For me this drama is definitely going in the same tier as The King of Pigs and Through the Darkness this year. It's actually the first time Disney+ managed to impress me so much, Kudos to them for creating such a carefully intricate investigative drama. I was having a hard time finding another well written thriller with great characters and great production values after those two, but thankfully Shadow Detective delivered. If you're a fan of this genre and of darker storylines then please, do give this one a try.


This is an hard-boiled noir thriller, the plot is complex, the world is gritty, bleak and corrupted and its characters are antiheroes full of regrets who are mourning their loss of innocence, a reflection of the messed up hierarchical system that engulfs South Korea. You really can't trust anyone here. It's not the first drama about corruption inside the police, but this one is more bitter and pessimistic than usual, and imo, more realistic (it actually reminded me of the movie Asura: the City of Madness in terms of emotions and overall atmosphere, but without the gore) since there is no manichean conflict with the rightful incorruptible heroes fighting the evil bad guys that will inevitably lose. Here our anti-heroes are fighting against themselves just as much as they're fighting against the bad guys. It really makes you feel angry toward the characters, but also sorry for them because you understand that in a different, fairer world they wouldn't have become the worst version of themselves.

I really liked the fact that we're seeing the story through the eyes of a veteran detective that has already paid the price for his mistakes and has come to regret his decisions because it makes you appreciate more his inner monologues and the advice that he gives to his younger colleagues: the only thing that matters in life is not being on top, but peace of mind, family and the people we cherish, and how important it is to understand those values before it's too late, because it will indeed come a time when it will be truly too late, why? Because even if other people may be willing to forgive your wrongdoings you still won't be able to forgive yourself, and he knows it better than anyone. Regret is a key world in this story.

It's really sad and poignant how Taek Rok's last advice to his younger colleague and nemesis was to never become a cop in a next life, because they aren't cut for the job. It was sad since it used to be their dream, but after thinking about it, it made sense: in a world where the bad guys are winning and where you can't do anything to change the system, the only way for a good person to remain a good person is to stay away from the system as much as possible. Jin Han tried to change the system, but he was swallowed by it instead. And Taek Rok himself doesn't have the moral high ground to pass judgment on him.

Shadow Detective doesn't focus on the side of the police that pictures the cops as the right hand of justice, but it shows the dirty side of it, the one who falsify the evidences, who works with the local gangsters to do their job and who is entangled with politics. As a consequence, an happy ending felt impossible.


I personally think this drama has great rewatch values because it's easy to miss some details when you watch it the first time, especially when you watch it weekly and quite some time passes between each episode, as the plot is quite complex with many plot threads being connected with each other. There aren't fillers here, there isn't any scene you can skip, it requires your full attention or you'll end up getting lost, but I actually appreciate that it respects the viewers ability to connect the dots on their own. Although complicated it never really felt convoluted to me because it stays away from cheap plot twists added just for shock values to surprise the viewer. Each episode ends with a cliffhanger, but each of them adds something to the plot and has real consequences.

Honorable mention to the ost used for the ending scenes, and to the soundtrack used in general, because it really managed to create that sense of suspense each time. The music was always fitting and added a lot to the atmosphere.

The cinematography was chosen with care too, with its mix of warmer lightings and shadows in the interior scenes that create a moody atmosphere and the bleaker and colder colors used for the scenes on the outside that uses many long shots, often featuring the sea as a silent witness of Taek Rok's thoughts, to emphasize the characters sense of isolation, and it manages to add a cinematic quality to this drama.

For those who are unsure about it because it will have a second season: yes, it ends with a cliffhanger that makes you want to watch the next season immediately (but alas, we'll have to wait a little, at least it's confirmed though). But nope, it's not an unsatisfying ending since it still sheds some light to the main mysteries of the series and manages to give some sense of closure for the main story arc of the season, while also leaving room for speculations and showing that the bigger picture we thought we caught by the end is even bigger than we originally thought.

Don't mind the ratings and give it a go if you're a fan of the genre, or if you're a fan of the actors too because they delivered some great performances here. The chemistry and the bromance between Lee Sung Min and Jin Goo was especially good. While for the former I'm not surprised since I already knew that he was a top tier veteran actor after watching Misaeng (another gem where he stars in and where he gives a fantastic performance), I had some doubts about the latter after that mess that was A Superior Day where he underperformed, but this show truly redeems him in my eyes and now I can't wait to see him in something else. The rest of the cast did a great job as well, even with less screen time. Some are better than others of course, but no one really broke the strong sense of immersion.