[K-Drama] Tunnel: Review and Reasons Why You Should Watch This Drama

I'm coming back with another korean drama post! Finally after a long wait, a drama that's really worth your time is here.

Regarding the statement, I know as a k-drama lover, any kind of korean drama with your favorite oppa(s) is always worth your time. But let's be honest here. You do feel a little guilt while watching your oppa instead of being productive doing your job, don't you? Or at least that's what I've been feeling lately. I always consciously try to shift my attention out of my responsibility, and watching drama is one of my guilty pleasure because it does indeed kill my productivity in a way that I enjoy 😂

Dark and gloomy (?)  poster for the drama!  Although I must admit it doesn't look interesting and convincing tho. (image: soompi)

But this one is different I promise. This drama called "Tunnel" is like no other korean drama you have watched.  A complicated storyline, unpredictable twist, and also of course, my favorite oppa (aka Choi Jin-hyuk), it's all in here. Like other drama I have written about, you won't find any cheesy line or cringey-awkward-kissing-scene in this drama. Instead, you will find many scenes that involve a corpse, a body part, the act of strangulation, handsome detective (I'm talking about Choi Jin-hyuk here), and again, a corpse (I'm telling you in advance so you won't be shocked by the visual later--like I did).

So... what is this drama about actually?

Tunnel is a mystery, crime, and thriller drama. The main character is Park Kwang-ho (played by Choi Jin-hyuk), a detective who lives in year 1986. He was trying to solve a (suspected) serial murder case which shows the same pattern: young women being choked to death with some dot marks on their heels. One day, he was chasing the culprit down the tunnel but unfortunately, he got attacked and became unconscious. Then, he regains his consciousness in year 2016, at the same place, same spot, same tunnel where he was attacked in 1986.

Okay, that's a little bit of the background. Now, I'm writing down a short FAQ to answer the possible questions that popped up in your head while trying my best not to spoil the whole plot:


How did he go to 2016? Can he go back to 1986?
Of course he can!
But.. how?!
Sssttt.. I'm telling you this one way to know the details: go watch the drama!

How about the case he was working on in 1986? The culprit? The investigation? Is he going to solve the same case in 2016?
Yes, somehow he will (surprisingly) be going after the same culprit and investigate the exact same case from 1986 in 2016.
But how????
He will work with the investigation team obviously, which consists of people who are actually related to him in a very very very surprising way.

Who are this lady and that oppa?! (image: hancinema)

Who are they?
Sorry I have to stop here. But you can watch the drama if you want to know their identity :D

What happens with his family and friends in 1986 while he's gone to 2016?
This is where the interesting part is. In 1986, Kwang-ho did marry a girl he loves (aaw!) but unfortunately, he has no choice but to leave her in 1986 while he's stranded in 2016. This drama shows both eras (?) simultaneously, which means the people in 1986 know that Kwang-ho is gone but have no clue regarding his whereabouts. And by the time Kwang-ho leaves to 2016, there's something happened to his wife that leads to his fate in 2016..................................................................................

"You want to know more, huh? Please watch Tunnel!!!" - Detective Kwang-ho and detective Sun-jae in 2016 (image: kdramapal)

Trust me when I say I really want to spoil all the details here, but I must not spoil anything so let's just end this short FAQ with one conclusion: please do watch the drama if you wish to figure out the story :D


#1 It is NOT a rom-com
I love romantic-comedy drama (who doesn't?). But finding a good rom-com drama is so much harder than it looks. Statistically speaking, about 70% out of all 1,784 k-drama falls into rom-com category (p.s I made up the statistic because, why not!), yet, I can only name less than 10 rom-com dramas that are actually good enough to watch and the most importantly, those which won't bore the hell out of you. So, it's good to finally watch a drama that's out of your usual taste. But don't worry, there is also a refreshing comical scene in "Tunnel" (because I bet people don't want to witness a never-ending criminal act for the whole series, right?).

#2 Unpredictable
Have I told you earlier that this drama has an unpredictable twist? It's not that kind of drama where you can guess the finale right after you reach the first half of its pilot episode. There is a lot of twists you can't imagine, when you think it's going to be A then it's actually Z. In short, it's mind = blown. Boom. Also, the storyline is not boring at all and the suspense and + the mysterious plot kinda make your brain stays alert--especially for a coward like me, so you will not only sit there staring blankly at your monitor screen, wondering how many episodes left or deciding whether or not you should finish the drama because you're not sure if you like it or nah (cause this happens to me A. LOT). You will automatically hit the next button and suddenly find yourself on the last episode already :(

#3 Choi Jin-hyuk
Throughout this post, isn't it obvious that I have major crush on this guy? I have been keeping my eyes on him since the Emergency Couple (2014) era and been waiting patiently for his comeback. Now, the time has finally come. Jin-hyuk has discharged from his mandatory military service and coming back through this drama. Can we please take a second to adore his oh-so-perfect smile here?

O.M.G. (image: allkpop)

So, that's 3 simple reasons why I love this drama. Please keep in mind that I can write for 10 more points but I choose to stop here before I spill everything out and my fan girl side disgusts you :'D All I want to say is... this drama really needs more recognition and popularity because it's different and good and the chemistry between the casts is real and it doesn't bore you at all with its complicated storyline. My one and only advice: be careful with your binge-watching habit because I don't think you can apply them in this drama--especially with many scenes involve strangulation and a sight of dead body.

"See you when you finally decide to watch us on Tunnel!" (image: dramabeans)