You know how Shakespeare is revered as this phenomenal writer, but during his time he wrote to the masses and they loved him for it? It’s true!
I’m not saying that Catch the Ghost is Shakespeare-level by any means, but I think he would have definitely admired the tangled relationships that form the basis for this drama. Come see if you agree!
Let’s start off with our main characters, shall we?
Go Ji Suk
Our lead detective on the subway force is the unassuming Go Ji Suk (Kim Seon Ho), whose sense of filial duty is stronger than his ambition. He’s fantastic at reading people, and truly dedicated to stopping crime where he can. He got in the habit of outsourcing the truly difficult cases until he got saddled with his passionate new partner, Yu Ryung. Now he has to cope with having his life turned upside down — and maybe discovering that he likes it better that way.
Yu Ryung
Detective Yu Ryung (Moon Geun Young) is incredibly intelligent and passionate. She follows her heart far more often than she follows her head, much to Ji Suk’s initial dismay. There’s a sequence in the middle, when Ji Suk is preparing someone to handle Yu Ryung’s fiery personality, and he gives them ALL the tools — tool after tool after tool — they need to get her where she needs to go, because otherwise she’ll destroy property to get there. It made me laugh, but it was a great way to show her character, too.
The Bad Guys
I actually don’t want to say too much here, but let’s just say that the bad guys were and were not what I was expecting at all, which added incredible depth to this drama. The writers — So Won and Lee Young Joo — pulled off an amazing feat, and at the end gave the bad guys a story that was a total punch to the gut.
The Story
Ultimately, the story is about sacrifice and family relationships and filial duty and the ways people can disappoint us in a moment of stress. This is intertwined with Ji Suk and Yu Ryung’s relationship, which ended up warming my heart. They don’t have off-the-charts chemistry, but an everyday love that seemed to me to be deeper and stronger than the romance where the two leads can’t keep their hands off of each other.
The drama showed two very imperfect people coming together and accepting each other for who they were. Ji Suk’s previous relationship, based on ambition, seemed very brittle and breakable in comparison. It was an interesting contrast.
Would I Recommend It?
Wholeheartedly. Great mysteries, great main and secondary cast, and an ending so deeply emotional that I may have teared up for everyone involved. Also, you may call me shallow, but the very last scene was my favorite.
You can find Catch the Ghost on OnDemandKorea.
Until the next train arrives, I remain —
Karie the Maknae
Dramas with a Side of Kimchi
