I have been interested in crime solving mysteries since I was a kid. I really don't know why but maybe it was because from an early exposure to these kind of shows like McGyver. Or maybe I am just so into this kind of stories. Anyhow, this is a genre which can interest me for a long time. Even in my choice of books, I prefer to read novels by Stephen King, Dan Brown and John Grisham.
As for TV shows, I used to like the original CSI but my interest declined when more series of this program had emerged. The latest, I think, is CSI: Cyber (is the title correct?). I also watched MindHunter in Netflix but was not able to follow through the second season due to its slow pacing. That's my own opinion, though! I know a lot of people were able to finish the two seasons. Maybe it's because I don't want a scene or two dragged like forever! The scenes where they interviewed the serial murderers were interesting, though!
When I heard that SBS was going to make a drama series about the first South Korean profiler, it piqued my interest and started to research more about the said drama. What's more interesting was the fact that the main character would be played by Kim Nam Gil, the actor who played Fr. Michael/Kim Hae Il in the Fiery Priest (2019). The one thing that I like about South Korean dramas is that the pacing is fast and the viewers can still follow up with what is happening in the story.
Actor Kim Nam Gil is a very versatile actor. He played as a warrior, a pirate, a psychopath, a life insurance examiner whose wife died, and a priest in different Korean dramas and movies. If you want to know more about this amazing South Korean actor, you can click this link for more info: https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/peopleView.jsp?peopleCd=10003788
The new drama "Through the Darkness" (English title) is one of his most successful drama. This was adopted from a non-fictional book written by the real South Korea's first profiler Kwon Il Young and Go Na Moo. The story was based on Kwon Il Young's personal experience as a profiler. I won't go into the details of each actor and their roles since it has been covered by several writers and articles both offline and online. For reference, here's a link where you can access this info: https://asianwiki.com/Through_the_Darkness
As a viewer and a mystery lover, I got hooked from the very first episode of the drama. My curiosity aroused when the main character, Song Ha Young, started to show his innate profiler behavior when he was working as a police inspector. He questioned every thing that a suspect did and the reason why they did those inhumane deeds. During this time, the behavior analysis concept was also starting to form when a former KCS director, Kook Young Soo, played by the actor Jin Seok Kyu (Extreme Job) who knew about the FBI's profiling system, started conceptualizing the new police department with his superiors and friends. He was the one who recruited Ha Young to become the very first profiler in South Korea.
As I was watching this drama, it reminded me that solving cases aren't just about catching criminals but also about the victims' families and loved ones whom they had left behind. I was so into "understanding" or "studying" the serial killers' reasons but, as Song Ha Young said, they are all "pathetic killers". The reasons each serial killer character gave has something in common, they all wanted to justify their evil deeds.
I could feel Song Ha Young's emotions when he was so deep into his "study" that he almost lost himself in the process of behavior analysis. The truth is, I do understand how he felt. I might not be solving cases and profiling criminals but what I had experienced when I was younger, feeling too much sometimes could compromise your own mental health. That's why I cannot forget Nietzche's quote, and this was also said in one of the episodes: "Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you." Ha Young's personal journey of his emotions made him reflect if he was really made for this kind of job or not.
Kim Nam Gil's acting was applauded as excellent by both fans and the media. His character here was an introvert and felt emotions deeply since childhood which made his mother worry all the time. His mother, played by veteran actress Kim Hye Ok, was always on her toes whenever she sees Ha Young looked depressed or tired especially right after she watched the news about the serial murder case that he was working on. Mr. Kim Nam Gil showed different emotions and facial expressions which was appropriately needed for each scene and was deeply felt by viewers around the world. I think Kim Nam Gil's "magic" is to send out each emotion to the audience so they could feel how the character felt. This is one of the characteristics of a good actor that I am looking for.
My take about this drama? It's very obvious, isn't it? It's a 5/5 for me! I was even looking for an English edition of the book where the drama derived but failed. They are only available in Korean and Chinese Mandarin. I just wish that there is an English version of it so fans from other parts of the world will be able to buy and read it. I also love to have it as part of my book collection as well.
For those who haven't watched the drama yet, better watch it now! The last episode just finished last March 12th. Congratulations to the cast and crew of this drama! It was very interesting to watch! I, myself, was analyzing each murder scene and suspect along with the main characters. ^^
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