Kairos ~ If Only You Could Turn Back Time

“Kairos” was released in 2020, has 16 episodes, and is streaming on Viki and other popular streaming platforms. It is categorized as Fantasy/Time Travel, Thriller and Suspense, Crime, and Mystery.

♦ When Tragedy Strikes You Always Wish You Could Turn Back Time

In “Kairos”, in the opening scene, it looks like the building is crumbling like it would during an earthquake. But suddenly, Kim Seo-Jin opens his eyes. He is riding in the back seat of a car. Was he dreaming? It seemed so real.

Kim Seo-Jin is married to a violinist and they have a young daughter. His wife will be playing the violin at an important charity event. His daughter will be allowed to come and listen to her mother play. The babysitter will bring her to the event and then take her back home. That was the plan.

Anybody who has watched over kids knows that they can be unpredictable. While the babysitter was texting on her phone, Kim Seo-Jin’s daughter got out of her chair and walked away. Nobody was paying attention and by the time they realized she was missing, both Kim Seo-Jin and his wife were in full-blown panic mode. Where is their daughter?!!!

The scene switches and Han Ae-Ri, a clerk at a grocery store sees a young girl who is unaccompanied. The young girl leaves the store. It looks like the child is waving at someone however she is walking away all by herself. Han Ae-Ri did not know at the time, but the young girl was Kim Seo-Jin’s daughter.

While at work, Han Ae-Ri receives a phone call and it’s good news. They have a heart donor for her mother. Han Ae-Ri takes her mother to the hospital for surgery but her mother goes into cardiac arrest. The surgery has to be postponed until she recovers and her mother must stay in the hospital for now.

Meanwhile, Kim Seo-Jin and his wife have contacted the police about their missing child. The police are baffled because if it was a kidnapping why is there no demand for ransom? Someone delivers a package to their home and it contains the severed finger of a child. The police believe the child is dead and Kim Seo-Jin’wife is so devastated she commits suicide.

Kim Seo-Jin wishes he could turn back time and erase this hellish nightmare.

When Han Ae-Ri returns home, she notices her cell phone is missing. She thought she must have left it at the hospital, but did not find it there. She has another phone and calls her own number and Kim Seo-Jin answers. Han Ae-Ri asks him to return her phone and Kim Seo-Jin asks her about his daughter. That statement has Han Ae-Ri bewildered. Why is he asking her about his missing daughter?

♦ A missing daughter? What about a missing mother?

When Han Ae-Ri goes to the hospital to get her mother, they tell her that she signed the discharge papers and left already. She left? Where did she go? Han Ae-Ri is now in full-blown panic mode. Her mother is missing!

Han Ae-Ri keeps trying to contact Kim Seo-Jin to get her phone and he keeps asking about his daughter. He sends her a photo via the phone. Han Ae-Ri recognized the little girl because she was in the store. But she doesn’t know anything else.

Han Ae-Ri and Kim Seo-Jin keep calling each other and finally arrange to physically meet up. They both show up at the appointed place and both think that the other party did not keep the appointment to meet. But they did both show up. It’s just that there was a time difference.

• On Kim Seo-Jin’s calendar, the month is September 2020.
• On Han Ae-Ri’s calendar, the month is August 2020.

Kim Seo-Jin’s wife has committed suicide and his daughter is missing but presumed dead. As impossible as it seems, Kim Seo-Jin finally realizes that he and Han Ae-Ri are in different time-periods, separated by one month. Han Ae-Ri is frantic because her mother is missing.

It wasn’t easy but Kim Seo-Jin convinced Han Ae-R that he was calling her from the future. Furthermore, if they work together she can help him save his wife and daughter, and he will do whatever he can to help her.

Main Characters:

• Kim Seo-Jin (played by Shin Sung-Rok, “The King’s Face”)
• Han Ae-Ri (played by Lee Se-Young, “The Story Of Park’s Marriage Contract”)
• Seo Do-Kyun (played by Ahn Bo-hyun, “My Only Love Song”)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 7.9 out of 10 stars
• My Drama List: 8.5 out of 10 stars
• Public reviews on Google: 4.8 out of 5 stars
• Viki viewers rated this series 9.5 out of 10 stars

My personal rating is the same as the Viki viewing audience. “Kairos” is one of those underrated K-dramas. 2020 was the year Korean dramas such as “The King: Eternal Monarch”, and “It’s OK Not to Be OK” were very popular, so “Kairos” did not get much attention. But I am already of fan of the South Korean actor and actress who played the main characters and was certain they would deliver an excellent performance.

Shin Sung-Rok and Lee Se-Young were both very convincing and the scriptwriters kept this time travel mystery confusing enough to keep viewers guessing about WHODUNIT!! However, after the first episode, I suspected the babysitter and everyone that worked worked with or near Kim Seo-Jin. That was a lot of suspects to weed through! LOL.

LINKS OF INTEREST:

• K-Drama Review: “Kairos” Strongly Grips With Engrossing Narrative and Incredible Portrayals | kdramadiary
• Kairos is Masterful (Drama Review) | K-Drama Banter
• Kairos: A Bold and Satisfying Thriller | Seoulbeats

TRAILERS/TEASERS:

KOCOWA TV. “[KairosㅣTeaser Trailer] ‘You’ll Save My Life. And I’ll Save Yours.’” YouTube Video. YouTube, October 15, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7Q-_PKzXnw.