The Kidnapping Day Episode 1 Review: Yoon Kye-sang, Yu Na starrer K-drama is perfect blend of suspense, emotion and thrill

The Korean drama series’ have constantly evolved and set the bar high with their complex and gripping plot. Park Yoo-young’s directorial The Kidnapping Day, is another well-crafted thriller with a fair amount of humour, suspense and emotions. Starring Yoon Kye-sang and Yu Na in the lead roles, the intriguing series captures the lengths to which a parent would go to save their child. Well, the storyline is based on the novel of the same Korean name’ Yugwaei Nai’ written by Jung Hae-Yeon, its engrossing suspense and tight screenplay will keep you on the edge of your seats.

Though the makers have dropped only the first episode so far, they successfully tickle your curiosity with an opening sequence where a stranger attacks a doctor and his daughter with a knife in the hospital. The precision with which the scene was shot will leave you spellbound, keeping you glued to the screen to know why it happened in the first place. The viewers’s attention is abruptly geared towards the happenings of 2023 after this gruesome 1993 incident without much explanation apparently to add mystery. And yes, it worked!

The expected series of events then unfolds which was already revealed in the teaser where Kim Myung-Joon(Yoon), accidentally hits a girl who suddenly appears in front of his car and faints. He informs his ex-wife Seo Hye-eun (Kim Shin-rok)that the child he hit is none other than Choi Ro-Hee(Yu Na) he was planning to kidnap. The unexpected twist of fate brings Myung-Joon and Ro-Hee closer in the face of dire circumstances. He introduces himself as her father after knowing that she has lost his memory. Their evolving relationship is beautifully portrayed which resonates deeply and makes you feel connected.

In the first episode itself, the present and past of Myung-Joon’s life journey run parallel which delves into the complexities of human nature and the power of unexpected connections. His motive behind kidnapping an affluent girl is revealed with a heartwrenching and poignant backstory. He recollects how his ex-wife showed up one day at the hospital and gave him the idea to kidnap Ro-hee in order to pay the bills for his daughter, Hee-ae who is battling cancer. Meantime, Ro-Hee’s slow discovery of her roots, the introduction of the mysterious character of Junkman and Myung-Joon’s struggle to reach Ro-Hee’s parents for ransom will keep you intrigued. The first episode ends on a terrifying note for you to imagine what will follow next after the junkman breaks into the house which wakes up Ro-hee, and Myung-Joon learns about Ro-Hee’s dead parents.

Yoon Kye-sang brilliantly emotes the moral dilemmas his character faces in the series. He effortlessly evokes emotions, especially in the scene where he cries while browsing her daughter’s childhood pictures. He pulls off the intense scenes with nuance as well. Yu Na, on the other hand, is the key element whose performance adds depth to the series. Her portrayal of a memory-impaired child is strong and will make you want to see her more and more on screen.

In conclusion, The Kidnapping Day so far seems like a character-driven series which is perfectly blended with the right amount of suspense, emotion and thrill. It makes a good watch for those who like to watch complex and thrilling narratives heavy on emotional quotient.