Air Date: August 29 – October 11, 2020 (Season 1)         December 19, 2022 – January 31, 2023 (Season 2)

Episodes: 26

Where to Watch: Viki (S1) and Netflix(S2)

Genre: Supernatural Crime Drama

Starring: Go Soo and Huh Joon Ho

A man finds himself in a mysterious village that is home to people who have passed away but never been found.  While the village is invisible to most of the living, he and one other resident seem to be the only ones who can see the “ghosts” of the missing.  And since the two of them, unlike the unlucky towns’ people, are able to come and go from the village, they decide to help the people move on peacefully to the next life by gathering clues that can lead the police to the residents’ missing bodies.

Kim Wook was abandoned as a child and grew up having to care for himself.  As an adult, he and his friends work as a team to swindle people’s money.  But when he messes with the wrong victim, he is kidnapped by thugs and dragged to the mountains, where they intend to bury him.  Catching a break, Wook runs for it but ends up taking a serious fall and passing out.  When he comes to, he finds himself in the mountain cabin of a mysterious stranger.

Wook soon learns that the village Duon is made up of “ghosts” who are dead.  But because their bodies have never been found, they are stuck here, unable to move on to the next world.  Wook and his new roommate, Pan Seok, are the only living people who can even see the village or its residents.  For years, Pan Seok has made trips down to the city to try to uncover the missing bodies of village friends.  Wook joins his cause, using his talents for research and smooth-talking to try to solve the mysteries of what happened to each resident’s body and taking his information to an open-minded Detective.

Kim Wook’s difficult childhood has made him closed off and distant with most people.  But meeting Pan Seok and the villagers has helped him slowly learn to trust people again. And when his mother turns out to be one of the victims living in the village, more of his past wounds begin to heal.  Go Soo is great in this role and I really enjoyed this character and his journey to find healing.

Jang Pan Seok had his daughter go missing when she was just a little girl. And that loss eventually led to the death of his wife as well.  Devastated and alone, Pan Seok escapes to the mountainside and finds Duon Village.  With nothing to return to, he becomes the living guardian of Duon, where he has now lived for 10 years. 

One day, on a trip back from civilization, he discovers the injured Wook lying under a tree and brings him home.  Even after all the years, Pan Seok has no idea why he can see the village that is invisible to the rest of the living world.  But he is happy to find out that Wook can also see them.  And slowly, he and Wook develop a lasting friendship.

Pan Seok also finds healing at the end of Season 1 when his daughter’s body is finally found.  And thanks to his new friendship with Wook and Jong Ah, he is no longer alone.  Huh Joon Ho is an amazingly versatile older actor.  He played this character with a heartfelt vulnerability that I really enjoyed.  

I was kind of surprised that the second season still left so many open-ended storylines.  It seems like they are hoping for a third season, which I would love.  But without a definite plan, I wish they would have given us better closure. In particular, letting Goliath get away just felt wrong. Alice and her mom will obviously be part of the next season if it happens.  But what if it doesn’t?

I loved Il Yong’s character and the whole coma idea does work.  But I just feel like there are a lot of people in comas or people who have near death experiences.  I applaud the effort to come up with an original explanation, but it seems like in 10 years, Pan Seok would have met others if that is all it takes.  The sudden shift in rules felt too convenient.

This drama did a great job of avoiding the temptation to throw in a romance between Wook and Jong Ah.  But honestly, even the hints of her crush on him felt like a waste of time.  There is never a moment when there is even a bit of romantic tension between them and romance never factors into the overall story.  I just don’t see the point in having it included at all.

‘Missing: The Other Side’ ends, for now, with a decent, happy ending.  Unlike the end of season 1, Wook and Pang Seok can still visit the residents of 3 Gongdon who are still waiting to be found.  Il Yong has woken up and is in jail for his part in the crimes of the drug ring.  But Wook still has his eye on him and I am sure Wook will be waiting when Il Yong gets out.  Il Yong’s information helps the police catch most of the criminals, except for the slippery Goliath, who manages to escape.

Our trio of amateur detectives are doing well.  The final scenes show Jong Ah handing out missing flyers, when she trips over the backpack of a mysterious young man.  Pan Seok chases after someone who leads him into another missing village.  And Wook is driving in a storm when he suddenly sees a man appear in front of the mysterious merry go round he has been dreaming about; similar to the dream Pan Seok had when his daughter called him to 3 Gongdon.  And with that, the seeds of a season 3 are planted.

If this review has made you curious about where your other favorites stand, here is break down of the other reviews by rating.  Links to both spoiler-free and full reviews are available on each page. Feel free to explore all the wonderful dramas I have watched.