Choi Jin Hyuk is probably the most adorable zombie detective you would encounter in your K-Drama lifetime!
Parading quite an interesting concept, Zombie Detective also splurged on impressive set of cameo appearances on its opening week. But its winning moment is the introduction of a usually creepy character made endearing with his goal to protect himself from humans.
Zombie Detective Opening Week
Waking up from a pile of trash, a being (Choi Jin Hyuk) realizes he becomes a zombie without recollection of his human memories. He is surely unhappy to his slow movement, inability to say human language and the rest of human qualities he lacks.
When he saw a film depicting the cruelty of humans to zombies, he vowed to protect himself so as not to suffer in the hands of humans.
Thus, he begins an intensive training to become a human while suppressing his evident zombie desires.
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Two years after, his hard work paid off and he appears a normal human except his sort of hideous appearance. Deep in the mountain one day, he witnessed a man being murdered. Before the man died, he was able to give a key to the zombie.
Private Detective Kim Moo Young
Turns out that the guy is a private detective, and the zombie decides to take his identity for his goal of finding details about his past life.
However, trying to blend to the human world is no easy task. Good thing, Moo-young discovers the power of BB cream which helped him cover his monster look.
He also uncovered his enhanced qualities as a zombie, such as long-staying stamina and death invincibility. Aside from that, he became aware that his head is physically weak.
He also have episodes of fainting and as soon as he gains consciousness, he would see animal carcass beside him reflecting his zombie tendencies.
Understanding that being a human is not a bed of roses, Moo-young confronts the usual problems such as food, money, house and work. All of those came as a bundled problem for him without room for negotiation.
Santa Killer
Luckily, Moo-young is quite quick-witted for a zombie. When he previously had an encounter with a young boy client who commissioned him to look for a lost dog, he was mistaken as a pervert by the boy’s aunt, Gong Sun-ji (Park Joo Hyun).
Summoning her old shot-put player self, she throws a helmet on the restlessly running Moo-young, thereby causing him to lose consciousness. He was brought to the hospital, but hurriedly escapes the ER when he overheard the routine check-up to be done for him. Later he was visited by Sun-ji and was forced to receive a compensation agreement which he tore off.
The very same torn agreement paper was resuscitated by Moo-young with tape in the hope of come up with money for his rent and depleted BB cream supply. However, he was not aware that Sun-ji is on a dire situation as well. Her passion to her work often causes an earful from her sister as she can’t pay for her share in the house expenses.
Just as she also finally secured the last piece of work in the current affairs program where she writes, her happiness turned short-lived as the episode blew out of proportion.
The case featured involves a daughter of a rich man. The sole witness, whom she took an extra mile to convince his appearance, was assaulted after the episode airs. Wallowing in alcohol, Sun-ji finds a short reprieve so as not to think about her problems. Moo-young with impressive tracking skills finds his moneybag target, but the people of the girl’s rich father took him.
Annoyed of the disturbance to his money-raising plans, Moo-young stopped the abduction, inadvertently rescuing Sun-ji.
Opening Week Peak Points
Choi Jin Hyuk
Admittedly, Choi Jin Hyuk has never reached that “oppa stage” for me. But together with Nam Goong Min, I always trust their works, because they rarely star in shallow stories. His character’s inner thoughts in Zombie Detective are golden. I can’t wait to hear more of it.
Portraying a role with such awkward eloquence is such a treat. Moving on to the succeeding chapters of the story, I am confident that the versatile actor will deliver.
Creative Concept Enveloped By Smart and Comic Notes
Zombie Detective already announced in its introductory episodes that it’s going to be character-centric. Viewers are up to join the hero trace his forgotten memories. At the same time, root for writer Sun-ji to her life-long goal of capturing a case that haunts her career.
Notably, raising the questions that shape up the conflicts to be resolved in the series was a smart move. There will be ample time to navigate the series with its authentic comical scores without rushing the solutions to the problems that will be raised.
Often, smart characters equate to smart narrative. A zombie who has such courage to move past its shortcoming to protect himself from bullying is a pitch hard to say no. Even more when his quick fix to his situation is peace loving.
Zombie Detective Opening Week Musings
I found the packaging of the main character in Zombie Detective fresh and engrossing. Choi Jin Hyuk acting on it makes it even more addicting.
His soliloquies are funny and his goal of protecting himself against humans is an utterly cute irony. As he journeys to blend with mortals, I can’t help but crave for more of his victories and comic moments.
With reliable supporting cast, this series would most likely bank on its comic relief fused to its groundwork. Director Shim Jae Hyun is at the helm of the series, so I feel confident that the comedy would run efficiently. His work on The Producers featured smart and adorable characters. So far, the presented people who will move in the story are fitting in properly.
I hope the domestic viewership ratings would go up once more layers of the story will be revealed. Next week, Moo-young and Sun-ji start working together. Will the human-wanna-be and quirky writer able to keep the agency working?
Opening Week Rating: 
Photos : KBS2 | Viu PH
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