I didn’t really see this K-drama coming. Search (2020) was not even on my radar. Besides, even if it were, I don’t really like military stories. So, I was utterly surprised with myself when, after the first two episodes, I was impatiently waiting for the following ones.

I only played the first episode because of Jang Dong Yoon, whom I enjoyed watching in The Tale of Nokdu. I wanted to see if he could pull off a serious role, and yes, he could!

The Drama

Seach is a fast-paced drama. It only has 10 episodes, and every episode does not disappoint. Miss one, and you’ll miss a significant chunk of the entire story. It’ll get you hooked.

Besides, it does not really focus much on the love story. I consider that one of the strengths of this drama; it did not force the love story. It’s there, but it’s not central. Instead, the drama centers on family secrets and hidden identities. It tells that the truth never stays hidden; everyone will go back to where the lies began and uncover the truth, sadly and painfully.

The writing may not be the smartest, and you’ll probably be confused with the first two episodes. But hints would be given to bring everything to light along the way. No, there’s not going to be an elaborate exposition, just some hints, but you’ll get it; the story will unfold completely.

The cast, characters, and events

I especially like the cast with Jang Dong Yoon in the lead. Krystal also did excellently being a bad-ass soldier; I love her fight scene in the last episode. I wasn’t expecting how kick-ass her character is.

Another bad-ass female here is Kim Da Jung, played by Moon Jung Hee. Not only is she a kick-ass female, but she’s also a mom at that. She’s very much not like most moms in dramas; she is a fighter, literally!

I like Song Min Gyu (Yoon Park) too. I was quite confused about what drives him, but I think he’s just ambitious a very human quality. Lee Joon Sun (Lee Hyun Wook) is that son who only wants to be accepted by his father but is eventually freed from his disillusionment.

Every character in the drama is vital to the story, no matter how small their roles are or how silly they seem. I find their decisions and actions quite rational based on their personalities: the silliest decisions come from the silliest characters, and the smartest, done by the smartest, of course. I mean, for a drama, where we as viewers see everything, we might say they are acting dumb. Still, again, if human nature is considered, their actions are reasonable.   They were not out-of-character.

Of course, there were questionable situations. For one, there’s supposed to be a radioactive substance to which many should have been exposed (very unlikely that not many were exposed), but very few showed symptoms of infections, and I can’t figure out who gets the symptoms and who doesn’t. The military regulations also seem neglected at times. (not that I know much about the military, but it just seems too loose).

Oh yeah, I shouldn’t forget the dogs. Yong Dong-Jin (Jang Dong Yoon) is a dog handler, so yes, there are dogs. Love them!

Everything else

I like the music (should I call it music?). Each time I hear the eerie sound, I can feel my heart beating with the rhythm.

The ending was just right. Everything wrapped up cleanly, and nothing was rushed. I guess all of the characters deserve what happened to them, given their circumstances.

Verdict

Except for that bad CGI with the wild dogs, this drama is very engaging. I’m all hands up for it!

Read also