My sister loves everything that has to do with psychopaths, whether that is a film, dramas, or documentary. Thus, after my sister kept talking me into watching this (Korean) drama called “Gab Dong”, and yes it is about psychos, I finally gave in.
Let me just start with the characters. The main character is a detective in his 30s, Ha Moo Yeom, who was obsessed in catching the pyscho serial killer ghost figure, Gab Dong. There are also female psychiatrist, Maria Oh (Moo Yeom’s love interest) and Yang Chul Gon (Moo Yeom’s superior) who both shares the same goal as Moo Yeom, thus catching Gab Dong. Lastly, there’s Ryu Tae Oh, who plays as a junior “Gab Dong”, and two other notable characters includes Cha Do Hyeok and Ma Ji Wool as another detective and a high school web comic artist, respectively.
This drama has 20 episodes, each runs for about an hour. I have to say I was guilty for finishing this drama in just two days. I couldn’t stop. I did fast-forwarded some parts, but I know, still.
(spoiler ahead)
The storyline goes something like this: The famous “Gab Dong” murders made a comeback 20 years after his disappearance. This incident triggered both detectives, Moo Yeom and Chul Gon, to once again solve the mystery and capture this serial killer ghost. Their hunt united them with Tae Oh, a young psychopath who seek to follow Gab Dong’s footsteps after being released from the mental hospital. The story then continues as the two detectives work to slowly but surely, with the help of the psychiatrist and the high school girl, find the real “Gab Dong”.
What I particularly found this drama to be really interesting is the way it portrays the character “Ryu Tae Oh” as a psychopath. Unlike many movies or dramas where psychos are only shown their violent, crazy, inhumane side, this drama actually invites us as an audience to look from their perspective, or more importantly understand them. It’s true that no matter what the reason, killing is an unforgivable act, but it’s undeniable that I actually sympathize with this character, more than I thought I would. This drama peels the outer layers of Tae Oh’s psychotic behaviour and show us what is beneath it.
With that being said, I was inspired to create a movie that’s not obvious. Just like this drama, I want to arouse an unexpected emotion or reaction from someone through my work.
In the end, I didn’t want to spoil too much because I believe people should watch this drama. It’s not a perfect drama, but good enough to make me review it and recommend it to others. It has a great pace, some really good acting (especially Tae Oh by Lee Joon), great directing, and of course plot.
It’s available on netflix, watch it and have fun!
