‘Shadow Detective’ (”), a South Korean thriller-drama series, is being streamed on Disney+ and was directed by Han Dong-hwa. The narrative centres on veteran investigator Kim Taek-rok (Lee Sung-min), who has spent the most of his life hunting down criminals. He’s ready to retire and is determined to live out the rest of his days in peace. Unfortunately, that’s not what occurs; instead, he starts getting anonymous phone calls from someone posing as an old buddy. Taek-rok soon discovers that he is a person of interest in the probe into the death of one of his coworkers.
Together with Kook Jin-Han (Jin Goo), the new section chief, Taek-rok and his team look into who is attempting to frame him. The mystery show tackles issues like ageism, institutional corruption, trauma, and organised crime, but it also has a good amount of the comic elements typical of Korean dramas. If you’re wondering whether “Shadow Detective” is based on real-world occurrences as a result, we’ve got you covered.
Is Shadow Detective a True Story?
No, the plot of “Shadow Detective” is not based on a real event. The series was created by Dong-hwa using an original story written by Im Chang-Se. The director, who is well-known for his work on films including “Squad 38,” “Bad Guys: Vile City,” “Chungil Electronics Miss Lee,” and “Navillera,” stated during a press conference that the idea of using Taek-rok as the point of view character fascinated him. Since ‘Navillera,’ I’ve taken on another challenging suspense project, and it feels amazing to be back, like I’m home, he said. When I first read the script, I liked how each episode’s narrative thickens and develops, but I also particularly appreciated the series’ message, which is that the main character is a seasoned detective.
Dong-hwa claimed that he connected with the series and that this made it simple for him to work on the production. I was able to quickly decide to go on board because I thought this was the series for me, he added. In addition, Dong-hwa described “Shadow Detective” as his first piece of work to be infused with compassion and attributed the success of the series in part to the actors’ combined efforts. He stated, “These actors are veterans who have received widespread recognition in several genres. The characters were almost completely developed, and the teamwork was very fantastic, which gave me a lot of motivation to do this series.
Sung-min discussed the trauma his character has experienced and how Taek-rok’s panic attacks are related to the trauma. He also mentioned how his character detests the concept of burdening his younger coworkers. In his portrayal, Sung-min described how he tried to strike a balance between these two facets of his persona. Sung-min discussed the reasons why Taek-rok struck a chord with him in an interview with The Korean Herald. The series’ name was “Old Detective” when he first got the script, he recalled. “The word ‘old’ seemed so poignant, and I felt I could really relate to the series,” the reader said.
The ‘Reborn Rich’ actor went on to say, “I realised that I was Taek-rok’s age. Many people believe that you should retire in your fifties, especially if you are a public person. That helped me comprehend the character and made me reflect deeply on myself. Sung-min claimed that he used to be just as reserved, wary, and afraid to meet new people as his persona, and that this had an effect on his career. “As my participation in films and TV shows grew, I saw that this may lead to misunderstandings with my coworkers. Sung-min continued, “I have worked hard to make a shift for myself and strive to be as transparent as possible.
In an effort to let the audience fully immerse themselves in the narrative and comprehend the motivations behind Taek-rok’s specific actions, the experienced actor also discussed the trauma that affected his character in this interview. In conclusion, “Shadow Detective” is not based on a factual story, but because different persons involved in its development found it sympathetic, some of their own personal experiences might have found their way into the story.
