Sci-fi and horror often go hand in hand when it comes to modern Korean dramas - be it Hellbound or even The Silent Sea. Over the years, the makers of films and TV have progressed much beyond simply showing one genre. There is always a blend of multi-genres to make the story worth every minute of the viewer’s experience. The story often trickles down to a commentary on humanity, morality and the human conscience. 2022 has been a good year when it comes to K-dramas. There have been a lot of crime procedural dramas, thrillers, romantic comedies and even sci-fi shows to keep the balance steady in the genres. The month of December 2022 has had a slow start on account of new drama premieres. But Jung Hae In and Go Kyung Pyo are here with Takashi Miike's supernatural sci-fi horror Connect.
After appearing as last year's highly talked about Snowdrop, which had polarising response from the audience and Netflix's military drama D.P., Jung Hae In is closing the year with Connect. The drama also stars Go Kyung Pyo in the parallel lead. Interestingly, Japanese director Takeshi Miike makes his Korean debut with the series. He is known for his cinematic liberties in terms of graphic violence. The drama is based on a webtoon of the same name by Shin Dae Sung. The series premiered on Disney+ Hotstar on December 7, 2022, and consists of 6 episodes of just over 45 minutes each. The first three episodes were premiered at the Busan Film Festival and the screening raised anticipation and left the audience squeamish with the thrilling high-concept plot.
Connect tells the story of Ha Dong Soo (Jung Hae In), a loner who works at a junkyard and moonlights as a singer. He posts a song on a video-sharing platform and many people come to appreciate it. He is as ordinary as one can be from the looks of it, but he carries with him a secret. He has the supernatural ability to heal regardless of the degree of injury. He is a near-immortal person. As a child, he was dubbed a monster by his peers after his body resuscitated itself after a near-fatal fall from a tree. He was an outcast all his life because of his physical ability. He gets kidnapped by organ traffickers. His body is cut open and he is left to die. But his body ‘heals’ and these visuals are not for the faint heart. His eyes are removed, and he manages to get one eye but loses the other. The other eye ends up being transplanted into Oh Jin Seop (played by Go Kyung Pyo), a corporate worker. Oh Jin Seop is pretty aloof at work and barely makes any social interactions. He is connected to Ha Dong Soo because of the eye.
Meanwhile, the city is plagued with mysterious installations of dead people. Each installation has the mark of the killer. The police are after finding the perpetrator. Meanwhile, Dong Soo meets with Yi Rang who always manages to be one step ahead of everyone. It is later revealed that she is also a fellow Connect. She is the one who tells Dong Soo about his condition of having a name. After a series of events, it is always Ha Dong Soo who is caught at the center of the investigation and questioning.
Ha Dung Soo, who has been carrying on his investigation on the side, comes to know that it is Oh Jin Seop behind all the murders and the installations. Thus begins a chase between the two. When the two finally meet, it is revealed that Oh Jin Seop wants to use Ha Dong Soo’s ability and body. He wants Dong Soo to attach his (Jin Seop’s) head to his (Dong Soo’s) body and become one. In a flashback, it is also revealed that Oh Jin Seop has cancer and has fewer days to live. Throughout the show, the name of a big pharmaceutical company keeps dropping in connection to a study which was named ‘Connect’ but nothing else is told about the company, the study, the subjects or how it is connected to Dong Soo.
Jung Hae In is one of the rare leading men in the industry who continues to expand his capabilities in terms of diverse roles. While he is known for his rom-com, he has never shied away from taking up roles which are solid performance oriented and not considered quite “mainstream.” But despite his captivating screen presence, Connect doesn't live up to the expectations. His condition is a mystery and despite having seemingly fewer dialogues, Jung Hae In makes a stellar delivery with his acting chops.
The drama starts on a mysterious note of a shady and illegal organ trafficking operation and manages to keep the intrigue up throughout. The strong three episodes keep you hooked to the visual storytelling of his gory sci-fi horror but the second half, with its wispy climax, leaves the fans disappointed. The appearances of the organ trafficking team are fewer but those are enough for the viewers to know that their involvement is much deeper than initially thought to be. The themes of illegal organ trafficking are not something new to the Korean screens. Throughout the drama, the pacing is steady as the plot thickens. The colour is blacks, whites, greys and neon lights, with an occasional splash of a dull pastel shade. The colour scheme is akin to what we see in similar dramas of the genre and it sets the mood just right.
In terms of the story, the show starts with an indulgent promise. Despite just six episodes, the first couple of episodes held the promise of a grander scale of events but the story soon runs a tepid course after episode three.
In the last two episodes, there are a lot of loose ends which lead to the promise of a sequel but the intrigue had run its course by then. There was a good scope to keep the main focus on what and who ‘Connect’ is, with the murders being the instigating point to unravelling the story. But as the show progresses, it becomes more about the lead and the antagonist’s fight than actually finding answers to the questions that were initially raised.
Go Kyung Pyo as Oh Jin Seop is a promising antagonist, but he too meets his end without the audience knowing the reason behind his fanaticism for killing people and turning their bodies into morbid pieces of art. He has cancer and fewer days to live but then why does he go on a killing spree? How did he end up at the illegal organ trafficking place with a fatal wound to his stomach?
Also, the solo regular female character in the show, Yi Rang is always one step ahead of the police. She has tabs on Dung Soo’s movements as well and is there to save the day. She has an accomplice with her, who is introduced in the last episode. This accomplice wears a mask and only makes grunting noise and also has severely violent tendencies. Who or what this individual is and how Yi Rang is connected with the individual are questions which will hopefully be answered in the sequel. In conclusion, if you’re looking for something dystopian with a mild season of gore and horror, then Connect might be the drama for you. But the unappealing climax leaves more questions which seems like a segway for season two.
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