I picked the drama because of the intriguing title and it turned out a comparatively enjoyable watch
albeit not very original and rather inconsistent in quality. The first 11 episodes are mostly good but in
the last five the writing goes downhill unfortunately. To be honest I ploughed to the end only to learn
what would happen to one character, namely the prosecutor.
The plot is nothing unique. It feels like parts and bits of dozen different movies and series were put
together to create it. The two main leads are police detectives investigating serial murders in the
present. In the process they eventually stumble upon a case of the religious cult members' mass suicide
happened 24 years ago which the Fl is connected to in some way.
The best written part of the plot is definitely a terrifying back story about the cult and the way the members and especially children were treated by the cult leaders. The tone is so matter-of-fact in those scenes of violence that it makes them extremely disturbing and sends shivers down the spine. When the whole story is revealed the atrocity of it is enormous.
The plot of the other part “the present” is not that good and riddled with many plotholes and weird
twists and turns which are mostly filler. Like the crazy heiress abduction case, the organ harvesting
story, the ten plagues of Egypt quest, the Fl meeting her shaman grandmother for approximately 10
minutes and never remembering about her further on. It is especially evident in the last 5 episodes
where the script is getting more and more ridiculous and disjointed by the minute.
The leads are okay, though I was not particularly invested into their stories. The fl is likable in the first
half but later on becomes such a hypocrite letting slide the crimes of her father and at the same time
calling the prosecutor a monster for lesser sins. The Ml is a rather typical quirky detective with the super
high IQ whose antics I would have enjoyed in some other drama but here they feel somewhat out of place. Or
perhaps not well executed. The romance is only hinted at and that is just fine because there is zero
chemistry between the fl and ml.
The true star of the drama is undoubtedly the prosecutor Joo Ha-Min. Sim Hee-Seop gives a brilliant
performance portraying this deeply scarred and conflicted man whose tortured soul is beginning to heal
after meeting the fl. The actor’s charisma and screen presence is strong and compelling. Though the
prosecutor is an ambiguous and “grey” character who is seemingly siding with the evil it is
impossible not to root for him in the end more than for the protagonists. Sim Hee-Seop plays this
complex character so effortlessly, all his emotions seem so real: his bitter cynicism and vulnerability, the
longing in his eyes when he is looking at the fl, the desperation and lingering hope. What a pity Sim Hee-
Seop is not in many dramas. He is sincerely a gem.
Another great performance is Kim Dong Young as a psycho killer Han Sang Goo.
The OST is also the strength of the drama. I like everything: the songs though there are few of them, the
instrumental pieces, and the hymn sung by the choir. The music here is fitting and used well to set the
mood.
Overall it is worth a try if only just to see the prosecutor’s story.