Search was a well-balanced, perfectly paced, well written, adrenaline rush inducing thriller in typical OCN fashion. It doesn't fall under the horror genre but provides a handful of jump scares and gory character deaths. That being said, it's not scary, so do not be wary of this drama.

The first two episodes were by far one of the most thrilling I've watched in a good while. It was a perfect amalgamation of the eerie ambience, wary heroes, solid characterization and timely scoring. It hooked me from the start and managed to keep me thoroughly fixated till the end. The drama is short and succinct, having only 10 episodes, which means that the episodes are very meaty with almost no filler. Even the romance is briefly mentioned and takes a back seat to the panic-inducing chaos that occurs in the DMZ. There is no OST per se, but the background score is superbly ambient.

The cast did an outstanding job. Jang Dong Yoon's Yong Dong Jin is poles apart from his character in The Tale of Nokdu. Krystal does a good job as the cold, and competent Son Ye Rim. She was a badass from start to end- intelligent, agile and far from a damsel in distress. K-dramas tend to dumb down FLs who are initially intended to be strong, so I was delighted to see a female lead who was equally as capable as the MLs. Although Kim Da Jung irritated me with her nosiness, you can't deny that she's a strong character too. Yeon Woo Jin, despite barely having lines, blew me away and Yoon Bak and Lee Hyun Wook shouldered their roles masterfully. Yoo Sung Joo was undeniably fantastic as the cruel and power-hungry Lee Hyuk because he made me absolutely loathe his character.

JDY and Krystal have excellent chemistry, and while romance is certainly not the focus here, their longing gazes and words of comfort reassures viewers of their lingering affection for each other. Considering that they referenced it multiple times, I was hoping that the writers would have mentioned the reason for their break-up. But it never came. I can't help but wish that their love line had been more fleshed out. Regardless, they seem to get together at the end.
However, arguably the best couple in this show was YDJ and Mac/Leo. I would be lying if I said that Leo's death didn't induce some hurt.

It isn't flawless, however. There are some plotholes and logical fallacies. I could not comprehend why Jo Min Guk was the only one with green eyes. I initially assumed that the red eyes were a consequence of the mutation caused due to radioactive exposure and rabies. However, the finale detailed Woo Sang Min, the first infected, having red eyes. So why is JMG the only green-eyed one?
I found some of the elements poorly explained. For instance, some background about the radioactive material would have been appreciated and better explained how it caused people to turn into "zombies." I also felt that SMG's death was rather pointless. He was a grey character from the get-go, and I was half expecting his demise, but it felt so inconsequential.
For all his barbarity, I think that LH did not receive nearly as much as he deserves. His death was not satisfying. I truly wish that someone would've put a couple of bullets in him and have him publicly persecuted.


It's also a little predictable, but all is forgiven for having given me two days of blood rush and excitement. It was fantastic enough for me to wish I never watched it so I could rewatch and feel the thrill all over again. This genre is unconventional for K-dramas because it often requires quick pace and tight storytelling, a task that does not translate well into episode format. However, dramas like Search, Guest and Kingdom are a testament that it isn't impossible. Fingers crossed for more dramas of this genre.