Children of Nobody (2018) 붉은달 푸른해
Literal title: Red Moon Blue Sun
Directed by Choi Jung-gyu and Kang Hee-joo, starring Kim Sun-a as Cha Woo-kyung, Lee Yi-kyung as Kang Ji-heon, Nam Gyu-ri as Jeon Soo-yeong, and Cha Hak-yeon as Lee Eun-ho.
Watched 20 - 26 July 2026 — 32 episodes (KOCOWA)
(Beware of MAJOR spoilers!)
Why did I choose this drama? — This drama has been on my watchlist since forever. When I subscribed to Kocowa a while ago, I was thrilled to see it was available to stream on their platform. I decided to watch it now because I hardly use Kocowa anymore, and it was about time I did again. I was also waiting for new episodes of the disappointing See You at Work Tomorrow! to air, and having finished the highly enjoyable The Legend of Kitchen Soldier, I wanted something compelling to watch, so there you go.
What's it about? — A child counselor with a perfect married life, a great husband, a daughter and a baby on the way, has her life turned upside down when she gets in a car accident and kills a little boy. She meets a Violent Crimes Unit detective and together they set out to catch a serial killer targeting child abusers, and unravel the mysteries of her past.
Overall thoughts — I hadn't expected a full-blown thriller, knew this series dealt with child abuse and some mystery, but had expected something more in the vein of Mother. Well, it is a thriller, with the big whodunnit question, and it's a good one at that. Fortunately, the intricate plot is not so difficult to follow, with different storylines interwoven and coming together. There are twists, but the reveal of the culprit(s) was not so surprising since there was ample foreboding. It was also an emotional watch because of the disturbing subject matter. The show's moral ambiguity gives us food for thought. Should we judge the perpetrators for taking matters into their own hands while we abhor the crimes committed upon the children? I was seriously hoping the culprit was not the soft-hearted jack-of-all-trades guy, working at the childcare center. Wouldn't that be too obvious because isn't the silent janitor type always the culpable one? When he did turn out to be the culprit, it wasn't over yet, and they dragged in the suspicious psychiatrist as well. The twist that they were brothers was unexpected.
Female lead — Kim Sun-a as Cha Woo-kyung gives a believable and strong performance as the child counselor. The character took me by surprise, actually. She goes from being a collected, happy career and family woman to someone who breaks down after she kills a boy in a car accident — which wasn't her fault — and then on top of that, her husband has an affair which leads to divorce, and her pregnancy results in stillbirth. Talk about trauma! She turns into an unstable person, having hysterical fits, and she's intent on finding the dead boy's family (nobody claimed him). She even briefly turns into a suspect. Fortunately she gets her act together. I like the actress very much, as well as her character. She's deeply empathetic and cries during consultations with children, affected by their pain. She hides her own pain, rooted in her family history. The story with the girl in the green dress was absolutely heartbreaking.
Male lead — I have seen Lee Yi-kyung before in Welcome to Waikiki and Marry My Husband. Detective Kang Ji-heon is a serious role for him, and he's not immediately likeable, acting brusque and barking orders at his team members. He also has a temper. But he has his moral compass pointing in the right direction, is law-abiding and righteous, and is a diligent worker, unwavering in his pursuit of justice. There's not much of his backstory given. We know he broke up with his girlfriend (who became the girlfriend of Woo-kyung's husband) after she announced she was pregnant, and initially he didn't like children. He's emotionally guarded, yet we see a crack in his armour when he interacts with one of the abused children, Ha-na, showing his emotions.
Supporting characters — Cha Hak-yeon is very good as Lee Eun-ho, the soft-hearted jack-of-all-trades guy mentioned earlier. Despite all he's done, I couldn't help sympathising with him and I was sad when he died. I think I struggled the most with Nam Gyu-ri as Jeon Soo-yeong, the police team's new recruit. Her character was difficult to read. She's a bit mysterious, yet very observant. When at last some of her backstory is revealed, the abuse by her own brother, her emotional reserve makes sense. Per usual, the child actors are fantastic. My favourite child character was Ha-na, and I also liked the girl in the green dress. MDL gives a huge spoiler in its cast list, by adding to the character of 'Girl in green dress': 'Woo-kyung's real sister'. So I knew this from the beginning which made her apparition less eerie. Her sudden presence on the screen had a soothing, comforting effect. And the girl is so pretty!
Final episode — All ties are wrapped up, and the finale treats us to a (mostly) satisfying conclusion of the show. But damn the statute of limitations! I would have loved some comeuppance for Woo-kyung's stepmother. I seriously can't imagine how one is supposed to sustain a relationship with a family member who's been guilty of such a huge crime.
Cinematography — Especially one scene stood out where Woo-kyung is trying to remember her painful past (while she's lying on the couch at the psychiatrist's office), by opening doors in her hypnotic dream. There's this gorgeous shot where she's going down the broad steps. Love the sharp bands of shadow that create a striking geometric pattern!
Recommended? — Definitely yes! My benchmarks for crime series are Beyond Evil and Through the Darkness, and this show has every right to be named in the same breath as these praiseworthy thrillers.
(Collage made by me.)