If you've recently been a fan of Kim Seon-ho after the hit drama, Start Up, you're probably looking into binge-watching all the dramas he's starred in. I am. :) Although Kim Seon ho-ssi has only started appearing on TV in 2017, thankfully we've already been blessed with a couple of dramas where he got the leading role. (And lead role means more screen time ;))

I watched this drama mainly because of Kim Seon-ho without really knowing what it is all about. There were only a few dramas that made me stay up until the wee hours of the morning and this is one of them. :)

When a rookie detective Yoo Ryung's autistic twin sister goes missing, Yoo Ryung joins the subway police team to try and find her.

Catch the Ghost Korean Drama poster — "Catch the Ghost" is a 2019 romantic investigative drama featuring Moon Geun-young as Yoo Ryung, a reckless newbie detective and Kim Seon-Ho as Ko Ji Seok, the Wangsimni station chief investigator who always ends up cleaning after her mess. Yoo Ryung joins the subway police team in her desperate efforts to find her autistic twin sister who went missing two years ago. She believes her sister is a victim of the "Subway Ghost", the serial killer on the loose responsible for the subway killings. Ko Ji Seok was determined to kick her out of the subway police team due to her carelessness but Ryung's passion for justice reminds him of why he wanted to become a police officer. Together they solve cases and catch the Subway Ghost.

WHAT I LOVED:

Kim Seon-ho of course. ;) I became a fan of Kim Seon-ho in Start Up because not only is he very handsome and appealing, his acting is exceptional. He's so much more than a pretty face, he is really good at what he does.

I'll never forget this scene. I cried heaps and made me want to hug him. :(

With regard to the drama, I liked the idea of showcasing the subway police and the police force in general in a way that both good and bad sides are presented. The comparison between the subway police (which is more stable because they usually only catches petty thieves) and metro police (who catches the big bad guys) stuck to me. In the end, they were able to scrap this distinction because they're both police officers after all.

The acting and humour of the lead actors were fantastic and I laughed really hard at the funny scenes. I wasn't expecting a lot of chemistry between Kim Seon-ho and Moon Geun-young when I first saw the poster but their (few) romantic scenes were swoon-worthy. (They're actually cuter together in their interviews and behind the scenes ;))

Catch the Ghost Kim Seon Ho and Moon Geun-young

WHAT DIDN'T QUITE WORK FOR ME:

I was enjoying the series so much until I reached episode 14. Although catching the "subway ghost" is the main plot of the drama, it started to feel dragging and frustrating - BECAUSE THEY JUST COULDN'T CATCH HIM. It took them several attempts to actually figure out and catch the real killer. I wish they added more romantic or lighter scenes during these episodes instead because the whole running and chasing until the last episode felt tiring for me. There were some parts and characters that were equally frustrating as well like Jung Yoo-jin's character, Ha Ma Ri, who was bitchy in 98% of the series that I didn't feel any sympathy for her even when she was sobbing in one scene. Some parts didn't make sense and felt redundant like the suspect escaping multiple times and Ji seok's mom being in danger for the same reason twice.

Nothing major though but another thing that didn't sit well with me was Moon Geun-young's other character, Yoo Jin. Yoo Jin is the twin sister of the main character that went missing and has Level 2 Autism. I have nothing negative to say about Moon Geun-young's portrayal of the character and I think the main point in doing this dual role was to showcase her wide-ranging acting skills. But I think they could have also casted another younger actress instead to act as her younger sister.

CONCLUSION:

The drama was a mix of all sorts of feelings and it gave justice to the "investigative crime" theme through mystery and problem solving. There were times when I had to pause watching because I was scared something might come out of that dark tunnel. It was fun and exciting. It's a crime series but not too serious. It is a romantic drama but not over the top or cliché. Although I had some issues in some parts, it kept me hooked until the last episode. The episodes felt connected and tied up and all questions were answered in the end. I also appreciate that there was growth between the characters and the reasons for their actions and behavior were explained through their side stories. The love story was cute and wholesome but heartwarming. There weren't a lot of romantic scenes though but if you've felt sad for Seon-ho in Start Up, this drama will make up for the happy ending. :)