Original Title: Beulraek
No. of episodes: 18
Length: 60-90 minutes
Directors: Jae-Hun Ko, also known for “Cafe Minamdang,” “Dinner Mate,” and “Player,” and Hong-sun Kim, also known for “Voice.”
Series Writer: Ran Choi, also known for “Mouse” (I recently finished this series).
UPDATE, Dec. 18, 2022: It appears that Netflix U.S. has removed “Black.” 😭 😭 😭 🤬
My husband and I have recently discovered an obsession for Korean television shows known as K-dramas after he read a good review of a crime drama. We watched it, absolutely loved it, and decided to watch others. If you have yet to watch K-dramas, you are seriously missing out on some good stuff.
Netflix has a good collection of them, which is where we discovered Black. I enjoy watching a variety of genres, but I particularly love fantasy and paranormal.
Black is for you if you like comedy, crime drama, fantasy, and romance. This show is not for you if you hate reading subtitles. (Never use dubbing on international shows. Seriously, NEVER.)
Written by the masterful Choi Ran, Black is a 2017 fantasy-thriller set in Seoul that centers around two main characters, each representing life and death.
Han Moo-gang, played by Song Seung-heon, is a handsome detective possessed by a grim reaper. He meets the beautiful, feisty, troubled Kang Ha-ram, a human who foresees death. With the help of a few highly entertaining detectives and friends, they embark on a wild investigation into a series of murders spanning 20 years.
There are numerous characters and a few villains, each bringing a unique and often surprising outcome. One of the best parts of the show is watching the complex characters grow with each episode.
The cast is exceptional and filled with insanely talented actors.
Black is binge-worthy! Every episode brings twists and turns, and as soon as you think the show is going in one direction – BAM! – it takes you somewhere you never saw coming.
It’s hilarious. I’m not sure I have laughed harder through a TV show. But the show has many profound moments, too, and you feel like you are on one insane roller coaster ride of emotions.
Jade Budowski of Decider.com described the show best in her 2018 review of Black:
“It’s the kind of show that’s immensely fun to consume as you go along, and best entered with as little information as possible. Each scene is more compelling than the last, and there’s significance to be found even in the smallest moments, which is exactly why your undivided attention is so necessary. The cast brings their A-game, adding little pieces to the puzzle with every revelation and making you wonder why it took you so damn long to just cave and get addicted to K-drama already. If you’re skeptical about the fantasy elements, don’t let that scare you off; it’s integrated so intelligently that it drives each development home even further.”
Well said, Jade. You want to watch this show knowing nothing and pay attention to everything because little things matter here.
I love that there are 18 episodes; however, I did not want to see the show end. The first episode is a bit slow, but trust me when I say, KEEP WATCHING. Refrain from judging this entire series by that episode.
I highly recommend watching Black. I have rewatched it twice and am now addicted to Korean shows. True story. 🤷 This means I have more to review!
I want to point out that it is not easy to write reviews. Black was challenging because there was so much I wanted to say, but I did not want to ruin the fantastic experience of watching it for the first time.
