Dead Talents Society 2025

Catherine, a famous diva in the underworld known for her haunting presence at a hotel, faces betrayal from her once-promising protégé, Jessica. Jessica’s rise to fame comes swiftly as she captures the spotlight at the Golden Ghost Awards with a series of popular jump scare videos online, leading to a significant decline in Catherine’s own popularity and influence.

Fast forward four years, and the Rookie ghost discovers her own body is facing a dire fate. With her piano competition certificate — the most significant token of her existence — accidentally discarded by her sister during a move, Rookie realizes that without it, she will perish within 30 days. In a state of desperation, she seeks the support of her ghost friend Camilla and decides to enter the contest held by the Dead Talents Society. This unique contest not only offers ghosts like Rookie a chance to stay in the living world, thanks to a working pass signed by a haunting agency, but also reignites her hopes.

Despite her initial poor performance at the contest, Rookie catches the interest of Makoto, the agent representing the now-washed-up Catherine. Surprisingly, Makoto invites Rookie to become the new protégé of Catherine. Shortly after, as Rookie and Camilla try to acclimate themselves to Catherine’s world alongside the technician Kouji, a new guest arrives at the hotel. Unfortunately, Rookie and Camilla’s attempts to scare the guest fall flat, leaving Catherine frustrated and prompting her to take matters into her own hands. Catherine’s intervention leads to tension, and she orders Makoto to dismiss the duo. However, Makoto counters Catherine’s demands by emphasizing the need for fresh talent, suggesting that Rookie’s perceived ineffectiveness might actually help prevent future betrayals.

After 20 days of training with little progress to show, Rookie undergoes an unexpected and comical incident during the stay of a young couple. In a series of chaotic events, she inadvertently leaps off the building and is impaled on the hotel’s signboard, triggering an explosion that short-circuits the hotel’s power. The couple captures this moment on video, which quickly goes viral across social media.

Meanwhile, a popular ghost-hunting social media influencer, known as the Non-Believer, announces plans to produce a vlog in Rookie’s haunted hotel, igniting curiosity about the potential clash between Rookie and Jessica’s urban legends. This sparks immense interest not only among the living but also in the underworld. Now an international star after exploiting her chilling encounters, Jessica returns to Taiwan, determined to engage in a crossover haunting show with Rookie, hoping to outshine and undermine Rookie’s success. She further humiliates Rookie on a talk show, and understandably hurt, Rookie quits the agency in a fit of rage when Catherine fails to support her.

In a heartfelt encounter at her former home, Rookie confesses to Makoto that the piano competition certificate was a forgery made by her father to inspire her. Despite her numerous failures and a crushing academic journey, she had aspired to be a daughter who made her family proud but tragically met her end during an earthquake while scrambling for the certificate. Motivated by this newfound understanding, Makoto encourages Rookie to embrace her true self rather than live in the shadow of other people’s expectations.

As tensions rise, the crossover show between Catherine and Jessica begins, leading to sabotage and mishaps that prevent both from scaring the ghost-hunting influencers effectively. In a climactic showdown, Jessica violently confronts Catherine, which results in destruction, leaving the influencers’ equipment in shambles—a situation no one, especially the Chairghost, expects. In a twist of fate, Rookie seizes the moment, leaping onto the scene and effectively scaring the influencers away alongside Catherine, Makoto, Camilla, and Kouji.

Although Rookie and Catherine ultimately face defeat at the Golden Ghost Awards, their escapade to scare the influencers inadvertently leads to a car crash and a subsequent massive exorcism ceremony that garners media attention. This catches the Chairghost’s approval, resulting in the renewal of work permits for Catherine, Rookie, and even Jessica, despite their previous rivalry. In a touching conclusion, Rookie pays a visit to her sister’s newborn child, nurturing the message that one does not need to be innately talented, but rather simply to be oneself.