Girls' Generation Yoona's New Challenge and the Essence of a Well-Made Forensic Drama: A Review of J-Drama Unnatural

The Anticipation for the Korean Remake and the Casting of the Protagonist

One of the most captivating pieces of news that recently grabbed the attention of both the broadcasting industry and the public is undeniably the announcement that Girls' Generation member-turned-actress Yoona has been cast as the solo lead in a new drama. Titled Unnatural, the work is a remake of the well-made forensic drama of the same name that caused a massive syndrome and became a huge hit in Japan in the past. To compare it to a concept familiar to Korean viewers, it is a specialized genre piece dealing with the fierce professional joys and sorrows of medical examiners belonging to the National Forensic Service (NFS), who uncover the truths behind unfair or inexplicable deaths.

Japanese Masterpieces Meeting the Korean Drama Market

From the past, Japanese dramas with thoroughly verified cinematic quality have frequently been remade in the Korean drama market, meeting viewers with new charms. Acknowledged for its solid story and deep message, the Korean remake of Unnatural was confirmed early on in 2022, making the hearts of many genre fans flutter. The most core and important element that would determine the success or failure of this drama was which Korean actress would take on the role of the protagonist, 'Mikoto Misumi', excellently played by top Japanese actress Satomi Ishihara in the original. As a result of that intense interest, Yoona was finally confirmed, amplifying expectations.

Yoona's Acting Transformation and the Overwhelming Success of the Original Work

Until now, the acting spectrum that actress Yoona has mainly shown the public has been somewhat focused on lovely characters radiating a uniquely bright and positive energy, or bubbly female leads in romantic comedies. Therefore, there is great curiosity about what new texture she will bring to the role of a rational and dry forensic scientist who faces cold corpses every day and digs into the heavy truths hidden behind death. The original Unnatural not only achieved record-high viewership ratings during its broadcast on TBS in Japan, but also swept Best Actress awards at various major award ceremonies for protagonist Satomi Ishihara. Because it is a legendary work that grasped both popularity and cinematic quality, the weight the remake bears will also be considerable.

The Core Setting of UDI Lab and a Forensic Scientist with 1,500 Autopsies

The core space serving as the background of the original drama is the UDI (Unnatural Death Investigation) Lab, a fictional autopsy institution established to professionally investigate the causes of unnatural deaths. According to the depiction in the drama, it hasn't been long since manpower and capital were invested to establish an independent institution for this purpose even in Japan, which further highlights the poor environment and institutional limitations experienced by the characters. Despite her young age, protagonist Mikoto is a skilled forensic scientist with an incredible experience of 1,500 autopsies. She persistently uncovers the causes of death by listening to the final voices left behind by corpses that met unfair deaths.

A Perfect Ensemble Provided by Unique Team Members

Another powerful charm of this drama lies in the unique characters and excellent acting ensemble of the UDI Lab team members surrounding protagonist Mikoto. 'Kei Nakado', played by actor Arata Iura, is a prickly ace forensic scientist with 3,000 autopsies and deep scars from the past, taking charge of the play's heavy tension. Joining him is 'Rokuro Kube', played by Masataka Kubota, a medical student on leave who works part-time and acts as the observer of the play, and clinical pathologist 'Yuko Shoji', played by Mikako Ichikawa, who recently appeared as the protagonist in another Japanese drama Hot Spot and feels pleasantly familiar. Together, they show perfect teamwork with no throwaway characters.

The First Episode that Completely Overturns Expectations with an Unnamed Poison

The power of the narrative woven by these excellent characters completely overturns the audience's shallow expectations right from the highly anticipated first episode, delivering intense immersion. The first case begins when a healthy young man suddenly dies, and the UDI Lab takes on the autopsy at the request of his parents. Initial autopsy results strongly suggest murder by an unknown poison, but the problem is that to detect poison in forensics, it must be cross-referenced with existing accumulated poison databases. If the culprit used a completely new poison that doesn't exist in the existing data at all, they hit the limitation that it is practically impossible to scientifically discover or deduce it first.

Tracing a Perfect Crime and the Narrowing Scope of Suspects

Based on this meticulous setup, the early part of the play seems to follow the formula of a typical mystery thriller tracking a perfect crime committed by a genius killer using an "unnamed poison." Viewers naturally turn their eyes of suspicion to surrounding figures who might have a motive for murder. This is because crimes of premeditated murder using poison are almost never committed by strangers with no prior acquaintance. The scope of the investigation uncovering the truth of the case gradually narrows down to the deceased's close coworkers or lover, the most likely suspects, raising the tension of the taut psychological warfare to its peak.

The Unexpected Appearance of MERS and the Shift to a Disaster Thriller

However, at the exact point where everyone firmly believed a fierce battle of wits to catch the real culprit would take place, the drama takes a sharp turn in a completely unimaginable direction, delivering a massive shock. The identity of the cause of death, which was thought to be an unnamed poison, is revealed to be the MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) virus, an infectious disease with an extremely high fatality and transmission rate, depicted in the drama with the expression "Corona." It is revealed that this fatal virus was introduced into Japan through the victim who had been on a business trip to Saudi Arabia, and that he had roamed the streets getting tested at a general hospital thinking it was a simple cold before his death. The play instantly morphs from a murder mystery into a disaster thriller, causing massive chaos.

The Madness of the Public and the Sharp Criticism of the Media

Due to this shocking twist, the deceased, who was thought to be a pitiful victim unjustly poisoned, is branded overnight as an irresponsible and selfish culprit who plunged innocent citizens into the threat of an infectious disease and caused a national disaster. The media hastily churns out provocative articles, and the bereaved family is driven into a miserable hell where they must endure the merciless coverage offensive of the press and the public's condemnation bordering on a witch hunt bare-handed. The drama painfully pierces the dark side of our society by pointing out the madness of the public losing their reason and seeking a scapegoat in the face of an infectious disease, and the fickle nature of the media, with a very sharp and chilling gaze.

The Ultimate Twist Revealing the True Truth and the Drama's Absorbing Power

At the moment when the case seemed to end vainly as a death by MERS infection amidst social anger, another incredible twist was waiting. Just when they resigned themselves to everything being over, a fatal contradiction was discovered: the deceased young man's lover, who had been in the closest contact with him and even shared deep love, was in a perfectly fine state, completely uninfected in the MERS test. Using this questionable fact—that the closest person was safe despite it being a highly contagious and fatal virus—as a decisive basis, the UDI Lab team members investigate the hidden facts and thrillingly uncover the ugly real truth: a cover-up of a mass infection within the hospital. Unnatural is a masterpiece that I would have definitely sought out someday even without the news of Yoona's remake. It is the best forensic drama with a tremendously strong absorbing power that flawlessly sweeps through all 10 episodes, making you watch with bated breath until the very end.