‘Nine Plus Boys’ Is All About Superstition

The four male characters in "Nine Plus Boys" are all related. Three of them are brothers and the fourth is their uncle. But they have one more thing in common. Their ages all end in nine and apparently that is what's bringing them bad luck.

Some in Korea believe that anything plus nine (gu) is cursed. The Chinese word gu is associated with poison, black magic and even death. But in less magical terms, the plus-nine years are also years of transition as a person moves from one decade in life to the next. It's a time to sum up your priorities and move on.

From the youngest of the brothers, who is nine, to his uncle, who is 39, they are all having a hard year. And they won't accept a protective talisman that their mother bought to save them from misfortune. They just don't believe in superstitions, although that may change as things start to go bad for them.

One reason that they are slow to realize they need help is that their mom, played by Kim Mi Kyung is very superstitious. She consults a fortuneteller played by Park Hyuk Kwon and he may very well be taking advantage of her fears to dine out at fine restaurants.

Her brother and sons have all encountered her many superstitions, which include things as seemingly irrational as not sitting at the corner of the table, not putting water in your rice or not eating a whole fish. It's hard to take her concerns seriously. That is, until things go wrong. And since she had her children 10 years apart, things start to go wrong for all of them at once.

Her youngest, Kang Dong Gu was a child actor but he's facing a career slump. At the age of nine he has grown out of his cute stage. Choi Ro Woon plays Kang Dong Gu.

Kang Min Gu, 19, has irritable bowel syndrome, which acts up in embarrassing ways during a judo match. Yook Sung Jae plays Kang Min Gu.

Kang Jin Gu, 29, finally realizes his feelings for his long time female friend, only to discover she is dating his best friend. Kang, played by Kim Young Kwang, has been very successful with women but winning the one woman that he loves now eludes him.

Uncle Gu Kwang Soo, played by Oh Jung Se, was a successful TV producer. But one scandalous TV performance by a band he insisted on for his music show derails his career.

Will the "Nine Plus Boys" take advantage of their mother's good luck charms or will they take control of their own destiny? Stay tuned.