The humor in this comedy drama is so witty I almost died laughing.
Starring drop-dead gorgeous Choi Jin Hyuk (“Pride and Prejudice” and “Devilish Charm”) and Park Joo-Hyun (the dead friend in “A Piece of Your Mind”), the first four episodes show Choi’s character transform from an amnesiac zombie into an undead detective. He awoke in a heap of medical contaminants and environmental hazard and the legend of the “Zombie Detective” is born.
This is a surrealistic drama, meaning it’s not meant to be taken dead serious. Fortunately, the jokes aren’t slapstick nor scatological. There are plenty of references to pop culture such as the alliteration in rap music, the zombie make-up of boy bands, the parody of “Train to Busan” and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”
What killed me however were Choi’s misadventures as a zombie. For instance (spoiler alert), he realized that zombies aren’t swift on their feet at the most inconvenient time.
He wouldn’t be caught dead eating a cute rabbit again, so he tried to kill himself…to no avail, obviously.
So he decided to rejoin the living.
He vowed to himself that, even if the path is LONG AND WINDING, he would survive among humans. So he trained himself to walk on a treadmill, which is anything but long and winding.
His visual is hilarious: a dead man walking till he dropped dead.
As for the actress, Park Joo Hyun, I’m glad to see her again. She made an impact on that last drama I saw her in, “A Piece of Your Mind.” I’m looking forward to watching her in a romcom. She plays a TV reporter who’s obsessed about catching a child killer. By now, we should know the inner workings of a kdrama mind. The child killer will somehow be connected to Choi’s murderer, and she’ll be Choi’s lady love.
The only scary part — if you must know — is the opening scene, so you can ignore it. I think that’s a dream sequence if Choi should suddenly turn into a zombie in the girl’s presence.
This drama is only 12 episodes long or 24 half-hour episodes. The first two hours are already subbed on kissasian. It’s on a Monday and Tuesday timeslot. I don’t know if Viki will carry it. But I’ll put this on my Mon/Tues watchlist.
The humor reminds me Warm Bodies when the hero is the airport walking super slowly 😀
Thanks for this @pkml3. Something that might bring on the laughs is always welcome!! 🤭 😝 😁
This and the school nurse may be my salvation. Some humorous sci-fi and zombies in the run up to Halloween? Thank you @packmule3.
@packmule3, Viki has it! I love K zombie movies and dramas. So a K zombie comedy, drama, romcom, horror-I’m in(check out the trailers inViki-they’re hilarious). And leading man Choi-love him. Amjust finishing Emergency Couple and loving him in it. This is perfect as a follow up-combination of tropes including mystery. And for everyone going through hardships, chaos, pain, overwork, just plain stress-laughter is wonderful medicine. In tne immortal words of Homer Simpson(animated in a Korean shop)-WooHoo!
Thanks for checking, Old American Lady!
I laugh everytime Choi curses his situation, “This freaking zombie thing!”
I also regarded Choi as a dignified and stately individual so hearing his inner monologues as a frustrated zombie (his new “normal”) creates a cognitive dissonance in me. I’m glad that he’s willing to experiment and take on roles like this.
It’s a plus, too, that he and his leading lady are both eye candies. It’ll be a good set-up: she’s going to work at his detective agency because she, too, doesn’t have money. lol.
Right now, he reminds me of the Tin Man/Scarecrow in Wizard of Oz, while she’s a pugnacious Dorothy.
I don’t see how a happily-ever-after will work out in the end, since he’s already dead. Maybe she’ll turn into a zombie, too?? But I don’t mind. I’m here for the laughter, anyway.
What gets me going with this show is the zombie being so self-aware, and how he’s discovering zombie-ness bit by bit along with us (or maybe it’s just me!) I love how he discovered that the back of a zombie’s head is it’s weak spot, hit it against the machine in the ambulance, and then passed out again LOL.
Since show has managed to circumvent the impossibility of creating zombies, I’d kind of like the poor thing to have a zombie companion that he could chew the fat with. There’s too much going on in his head and he does not want to be surrounded by humans (who look and smell like food!) so having someone to talk to would be nice. Of course, then, he might have to keep preventing his companion from eating people too!!! LOL.
Which brings to mind the other impossibility of how anything dead could be hungry. 🤔 I guess it’s just a zombie thing? 🤣
So many things to recommend this show. The female lead with anger management and financial problems is so natural and belivable. Herinteractions with sister, coworkers and friends are so real. She’s also a natural beauty who is truly casually dressed. Loved that she gave up her hoodie. Poor zombie’s encounter with the children and the subsequent chase mademe laugh hysterically. Ourmale lead certainly does not seem to have abug wgo-his costumes are so funny-the women’s clothing sto,en fromthe clothesline withafliwdr in his hair,the sort of detective clothes trenchcoat that seems so iff with that hat and the pure sheer dirt, let alone his make-up. Whatta guy! And the supporting characters are so muchfun from the detective competition to sister in the rollers(was she in Korean Odyssey. And it’s so creatively done-from the industrial wasteland beginning to the small town vibe. So I am in! Thanks for opening up a place to discuss it!
I also want @ nrllee to watch this show, too, so she can help us pick up on the puns, wordplays and witticisms.
Yes, I like that she gave up her hoodie for the zombie. But hey, I also liked it that he fed the puppy, although he was starving himself.
I know… I know… what she did was dangerous. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t advise young women to approach a stranger and put her hand in his pocket to get her cellphone but this is a comedy show with zombies! So, I’m not really going to pay much attention to realism here.
Yes, I was laughing when the school kids chased the zombie. And when he dropped “dead” because of the helmet!! Who was it who said that the helmet was for protecting the head, not for bopping the head? I was laughing when she thought she killed him because he was freezing cold and he had no heartbeat. hahaha.
And when he suddenly sat up in the ambulance?!! That was too funny. They freaked out because he came alive after they declared him dead. But can you imagine how really FREAKED out they would have been if they knew that he was actually dead-dead.
Yes, this is really a funny show.
The girl with the rollers (made from toilet paper rolls!!) was from “Vagabond,” that kdrama with Suzie and Lee Seunggi. She was the best friend of Suzie.
A zombie who does internal monologues? I am intrigued!
You called? @packmule3 😂. I avoided this because I am not into zombie apocalypse type dramas. And when I saw the trailer it looked like a Twilight remake. But now that you tell me it’s comedic, I will give it a go. I put up with Zombie girl in Hwayugi because of the humour (about her smelling bad).
I can’t guarantee future episodes but I think you’ll find the first two episodes funny. If you do watch it, please note the wordplay, ironies, and meta jokes. Thanks. I’m sure I missed a lot of them because I don’t know much about zombies and kpop.
For instance, I didn’t recognize the zombie dance. Did EXO have a zombie dance? Or was this Heartbeat dance by 2PM?
yes, I remember the zombie girl in Hwayugi. She had to sleep inside the fridge, and like kimchee, she couldn’t “ripen” or else she would smell horrible. lol.
Dear @packmule3, it was funny as hell seeing the zombie falling off the walking machine, but my laugh was instinctive. Liked the zombie with the sunflower in his hair (as in a crazy person). On the other hand love to see the main character hanging onto his humanity (not eating people, burying the dead detective). Left when he accepted the chihuahua search fearing the upcoming secondhand embarrasment 😉 . My guess is that those 5,000 KRW (around 5 US$) will be hardly won…
@GB, thanks for the recommendation of “Dating in the Kitchen”. I am in the fourth episode and liking it so far!.
@packmule3 Moonlight Sonata 😂… the Zombie dance was performed by ACE (https://www.soompi.com/article/1426966wpp/choi-jin-hyuk-shows-off-his-groovy-moves-in-zombie-detective).
https://youtu.be/kJvRhzaYXhY (is the music video).
Ep 1 notes
– “It’s either the apocalypse or the zombie virus” 😂
– when he empathises with the zombies being beaten up in the movie 😂
– my teeth are implanted. Even if I bite you you won’t be infected 😂
– the zombie rap 😂 with the tongue twisters
– the “evil cackle” of Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum (the Detective living across the street)
– he looks up job ads…and he sees one for Part-Time Kingdom 😂. The zombie series Kingdom on Netflix
– folding pizza boxes like in the movie Parasite because he needed a job that was away from people 😂
– the Psycho jingle every time her curler wearing Unnie shows up 😂
PS writer seems to be new? But PD is the one that did Producers.
Will try to catch up with Ep2 later. I like the fast pace and the “dark humour”. I can’t lay claim to be the authority on the undead or KPop though? 😂
@nrllee Thanks for the zombie references and notes on the meta of other productions/shows. I didn’t have a clue since I don’t bother with anything zombie. LOL. Even without knowing much, I thought it was funny. I’ve still got 1.5 episodes to watch, but will dive in after Dating in the Kitchen. 😜
Someone mentioned on the other forum that there were Goblin references? I never did get around to watching Goblin so I have no idea. And Last Empress? Again I never watched it so no idea.
Gosh… we have to watch so many other shows in order to know the meta jokes. 😂 I guess zombie did look like Reaper in Goblin, with that hat and overcoat, and he looked like he walked in slow mo which the show, Goblin did make its male characters do.
I guess I have to watch with a different perspective then and see if any of the shows I’ve watched are being gently spoofed. 🤪
Yes. The foggy tunnel scene was ripped off from Goblin.
And when he went after the vehicle of the “kidnappers.” Wasn’t there a Goblin scene when Gong Yoo went after the Euntak’s abductors with his sword and he sliced the vehicle in half?? Well, I think that was what Zombie was after when he charged at the vehicle except he bounced off it because he isn’t the Goblin. 😂😂
🏆 A trophy for you, nrllee. Thanks for doing this. You’re right about Parasite.
It was Moonlight Sonata.
Here are some more jokes I found funny.
When he lit a cigarette and started smoking, smoke came out of his body because he had a bullet hole in his body.
When he mastered the use of chopsticks, he was playing jacks with the hazelnuts. He threw a nut in the air, then he turned the page, then he caught the nut with the chopstick.
When he mastered throwing rock at the birds nest and he pretended to throw the rock like a baseball, I think that was spoofed from “Twilight” baseball scene. There was vampire pitcher who pitched funny in that movie.
There’s the joke about the Monster BB cream. It’s used by monsters like him.
Didn’t you find it funny that he tried to strangle the cop friend with the intestines?? I didn’t know pig’s gut was that strong!
@pkml3 I loved that Goblin car slicing scene. Soooo cool. No wonder the tunnel stirred memories of Goblin and Reaper bringing home the scallion or onions or something.
I was beside myself when his body began to emit smoke and he was so bemused. It’s really his deadpan stunned reactions that are so hilarious.
@Growing Beautifully and all the other commenters, Thanks for providing cultural and media background for this wonderful, hilarious drama. You add so much to the enjoyment. But for someone unfamiliar with so much of the background, I find this show so enjoyable even without it. I also think it’s a great show to watch if you’re having Flower of Evil withdrawal symptoms because of its comedy. Personally, for me, I’ve just completed watching Emergency Couple and liked Mr. Choi so much in that, so watching ZD was a no brainer for me. There are so many fine actors/actresses in K dramas that each new face sends me to more series and films. Given my status as elderly (chronologically not mentally), I’ll never catch up. But that’s a good thing because there is so much joy to be had. But Bitches, why are you tempting me with C Dramas?(lol) So many dramas-so little time. Please G-d, give me many more years to enjoy this bounty of creativity and to access this treasure of a blog. Bitches rock!
My Dear @Old American Lady, you rock too!! Your insights bring more perspective and enriches all our little contributions.
I was one of those viewers who watched Emergency Couple when it aired and I liked it very much then (although now, after years of being critical/cynical, I may have additional thoughts!!). Of course I deplored the ML (our Mr Choi JH) when he first was inattentive towards/mistreated his wife/ex-wife, but I loved how he came around and how the hospital staff were stunned by ML and FL using pan-mal with each other. I’m always a sucker for couples coming back together and marriages working out, so this show made me very happy! LOL.
Oh dear, we have to wait for another 6 days for a subbed episode???
The cigarette smoke coming out of wounds reminded me of a scene from Beetlejuice when the newly dead couple goes to the underworld. I seem to recall that anyone whose actions resulted in their own death were doomed to be petty bureaucrats/low level civil servants for eternity. (I shall have to see if my family will rewatch that at Halloween.)
I’ve finally started watching ZD; I held off until I finished several other dramas.
I’ve enjoyed the first four episodes. Character and world building, even in this fantasy setting, are logical. I like that we are able to witness the ML learning about his new situation. I’m also getting a kick out of seeing actors in roles that are different from what they’ve played before. The FL in ZD gets to be brash and physically aggressive…so different from the depressed, dreamy character she played in APOYM. I hardly recognize them as the same person, which means she’s doing her job as an actor. Curler sister is hilarious. And the man playing the president of the cult is convincing in the role: over the top, but charismatic and authoritative. You can believe he’d have followers. That actor played the adoptive dad of the FL in Healer, and I loved him in that drama.
@Welmaris, hello. It only gets better.
I just started it today and love it so far! Busan Express, hahahahaha!
You won’t regret it.
I’m crossing my fingers for a Season 2 with the same cast, writer and director.
A shout outbto the vety talentedvfemale lead Park Jun-hyun. I just binge watched Extracurricular and was blown away by her performance. That was a vety dark drama and she did a great job presenting the evolution of her character. She was also the ill-fated crush of Jung Hai-in in APiece of Your Memory(forgive me for any misspelling and title mix ups). This young actress has range and in Zombie shows off her comedy chops and physical abilities. I hope she has a long, brilliant career.