Reasons “Chief Detective 1958” Is Set In 1958 And Led By Lee Je-hoon

MBC’s Fri-Sat drama “Chief Detective 1958” is a prequel of the series “Chief Inspector” set in the year 1958. Lee Je-hoon portrays the 20s of Chief Park played by Choi Bul-am in “Chief Inspector”. Unlike “Chief Inspector”, the genre of “Chief Detective 1958” is a little different. Rather than emphasizing the heavy issues at that time, the prequel is rather cheerful and pleasant. It works out thanks to the retro time period of 1958 and Lee Je-hoon’s performance adding a lively vibe to the character. 

The post-war period of 1958 revolves around the impoverished common people and those known as ‘villains’ of that time, including political thugs who make the commoners’ lives even more difficult and corrupt police officers. While telling stories based on historical facts such as the period of the Freedom Party under the regime of Lee Seung-man and real-life political thugs like Lee Jung-jae, the drama also places fantasy characters on such a background. Centered around Park Young-han, the investigative team of Jongnam Police Station was formed together with his supporters ‘mad guy’ Kim Sang-soon (Lee Dong-hwi), ‘brown bear’ Jo Kyung-hwan (Choi Woo-sung), and Seo Ho-jung (Yoon Hyun-soo).

These characters were created from the drama story rather than the real-life figures so they are a little fantasy and have unrealistic features. This contrasts sharply with the setting and characters of “Chief Inspector”. “Chief Detective 1958” still depicts heavy stories of overcoming corruption and eradicating criminals but in a much more cheerful flow with comical action scenes.

The drama looks like a B-grade action series by the standards of dramas these days, however, the retro setting of the year 1958 has narrowed down the distance from unreality, allowing viewers to smile while enjoying the drama. Of course, “Chief Detective 1958” still captivates viewers with impressive action sequences like the car chase and the melodramatic narratives of Park Young-han and Lee Hye-ju (Seo Eun-soo). As such, the viewers can immerse themselves in a somewhat unrealistic drama more comfortably.

In fact, it was Lee Je-hoon’s excellent acting that added vitality to “Chief Detective 1958”. The actor has shown perfect action acting in “Taxi Driver”, portrayed a hero of the time in “Anarchist from Colony” and even depicted a pure love of youth in “Architecture 101”. As a result, the only person who can digest action, melodrama, and comedy at the same time to increase viewers’ immersion in “Chief Detective 1958” is none other than Lee Je-hoon. As the drama has just premiered, anticipation is rising for how the investigative will solve more cases in the upcoming episodes.