The Kidnapping Day (2025)
Starring: Yoon Kye-sang, Park Sung-hoon, Yu-na
Platform: ENA / Netflix
Douban Rating: 8.3
Plot Summary:
Kim Myung-joon (Yoon Kye-sang) is a struggling father trying to pay for his daughter’s medical treatment. Desperate, he agrees to a shady plan to kidnap a wealthy child for ransom. But things go sideways when the girl he kidnaps—Choi Ro-hee (Yu-na)—is hit by a car and loses her memory.
Not wanting to abandon her, Myung-joon pretends to be her father while he figures out what to do. But Ro-hee isn’t an ordinary kid—she’s a child prodigy with sharp instincts, and she quickly realizes something is off. Instead of turning him in, she decides to help him… if he helps her uncover the truth behind her real parents’ disappearance.
Their uneasy alliance grows deeper as they navigate corrupt power players, twisted secrets, and a hidden conspiracy that goes far beyond a simple kidnapping.
Highlights:
- Yoon Kye-sang is excellent as a reluctant criminal with a good heart, mixing humor, tension, and emotional depth.
- Yu-na delivers one of the strongest child performances in recent K-drama history—intelligent, snarky, and never overplayed.
- The show balances suspense and sentimentality perfectly, avoiding melodrama in favor of character-driven emotion.
- Sharp pacing and cliffhangers keep viewers hooked while the emotional bond between the leads grows in believable ways.
What Could Be Better:
- Some may find the tonal shifts—from dark comedy to emotional drama—a bit jarring in early episodes.
- Side characters could have used more complexity to match the layered leads.
Verdict:
The Kidnapping Day is an unexpected gem—tense, emotional, and surprisingly touching. With brilliant performances and a unique premise, it rises above typical crime thrillers by focusing on the human connections forged under pressure. A must-watch for anyone who loves thrillers with heart.
Perfect for fans of Beyond Evil, Mother, or Missing: The Other Side, this drama proves that sometimes, the most unconventional pairings make the most unforgettable stories.