Agui Maeumeul Ilgneun Jadeul

A captivating and binge worthy detective drama series, this is the Korean version of the hit series Mindhunter. Everything about this is on point. Amazing acting, script, cinematography, soundtrack and overall production value. Pretty much as good as it gets.

Many compared Through the Darkness to the US series Mindhunter. Though they share some elements, they are completely different shows. One focuses on the mind of serial killers. This one focuses on the psychology of profilers.

They could not have found a better actor to portray an empath. And they couldn't have written a better script to profile the empath archetype: quiet, introverted, loner with few social connections. It's downright eerie how well the empath type was depicted. This personality type takes every emotion they're exposed to onto themselves. If they're not careful, their burden will consume them.

By contrast, the serial killers' stories were deliberately made crass and vulgar to underscore the banality of evil.

If you're going into this with a 'Korean Mindhunter' mindset, you'll likely be disappointed, like so many other commenters. But if you like intense psychological exploration, this is the show for you.

It's almost impossible to not compare the two shows to each other, as this basically feels like a Korean version of Mindhunter.

We get to see how the first "profilers" make an emergence in solving crimes, we get the old guard scoffing at these new "brainy" guys and their weird antics, we get the interviews with the serial killers to find out what makes them tick, and using all the intelligence they have garnered to catch new ones running amock.

Because of all the simmilarities, it's also impossible to not compare the two shows. And while "Those who read the Hearts of Evil" is an entertaining show as well on it's own, "Mindhunter" is the one which ends up on top in my opinion. And by seeing how one does it better, it also makes you notice how the other does it worse in certain aspects.

This is a more sensationalised version. There are more extreme coincidences, there are more crazed serial killers, there's more drama shown by the characters. While Mindhunter feels more like they want to show a realistic almost documentary like show, this one feels almost more like they wanted to make a stretched out Hollywood movie.

And there's nothing wrong with that. This was an entertaining time waster.

'Those Who Reads the Hearts of Evil' approaches crime genre in fresher way. Rather than focusing on thriller of catching a crime and investing time in evil's point of view, it emphasizes more on how crimes affect mindset of those who pursue the evil 'after' criminals get caught. The director succeeds in fixating viewers to stay concentrated during long takes of interrogation, making it 'feel' brief and interesting. Sometimes interview with serial killers is hard to watch not because it it is boring but because it is intensely realistic. It is so shocking and nauseous that much evil can exist in one person.

Dramas and events in the series are roller-coaster and appalling throughout, but narrative and style remain calm, organized, and controlled. It is the main reason that audience can keep watching the show non-stop without getting tired or burdened. Great balance to make a show captivating and consistent at the same time.

Also called "Though the Darkness." The name is apt for the journey the main protagonist has to undergo. Criminal profiling is quite a difficult job as this show reveals. Nam-gil Kim effortlessly carries the plot with his quiet demeanor and focus.

It's interesting to see how the relationships among the detectives grow and how their approach to investigations develop. Shoutout to the director, Park Bo-Ram, who created a crime drama set in the late 90s that is believable.

This show is definitely among the best true crime stories that have emerged from South Korea. Highly recommended.