Chimera (2021)

A disappointing waste of a spectacular premise

I don't write a lot of reviews, especially for shows that finished airing more than a couple months or so ago, but I felt compelled to write a review for Chimera because of how disappointing I found the show to be.

This show starts off, in my opinion, really strong. The first couple episodes are gripping, and exactly what I (and what I imagine a lot of people) look for in a show whose two main genres are Thriller and Mystery. Unfortunately, the show gets wrapped up in trying to jerk the audience around and loses all of that great momentum. To me, the best thriller and mystery shows are the ones that, as viewers, surprise you first but later realize you should've seen coming. I.e there are opportunities to piece together the mystery along the way. Chimera lacks that in a lot of its aspects. While there are some plot points that are very predictable, there are others that are entirely unfounded, and to which we don't get the evidence until after the fact. To me, that was the most unforgivable let down of the show. Culprits emerge from seemingly nowhere, and plot twists that feel to be for nothing more than shock value are aplenty. Which of course, made the show frustrating to watch at times.

I doubt I'll ever rewatch this show, but if I do it will only be for the main character trio (Eugene, Cha Jae Hwan, and Lee Joong Yeop) whose dynamic with each other proved to be one of the only things I consistently liked about this show.

Don't get me wrong, I still (partially) enjoyed watching this show, especially in the first half. The acting is fantastic, the characters are fairly interesting (Lee Hee Joon's character is particularly compelling), and I love the scientific approach Chimera took to explaining the murders. It was a refreshing difference that set this show apart from many other murder mysteries. Unfortunately, the second half of this show killed practically all the enthusiasm I had for it, which is a shame because I really believe this show could have been spectacular. I left this show feeling unsatisfied, and I really wish it had gone a different direction, or at least kept the tone and pacing of the first couple episodes.

Perhaps my expectations for Chimera were too high, or perhaps I'm too picky when it comes to what I think makes a good thriller or mystery, but this show could've been so much better.

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Terrific plot paired with an almost total absence of charismatic characters

Robots are perfectly fine. They do lots of cool things. They can vacuum. They help build cars and other stuff. Some robots are even helping with medical procedures. This is all good stuff. There’s lots of robots on screen too from the droids in the “Star Wars” universe (mostly entertaining) to the invaders from outer space in Michael Bay’s “Transformers” franchise (less positive things to say about them) and the robots that look human like “The Terminator” or Data from “Star Trek: The Next Generation). [reviewer’s note: apologies for the list of references to Western fare]

Robots can be a contributing element for an entertainment production. When they are, it’s because they are usually imbued with human-like personalities. Sadly, the reverse works less effectively. Human characters meant to be more robotic in their personality rarely seem to engage viewers. This may seem like an odd introduction to a drama set in modern day South Korea with no sci-fi or fantasy or supernatural element but rather named after and with running references to Greek mythology. Before this all connects, a digression:

“Chimera” is a drama focused on a serial killer that uses incendiary traps to kill. A spree thirty-five years prior to the current timeline ended when a suspect was apprehended and committed suicide in police custody. A new string of deaths is now following the same patterns. That’s the show.

To its credit, this setup is surprisingly good. There is more than a bit of chemistry and science and it is presented in a way that the average onlooker can make sense of. It’s a different approach to creating a serial killer character. It also helps to physically separate the killer from the crimes so the entire scene can be captured without revealing the identity of the chimera killer too early. As characters become suspicious and then are discovered to be not bad guys or at least not The Bad Guy, the narrative nicely keeps springing action scenes and surprises at a regular clip. Had an equally accomplished cast of characters been participating in such a narrative, it would have been a terrific show.

There is one. Kim Su Hyun’s Eugene Hathaway, an FBI profiler that’s been shipped overseas, would have been the ideal character to lead “Chimera” and build the show around. She’s intellectual but also empathic. She excels in a high pressure environment. And Kim Su Hyun shows why she’s appeared in two of the biggest cinematic franchises on the planet (the MCU and Harry Potter).

But the show is instead built around Park Hae Soo’s Jae Hwan, a detective that is a maddeningly inconsistent character. At times, he is utterly befuddled at the worst possible time and finds the absolute worst thing to do. Other times, he is Mr. Cop Cliche: bristling with superiors when told what to do, playing the bad cop type in an interrogation and convinced that his half-baked hunch is all he needs to take down his target. Park Hae Soo does what he can, but with all the focus on him, it’s an impossible character to salvage.

The rest of the crew is where the robots come in:

The doctor - calculating
The special investigative team leader - grim
The lawyer - quiet
The police vet - subdued
The mother - withdrawn
The CEO - restrained
The CEO’s wife - buttoned up
The CEO’s wife’s brother - resolute
The closed circuit tv police officer - shy
The other police officers - so much the typical police character that they could be faceless

That’s the theme. One robotic character after another appears on screen and when they show up, they tend to be there for extended appearances. Granted, not every fictional character needs to be some wild carnival barking exuberant rainbow of personality, but the calculus should not be to take three monotones, put them on couches and let them mumble to each other for a good chunk of an episode. The collective ends up being a group that’s difficult to connect with so when cast members start getting picked off, it’s a shrug and an “oh well” and let’s move on.

It helps less that Woo Hyun appears with regularity in “Chimera”. Somehow this gentleman who, in person, might be the kindest and most charitable man in the hemisphere regularly gets work despite the fact that he is one of the top five most graceless actors in the industry and the only one of the five that didn’t get the work because his day job is as a successful idol.

Layer in some lame explosion special effects, conventional camera work, no interesting OST to speak of and a regular pattern of alternating stronger episodes with slower episodes and the production as a whole simply never gains more than a modicum of traction.

In a better vehicle, Park Hae Soo and Kim Su Hyun could be a phenomenal pair of actors. “Chimera” is not that show. Not recommended.

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Time is the fire in which we burn.

Note: The drama waa completely shot back in 2019 and hence it demands the audience to watch itself in the pov of a 2019 Korean thriller drama. My review, in fact, is based on the same.

Chimera is a murder mystery plus investigative crime thriller with a major scenario in 2019 and a very minor frame of 1984 that connects to everything happening at present. Along with thriller, there are also a little of everything like: bromance, flirting if not romance, comedy, etc.

Chimera is a mythical character in Greek mythology, presented as a monstrous fire-breathing hybrid of 3 animal: a lion's head, a goat's body, and a snake's tail. The drama based on this creature, has its mysterious main culprit, burning people alive with fire, in ways that's difficult to decipher. 35 years following the serial murder incident, named Chimera Case, another series of chemical terrorism takes place in the city, which is similar to the previous and presumed to be related to it. The drama has 4 major characters at the center who are not only trying to solve both the cases, but also related to it immensely, in their subconscious. The story leads to one destination, catching the main culprit, Chimera and discover the underlying truth behind everything that has been happening aince the year 1984.

Cha Jae Hwan (Park Hae Soo), a junior detective at Joongsan Police Station, is a quick-witted and determined to his job. Lee Joong Yeop (Lee Hee Joon), neurosurgeon at Seoul, was adopted to America at a young age after a tragic incident to his family. Eugene Hathaway (Claudia Kim), an FBI profiler, was also adopted to England and demoted to Korea after committing a mistake. Kim Hyo Kyung (Cha Joo Young), newsroom ace at UBS news, is a steadfast journalist always after truth.

Some good actors in other major characters are: Nam Ki Ae as Cha Eun Soo (Jae Hwan's mother), Heo Jun Suk as Go Kwang Soo as the team leader of Chimera investigation unit, Woo Hyun as Bae Sung Kwan (Junso PS Chief), Lee Gi Young as Seo Hyun Tae (Seoryun Group Chairperson), Kim Ho Jung as Lee Hwa Jung (Seoryun Hospital Director), Kim Kwi Sun as Lee Min Ki (Hwa Jung's brother), etc.

Kim Do Hoon PD-nim has directed only 5 dramas including this, 2 of which are highly acclaimed and Chimera is in fact his comeback after a gap of 6 years (given that the drama was shot in 2019). This was obviously a bit difficult as his first thriller, hence the average execution of screenplay. The pacing is awfully slow, even for a 2019 thriller. The drama has that authentic OCN vibes, I gotta admit but somehow the screen-editing is a big drawback, along with the slow-paced progression. Cinematography was well handled as required by the dark theme of the script.

I haven't watched any other drama written by Lee Jin Mae Jakka-nim but she seems less experienced, both in terms of number of scripts and by quality of work. Chimera, in no way, is a bad script but I couldn't find the wow factor in the entire thing that would take me aback, except for the fire ignition techniques used by Chimera and explained by Eugene (haha), because chemistry interesting. If you summarize the overal plot and it's development, the story definitely seems very good but then it comes to screenwriting and it's organization and progression, it's preety average. The sequence of events and the way the plots are intertwined are surely intriguing but the timing and synchronization is poor. Given that the drama was shot in 2019 and we have come a long way in case of Korean thriller dramas, the initial plot and revelations are extremely predictable. If you're a K-thriller stan and has good intuition skills, you can definitely tell what's gonna happen next, thankfully it persists till the late phase of the 1st half. But again, the 2nd half almost runs out of substance, even though the revelations made in it were astonishing. The drama ends with more than one plotholes, at least 4 that I could realize; only one of which can be simply assumed whereas the other 3 needed to be answered. So here goes another minus point.

I don't have problems with slow-paced thrillers to be honest. So, if you're have patience and time to invest, you can easily finish it without fast-forwarding. The drama especially becomes slow after the 10th episode because almost everything is revealed to the audienceby then and all that's left is to disclose them in the drama, which has to be achieved by efforts from the main characters of the story.

There is only one OST that suits the mood and vibes of the drama and I wouldn't have any problem if there were no OST at all. "Dont go" by KLAZY is a eerie and intesnse track with softcore vocals and slowbeat instrumentals.

What I loved about the drama:
#1 Bromance: This is one of the best bromance for me. I am more into older actor bromancing on screen, ngl and this was totally my cup of tea. It felt like the writer didn't have any intention to introduce it at first but anyways, I am grateful they did. The interaction between Park Hae Soo and Lee Hee Joon was such an interesting thing to witness. Them working together to solve the mystery and also teasing each other at instances was fun. Loved the way both trusted the other and cared for each other in the drama, though this was indirectly shown.

#2 Even for 2019 drama, Chimera doesn't have any romance elements which was greatly included in thrillers back then. There were subtle flirting in very few instances but the scenes were supposedly funny.

#3 Again, acting is something you can't help but praise about. It's because the actors are already seasoned to the par, but even the most amazing actor sometimes fail to perform well depending on situations.

#4 The overal concept is fabulous; the way in which fire is used as a metaphor of resurrection, purification and justice, is quite intriguing. The execution couldn't be drawn well by the writer in terms of scriptwriting. Even so the way of revelations were underwhelming, and predictable I think the destination picture is good enough.

#5 The metaphorical portrayals of activities along with the quotes and dialogues used in the last episode were good and meaningful, loved it.

Despite the shabby plot development throughout the series, I actually loved the finale week. As everything had been revealed by the 14th episode, all that were left was how they deal with the present circumstances and wrap up the show, which was well handled. The ending consequences and their thrill was amazing and I enjoyed it.

I am actually indecisive to draw a conclusion for this drama. This is not bad but not good either, so let me put it as a moderately average drama. Some aspects were too good and others were too bad. Very unfortunate that it couldn't be aired in 2019 because of the asst. Director's scandal but even for that year, I don't see myself changing my decisions too much. I could have been awestruck by some of the elements for sure, so keeping that in mind and considering the year of production, this would definitely rate it at 8.0/10, most of whose credit goes to the acting line.

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Blast from the past

Chimera provides a thrilling and in-depth exploration into the meaning of the proverbial phrase, what goes around truly does come around. Karmic justice is served via awesome displays of devastating pyrotechnics that are stunning to behold but deadly within its blast radius.

A series of deaths caused by explosives detonation and chemical combustion in 2019, that bear the hallmarks of the infamous serial killer designated Chimera in 1984, has the police scrambling for answers amidst the manhunt for the perpetrator. Is it a blast from the past or a new copycat killer? Are the incidents in 2019 and 1984 somehow related? Unraveling the mystery behind these questions are Violent Crimes Detective Cha Jae Hwan, FBI profiler Eugene Hathaway, brilliant neurosurgeon Lee Joong Yeop and investigative journalist Kim Hyo Kyung.

Directed by Kim Do Hoon (Moon Embracing the Sun), hitherto only involved in MBC dramas, and based on an original screenplay by Lee Jin Mae, this pre-produced OCN drama had wrapped up production back in 2019. The actual reasons for the delay in release is unclear but there were real fears that OCN had been struggling for some time due to the drop in ratings of its content. Only two dramas had been released earlier this year, Times and Dark Hole while the latest offering from its Voice franchise, Voice 4: Judgment Hour was released by its sister channel, TVN, instead.

OCN content has been a personal favourite for a number of years so I truly hope things will improve soon, perhaps with the help of this drama. I’m not sure how others will perceive it but for me, Chimera has been a pleasant surprise indeed. It certainly helps when the profiles of its main cast have been raised considerably in recent times.

Aspects That I Enjoyed

The premise of a serial bomber. Oftentimes when we talk about serial killers in K-dramas, it’s commonly the culprit in a black cap, gloves, and jacket with a blurred knife. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll never get bored of serial killers (stabbers) due to my love of dark thrillers but it does feel extremely refreshing to see an alternative modus operandi for a change. Despite sounding morbid, observing the creativity and precision of planning murders via surgical detonation and complex chemical attacks in this drama has been an educational, fun and thrilling experience.

The multiple twists and turns. Plot devices are as impactful as the explosive devices depicted, which provide some of the more unpredictable and mind-blowing twists in the story than I had initially anticipated. Another surprising factor is that none of them is remotely “sci-fi” or logic-defying in terms of the scientific and medical basis (compared to certain other dramas in the genre). I have also enjoyed how the revelations were subtly written rather than sensationalised or teased, which adds a measure of realism into the seamless storytelling.

The technical execution comprising live and post-production special effects is quite decent. This drama may not be big budget but it certainly doesn’t look cheap either. Apart from the explosions, the depiction of chemical combustions appears well rendered indeed. In addition, a number of action sequences featuring impressive fight choreography and stunts are present in no small portion of the production.

The characterisations of the major players. I have no issues with how the main characters are written, and in fact the varied personalities provide a conducive set up for the protagonists’ arc, both individually and collectively. The cool and enigmatic surgeon from England, the conflicted profiler from the States, the local cop with a heart of gold and the tenacious journalist constitute the fascinating motley crew. The same can be said of the antagonists who offer much diverse complexity themselves.

The choice of casting couldn’t be better, in my opinion. Having seen both Park Hae Soo and Lee Hee Joon recently in Squid Game and Mouse respectively, I’m very impressed with their portrayal of polar opposites. Park Hae Soo is convincing as the affable Detective Cha Jae Hwan. As opposed to hard-boiled detectives, having a more pleasant and less cynical one is a nice change. Lee Hee Joon’s Lee Joong Yeop is extremely cool, sophisticated and charming. There’s more than meets the eye, where this character is concerned and this aspect is played to perfection. Together, both of them share a tremendous chemistry for a bromance to root for indeed.

Kim Su Hyun plays the Korean-born profiler, Eugene Hathaway while Cha Joo Young’s Kim Hyo Kyung is the journalist. Both of them fully embody their respective characters compellingly, with each having her own substantial story arc in the process that allows viewers to empathise with their backstories. It’s worth mentioning that Kim Su Hyun spent some time in the US and having had minor roles in Hollywood, her American accent helps immensely with her portrayal of an FBI specialist.

I’ve had just as much joy in observing the dynamics of all four characters, particularly their interactions during numerous supercharged as well as tense moments. Among the many gripping scenes, I’ve truly enjoyed the intensity of the police interrogations and the riveting action sequences which are very well executed.

The veteran cast deserve credit for their performance as well, none more so than Nam Ki Ae as Jae Hwan's mother. Her ability to convey the dimensions of her character is particularly memorable, given her lack of screen time. Likewise Woo Hyun as police chief Bae who manifests powerfully emotive moments of his own.

Overall

Chimera may not be the best in genre but I have thoroughly enjoyed the viewing experience where it has ended up as one of my OCN favourites. It had sufficient thrills and excitement, a reasonably exciting and enthralling plot with intriguing characters worth rooting for and finally a conclusion that brings an acceptable and satisfying closure to the story. In spite of the lack of hype, this underrated gem of a drama turned out to be an extremely pleasant surprise indeed.

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Truly a gripping drama from start to finish, consistent in its writing and characterization. So much of it felt original, from the relationships to the storyline to the revenge angle. Like many other dramas, it examines the corruption and injustice of South Korea's law enforcement and prosecution, a forever timely subject considering how easily the rich and powerful evade consequences for their sins. "For people like us, a crime isn't a crime. It's a mistake." I think any mystery fans would be impressed with how well this one smoldered. I really can't recommend it enough.

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The Past Always Catch Up With Us...

Is it a simple revenge story? No, it is journey of people insearch of the truth. This story give u two options: will u leave the past and move on OR hold on to it because the truth has not yet been told. As u hear the characters' reason for their choice, u will be standing in the middle of the road unsure if it was you, what will be ur choice? The story itself started in 1984 with the Chimera case which shocked the nation and 35 years later, someone came back killing peeple with the same MO. Upon this, u start seeing characters getting fidgety about the case because it was too similar to the 1984 case. Now u as the audience start to ponder, did somethig wrong happen in 1984? Cha Jae wan, Eugene Hathaway, Lee Joong Yeop and lastly Kim Hyo Kyung come together, each with their own sets of skills, strengths and connections to the Chimera case to search the truth about both the 1984 and 2019 case. Twists, plots and secrets are slowly unveiled and each one more suprising than the other as the story progressed. I have a lot of experience with serial killing series but I did not see this coming. As the truth are revealed and the perpetrator exposed, the latter said ' if only one of them had said the truth, I would have stopped there itself. That's why it is not just not a revenge story but instead the only thing that was asked is ' TRUTH'. A desperate need for the truth turned a person into a monster. It is up to u to decide, was it best to leave the past in the past? One thing I most enjoyed through the show was the depiction of Hate turned to Bromance btw CJW and LJY. It was a marvelous turnover and the depiction of loyalty and trust that ensures btw these 2 characters is a worth-watch.

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Underrated thriller drama with Bonus strong Bromance/friendship

I'm writing this review and the drama isn't finished yet that's how excited I'm about this underrated gem
This drama is released at the same time with so many good Korean dramas and two of the same genera with more famous younger actors and in public Korean channels not OCN a private channel so you can understand why it's not famous or has higher ratings that's the only reason I could think of

because this drama is just a fresh breath of air among so many disappointing dramas

The actors
are just perfect ,, they aren't Idols or that young and handsome as usual but their acting is top notch especially the two Male leads the two Ajussis oh ,, I can't say enough about those two great actors ,, they are both famous of previous hit dramas Mouse and Squid game ,, their chemistry on screen as best friends is just breath taking
I don't want to exaggerate and say they love each other because they do as brothers in the drama the detective really really cares for the doctor so much that no one else care about him as he did and the bromance is epic in so many episodes and so many great friendship scenes that makes your heart flatter also their friendship with the female lead is just as amazing no love triangle nor much romance but there is slight romantic interest between the detective and the female lead
her English accent by the way is perfect for a korean actress I think she's actually partially American ,,, she was casted perfectly for her role

THE STORY
It's so fresh as a subject not typical crime story has unique take on Arsonists using chemical fires as it's way to commit murders
also the mystery is so complicated with so many variable and hidden secretes that you can't guess who did that then and now for the first half of the drama and the second half you start to guess but no luck until near the finale
the pacing is fast and there is no dull or boring episodes at all

The production is really good also the CGI ,, there is no gore nor obvious violence nor inappropriate scenes at all you can watch this with you family at ease you won't feel uncomfortable ever

The Bromance is a bonus and it gave the drama so much more value to the humanity of it and how humans connect with each other trying to help each other when they are the most vulnerable
it's classy and has great emotions you won't ever regret watching it

I so recommend watching this amazing drama and I decided on re watching it again after it finishes

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Today on "Don't trust cops"

Overall, I enjoyed this show! It had a decent mystery going for it and while I guessed a bunch of what was going to happen, it was still entertaining.

The best part was definitely the dynamic between the two male leads. They played well off of each other. Towards the end, it seemed like they forgot about Eugene and didn't know what to do with her.

I really wish that people hadn't spent so much time hiding information from others in the name of "protecting them", but I feel like that's a pretty standard so I wasn't overly frustrated by it. Just annoyed.

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"Present is the shadow of the past".

You can't escape the past unless you accept and face the undying truth. This drama is an underrated gem. The story picks the description of a chimera (greek mythological creature) and personally, it did a good job connecting the pieces of mythology to the events without overdoing it. I believe kdrama with elements like these goes unnoticed. This drama is for anyone looking for mystery, thriller, and some fictional touch to it. Go for it. You might think that you have predicted who the culprit is but oh! trust me it will flabbergast you when you find out you were pointing at the wrong person. An emotional rollercoaster must say the writer did a great job of coming up with such an amazing concept.

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A very decent police drama

I finished watching this drama a few days ago and I really wanted to write a review for it. Although Chimera is not one of my favorite titles, it's a drama made really decently and its strongest point in my opinion are the characters. Cha Jae Hwan is a wonderfully ordinary policeman, a decent man and a good son. Lee Joong Yeop may not be completely common, but he also evokes the feeling of someone from the neighborhood. Admittedly, for most of the drama I was expecting a different resolution to the dongseng vs older brother line, but I forgive the creators for this minor disappointment.
The drama wasn't sensational, it didn't have any spectacular moments or twists for me, but it was really ok.
Surprisingly the whole series was stolen in my eyes by Heo Jun Seok, who I first saw in such an appealing role and he was absolutely perfect in it. Although it wasn't a big role, I really liked his character.

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Chimera (2021) - I just recently knew that it was suppose to air in 2019 but got delayed. What I like about this drama is the authentic OCN drama vibes it gives. Thriller + Crime genres are usually my type and it ticks the boxes of what I like in a drama. Actors especially the males are really well known actors and I could definitely say that they nailed their roles. The female leads on the other hand are new faces for me as a watcher, and I found them cool. The veteran cast though already seasoned actors, some are quite underwhelming in terms of acting for me as a watcher still I applaud them. The theme and story focusing on the monster Chimera and the fire element is really new to me as a watcher that I feel like I am learning alongside the characters. Overall, for me there is something lacking in the story or the timing in the pacing because the base and execution is really good.

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Back and Forth

I love psychological thrillers so naturally, I dove right into this series. It fell short to me in some places and I got a little lost with the constant intensity then sudden upper cut off a cliff just to be reeled back in like a fish to an even bigger plot twist. This is a great series, but not one you can blink through cause you'll most likely miss something that seems irrelevant but becomes important later. lol The suspense is a thrill in itself and it's definitely worth the watch.
"The present is a shadow of the past, and none of us can be free of the past. But instead of running away or denying it, once you gain the courage to face it, you truly become free from it."
Enjoy...

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