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[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Queen of Mystery Season 2" Episode 1

The time for crime solving with a hefty dose of chaos and cutesy romantic antics has come, as "Queen of Mystery Season 2" brings back all the things we love, and adds a fresh and thrilling wrapping. The episode wastes no time in getting us all caught up with where everything and everyone stands, and there are a lot of things currently happening in our heroes' lives, including the most awkward and sweet romance.

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Season two dives right in, and while this has a few negative sides to it that I will speak about in a bit, it is a fun and familiar ride. Romance gets a big boost to the foreground, but the creators have found a very casual and endearing way of inserting it. The budding relationship between our intrepid duo is something that simply happened over the course of the time we have been away, which makes it feel like a natural part of the characters' lives that need not invade everything else.

Wan-seung trying to given Seol-ok a ringThe old gang together again

It feels so great seeing familiar characters and places in "Queen of Mystery Season 2". Even if some of these appearances are cameos, it just shows that the creators understand how deeply viewers loved the little weird world they built. From Seol-ok's (Choi Kang-hee) former mother-in-law and mother-like figure to the convenience store owner, it feels like being back home. It is also enjoyable to see old habits, such as Seol-ok's wanted poster database and her terrible, terrible cooking.

Not everything can or should remain the same, however, and one obvious change in terms of style are things like the directing, editing and the music. The episode has some really nice touches. I love the tragic transition of the victimized bride from a day of happiness to a day of tragedy. The little animations for the romantic moments and snappy editing can be fun as well, but the latter can feel a bit overwhelming. Overwhelming is an understatement for the music as well. I hope the music director can relax a bit moving forward.

A tragic bride's endHyun-joo in the shadows

If I have one complaint about episode one aside from the occasional editing and music issues, it would be that the plot feels a bit hectic as well. This is understandable, as we need to catch up to a present we have not seen develop. From the characters' current relationships and work issues to the new cast, there is a lot of ground to cover. At the same time, this leaves little space for the focus on the opening case and its victims, which is a shame.

As for the eternal elephant in the room called Seo Hyun-soo (Hong Soo-hyun), it is the number one open end left over from "Queen of Mystery", so I am glad we get to see it again right off the bat. It is also something in Wan-seung's (Kwon Sang-woo) past that needs addressing for his sake. I do wonder what this means in terms of guest appearances, however. Will Jang Gwang make a comeback? All in all, this is a fun premiere episode for a familiar love.

"Queen of Mystery Season 2" is directed by Choi Yoon-seok-II and Yoo Yeong-eun-I, written by Lee Seong-min-II and features Choi Kang-hee, Kwon Sang-woo, Park Byung-eun and Kim Hyun-sook.

Written by: Orion from 'Orion's Ramblings'

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