Secret Investigation Record (2010)

I honestly cannot praise this show enough. It's intelligent, creative, emotionally resonant, and beautiful to watch. With each episode clocking in at around 45 minutes, the writers did not waste a line or a scene. Each episode, with the exception of a few two-parters, is a stand alone story, and every detail, even a throw-away comment about an unsalted meal being bland, provides crucial clues in solving the mystery of the day. For that reason, the rewatch value of this series is high---there were many episodes I watched again immediately after finishing, simply so that I could retrace my steps for what I had previously missed. I'm reviewing this after my second run-through of the entire series, and I am impressed by how masterful the directing is and how nuanced the acting is. This is the first time I took notice of the editing in a drama, because here it truly adds to the depth of the show, heightening the tension and infusing moments with unexpected wit. Musically, the show presented an interesting fusion between the expected sageuk theme and electronic elements. However, what is even more admirable is the shows use of silence---it does not fear silence, and it's in the silent moments that the show really sings.



All of these elements come together in each episode to present excellent paranormal mysteries, whose threads are neatly tied up by the end of the 45 minutes while simultaneously unraveling the knit of a much larger mystery. However, to this larger mystery, the show does not offer an easy or concrete answer. Ultimately, this show is about moving away from the comfort of the known into the unknown where answers are rare and difficult to find. In the end, Secret Investigation Record leaves it to the viewer to interpret the events of the show, to find their own truth in the investigation of Inspector Kim Hyeung Do, Magistrate Jang, and Assistant Heo. It's a challenging watch, but the questions raised and the conversations sparked are well worth it.

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This show completely didn’t work for me. I love Korean historical dramas and the X-Files is one of the few American TV shows I watched avidly when it was airing. Melding them should have yielded my perfect drama crack, and yet . . .

There were intriguing moments, especially in the episodes involving geomancy and other time- and place-specific mystical traditions, but as soon as the cheesy glowing space balls started flying around I began reaching for the remote. At forty-five minutes long, the stand-alone episodes felt too short to allow for much emotional engagement and the monster-of-the week plots weren’t especially original. The overall mythology was potentially intriguing, but the writers, perhaps angling for a second season, seemed hesitant to actually “reveal” anything, settling for atmospheric vagueness instead of genuine narrative payoffs. There was lots of artsy hand-held camera work and an effusive fog machine, but I never felt there was much substance behind all the smoke and shakiness. The truth may be out there, but you’ll have a hard time finding it in the oblique writing and the dimly lit, bouncing frames.

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Brilliant historical/sci-fi mystery drama

Brilliant. Very intriguing drama, but some violence~~ primitive period. You get enough hints to relate it to scientific developments of advanced civilisations without losing the period atmosphere. Sort of historical X files. Oh, and the romance is slight, with a nice twist at the end, assuming I am right in how I interpret it. Would a woman be in that position in Joseon period, though? Ah, but there's the twist at the end again that explains it. I do not know much about Korean history but as the Joseon dynasty lasted 500 years, which period is this? Never dull, plenty of different story-lines and characters you can identify with. The stories are only around 40/45 minutes but seem to pack in more than hour long shows with slow patches. For anyone who likes a mix of drama, sci-fi, supernatural, mystery in historical setting this is highly recommended. Even if you do not like historical, still worth watching, it converted me to looking at historical shows.

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