Welcome to Kdrama and Ramen

Lured by a string of serial murders and an anonymous e-mail, an intelligent profiler comes back to Korea after years abroad.  But hoping to find an answer to the current mysterious deaths is not his only motivation.   There seems to be some connection to his own past and a killer who left an indelible mark on his life.  Teaming up with local police detectives, they will do their best to find justice for the many people who have lost their lives because of one deranged criminal.  

Jang Na Ra as Cha Ji Ahn

Cha Ji Ahn has had a crush on Hyun since they were kids, even though he doesn’t remember her.  She has her own connections to Hyun’s family tragedy because her father was a prison guard at the time who was unfairly accused of letting a prisoner escape on purpose.  She has been secretly following him since that time, hoping to find the escaped murderer and clear her father’s name.  She is shocked when Hyun shows up at the scene of the most recent murder but she is thrilled with the opportunity to finally find Lee Jun Ho.  But controlling her own personal feelings gets more difficult, the more time she spends with him.  

Cha Ji Ahn balances her tenacious sense of justice with a quirky clumsiness that is vintage Jang Na Ra.  She became a detective with the hope of finding justice for her father and also closure for herself.  She has been drawn to Hyun since she found out that they both suffered at the hands of Lee Jun Ho.  But as they investigate together those feelings grow and intensify.  Jang Na Ra brings her usual charm to this role, and I found Detective Cha to be determined and tough without having to have all the answers.  

Choi Won Young as Lee Jun Ho

Lee Jun Ho is the local police coroner who handles the bodies for their investigations.  As we later learn, he is also the one responsible for killing at least several of them.  He is the grown up Lee Jun Yung, who raised Min and taught him everything he knows about how to be a psychopath.

♥ Villains

I just have to give a shout out to Park Bo Gum and Do Kyung Soo for their amazing portrayal as troubled villains.  Neither of these sweet looking young actors are generally thought of as villains, and that just made it all the more chilling.  They both handled with roles with a subtleness that gave me just the right amount of the “creeps” without overdoing it.  

♥ Brothers

Because of the early death of their mother, Hyun was responsible for taking care of Min when they were younger.  So once Hyun learns Min’s true identity, it is only natural that he would go back to acting like a parent toward him.  It was cute to see the way Min obviously wanted that kind of attention and pretended not to.  Their brotherly interactions were very sweet and sincere and I loved the few scenes where we got to see them together as brothers.  The plot twist that Hyun killed their mother’s murderer was a great one.  While Hyun repressed the entire incident, Min lived with the trauma and it helped to shape his innocent psyche.  And through it all, Min tried to protect Hyun’s feelings by saying he was just born this way.  What a sweet tribute to brotherly love.  

Min’s Childhood

So many questions remain about what Min’s life was like growing up with Jung Ho.  I wish we had gotten a bit more insight into their relationship and what it all looked like.  Jung Ho obviously had some affection for Min, since, even until the end, he kept begging Min to run away with him.  Also, the coroner just happens to miss the kill shot with the knife in his final struggle with Min?  I find that hard to believe.   And Min seemed to feel a lingering responsiblity to Jung Ho.  How did they survive on the run, and what happened after Min was kidnapped to solidify his psychopathic tendancies?

Gullible Detective

At points, Ji Ahn’s character seemed a bit too naive and gullible.  Sure, she is dealing with genius profilers and psychopaths, but still, she is a detective.  Shouldn’t her police senses have noticed something unsettling about the crazy coroner who is calling his shots before some of the victims even showed up?  And Hyun just always seemed to be several steps ahead of her from the very beginning.  Again, I know, genius.  But really?  She should have been able to at least give him a run for his money once or twice.  

“I Remember You” gives us a quiet happy ending with some open ended stories that left some fans dissatisfied.  So, let’s jump in.  First off, Eun Bok is arrested for his part in helping Jun Ho and being his mole.  Min goes to kill Jun Ho but ends up getting stabbed himself and his body disappears.  Later, Hyun meets up with Jun Ho to ask him to at least return Min’s body to him.  Then he meets with Ji Ahn and tells her that he may need to go away for a while but can’t tell her anything else.  Fast forward a year.  Thanks to Team Leader Kang, the special investigation team has survived.  Seung Joo is still visiting Eun Bok in prison, where he seems to be doing well.  Ji Ahn is still missing Hyun, who still hasn’t returned.    Surprise!  Min is still alive.  Hyun visits him in the hospital and gives him a choice to either stay and pay for his crimes as Hyun’s brother or assume a new idenitity with paperwork that he gives him.  The team gets called to a crime scene.  Just like the begininng, they arrive to find someone already there.  He turns and it’s Hyun.  Everyone welcomes him back, although he pretends to be aloof to them all.  Later, he and Ji Ahn take a walk and he tells her that he is back to stay.  They kiss and plan to live happily ever after.  Back at the hospital, Min dresses and leaves but the envelop with his new identity is left on the bed.  He made the choice to stay!  The final scene has Hyun and Ji Ahn walking hand in hand.  Jun Ho walks by and there is a flash of recognition as Hyun promises that he will find Jun ho and punish him for his crimes.  The end.