Korean Drama : Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area

Year Released

2022

Genre

Action, Crime

No. of Episodes

12- 1 hour 10 mins per episode for Season 1 & 1 hour per episode for Season 2

Starring

Yoo Ji-tae, Park Hae-soo, Kim Yoon-jin, Kim Sung-oh, Jeon Jong-seo

Storyline

A group of thieves led by 'Professor' (Yoo Ji-tae) take over a mint located at Joint Economic area between North and South Korea. Their aim is to trap innocent citizens and workers of the mint in order to stall time for them to print billions of dollars. Some want the money, and some are for political reasons.

My View

Understand this is a remake of Spanish Money Heist (La Casa de Papel) but I really enjoyed this drama. The wits of these thieves against the North and South Korean police department are truly amazing. 

Rating

5/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Team Bulldog: Off-duty Investigation

Year Released

2020

Genre

Crime

No. of Episodes

12 - running time of 70 minutes per episode

Starring

Cha Tae-hyun, Lee Sun-bin, Jung Sang-hoon, Yoon Gyung-ho, Ji Seung-hyun

Storyline

A team made up of Detective Jin Kang-ho (Cha Tae-hyun), TV programme Fact Check PD, Kang Moo-young  (Lee Sun-bin), ex-profiler turned pyramid scheme sales person, Tak Won (Ji Seung-hyun), ex-pathologist turned funeral director, Lee Ban-seok (Jung Sang-hoon) and ex-gangster turned bar owner, Teddy Jung (Yoon Gyung-ho) where they solve crimes together.

My View

Overall an okay plot and I'm only impressed by the first case at how they managed to get the fingerprints of a murderer.

Rating

3/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Watcher

Year Released 

2019

Genre

Crime, Mystery

No. of Episodes

16 - running time of 65 minutes per episode

Starring

Han Seok-kyu, Seo Kang-joon, Kim Hyun-joo

Storyline

Detective Do Chi-kwang's (Han Seok-kyu) goal is to watch over other bad police officers and catch them. Kim Young-goon (Seo Kang-joon) joins Chi-kwang's team to find out his mother's murderer from fifteen years ago. Though his father, former detective Kim Jae-myung (Ahn Kil-kang) was imprisoned for being the murderer, Young-goon is still doubful about the truth.

Former prosecutor and now lawyer Han Tae-joo (Kim Hyun-joo) is determined to get her revenge when she was being attacked during her re-investigation about Young-goon mother's murder case. The trio work as a team to locate actual killer and a ledger about bad deeds of high-ranking police officers and prosecutors.

My View

Though the plot moves on steadily slow, I don't find it boring at all. The drama is so confusing that I don't even know what the confusion was. This makes me even more curious to find out what's next.

Watcher is well-written and you will definitely miss out the gist of it if you fast-forward a little. 

Rating

4/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Detectives in Trouble

Year Released

2011

Genre 

Crime

No. of Episodes

16 - running time of 70 minutes per episode

Starring

Song Il-gook, Lee Jong-hyuk, Song Ji-hyo, Park Sun-young

Storyline

Jung Il-do (Lee Jong-hyuk) heads the team in Gangnam Police Homicide Division. Among its members are Detective Park Se-hyuk (Song Il-gook), Nam Tae-shil (Sung Ji-ru) and Shin Dong-suk (Kim Joon). Se-hyuk has been trying to find out the reason for Il-do who shot a criminal five years ago as this incident inadvertently killed Se-hyuk's daughter.

My View

Reason why I watched this drama was due to the fact the crimes featured were based on true stories. But I feel like I'm watching those old HK TVB series. 

The only plus point is that dramas in those olden days (ten years ago probably) do show the victims' bodies covered in blood etc. Nowadays, they are being masked out unless we are watching from Netflix.

Rating

2/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Tell Me What You Saw

Year Released

2020

Genre

Crime, Thriller

No. of Episodes

16 - running time of 60 minutes per episode

Starring

Jang Hyuk, Choi Soo-young, Jin Seo-yun, Eum Moon-suk

Storyline

Criminal profiler detective Oh Hyun-jae (Jang Hyuk) lost her fiance to 'Peppermint Candy' serial killer five years ago. The police announced the serial killer's death in an explosion but recent murder cases proved otherwise. All victims had a peppermint candy left behind in the crime scenes.

Cha Soo-young (Choi Soo-young) is being recruited into RIU to assist them with cases relating to Peppermint Candy due to her ability to remember what she sees. Together with team leader Hwang Hwa-young (Jin Seo-yun) and the rest of RIU, they worked with Oh Hyun-jae to track down the real murderer.

My View

My second Jang Hyuk's drama, the first one was Voice. I guess he is pretty suitable in doing crime dramas. Plotline flows through well and I don't feel draggy as much though everyone seems to be linked to peppermint candy serial killer. 

Rating

4/5 Stars

Korean Drama: Catch the Ghost

Year Released

2019

Genre

Crime

No. of Episodes

16 - running time of 65 minutes per episode

Starring

Kim Seon-ho, Moon Geun-young 

Storyline

Go Ji-suk (Kim Seon-ho) gives up his dream to become a detective due to his mother's dementia. He decides to be chief who handles minor crimes happening around train station. His new partner Yoo Ryung (Moon Geun-young), however, goes the extra mile to solve major crimes.

Ryung has another motive in joining the subway police, that is to investigate on her twin sister's (Yoo Jin) disappearance two years ago. Ryung suspects Jin might be the victim to subway serial killing which police has been unable to locate the murderer till date.

My View

Did not expect this drama to have such a great plot. I was suspecting everyone to be the serial killer and the ending really caught me off guard. The show is just so full of tears. Seldom rate a 5 for crime drama as most of the stories are pretty much the same.

Rating

5/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Flower of Evil

Year Released

2020

Genre

Crime

No. of Episodes

16 - running time of 70 minutes per episode

Starring

Lee Joon-gi, Moon Chae-won

Storyline

Do Hyun-Soo (Lee Joon-gi) is accused of being an accomplice to his dead serial killer father, Do Min-seok (Choi Byung-mo). After waking up from a car accident, he takes over the identity as Baek Hee-seung. 

Hee-seung marries detective Cha Ji-won (Moon Chae-won) and leads a happy life with their daugther Baek Eun-ha (Jung Seo-yeon). Hee-seung's life turns into a complete mess when Ji-won starts to suspect his real identity while re-investigating on the serial killing case involving Do Min-seok.

Review

A little twist here and there and I do pity the real killer's parents. They have to live with their son, going crazy trying to help him cover up his crimes. One touching part where Ji-won (in her mind) said that she is all Hyun-soo has all this time. 

Another one being fellow detective Choi Jae-seop (Choi Young-joon) who decides to let it slide when he is supposed to arrest Hyun-soo. Some crimes happen for a reason where the victims most likely deserve them.

Rating

4/5 Stars

Korean Drama: The Good Detective

Year Released

2020

Genre

Crime

No. of Episodes

16 - running time of 70 minutes per episode

Starring

Son Hyun-joo, Jang Seung-jo, Oh Jung-se, Lee Elijah

Storyline

The plot revolves around detective Kang Do-chang (Son Hyun-joo) who tries to correct his wrong when he arrested an innocent man Lee Dae-chul (Jo Jae-yoon) accused to have rape and killed a high schooler. 

My View

Quite an okay detective crime kind of drama. Some touching parts about Kang Do-chang's younger sister and his nephew. Also Lee Dae-chul's daughter as well and I felt sad when he was executed.

Rating

3/5 Stars

 

Korean Drama : Voice 4

Year Released 

2021

Genre

Crime, Thriller

No. of Episodes

14 - running time of 63 minutes per episode

Starring

Song Seung-heon, Lee Ha-na, Lee Kyu-hyung

Storyline

The same old Golden Time Team where call centre receives emergency calls and police officers being dispatched to on site. This time round revolves around Derek Jo (Song Seung-heon) from US LAPD entering into Korea to catch a criminal.

Under agreement with the Korean government, Derek is allowed to stay in Korea and to co-operate with GTT in search for his younger sister, Lisa Jo's (Lee Yi-dam) murderer. Derek believes that very same murderer is involved with his mother's death as well many years back on Vimo Island.

While chasing the culprit, Kang Kwon-joo (Lee Ha-na) uncovers secrets leading to her special hearing ability. Her memories slowly come back when she happens to be at a deserted hospital in Sonang Village.

My View

Compared to Voice part 1 to 3, part 4 is kind of mild. Not many cases involved and I don't actually feel tense like I used to have when watching thriller or crime dramas. But I have high expectation for part 5 as it seems like viewers are finally getting the answer to Fabre's beginning. Unless the scriptwritter decides to write some side tracks like part 4 and drag on a little bit.

Special mention on Lee Kyu-hyung as he is truly good in his acting. Liked him a lot in Prison Playbook and he is not too bad in Doctor John too.

Rating

3/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Tunnel

Year Released

2017

Genre  

Crime, Thriller

No. of Episodes

16 - running time of 60 minutes per episode

Starring

Choi Jin-hyuk, Yoon Hyun-min, Lee Yoo-young

Storyline

Park Gwang-ho (Choi Jin-hyuk) is a detective from Hwayang police station who time travels from 1986 to 2016 while chasing a serial killer through a tunnel.

There, he meets Kim Seon-jae (Yoon Hyun-min) who is a lieutenant in Hwayang police station. Together, they get to know criminal psychological professor Shin Jae-yi (Lee Yoo-young).

Gwang-ho continues to chase after the serial killer as he thinks this is the only way for him to go back to 1986. 

My View

Tunnel's plotline is extremely exciting that I'm having goosebumps at times when watching it.

Since the story is that amazing, I don't even want to write any spoilers here.

Rating

5/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Pied Piper

Year Released

2016

Genre

Action, Crime

No. of Episodes

16 - running time of 65 minutes per episode

Starring

Shin Ha-kyun, Jo Yoon-hee, Yoo Jun-sang

Storyline

Joo Sung-chan (Shin Ha-kyun) signs a contract and becomes negotiator for K-Group Chairman Seo Geon-il (Jung Gook-hwan). In return, Chairman Seo lends a large sum of money for Sung-chan's mother's surgery. However, she passes away before getting treatment.

Yeo Myung-ha (Jo Yoon-hee) decides to join Crisis Negotiation Team to reach out to helpless citizens. She believes that by listening earnestly to those in need may ends in a different result. She is one of the victims from New Town Development (by K-Group) 13 years ago. Her parents died in an explosion during rioting.

Yoon Hee-sung (Yoo Jun-sang) is the anchor of TNN Night News channel. He used to be a reporter but makes a deal with Press Director to hide the truth about kidnapping case involving K-Group employees. Sung-chan was the negotiator back then and his girlfriend died because of his negotiation negligience.

A mysterious man named Pied Piper who always make calls by whistling first. Next, he will inform the police department on any upcoming kidnapping, explosion cases etc. 

My View

PP is a very different kind of crime drama. Yes, it is still to expose the bad deeds of higher-ups like any other dramas. But the way the plot is written unravels extraordinarily. 

One of the cases involving a suicide by a helpless lady certainly impresses me. 

Pied Piper's real identity stuns me as well.

Rating

5/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Special Affairs Team TEN 1 & 2

Year Released

2011 - 2012 (season 1), 2013 (season 2)

Genre

Crime, Mystery

No. of Episodes

9 - running time of 72 minutes per episode (season 1), 12 - running time of 74 minutes per episode (season 2)

Starring

Joo Sang-wook, Kim Sang-ho, Choi Woo-shik, Jo An

Storyline

Yeo Ji-hoon (Joo Sang-wook) starts a "Special Affairs Team TEN" to deal with difficult crime cases. Ji-hoon was a former ace detective but quitted his job to be a police academy professor.

However, he returns as a detective again when a serial killer (who killed his wife) whom he was unable to catch, re-appears suddenly. To understand the criminal's thoughts, Ji-hoon becomes "the monster who catches monsters".

Ji-hoon recruits Nam Ye-ri (Jo An) a profiling specialist, Baek Do-shik (Kim Sang-ho), a veteran cop whose nickname is "venomous snake" and Park Min-ho (Choi Woo-shik), a rookie who is often lucky in finding clues to crimes.

My View

There are a mixture of simple, straightforward crimes and complicated ones. 

Sad to say, until the last episode of season 2, I'm still clueless as to who is that "F" serial killer. 

The whole Min-ho kidnapping saga involving detectives and higher police force makes me confused as well.

I seriously feel like rating a 3 but I'm giving it a 4 because of all those great cases.

Rating

4/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Private Lives

Year Released

2020

Genre

Crime

No. of Episodes

16 - running time of 75 minutes per episode

Starring

Go Kyung-pyo, Seohyun, Kim Hyo-jin, Kim Young-min

Storyline

A story revoles around GK group which controls the private lives of everyone. They also manipulates voting results of assemblymen. Lee Jung-hwan (Go Kyung pyo) is known to be a spy detective but in fact a "shadow" working for GK group. 

Cha Joo-eun (Seohyun) vows revenge on Jeong Bok-gi (Kim Hyo-jin) and Kim Jae-wook (Kim Young-min) when the pair set her father Cha Hyun-tae (Park Sung-geun) up in one of their "documentaries". Bok-gi and Jae-wook flees with millions of fund while Joo-eun's father ends up going to jail.

When Joo-eun is in the midst of filming documentary, she meets Jung-hwan. They both fall in love and decides to get married. However, on their wedding day, Jung-hwan fails to turn up as he is being chased by mobsters.

My View

PL as a whole has its fair share of conspiracy, suspense and just a little bit of con-artists part.

It would be better if there are more fraud cases like Leverage.

Rating

4/5 Stars

Korean Drama : You're All Surrounded

Year Released

2014

Genre

Action, Crime

No. of Episodes

20 - running time of 60 minutes per episode

Starring

Lee Seung-gi, Cha Seung-won, Go Ara, Ahn Jae-hyun

Storyline

After witnessing his mother's murder at a young age, Kim Ji-yong (Lee Seung-gi) becomes a detective in order to investigate his mother's death. He changes his name to Eun Dae-gu. Dae-gu spies on his team leader, Seo Pan-seok (Cha Seung-won), whom he believes to be related to his mother's killer. 

My View

Anything with Lee Seung-gi and Cha Seung-won are just extremely exciting to watch. 

The pair make me laugh so much at A Korean Odyssey.

Rating

4/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Who Are You

Year Released

2013

Genre

Horror, Crime

No. of Episodes

16 - running time of 45 minutes per episode

Starring

Ok Taec-yeon, So Yi-hyun, Kim Jae-wook

Storyline

After Detective Yang Shi-ohn (So Yi-hyun) wakes up from a six-year coma, she gets re-assigned to lost and found department. There, she discovers that she has an ability to see ghosts connected to the objects left behind.

Her new partner, rookie cop Cha Gun-woo (Ok Taec-yeon) does not believe in ghosts. However, he gradually trusts Shi-ohn and they work together to solve cold cases.

The ghost of Detective Lee Hyung-joon (Kim Jae-wook), Shi-ohn's ex-boyfriend, has been watching over her. Hyung-joon died six years ago on the same night Shi-ohn gets injured. But she has no memory of what happened on that fateful night.

My View

The usual corruption story but a little different with additional horror theme in it.

Rating

4/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Welcome 2 Life

Year Released

2019

Genre

Crime, Fantasy

No. of Episodes

32 - running time of 35 minutes per episode

Starring

Rain, Lim Ji-yeon, Kwak Si-yang

Storyline

Lee Jae-sang (Rain) is a selfish lawyer who helps people who want to take advantage of the law. One day, he gets sucked into a parallel universe due to an unfortunate accident and begins to live a completely new life as an upright prosecutor.

My View

Though I prefer Jae-sang to live in the world where he is a prosecutor, it is in fact better for him to return to the initial one when he is a lawyer.

In this way, both worlds are in peace since he can bring criminals to justice.

Rating

4/5 Stars

 

Korean Drama : Two Cops

Year Released 

2017 - 2018

Genre

Action, Fantasy, Crime

No. of Episodes

32 - running time of 35 minute per episode

Starring

Jo Jung-suk, Lee Hye-ri, Kim Seon-ho

Storyline

When detective Cha Dong-tak (Jo Jung-suk) and con-artist Gong Su-chang (Kim Seon-ho) are being chased by an unknown motorcyclists gang, they both escape by jumping into a river. That is how Su-chang ends up being inside of Dong-tak's body. Su-chang's own body is still in coma. 

A mysterious fortune teller tells Dong-tak and Su-chang that they have to work together in order to solve a case. Once completed, Su-chang will be able to go back to his own body. But it must be within 49 days or he will die forever.

Su-chang eventually gets the idea on how to possess and go out from Dong-tak's body. When Dong-tak is splashed with water, Su-chang possesses him. When Su-chang needs to leave, Dong-tak has to be injured and filled with blood.

Reporter Song Ji-an (Lee Hye-ri) has been trying to clear her father detective Song Ji-seok's (Kwon Hyuk) name when he was being framed for corruption. Little did she know that her father's death was entangled with Dong-tak and Su-chang.

My View

A typical trying-to-look-for-truth story with a bit of twist.

Maybe I have watched too many dramas until my expectation become so much higher.

Rating

3/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Voice 2 & 3

 

Year Released

2018 (season 2), 2019 (season 3)

Genre

Crime, Thriller

No. of Episodes

12 - running time of 60 minutes per episode (season 2), 16 - running time of 60 minutes per episode (season 3)

Starring

Lee Jin-wook, Lee Ha-na, Kwon Yul, Park Byung-Eun (season 3)

Storyline

Season 2

While Detective Moo Jin-hyuk is no longer at the Golden Time, Kwon-joo (Lee Ha-na) still heads the team and continue catching criminals. This time she partners with Detective Do Kang-woo (Lee Jin-wook) who is a mysterious man with secret hidden pain. He is able to read criminals' minds.

Season 3

The third part takes place in Japan where the team will discover Kang-woo's real identity. 

My View

Though the final ending is kind of sad, but I think that is the best solution to end it all.

Fell in love with Lee Jin-wook here.. *smiles*

I must say Kwon Yul and Park Byung-Eun are certainly good at being psychopaths.

Voice 4 is coming out soon this year. Can't hardly wait!

Rating

5/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Voice

Year Released

2017

Genre

Thriller, Crime

No. of Episodes

16 - running time of 60 minutes per episode

Starring

Jang Hyuk, Lee Ha-na

Storyline

This story brings together detective Moo Jin-hyuk (Jang Hyuk) and policewoman Kang Kwon-joo (Lee Ha-na) in catching the serial killer who took the lives of their loved ones.

Kwon-joo is a voice profiler working in the "Golden Time team" while assisting Jin-hyuk with any slight clues in tracking down the criminals.

My View

For the first time in my life, I actually have to remove my earphones (I usually watch dramas from my laptop) because Voice is just too frightening. 

My friend has to remove hers when she watches the drama Signal. Lol..

If Jang Na-ra is the drama queen, then Jang Hyuk is drama king. 

When I look through all the K-dramas for the past ten years which I would like to catch up, all I see are both their names.

I have 120 dramas to go as of time of writing because I go for everything from comedy, crime, legal, romance, fantasy, historical period to web series.

Rating

5/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Bad Guys

Year Released

2014

Genre

Action, Crime, Thriller

No. of Episodes

11- running time of 65 minutes per episode

Starring

Kim Sang-joong, Park Hae-jin, Ma Dong-seok, Jo Dong-hyuk, Kang Ye-won

Storyline

Detective Oh Gu-tak (Kim Sng-joong) often uses excessive force in catching his criminals which leads him to suspension. When law and justice could not take the criminals down, Police Chief Nam Gu-hyeon (Kang Shin-il) requests Gu-tak to form a team.

Gu-tak recruits three convicts from jail to form his team. Lee Jung-moon (Park Hae-jin), a genius psychopath serial killer, Pak Un-cheol (Ma Dong-seok), a mob boss and Jung Tae-soo (Jo Dong-hyuk), a contract killer. Joining them is police inspector Yoo Mi-young who tries to deal with the team rationally.

My View

A terrific idea in getting bad guys to catch bad guys. You especially need a psychopath's mind to know the other serial killers' thoughts.

I fell in love with Jo Dong-hyuk... *melts*

Rating 

5/5 Stars