Two (2) Supernatural Detective K-Dramas to Binge-Watch

When it comes to K-dramas – movies or series ~ there is no shortage of zombies and ghosts. There is also no shortage of detectives. Crime-solving is hard. But what if investigators had a little supernatural help? Suppose a zombie or a ghost could help them solve a murder mystery.

Here are two (2) supernatural crime and mystery Korean drama series for your watchlist.

(1) “The Ghost Detective”, released in 2018, with 32 episodes.

(2) “Zombie Detective”, released in 2020, with 12 episodes.

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♦ (1) Lee Da-Il is “The Ghost Detective”

The story begins as a case of missing children. One child says she saw what happened but police dismiss her eyewitness account. But not everybody ignores her. Jung Yeo-Wool listens because she also saw a lady in a red dress when her sister died.

Witnesses said they saw her sister commit suicide. But as her sister was dying, she warned Jung Yeo-Wool not to listen to the woman in the red dress. Her sister did not just warn her, but Jung Yeo-Wool actually saw the apparition. However, nobody else could see her.

The woman was a vengeful spirit roaming around and wreaking havoc. She was instigating murders and suicides. What’s her story?

Lee Da-Il is ex-military and a private detective. He is suspicious about the missing children and tries to do a follow-up search because he believes the child saw something. In the process of searching, someone murders him.

He returns as a ghost and the only person who can see him is Jung Yeo-Wool. With her help he not only solves the mystery of the missing children, but his own murder as well. Working together so closely, they also fall in love. YAPR! Yet another paranormal romance.

Main Characters:

• Lee Da-Il (played by Daniel Choi)
• Jung Yeo-Wool (played by Park Eun-Bin, “The King’s Affection”)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb Rating: 6.8 out of 10 stars
• My Drama List: 7.7 out of 10 stars
• Viki viewers rate this series 9.2 out of 10 stars

My personal rating is the same as the Viki viewing audience. Not sure why other viewers rated this series lower. Maybe it’s because it was 32 episodes or because they didn’t like the ending. All of the actors made the story believable.

It is sad that the leading lady who is living falls in love with the leading man who is a ghost. They can’t be together, but you can’t stop thinking what a lovely couple they make. A lot of people like me like paranormal romance stories. But I also enjoy murder mysteries. Lee Da-Il and Jung Yeo-Wool work well together as a crime-solving duo.

TRAILERS/TEASERS:

KBS WORLD TV. “The Ghost Detective | 오늘의 탐정 [Trailer-Ver.1].” YouTube Video. YouTube, September 5, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UALzMJ8bnV8.‌

♦ (2) Kim Moo-Young is the “Zombie Detective”

Kim Moo-Young wakes up in a trash pile. He doesn’t know who he is or how he got there. But that’s not so bad. Sometimes when people experience a trauma, when they regain consciousness they may suffer from temporary amnesia. In such cases, one can hope to regain “normalcy”. Amnesia is not disturbing. What’s disturbing is that Kim Moo-Young woke up as a zombie! A zombie?? How did that happen?

While roaming around in the forest at night, he witnessed a murder. When he went to see if he could help the murder victim, the dying man gave him “a clue”. He took the man’s identification, went into the city, and began working at the dead man’s office using the dead man’s identification. He needed to “appear normal” so that he could investigate and find out his own identity.

He meets Kong Sun-Ji, who accepts a part-time job at his private detective office. Initially she was not aware that he was a zombie. But when she realized that he was a zombie who did not intend to harm or “eat” any humans, she committed to continue working with him. She helps him recover his memories and also solve crimes, such as who murdered the man whose identity he used.

Working together so closely, they also fall in love. YAPR! Yet another paranormal romance.

Main Characters:

• Kim Moo-Young (played by Choi Jin-Hyuk)
• Kong Sun-Ji (played by Park Ju-Hyun, “The Forbidden Marriage”)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb Rating: 7.4 out of 10 stars
• My Drama List: 8.1 out of 10 stars
• Viki viewers rate this series 9.4 out of 10 stars

My personal rating is the same as the Viki viewing audience. This K-drama series was a completely different take on zombies. The scriptwriters were very creative. They weaved together a murder mystery, paranormal romance, and a zombie who had the willpower to resist the urge to eat humans.

It is interesting, quirky, and cute! I really liked the scene with zombie dancers. “The K-drama Zombie Detective features a cameo from A.C.E. The group members perform a zombie dance as part-time workers in the street.” (Source: Soompi.com)

LINKS OF INTEREST:

• 12 Best Korean Dramas About Ghosts And The Supernatural | Cosmopolitan
• Paranormal Romance Watchlist: 12 Korean Dramas To Binge | Silver Petticoat Review
• Ghost Doctor: Supernatural Medical K-Drama | popgeeks.com

TRAILERS/TEASERS:

Viu Singapore. “ZOMBIE DETECTIVE Trailer | Choi Jin Hyuk, Park Joo Hyun | Now on Viu.” YouTube Video. YouTube, September 3, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV_6m2er444.‌