Although the element of time travel caused controversy after its release, OCN’s ‘ Tunnel’ should not be mistaken as a ‘ cheap imitation’ or a ‘ copycat ‘ of tvN’s successful production ‘Signal’. In fact, apart from the tenuous links between both shows being loosely based on the real-life South Gyeonggi serial killer case( and of course the element of time travel fantasy) ,the storylines are derisively different.

Tunnel focuses upon a 1980s detective called Park Gwang Ho ( played by Choi Jin Hyuk). Desperately trying to catch a serial killer murdering women in hope of protecting his wife , he chases the killer through a tunnel, and when he comes out the other side he finds he’s been transported 30 years into the future and is in 2017. As the killer he’s been chasing resumes his killing spree in this future time zone, Gwang Ho assumes the identity of a young policeman and works with new colleagues, including his efficient partner detective Kim Sun Jae (played by Yoon Hyun Min) and their icy criminal psychology consultant Shin Jae Yi (played by Lee Yoo Young), who will hopefully help him to catch the killer.

Perhaps the greatest thing to note about “ Tunnel” is through its ability to develop characters without airbrushing over their intrinsic flaws over the course of the series.

Although Choi Jin Hyuk is a brilliant actor, his character Gwang Ho undeniably appeared as a little off-putting
for viewers to truly warm-up to at first. Gwang-Ho is austere, abrupt and sardonic ; very much a product of his time. Often, he often locks horns with the younger and tech- savvy detective Jae Yi over his old-school methods.
Ultimately, however, Gwang Ho has a kind-heart and strong moral drive- a man of duty who is desperate to get back to his wife. Perhaps the one thing which often struck me as a little odd about Gwang Ho as a character can be found within his interactions with the modern world. He does undeniably struggle with the sudden changes thrown in front of him, yet certain reactions towards technology often seemed a little lacklustre. Yet is still remains that as a main character, side characters such as Kim Sun Jae (played by Yoon Hyun Min) and Shin Jae Yi (played by Lee Yoo Young) notably had greater character-depth.

Sun Jae went from an aloof and reserved detective, to a resound team player who learns to finally heal his emotional wounds in the process . His partner Gwang-Ho is his complete opposite, leading an oddly comical rivalry between the two characters. Refreshingly, however, Sun Jae wasn’t pushed into this stereotype as the ‘' comic relief''- he is a character with his own profound and interesting backstory, which naturally slots in without feeling disjointed or odd at all in the overarching storyline .

On the other hand, Jae Yi was a character who noticeably did not change by new revelations coming to light, but rather coming to accept the truth in the process . She is still an eccentric professor in the ending of the series but she is certain upon confronting her past and identity. Her relationship with Sun Jae can be seen as a little and awkward in the grand scheme of the setup of the show, due to the striking personality differences between both characters and its presence in a thriller drama . Nevertheless their relationship did arguably over an intrinsic sense of closure for Jae Yi, as she is able to escape her fears of the past.

In addition to the odd alliance and partnership between the trio, there is the more light-hearted dynamic between n Kwang Ho and Sung Shik (Jo Hee Bong) who was a rookie detective under Kwang Ho is the past, but in the present, he is Kwang Ho’s team leader and now older than him. Of course, this naturally to an onslaught of confused reactions when they begin reverting back to the terms they once used in the past, leading to moments of comical gold as the rest of their team look on in confusion.

The writing, while it took its time laying down some groundwork, intrinsically lead to an interesting storyline. The identity of the killer and the antagonist is naturally the tuning point of the show, however, this was let down slightly by the problem of pacing. This is arguably the show’s greatest weakness due to interesting storyline being reverted by a sense of slow pacing and lacking speeds parts, however, when the show does pick up in certain moments, the aspects of ravaged grief and humanity can easily overwhelm the viewer.


Ultimately, ‘’ Tunnel’’ had a brilliant cast and an intriguing premise, however, it is important to note that this series verges upon heavy-hitting issues typical of any noir such as murder, fatalism and psychopathy on top.
The bittersweet ultimatum of the show will probably leave viewers slightly torn and the pacing does not always help to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. Nevertheless, the characters of the series are a life line for keeping viewers interested and whilst not intrisically flawless, ‘’ Tunnel’’ is certainly a good watch.