Review: Black/블랙/ Beullaek – Embrace the Darkness
It has been an intense, intriguing, action-packed 18 episodes with the latest “Grim Reaper” theme drama “Black”. It keeps you glued to the screen in a compelling way when you thought you were getting close to who the culprits were as the story unfolds, but every time, the twists and turns would lead you on to something new.
Intricate details showcased in this detective thriller, with a mixture of the unknown “afterlife” & a little romance, give the viewers a gravitational pull.
If not for the last 10 minutes that spoiled the “beauty” of this drama, it would undeniably be getting much better reviews.
“Black” is not just the name of the Grim Reaper #444, it also adds an additional “mysterious” layer to the dark theme. While the colour black is often associated with gloomy, dark, inauspicious things, or even death, it is a combination of these factors that gels the drama together to become so attractive.
It not just opens our curious minds to what holds in the unknown “afterlife” topics, but also sets us thinking about what are the most important things in life.
While Lee Dong Wook’s “Grim Reaper” image has been deeply entrenched in our minds & hearts since “Goblin” took on a global storm, Song Seung Heon’s tough, rash but witty “Grim Reaper” detective image does get on our good books too.
It seems that Song Seung Heon has not aged since “Autumn in my Heart”. With a tall, hunky physique, coupled with dashing good looks & nice thick brows, Seung Heon oppa fits so nicely in that black suit you wouldn’t mind seeing him wearing it for 90% of the drama.
Song Seung Heon’s acting has been much criticised over the years but the director does give some opportunity for him to enact 3 characters in one body.
It’s about a Grim reaper who’s stuck in a detective’s body, but as time goes by, he found his previous life memory as well. He then fell in love with a mortal woman who has the ability to see spirits.
We can see a big difference between Moo Gang who’s too timid to be a policeman and throws up at the sight of blood or can’t even hold a gun, versus a very badass Grim Reaper who is unfeeling and violent. I would say he has pulled through this drama better than many of his past dramas.
Even though there’s a 14-year gap between him and Go Ara and you feel that there’s a lack of super great passion cum chemistry, it was just sufficient for a drama like this where romance is not the main line.
It shows the gradual transformation of Black who was nonchalant and unfeeling to everything around him, to becoming a warmer person, who would seek justice and also care for Ha Ram. He eventually breaks down upon uncovering the truth and had to find ways to solve everything and make life better for Ha Ram.
While we can say all that he has done is noble and is in the best interests of Ha Ram, would Ha Ram have wanted him to do it this way?
All in all, I would say I have enjoyed the drama greatly. So many of the supporting roles have made this drama much better than expected.
Most importantly, we should not forget some of the tragedies that happened in real life and we need to reflect and learn from these incidents.
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