Alice (South Korean TV series)
A human sci-fi drama about time travel and lost emotions.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Alice is a 2020 South Korean television series starring Kim Hee-sun and Joo Won. It aired on SBS from August 28 to October 24, 2020, on Fridays and Saturdays at 22:00 (KST) for its entire run. The show is billed as a human sci-fi drama involving a woman who looks like a deceased person and a man who has lost his emotions, connected through time travel.
In the year 2050, the agency Alice sends clients back in time to visit deceased loved ones for closure. While time travel violations are handled by separate time police forces, Alice focuses on facilitating these emotional journeys. Agents Yoon Tae-yi (Kim Hee-sun) and Yoo Min-hyuk (Kwak Si-yang) travel to 1990 to retrieve the Book of Prophecy, which predicts certain people's fates and the end of time travel. However, an agent working for the Teacher finds young Tae-yi and kills her father for the book. Before dying, her father gives the final page to little Tae-yi. Tae-yi and Min-hyuk obtain the book and have the agent arrested. When Tae-yi discovers she is pregnant by Min-hyuk, he advises abortion due to radiation risks from time travel. She disappears with the book to raise the child.
Tae-yi renames herself Park Sun-young and raises her son, Park Jin-gyeom (Joo Won). Born with alexithymia, he struggles to recognize emotions and is called a psychopath by classmates. He unknowingly can stop or slow time in life-or-death moments. In 2010, Jin-gyeom finds his mother murdered and vows to find her killer. Detective Go Hyeon-seok (Kim Sang-ho) and classmate Kim Do-yeon (Lee Da-in) care for him. By 2020, Jin-gyeom becomes a detective under Hyeon-seok and learns about time travelers, Alice, the Teacher, and the truth behind his mother's death.
The main cast includes Kim Hee-sun as Yoon Tae-yi and Park Sun-young, with Kim Ji-yu as young Tae-yi. Joo Won plays Park Jin-gyeom, with Moon Joo-won and Moon Woo-jin as younger versions. Supporting roles include Kwak Si-yang as Yoo Min-hyuk, Lee Da-in as Kim Do-yeon, Kim Sang-ho as Go Hyeon-seok, and Choi Won-young as Seok Oh-won. Other cast members include police station staff, Alice employees, and people around Yoon Tae-yi, as well as special appearances by Jang Hyun-sung, Park In-soo, and others.
This series marks Joo Won's first acting role after completing his mandatory military service on February 5, 2019. On July 31, 2020, SBS released photos from the first script
- air_dates
- August 28 to October 24, 2020
Lore & Background
In the year 2050, the temporal agency Alice sends clients back through time to see dead loved ones. Policing time incursions is handled by separate time police forces, not Alice. Agents Yoon Tae-yi (Kim Hee-sun) and Yoo Min-hyuk (Kwak Si-yang) traveled to 1990 to find The Book of Prophecy, which predicts fates and the end of time travel. An agent working for the Teacher murdered young Tae-yi's father for the book, but the father gave the final page to little Tae-yi before her adult counterpart arrived. Tae-yi and Min-hyuk acquired the book and had the agent arrested. When Tae-yi realized she was pregnant with Min-hyuk's child, he encouraged her to abort due to radiation risks from time travel. Tae-yi disappeared with the book to raise her child alone.
Tae-yi renamed herself Park Sun-young and raised her son Park Jin-gyeom (Joo Won). Born with Alexithymia, Jin-gyeom has difficulty recognizing emotions and is called a psychopath by classmates. He unknowingly can stop or slow time in life-or-death moments. In 2010, J
Reader's Guide
Alice is notable as the first acting role of Joo Won since his discharge from mandatory military service on February 5, 2019. The series blends science fiction with emotional drama, centering on time travel, a mysterious book, and a protagonist with Alexithymia. Its narrative weaves together multiple timelines and characters, including the dual role of Kim Hee-sun as both Yoon Tae-yi and Park Sun-young. The show explores themes of loss, identity, and the consequences of manipulating time. While viewership data is not provided in the source, the series contributed to the ongoing popularity of Korean sci-fi dramas on SBS. Its legacy lies in its complex plot involving a temporal agency, a rogue group called the Teacher, and a protagonist who discovers his own time-manipulating abilities.
Did You Know?
- This is the first acting role of actor Joo Won since he was discharged from his mandatory military service on February 5, 2019.
- The series aired on SBS from August 28 to October 24, 2020, every Friday and Saturday at 22:00 (KST).
- The main character Park Jin-gyeom was born with Alexithymia, making it difficult for him to recognize his own emotions.
- The temporal agency Alice is set in the year 2050 and sends clients back through time to see dead loved ones.
More in South Korean science fiction television series 1-24
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