Inspector Koo (2021)

Inspector Koo is another Sherlockian wannabe, but is that a bad thing?

Story:

Inspector Koo follows a middle-aged reclusive woman with the typical Sherlockian characteristics as she, and her subordinates, follow the trail of a serial killer. The serial killer is made obvious and introduced from the start, creating a cat-and-mouse game that antagonises the audience for 12 episodes. Although there are several issues with this story, including how erratic some aspects of the plot felt, it was still relatively enjoyable. This kdrama is possibly the best definition of a dark comedy/thriller-comedy that I have seen, coming near to The Killer's Shopping List (which I feel is a better show).

I found most scenes to be visually intense or enjoyable, but the actual plot itself got seriously complex in the later episodes, enough so that it started to create more questions that need answering. This is the issue when the screenwriters try to write a plot that includes everyone or adds depth to character.

Inspector Koo, the main character of the show, has spent the last 5 years as a recluse due to her husband's suicide. However, I felt like more scenes with the husband (and Koo) in the past should have been included to give more access for the audience. There was a constant incomplete picture, which of course, added mystery, but I was no longer left questioning things and instead was forced to let it play out.

I will admit however that I am incredible pleased with the varied characterisation of the characters. Koo is not a police officer (although was one formerly) and instead works for a life insurance company. Although, this detail becomes lax in the later episodes when they decided to focus on the serial killer.

By Episode 10, I felt that the drama was going in a direction away from how it started. The show is brilliant in the first few episodes. There was a constant need to create tension, dramatics, comedy and a bit of mystery, fed on by introducing more and more characters but giving them too much control of the scenes.

Additionally, the biggest issue is the deduction of the crimes and plausibility. In comparison to other crime shows, Inspector Koo has an atmosphere of "knows it all but has no proof" which is incredible but also increasingly frustrating, especially given the reckless route Koo seeks to catch the serial killer, K.

And finally, K's aunt and K's backstory weren't handled as strongly as they could have been. I felt that there was a shift from the seriousness of K's behaviour to it being bizarre and interpersonally comedic. This drama could have been written better but it came off strongly plotwise due to outside factors like direction, production and visual fxs.

Acting/Cast:

I seriously enjoyed the cast they had here. It was female-dominated, and it almost felt refreshing to watch a drama without the male narrative.

Lee Young Ae captured the sloppiness of Koo to a T. The slurps after drinking, messy hair and dry skin. There was a very depiction of a reckless woman who is unable to take care of herself.

Kim Hye Joon is going places with her excitingly psychopathic depiction of K. In fact, the first few episodes are a cinematic masterpiece in terms of highlighting her character. There is one scene in Episode 2 where K goes clubbing but she dances on the club floor alone while people stay far away from her.

Santa's character was homely and hugely expressive due to his lack of words in the drama. Although, he still remains a mystery.

Music:

Holy Shit. The music for this show... it deserves some serious praise. 10/10

There are so many songs that fit the theme of the show as well as the intense, comedic or sad scenes that it plays over for. No song is out of place and are so melodic and appropriately fitted into the background that it doesn't stand out or eclipse the actor's words.

Rewatch Value:

Unlike other shows where the killer is revealed in the last show, Inspector Koo sets it out from the beginning who the serial killer is and makes notable comparisons between K and Koo. Therefore, the rewatch value of this show hasn't plummeted too much.

It's a visual masterpiece that almost moved me to tears with some scenes, and I would genuinely consider rewatching it in a few months time when I've forgotten most of the scenes etc. The characters and their dynamics in the show, particularly the cute nature of Santa, make it appealing.

Overall:

Inspector Koo is one of those shows that might appear messy to the outside eye, which in hindsight, it can be given the complexity of the plot in the later episodes. It works well to embody comedy and thriller together and creating a protagonist that you will not necessarily like but learn to tolerate.

A few issues with the show come from spoiler-ish details that feel like a shock factor trying to make the final episode more intense. I'll list them down below. Apart from that, I genuinely enjoyed this show as a fresh breath of air because it alternates from psychopathy to comedy fluidly. That and the OST which really helped me sit down and watch peacefully.

From a logical perspective, nothing in this show makes sense. From the fact that life insurance inspectors can investigate a serial killer to the fact that the serial killer is a college student who we have never seen in college nor have we seen work and yet she has an abundance of technical knowledge and finances.

If you enjoy a good ol' crime show but with a hint of comedy then watch this.

***SPOILERS***

- Director Yong locking up K made no sense apart from a flat storyline to conveniently keep K locked up while Koo and the others work.
- Santa's background reveal in the final episode didn't feel needed.
- There was still no explanation about what the black bat dolls are.
- Several of the details in the show point to a Season 2.

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Exciting but gets a little messy

The best part of this drama is hands down the antagonist, who is just the most intriguing kind of serial killer. We get a backstory showing her how she got to that point and what she's feeling (or what she's not), and I really loved the layer of moral grayness in her reasoning behind the killings. It really made me question the blurry line between right and wrong and think about who has the power or right to decide who deserves to die and who to live.

All this, paired with the eccentricity of the female lead who has her own blurry backstory, made for a really interesting dynamic between the two not only when they were playing their game of cat and mouse, but also during their very intense confrontations.

I thought the side characters on the team were also great and had their personalities and roles, each with a different worldview that meshed well together.

As the plot progressed, it started to incorporate other antagonists and manipulators that were related to politics or familial secrets; while I'm not necessarily surprised because I knew the story had to get bigger than a single killer and her accomplice, but I just felt like the additions started to get messy and I was not at all as interested in these other people with other motivations. It just felt too common and it seemed to stifle the potential of the main antagonist.

Though there were some parts that felt a little rushed — especially in light of all the new antagonists and characters that were added that I mentioned above, I still felt like the drama wrapped up the storylines nicely.

Throughout the entire show, the OST was great and it definitely made me feel the intensity in every scene.

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enjoyed it!

Loved seeing the women helm this drama. It was equal parts funny and thrilling. K was a charming criminal. Ms Koo made a fun anti-hero. All the other side characters were amazing too. Really wonderful seeing a same-sex couple with a cute romance.

I'm just being very superficial with my review here. Because there's more to this drama than what I've typed above. At 12 episodes, it is nicely packaged. Couldn't grasp many things - one of which is how come K can beat up everyone's ass and she is just a petite young woman who doesn't appear to be trained in any form of martial arts? But it was fun enough that I was happy to suspend my disbelief.

With how the story ended, I suspect a sequel may be in the works? Nice.

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Killing Eve ripoff gone wrong

This show was touted as a Korean remake of Killing Eve and well, it isn't wrong. If you've watched Killing Eve, the similarities are there: female police officer/law enforcement agent goes on a cat and mouse chase with a female serial killer/assassin (in killing eve). This show takes on a more quirky/light hearted tone compared to Killing eve, which in my opinion doesn't work in its favor. "K" the female serial killer, is basically Villanelle but quirkier and less charismatic. Her "quirkiness" was played up too much it made it too over the top and unbelievable. This was actually the main reason I dropped the show. K's overacting was just grating on my nerves too much. The plot was also not sufficiently interesting to get me hooked on the show and make me able to look past the awful overacting. Koo and team already established that K was the killer around ep 4/5 so there wasn't anything left to compel me to continue. Also, the people who K was targeting were bad people, so it was kinda a good thing as well? I personally like a good revenge story so I didn't care to see K get apprehended. There was also some backstory about Koo's husband's suicide but it was meh.

Other plot points I couldn't stand was that I found it hard to believe that K had so much resources to carry out her various killings, especially the plan where she drugged Koo's 2 team mates and left them to die at sea. Villanelle had some outlandish schemes up her sleeve as well but she was an assassin part of an international organization. While K on the other hand seems decently well off with her aunt being some sort of insurance agent but definitely not chaebol level to have the means to pull off such stunts.

Acting wise: Lee Young Ae is decent as Koo but her performance did not wow me. K's actress on the other hand....ugh. Not sure if it was a production choice to have her overact and turn on her "quirkiness" meter to a million or maybe the actress' acting ability isn't up to standard to be able to portray the character convincingly.

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Deadly charming

Gosh, what a show! It‘s been a while since I was this charmed by a drama but this did it for me.
What can I say, I love everything about Inspector Koo, even its flaws, which I would argue, make this even more endearing. Yeah, it’s riddled with plot holes and conveniences, yeah, the performance Mrs. Koo gives, is a bit strange and over the top, but man, that’s all part of the experience baby!
I am struggling, trying to take this show apart, and truly critiquing it because, for the first time in a long time, I was too entertained to pay attention to the details.
In no way is this a realistic crime thriller, but I don’t think it has to or even tries to be one. Somehow this show managed to be intelligent while having the most Ludacris plot ever. Inspector Koo definitely knows its strengths and you will catch yourself suspending your disbelief to new extremes simply because you’re too hooked to do anything else.

How refreshing to see a K-drama that is truly driven by its women. Female competence all around. Inspector Koo is a quirky anti-hero that you cannot help but fall in love with and Na Ja-hee is one of the coolest women of K-drama in 2021. But I especially lost my heart to psychopath and dream-girl K. Most people probably already know her from Kingdom but the only drama I saw her actress in before this, was some sleazy lesbian-fanservice 5 minute-episode web show. But man, she did such a fantastic job here! I was having fun whenever we got to see K on screen. No matter how deranged or downright evil she was acting, it was nearly impossible for me to hate her, that’s how much I enjoyed her performance here.

However, the biggest strength of Inspector Koo is its distinctive cinematography and cut. This is a drama that stands out because of its style. From opening to its montages, this show felt fresh, interesting and most of all: charming. Never did this drama go the easy route of conveying something, even simple scenes of people casually talking to each other were visually stimulating, thanks to the quirky look and feel of Inspector Koo. I was strongly reminded of the cinematography of Scott Pilgrim Vs- The World, which I love. The color and quick cut took the edge of the dark premise of the show and made this thriller fun without making the gruesome crimes of K feel trivial.

The OST is SO DAMN GOOD!!! I am not someone that cares for K-drama soundtracks or even K-pop, not at all, but I’ve been listening to the OST non-stop ever since I watched the first episode. It’s so catchy but never felt out of place. I found myself grinning ear to ear every time Round And Round by TRRP came on.

Inspector Koo is a silly drama, but it’s not a stupid one. I would somewhat compare this dark comedy with Vincenzo, which I also truly loved, but Vincenzo was a show that felt like dumb fun, with not much else going on. And that is not a dig at Vincenzo, I adore that show. But with Inspector Koo, I think there was more method to the madness and yet it doesn’t feel like it tried as hard. Amidst all the weirdness, there is something genuinely poignant and important about this drama. What is good, what is evil? And what should judgment look like, when those two ideas start to blur more and more?

I strongly strongly endorse this drama, I would even go as far and call this my personal K-Drama of 2021. The 8.2 does not do this show any justice, this is criminally underrated, in my humble opinion. Yeah it has its flaws, Inspector Koo‘s acting, as mentioned above, the plot holes, and at certain points, the plot was kind of slow and repetitive. I might be overly generous, I will gladly admit that, but no matter how hard I try to be objective, I just can’t stress enough how much fun this drama really was. TLDR: I think Inspector Koo is absolutely brilliant.

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A Witty and Brilliant Conflict Between Fantastic Characters

This is a detective's show in its finest form. Unique and interesting characters brought together in a game of cat and mouse between a disheveled but gifted detective and an equally intelligent antagonist. The story was phenomenal, the acting was great, the music was catchy and well-made, and the production quality was perfect.

Besides being a little drawn out, there isn't much I can criticize (that's why it's nine out of ten). And... well, there's not much to say about a great show except that it's great, so we'll leave it at that. I strongly recommend watching this show.

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Finally a kdrama where I loved every aspect of it

This is my first review, so I am sorry if it seems all over the place.

In the kdramas I have watched over the years Inspector Koo is without a shadow of a doubt one of my favorites. So rarely I find kdramas where I loved every thing but Inspector Koo managed to do it.

I didn't have much expectations when I started watching it and in the beginning I honestly watched it because the plot seemed interesting and because I saw Lee Hongnae and Kim Hyejoon were acting in it. But once I started watching I was surprised because it was much more fun and interesting than I was expecting.

It's funny but at the same time it tackles serious crimes and situations. The characters are well done and they are given depth. The OST is amazing too, I don't think I have ever had a kdrama where I liked every single song in the BG but in Inspector Koo the music really fits the atmosphere and the situation.

The actors did all an amazing job, and I ended up liking and sometimes hating every single character.

Another thing that I really liked about Inspector Koo was the editing. It was on point! My favourite parts are when Ko Kyungi and Song Yikyung met for the first time in the highschool and until then you thought that Kyungi was in the far past, but then the coloring from purple/greish became normal and you saw the two main leads looking at each other. Something else that I really liked in the direction of the drama was all the parallels between the two FLs, like for example when they were looking at each other at the elevator reminded me of when they looked at each other in the class room when they were sitting at the desks. Also the directing of the last episode when K was in the place of other characters while Ko Kyungi was explaining how she managed to be in place of Ms. Yong.

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Herlock and "K"oriarty

To the untrained eye, “Inspector Koo” appears to be a gender-swapped, Korean version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s well known creation. The main character is a brilliant investigator plagued by self-destructive tendencies, anti-social behavior and questions about whether they actually want to help people or just enjoy matching wits with like-minded giant intellects. There’s a put-upon sidekick that tries to mitigate the inspector’s vices and acts as an intermediary with the rest of the world. And notably, there’s a genius criminal on the loose.

Lee Young Ae plays the Inspector, Koo Kyung Yi, while Kim Hye Joon plays the killer “K”, Song Yi Kyung. At the beginning, Koo is in a deep rut of alcohol and video games and takeout food. K is, outwardly, a failing stage actor. Soon, however, Koo has been pulled into action by Kwak Sun Young’s character, Je Hee, to investigate a suspected life insurance scam. Before too long, the battle of brains between Koo and K begins.

And this is where the path diverges from the one trod by Doyle.

First, Koo might be an oddball, but she is fun and, below the unwashed hair and dilapidated wardrobe, an empathetic person. She is also, at times, not entirely convinced that she is the smartest and most brilliant person around and that she will ultimately prevail. Also, she’s got more than Watson alongside. There’s Jo Hyun Chul’s Kyung Soo who makes a first impression as a stereotypical insurance corporation drone, but has a competitive fire inside. There’s also fellow gamer, Santa, who speaks through a voice app on his phone who, for unexplained reasons, answers Koo when she messages her online compatriots for assistance in real life.

But where Holmes’ nemesis Moriarty has been typically portrayed as a purely diabolical evildoer that functions as a device to move the plot action forward, K is a fascinatingly complex character that merits equal billing to Koo. She is insidiously villainous without question and unwavering in her pursuit of mayhem, but she’s not wholly dark. She’s not seeking power or fame or simply mindlessly targeting victims. And from a purely entertainment perspective, Kim Hye Joon is a sugary delight as K.

Moreover, K has her own cohort in (literal) crime, Lee Hong Nae’s Keon Wook. For those looking for LQBTQ representation, which doesn’t show up in every drama, being the right hand man of serial killer might not seem like the preferred role. And Keon Wook is not a white knight on a white horse in shining armor. Oh but what a sublime character he is. Were a standalone prequel vehicle to be spun off from “Inspector Koo”, Keon Wook would be the ideal choice. The backstory between K and Keon Wook is unclear but that he has some psychological trauma is clear as well as that he does not imagine a life where he has a happy, more domesticated future. To be clear, these two are not at all portrayed as good people or heroes but there is a thread of tragic downfall woven into their arcs that gives them an additional layer and welcome texture.

The cast ensemble is excellent. The soundtrack and score are among the best produced this year. The direction allows the quirkiness of the characters to shine without allowing the show to devolve into kitsch. The finale may not be a blockbuster but it delivers and leaves open fertile ground for what would be a welcome second installment.

Despite an abundance of positive qualities, however, “Inspector Koo” affixes readily emotionally to K and Keon Wook but less effectively to Koo and her cohorts, despite this group having noticeably more time on screen. Not surprisingly, many of the characters have connections in their past but they are inconsistently illuminated. And the storytelling is a tad loose. There is a wide number of players in the build-up to the final confrontation and more than a couple of subplots contribute but not all of them are stitched back into the main thread. While “Inspector Koo” is consistently entertaining, it really only once manages to break out a legitimately shocking and thrilling moment.

Solidly recommended.

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Is this a joke?

I was happy to see Lee Young-ae’s come back K-drama as I’m a huge fan of her. I’ve never seen her taking on a role like this and no matter how ridiculous her character’s gotten, she stuck with it and did her best. So kudos to her.

As for the show itself and everything about it, it’s an absolute joke. There’s no logic here. Things in this world just happen because that’s what the writer wanted at that moment to make it convenient for the story. I get that it’s a comedy but the character of Koo is so far out of normal human behavior, watching her waddling around acting outrageously crazy gets so infuriating after a while.

And what is up with the Santa character? Is he deaf? Is he pretending to be one? Are they trying to say he’s on the spectrum? One of the main characters just doesn’t talk for reasons unknown. The way they execute the chase scene between Santa and the main villain (ep. 4?) tells you everything you need to know about this show. He’s another infuriating character who doesn’t act normal.

I won’t even get into the main villain…. They may explain this later on but there’s a network of random people just doing her bidding without any knowledge of who she is. And it’s almost like she sees and knows and controls all things. She’s like a Bond super villain. And she’s just some random girl. I guess I’ll never know.

This show is so bad and characters are basically just cartoon characters who I refuse to root for.

I give up.

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