Tagkorean drama

Abyss: Murder Mystery and Love (Netflix)

[This review was contributed by (AF).]

I am ready to tackle the Koren Drama called Abyss starring the extremely popular Park Bo-Young playing Go Se-Yeon and handsome Ahn Hyo-Seop as Cha Min. Abyss is about two people brought back to life but in different bodies by a strange alien object. Together they embark on a journey to uncover an elusive killer wreaking havoc in Seoul and of course finding love on the way. Wish me luck as I do a drama deep-sea dive and give my recommendation.

In terms of originality and storyline, I would give this an A for effort. Korean dramas, though recycled, reinvent the premise around the typical love triangle with new elements of history, fantasy or politics. This drama does a good job of combining several genres.

Sometimes the drama gets awkward in terms of musical cues that don’t add to the moments. Also, there are forced product placements that take away from the story. It ended up being distracting and making me frustrated.

Plus, the mysterious alien object called Abyss towards the end was explained away horribly. It was like the writers were trying to be too mysterious or set up a season two and do a big reveal later.

The supporting actors do deserve an award for their performance. They helped move the story forward. Lee Si-eon, who previously was in the drama W, played the police detective and he was unforgettable. He had moments with fellow co-stars Song Sang-Eun, who played his ex-girlfriend. They had chemistry and served their purpose.

But a relative newcomer with less than 5 drama’s released named, Han So-Hee had the best performance. She played Cha Min’s missing in action fiancée and quickly outgrew her role, capturing the screen when she had to deliver. Alas towards episode 13, her storyline was cut off and she was tossed in the proverbial character trash bin. She needed more time.

Ahn Hyo-Seop plays the younger hot version of Cha Min after he is brought back to life early in episode one. Infatuated with his new looks and motivated to win his fiance back, he takes advantage of his new life by partnering with Go Se-Yeon on a murder mystery. He was the typical
hot guy persona. There were no distinct personality or character traits. But, he didn’t have a lot of chances to extend his range of performance and a lot of times I was distracted by the sometimes confusing storyline.

Park Bo-Young plays the younger average or “ugly” version of Go Se-Yeon when she is murdered, but she is revived by Cha Min. Having rejected Cha Min for over 30 years, she finally admits her love him and they team up to find her killer. Park Bo-Young was a game-changer in the industry and a great addition to the project.

After watching Abyss, I would recommend it. I admit to binging a few episodes in a row, but it showcases the originality of Korean Dramas as America continues to consume its entertainment. We all love to be sucked into a fantasy with good looking people in unrealistic
situations and Abyss accomplishes that. So K-drama lovers, this can scratch your drama fix for now.