would also ensure younger brothers to be able to marry as they are not allowed to do so if their older brother has yet to marry, Sometimes during the engagement the groom would pass away and the woman would hesitate to continue with the wedding where a cockerel would represent the groom. As a ghost bride one must always follow strict mourning customs. These customs were usually strict dress and conduct standards, take a vow of celibacy and move in with the grooms family. For a groom he could marry without the rules, but no weddings have recorded this act.
Whenever a family wishes to ensure a good afterlife for their deceased, they can contact a matchmaker (usually a priest or diviner) specializing in ghost marriages. These would then search for the perfect (deceased) candidate with a suitable horoscope, ones who do not wish to hire a priest or diviner, lay out a red envelope in the middle of the street and hide. Whenever a passerby would pick it up they would then announced that they were chosen by the ghost bride to become their groom.
The series
Official Sites: Official site
Country: Taiwan | Malaysia
Release Date: 23 January 2020 (Taiwan)
Genre: Drama, Supernatural, Mystery
Language: Mandarin
Also Known As: 彼岸之嫁
- Huang Pei-jia as Pan Li Lan, the ghost bride
- Wu Kang-jen as Er Lang, a 500-year-old deity
- Ludi Lin as Lim Tian Bai, Li Lan’s childhood friend
- Kuang Tian as Lim Tian Ching, the Lims’ deceased son whom Li Lan marries
- Janet Hsieh as Xiao Yu, Li Lan’s deceased mother
- Susan Leong as Amah, the Pan family’s housekeeper
- Jordan Voon as Mr. Pan, Li Lan’s father
- Wilson Tin as Old Wong, the Pan family’s chef who can talk to ghosts
- Angeline Tan as Madam Lim, Tian Ching’s mother
- Jojo Goh as Lim Yan Hong, Tian Ching’s older half-sister
- Teresa Daley as Isabel, Tian Bai’s betrothed
- Meeki Ng as Yu Li, Li Lan’s friend
Plot
Li Lan living in 1890’s colonial-era Malacca finds herself in trouble as her mother has passed away and her father’s business is going south due to his partner embazzling money. An old crush returns from school and his incredibly wealthy family offers to have Li Lan marry her crush’ deceased brother to gain more wealth in the family and not have Tian Ching become a wandering spirit, which she and her father refuse so she can continue her life without restrictions. As her father returns from an expedition terminally ill she keeps meeting the deceased Tian Ching in her dreams and she finds out a dark plot within the Lim family. She is asked to expose these secrets to save her father, but all plans keep being disrupted by the annoying Er Lang.
Opinion
So far I watched 3 episodes and I have to be honest, I’m hooked. The show is funny, dark and has an intriguing story. So far I’m really curious how the characters will develop and how the story will unfold. I’m already hoping for certain things and I would really recommend this series to anyone who loves drama and a bit of mystery. Season one has 6 episodes and it’s unsure how many seasons/parts it will have and if anything we can always get the book right?
