[비즈한국] A man is found dead in his home, his neck pierced by an awl. He was first discovered by his teenage niece. While the niece could have been at the house during the estimated time of death, she claims she cannot remember what happened at that time. The lead detective considers her a prime suspect. This is how the Disney+ original series ‘Nine Puzzles’ begins, much like a classic mystery novel.
The dead man's niece, Yoon Yi-na (Kim Da-mi), clings to the mystery of her uncle’s death for 10 years. Though the only evidence is a mysterious puzzle piece found at the scene, she constantly pesters Detective Kim Han-saem (Son Suk-ku), who has been chasing the case for a decade, to solve it—even though Han-saem still considers her the prime suspect. To regain her memories, Yi-na regularly visits her psychiatrist, Lee Seung-joo (Park Gyu-young), for counseling. She also becomes a profiler for the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Scientific Investigation Department. Yi-na identifies the perpetrator's motives at crime scenes faster than anyone else. As if she had once killed someone herself.
Watching Yi-na reveal her own story while interrogating a primary school student suspect in a similar situation, the viewers begin to share the same doubts as Han-saem. Is Yoon Yi-na really the person who killed her uncle? Meanwhile, a puzzle piece with the same artistic style as the one found at her uncle's murder scene is delivered to Yi-na. Shortly after, another murder occurs, and Yoon Yi-na is the first to discover the body again. The victim, Lee Mi-young (Ye-won), seems to have no connection to the uncle, yet somehow the atmosphere of her death mirrors that of the uncle's murder. Coincidentally, Lee Mi-young ran a whiskey bar frequented by the officers of the Hangang Police Station, where Han-saem works, and Yi-na’s uncle, Yoon Dong-hoon (Ji Jin-hee), was also a former superintendent at that same station. The current station chief, as well as Yang Jung-ho (Kim Sung-kyun), the leader of the Violent Crimes Unit 2 whom Han-saem respects, have also visited the bar.
‘Nine Puzzles’ follows Yoon Yi-na and Kim Han-saem as they pursue a suspected serial killer, marking the return of a murder case from 10 years ago. As of May 21, 6 of the 11 episodes have been released. There are layers of questions to be peeled back: Why was Yi-na’s uncle killed, and by whom? Is Yi-na involved in her uncle's death at all? Are the people at the Hangang Police Station connected to the second victim, Lee Mi-young? What is the connection between the victims of the third and fourth murders and Lee Mi-young or Uncle Yoon Dong-hoon? Why do puzzle pieces with the same design appear whenever people with no connection to the uncle are killed? Who is sending these pieces to Yi-na, and what message are they trying to convey?
Beyond its stylish direction, ‘Nine Puzzles’ is a drama steeped in the atmosphere of classic mystery novels. Each character holds a key to the case, and one can’t help but strongly suspect that several individuals have hidden secrets. Perhaps it’s because Han-saem is a fan of mystery novels, and Yi-na is an avid reader of ‘The Kindaichi Case Files’ and ‘Detective Conan.’ For viewers who grew up reading Agatha Christie, Conan Doyle, or Eden Phillpotts, the locked-room-style murders and hidden internal accomplices will make for a fascinating deep dive into deduction.
The stellar performances by actors who show no weak links are a major strength of this drama. Son Suk-ku, who has played police officers several times in works like ‘Sense8,’ ‘Big Bet,’ and ‘A Killer Paradox,’ and Kim Da-mi, who portrayed sociopathic characters in ‘The Witch’ and ‘Itaewon Class,’ play their characters, Kim Han-saem and Yoon Yi-na, with seamless authenticity, despite the characters feeling somewhat familiar yet distinct. Kim Sung-kyun and Hyun Bong-sik, who play the Hangang Police family working with Han-saem, also give natural performances that hardly need mentioning. With a cast including Jung Man-sik, Ahn So-yo, Lee Joo-young, and Noh Jae-won, there are plenty of characters to watch. And what about the extravagant special appearances that put most films to shame? From Ji Jin-hee, who plays the dead uncle and appears for 6 episodes without a single line of dialogue, to Lee Hee-jun, Lee Sung-min, and Ok Ja-yeon, more brilliant stars are slated for special appearances. This is a testament to the presence of director Yoon Jong-bin.
In the episodes released so far, Yoon Yi-na finally recovers her memory of that day. Whether this will prove her innocence or become a shackle that traps her further as a culprit remains to be seen. Episodes 7–9 are scheduled for release on May 28, and 10–11 on June 4. There is no way of knowing how many more will be killed in the puzzle murder case by then. So, all we can do is wrack our brains trying to figure out who is suspicious and who the real culprit is. The drama's open group chat is already buzzing with intense debates and theories. The team behind ‘Nine Puzzles’ initially planned a media preview but cancelled it due to concerns over spoilers—a decision that is entirely understandable. I truly cannot wait for next Wednesday.
About the author, Jung Soo-jin:
She has worked at various magazines, covering film, travel, and popular culture. She doesn’t want to fall behind the trends, but she has become an "old soul" who predicts the obvious clichés in the next scenes while watching the latest dramas. She is trying to regain her touch while drifting through the vast OTT world, and her current wish is for a unified OTT subscription plan.