This drama should be getting more attention

Somber and thought-provoking, The King of Pigs is the kind of drama that forces the viewer to come face to face with one of the ugliest part of our society. It doesn't offer any comfort, it doesn't try to make itself more palatable: it's brutal and depressing since the beginning with no heroes, only flawed and broken characters that you can't fully blame nor justify as the difference between victims and perpetrators gets thinner and thinner.

School violence isn't seen as an independent phenomenon, it makes it clear that it's a reflection of our society, that the blame is broader than it may appear; it touches on social gerarchies, bad parenting, vile teachers that aren't worth the seat that they occupy and least, but not least, a shared blame that we may all be guilty of: normalizing such behaviors and looking the other way. It's definitely a drama that has lots of food for thought and not an easy watch.

Was is truly flawless? No, probably not. But then again, I have yet to find a show that doesn't have some weaknesses. But to me it gets as close as possible to being perfect and it deserves to be called a masterpiece. But the flaws should be mentioned, instead of completely disregarded: the policewoman, although not as bad as some people say because she still fulfilled a role in the story as a sort of witness/narrator, and her investigations are without a doubt the weakest part of the drama; it's where the writing gets a sloppier and not as strong as the rest of the script that was truly without faults (and it's even more impressive when you think about the fact that this is the first work from the screenwriter). An example is the policewoman being uncommunicative and doing things on her own, even when it may lead someone else in danger, getting clues a bit randomly and not taking her gun out when it should be needed. But like I said, this kind of inconsistencies are more common in tv shows and movies than one may think, and they're hardly enough to ruin a well done drama, but this is a long topic and this review is already long enough on its own.

Now, onto the good things:

The script: I already said that this is the first work from the writer and he did an excellent job. He made some very bold decisions that were very much needed, even if it may make the viewer uncomfortable. He wrote some excellent dialogues that are hard to forget and leave an impression. The pacing was solid, I never felt bored, never felt the need to look at my phone (which is saying a lot for me because I get easily distracted): it was slow enough to not make it rushed, but fast enough to keep things as intense as possible for 12 episodes. And more importantly, it never felt formulaic. As I said before the differences between heroes and villains gets more and more blurry, there aren't any fixed roles (like can you even tell who is first lead and who is the second lead among Kyung Min and Jong Suk? Are they even heroes? Who is the main villain?), it isn't afraid to put its characters in a bad light, there aren't any forced cliffhangers that end up getting repetitive and predictable toward the end, no overkill of plot twists and new informations that can make the drama feel convoluted, no unnecessary melodrama or moving montages put there just to buy some time and get to the established number of episodes. These facts alone are enough to make it worth praising.

Directing, editing and cinematography: someone told me that they liked how the drama was put together and edited because it looked smooth, especially in the way the past and the present are intertwined because it had a good continuity and it made it seem as if the past wasn't a distant and unrelated past, but something that is still pretty much present; and of course I agree. And I think that this quote from Kyung Min deserves a mention here: "the past is present and future". Clunky translation aside, this quote fits the show so well and we can truly say that The King of Pigs successfully managed to stay true to this quote even in terms of editing. I also loved the work that the director did as he often framed the characters between objects, behind stained windows and broken glasses, in mirrors and with their faces being doubled and fragmented by some reflection present in the scene. All these things did a great job at emphasizing the tension and the characters fractured minds and mental state. Even the way all the kids were often framed like littles soldiers in the way they were aligned (this is especially evident in a key scene that I'm not going to spoil) as to make it clear that what we were watching was abnormal and the result of a toxic mentality. I also love the coloring used for the scenes set in the past because they make it look so unhealthy and suffocating. And the close-ups, out of focus shots, dutch angles all used in the right times to make the scenes more intense and convey a turmoil of emotions.
I think that this drama did visual storytelling in the right way and the director made the story truly immersive. There are many examples but I don't want this review to have spoilers.

Soundtrack: another thing I love is that it doesn't overuse its songs, so the music never felt repetitive and random to me. It was never distracting and only used at the right moments. It knew when a scene needed to be silent and when, on the other hand, the soundtrack was necessary to give a stronger impact. Also kudos to who picked all the songs at the end of each episode, they were all so powerful and reflected the episodes so well; I rarely watch the ending credits, but here I couldn't skip them because I felt that they were an important part of the drama too as I sat there, staring at the black screen, thinking about what I had just watched, as I got emotional over a song whose lyrics I couldn't even understand.

Characters and performances: with the sole exceptions of Chae Jung An (Kang Jin Ah), who was good, especially in that one scene in the ending (again, no spoilers here), but not outstanding as the others, all the performances were simply breathtaking. Even most of the supporting characters did so well.
Kim Dong Wook playing Kyung Min managed to convey so many emotions with just his eyes alone: you could feel the rage, the tiredness of man who is not a killer by nature and the pain in his eyes as they changed from a heartless gaze when he looked at his oppressors to a more sorrowful expression when he was in front of his friends. Those rare outbursts of emotions were very well done too. This is for me by far his best performance (sorry Hwa Pyung, I still love you) that shows the acting range he has.
Kim Sung Kyu, Jung Jong Suk in the story, played the part of a broken and unstable man so well that sometimes I really worried about the actor's mental state as his character became more and more immersed in his past memories and lost his composure. His teary, angry eyes will be hard to forget. I hope he will have more main roles from now on because his talent is wasted as a supporting actor.
Choi Hyun Jin (especially), Sim Hyun Seo, Lee Chan Yoo and all of the kid actors also did an outstanding job as they were really able to keep up with their adult colleagues as if it were nothing. They had a very difficult task because the materials they had to work with was important, heavy and not easy at all, and yet they managed to do it perfectly and professionally. I sincerely hope that they will have a bright future ahead.

Rewatch value: I think that this is a rather subjective point, but anyway, I think it has a high rewatch value. I was doing a rewatch for the finale and it was just as emotional as the first time, if not even more. Knowing what will happen makes every scene carry even more weight.

Finally the review ends here. Sorry if it was long and thank you if you really managed to read it all and reach the end. I'm not expecting to get much attention because I'm fully aware that I can't summarize to save my life. I never wrote a review here, partly because the shows I've watched had already many reviews, partly because this is the first time I get so emotional about an ongoing drama so I really wanted to share my thoughts. So, back to the important stuffs, if you're unsure about watching it because it's not that popular, but if you like dark thrillers, then give it a try! You won't regret it :)

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"In your next life don't be a cop. It doesn't suit us"

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.

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A hidden gem

This drama is going straight to my favorites. It's a shame that it's so underrated and unknown. I recommend it to everyone who loves darker dramas and who, like me, is tired of convoluted storyline in thrillers and too much melodrama. This one is short and simple, but very intense and emotional.

The leading trio (and the other actors too, to a lesser degree) did an excellent job here; they didn't overact, but instead they delivered a performance that felt raw and genuine. Not only they did justice to the script, but they also elevated it.

Another thing I appreciated is how grey this is: there is no explicit moral of the story, the writers avoided giving any preaching in the ending, which is very refreshing in a kdrama and it makes it feel more real and down to earth. Sure, there are bad guys and good guys, there are objectively wrong things, but the story make you empathize with Jun Seong and Jae Hyo for the desperate situation they're in that led them to their crime, meanwhile it doesn't sugorcoat how ruthless rich people can be when you get in their way and how it's easy for them to escape punishment compared to poor people like Jun Seong and Jae Hyo. And yet there is no doubt that Min Woo was truly the victim here, because being born with money is not a crime by itself. It's this kind of ambiguity that made it more interesting for me, as it made me feel conflicted on who to root for.

Kudos to everyone involved. Definitely my kdrama of the year so far.

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