He is Psychometric Korean Drama - Jinyoung and Shin Ye Eun

He is Psychometric is about a man (Jinyoung) who can read the secrets of people by touching their skin that meets a woman (Shin Ye Eun) who is trying to hide her own deep secrets. They team up to solve a mystery surrounding a fire that changed both of their lives when they were young.

Finally! A drama that hooked me from the first episode. He is Psychometric starts off strong by introducing a mystery surrounding the tragic death of Lee Ahn’s parents due to a fire. We then quickly move to the present where we have to briefly adjust to things, but it doesn’t take long once Lee Ahn meets Jae In.

Jinyoung plays Lee Ahn who develops the ability to read other people’s secrets by touching them. But he struggles to harness his ability and make it useful. Eventually, he meets a girl named Jae In who not only captures his interest but gives him the push to work on his abilities.

Shin Ye Eun is Yoon Jae In. She is connected to Ahn through the same incident from their childhood. This incident has caused her a lot of heartache in life that she has fought hard to overcome and eventually led her to become a police officer.

Kim Kwon plays Kang Sung Mo. He is a prosecutor and an older brother figure to Ahn after saving him from the fire as a child. There is some mystery around him though as to what happened with him in the past leading up to the fire and what he is doing about it in the present.

And then there is Kim Da Som as Eun Ji Soo. She is a very moral and passionate investigator who likes to get Ahn’s help when solving crimes even though he frequently gets things wrong. She also has feelings for Sung Mo.

He is Psychometric is that exact mixture of elements I love. There is a nice romantic side to the show that is very sweet and fun, but then there is the main crime element that is much darker and was quite serious. And it gets more serious as the drama progresses. This show may initially come off as a lighter crime drama, but it explores some pretty dark subjects, particularly later on.

The show did an excellent job by having a very intriguing mystery included from the very beginning. It then expanded the mystery through flashbacks that included more information and present day investigations. It carefully peeled back the layers to everything that happened leading up to the fire that changed everyone’s lives.

This drama is the definition of a serialized crime drama with all of the crimes dealt with tying into the main mystery. It makes every investigation feel relevant to our characters and their story. And that’s exactly how I like my crime dramas!

The show had fantastic pacing, and it got more suspenseful as it went which really kept me interested. There were quite a few “aha” type moments as well as some great cliffhangers. Everything was really laid out so well.

I thought Ahn’s ability to read other people and even objects was presented in an interesting way. He has to practice using it in order to get better at it. This becomes crucial throughout the drama. I also found it interesting that his ability was known by many people right from the beginning of the drama.

His core circle of friends all know about it. Many times an ability like this would be a huge secret, but that wasn’t used as a big plot point. Although secrets are always fun, in this case, I think it was done nicely to not detract too much from the main mystery.

On the romance side, Ahn and Jae In are a great couple. I love seeing a romantic pairing team up to solve a mystery, and that’s what we got with this duo. It takes them a bit of practice, but they eventually become a pretty good detective team. Their banter back and forth is also quite entertaining.

Of course, the central mystery that affects them both is the main thing they are trying to solve. Despite having feelings for Ahn, Jae In is very hesitant for a long while to let him come in contact with her and read her secrets. Watching her slowly let him in was very touching.

They do have to face some serious issues concerning their connection to each other though. Some of it is very difficult for them to cope with, and they have to take a hard look at whether or not their feelings for each other are stronger than their past.

But as they grow closer, we get a very sweet romance between two people who are trying to overcome their past hurts. Their relationship developments felt very natural as they blossomed into a very loving couple. They were such a good team!

Sung Mo is also a very interesting character. He’s one that you’re not sure what to make of at first, but learning about his story was both surprising and quite sad. Just like the mystery as a whole, his story has to be peeled back layer by layer to reveal the bigger picture. And that picture is very disturbing.

MAJOR ENDING SPOILERS BELOW

So in the end, it turned out that Sung Mo was the one who set the fire and murdered those people. He did it to protect his mother and himself who had spent years running from his terrible father after he had held them prisoner and chained up in a basement for many years prior.

About a third of the way through the drama, I started to wonder if it was Sung Mo who started the fire rather than his father. He had been taking care of Ahn and Jae In since it happened. The implication was that he did it because of guilt that his father set the fire. But it was also plausible that he set it himself. I knew it could go either way, but I thought it would be really interesting if it was Sung Mo. And it was.

I was actually pretty satisfied that the drama went this direction. You don’t see a major character ultimately being guilty of something so terrible that often (plus they actually killed off another major character, poor Ji Soo). And as awful as what Sung Mo did was, the story did well at exploring the reasons that he did such things and went pretty in depth with his character.

It was quite tragic to see play out, especially as Ahn and Jae In had to deal with the reality that someone they looked up to for saving them was actually the cause of their tragedy, but Sung Mo being the guilty one was very fitting. And everyone coped with that realization as best as they good. I thought the ending for the characters was very appropriate.

END OF SPOILERS

He is Psychometric turned out to be a wonderful watch. The mix of mystery/crime and romantic elements blended together nicely to create a type of story that I really love. Add in solid characters, good pacing, and a suspense element that built as the show went, He is Psychometric was completely enjoyable all around. I really wish there were more dramas out there that pulled off this mixture so well.

My Rating: 8/10

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21 responses to “He is Psychometric Korean Drama Review”

  1. MyKDramaticLig Avatar
    MyKDramaticLig

    Not my type of drama. It’s a NO for me.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Kay Avatar

      Aww, that’s too bad. Hopefully, you find one that works for you quickly 🙂

      Like

  2. Kate Avatar
    Kate

    Just started watching this and only a few episodes in (didn’t read your spoilers 🙂 but I agree that it hooks you right from the get go! Can’t wait to see if my theory is correct but totally enjoying the cast and mystery.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Kay Avatar

      It’s great that it hooked you quickly too 🙂 I needed that after my last several dramas took a few eps to warm up to. I also had some theories early on, and I was anxious to see if they were correct. This drama did really well with the mystery. It was exactly how I like a crime/mystery to be done. Really hope you continue to enjoy it and would love to hear if your theory panned out 😉

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Kate Avatar
        Kate

        Finished it last night and must say it was one of the better crime dramas out there. It still isn’t my kind of genre but was really good! My theory panned out but there was so much more that I had not seen coming which is rare in kdramaland with so many predictable tropes and formulaic story lines. This one did a good job of keeping you thinking and guessing. At some point I wanted to pull out a white board to diagram all of the pieces of the puzzle! Extremely intriguing and engaging. They tried to interject cute and sweet moments to balance out the underlying heavy subject matter. Good pacing too so never felt draggy (which you know is one of my pet peeves). Not a fan of the ending but at least it made sense and fit well with the story. I need to see the main cast in other things, they did a fantastic job, especially the brother, he was amazing! Agree with your rating 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Kay Avatar

          It’s great that it worked out pretty well for you all the way through 🙂 I’m pretty picky with my crime shows, and this one did it exactly how I like them with the single serialized story coupled with the romance.

          Yes! Didn’t this drama do a great job by breaking the kdrama mold a bit? Don’t get me wrong, I like the mold, but it’s fun keeping it fresh sometimes. The pacing was fantastic (a must for me too!), and they gave us new pieces to the puzzle appropriately to keep us engaged. And yes, that good balance of heavy with the sweet. Sorry you didn’t love the ending though. I thought it was perfect and fit just right.

          I want to see Kim Kwon in more too. Apparently, he’s one of those actors that has played a lot of supporting roles, and I’ve actually seen him a whole bunch of times, I just only remember him vaguely from those other dramas. Definitely need to see him in more main roles. And Jinyoung was great in his first lead role. Always loved his supporting roles (immediately fell for his charms in just his one episode of My Love Eun Dong). Hoping to see him take on more lead roles too 🙂

          Like

          1. Kate Avatar
            Kate

            Oh I totally agree that the ending fit perfectly in line with the story! I just felt such empathy for that character that it broke my heart how it went 😦 I’m tearing up a little right now! Still raw from the 2AM binge watch – ha! And yes, more roles for Kim Kwon please!

            Liked by 1 person

            1. Kay Avatar

              Ah, well I completely feel you on that! From a narrative perspective, the ending was perfect. But from a more emotional perspective, it was just awful. My heart broke too, and the whole thing was just so sad 😦 And I can imagine how it must have been at the end of a late night binge watch. It definitely left an impression on me!

              Like

  3. Timescout Avatar

    Ha! Another one we more or less agree on. 😀 There have been very divided opinions on the ending though. Glad we are on the same side on that one, as well as on Sung Mo’s trajectroy and why he went on it.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Kay Avatar

      Alright! Another success for both of us 🙂 Yep, like you, I was completely satisfied with how they handled Sung Mo and the ending. I could tell while watching it that it would likely bother some people though.

      I loved that they took a “risk” though and were able to bring us something a bit different by exploring how sometimes a good person can do very horrible things. I thought we were able to understand Sung Mo and his actions very clearly, and they actually made a lot of sense considering what he went through. Sure, it was very sad, but sometimes stories are sad. Sometimes people make really bad decisions that hurt people around them. And this drama was able to show that while still providing some accountability/justice for his actions. It looks like we both felt similar in the overall handling of it. So yay to that! 🙂

      Like

  4. D Avatar
    D

    Yes- agree with your ratings. 😀

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Kay Avatar

      Yay! Glad you enjoyed it too 🙂

      Like

  5. shadowoftheoperaghost Avatar

    I am hesitant to review this drama because I liked most of it, but I wasn’t really a fan of the end. But the way you put it makes sense too. honestly, though, my major complaint was how they handled product placement. It was so random sometimes and now I want to buy a vaccum and a samsung. :/

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Kay Avatar

      You’re not alone, there were a lot of people who didn’t like the end. I was fine with it, but I understand why many were disappointed. At least you liked most of it though 🙂

      Ah, the product placement. Staple of every kdrama. I was just excited it was something a little more unique like a vacuum rather just make up or subway, hehe 😉

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Eva Avatar

    Just finished this drama recently. My personal rating would be a 9/10. I enjoyed it very well. Since I love my fair share of serial killers and suspense. And the plot was made even more interesting due to the flashbacks.

    It helped even more that the leads were gorgeous to look at. I actually binged on this which lead me to become sleep deprived but it was totally worth it 😊

    Glad that we have the same personal view of this drama 😊

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Kay Avatar

      Oooh, it was a really good one for you too then 🙂 I’m all for suspense too, and this drama did it well by really building up the mystery element. Then add that romance bit, and I’m a happy camper. Haha, binging will certainly do that to you. But when the drama is good, it’s definitely worth it 🙂

      Like

  7. Korean Drama Update for May 2019 | Kdrama Kisses Avatar

    […] Everything was laid out well with fantastic pacing, and it got more suspenseful as it went which really kept me interested. The mix of mystery/crime and romantic elements blended together nicely to create a type of story that I really love. He is Psychometric was very enjoyable all around, and I really wish there were more dramas out there that pulled off this mixture so well. (He is Psychometric Review) […]

    Like

  8. Best Korean Dramas of 2019 | Kdrama Kisses Avatar

    […] Everything was laid out well with fantastic pacing, and it got more suspenseful as it went which really kept me interested. The mix of mystery/crime and romantic elements blended together nicely to create a type of story that I really love. He is Psychometric was very enjoyable all around, and I really wish there were more dramas out there that pulled off this mixture so well. My Rating: 8/10 (He is Psychometric Review) […]

    Like

  9. Kdrama Kisses 2019 Korean Drama Awards | Kdrama Kisses Avatar

    […] certainly enjoyed him in those. But he stepped into his first lead role in a full length drama for He is Psychometric and really did fantastic. He gave both a fun and moving performance that showed he is a very […]

    Like

  10. Fred Avatar
    Fred

    This was actually a good drama. I honestly did not expect it to be. I thought this was just one of those “filler dramas” – so-so dramas just to fill the time slots. It had its strengths.

    I cannot remember much since I am making this comment after finishing another drama. I just find the male lead’s smile a bit awkward. Feels fake. But that’s all. Good drama nonetheless.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Kay Avatar

      It really was a good one 🙂 It’s hard to pull off the romance and crime mystery elements together so well, but this drama really did it. I have great memories of He is Psychometric 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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