Lee Young-ae returns to small screen with quirky comedy series 'Inspector Koo'

코리아타임즈 기사원문

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2021/11/688_317946.html

 

 

 

By Lee Gyu-lee

Actress Lee Young-ae has returned to the small screen with JTBC's new crime comedy series, "Inspector Koo," about four years since the period romance series, "Saimdang, Memoir of Colors," in 2017.

 

Directed by Lee Jeong-heum, who led the mystery series, "Nobody Knows," the thriller series revolves around a former cop, Koo Kyung-yi (Lee).

One day, she is offered a missing person's case to work on as an insurance investigator. As she digs into the case, she suspects that there's more to it.

Using her intelligence and instinct as a cop, she tries to find out the truth behind the crimes, which were perfectly staged by a serial killer. It is written by newcomer Seong Choy.

The series took off Saturday with a 2.6-percent viewership rating.

Lee said that she decided to take the lead in the series because she was interested in its peculiar story.

 

"I chose this series because it was odd, honestly. It's quirky, peculiar and funny, which were the biggest reasons," she said during the online media conference for the series, Friday. "As I was reading the script, I kept flipping back and rereading it to make sure I understood it correctly. This series has such different frequency and color… it gave me hope that it would be a fun project."

 

Lee's character, Kyung-yi, was a fierce and smart detective. But now, she lives a reclusive life, spending most of her days drinking and playing games at home after losing her husband.

Lee noted that playing her character was a challenge for her. "As an actor, I try to show myself in new colors. And I believed that this series will allow me to bring out different colors that I've never shown," she said, adding that she enjoyed each step of this project.

"I tried hard to come up with Kyung-yi's distinct tone, expression, and gestures that make her stand out. She's always dubious and curious, which will come across as refreshing, in each episode.

"Referring to the series as an "assorted gift basket," she explained that the viewers will get to experience a series they have never seen before.

The director added that the viewers will be able to see the "true charm" of the series when they closely follow along with the story.

"'Inspector Koo' is a strange series. During the past four to five months that we have been filming, there have been so many unpredictable twists in the plot. The moment you would think the story will go in one direction, it takes a different turn," he said. "But as the story goes on, you can see that it's taking you closer to the big picture the writer painted… there's humor that comes from its peculiarity."

Adding that the series mixes different genres, the director showed his confidence that viewers will fall for the drama.

"There are various genres blended in the story, not in a chaotic way, but the writer puts it in a well-structured script," he said. "As you watch this series, you will find yourself being attracted to its oddness and anticipating the next episode.""

Inspector Koo" airs on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 p.m. and is available on Netflix.