Korean Drama : Trap

Year Released

2019

Genre

Thriller

No. of Episodes

7 - running time of 70 minutes per episode

Starring

Lee Seo-jin, Sung Dong-il, Lim Hwa-young

Storyline

The story starts with anchorman Kang Woo-hyun (Lee Seo-jin) as a victim to a group of "hunters" while on vacation with his family. His wife and son are kidnapped and taken as baits. Woo-hyun has to decide if he is to save his wife or son.

Detective Go Dong-kook (Sung Dong-il) works together with profiler Yoon Seo-young (Lim Hwa-young) to track down the group of serial killers.

My View

There is a little twist here and there but not that much of an impact. Perhaps, it is due to only 7 episodes which feels pretty rush.

How I wish everything just ends instantly but the ending is a cliffhanger.

Rating

3/5 Stars

 

Korean Drama : Beyond Evil

Year Released

2021

Genre

Thriller

No. of Episodes

16 - running time of 70 minutes per episode

Starring

Shin Ha-kyun, Yeo Jin-goo

Storyline

Lee Dong-sik (Shin Ha-kyun) is a sergeant at Manyang Police sub-station of Munju Police Station. He was a suspect of his twin sister's killer 20 years ago. Dong-sik lives his whole life trying to catch the real murderer.

Han Joo-won (Yeo Jin-goo) is a detective from International Crime Investigation team of the Foreign Affairs Department in Seoul. He is transferred to Manyang Police sub-station to find out a serial killer he is investigating.

My View

The most disgusting part about society is those who know the truth but choose to remain silent. 

Some did it for their family while others are just plain greedy.

Rating

4/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Goodbye Mr. Black

 

Year Released

2016

Genre

Action

No. of Episodes

20 - running time of 65 minutes per episode

Starring

Lee Jin-wook, Moon Chae-won, Kim Kang-woo, Yoo In-young, Jeon Gook-hwan

Storyline

The story tells about how Min Seon-jae (Kim Kang-woo) who has low self-esteem due to his ex-convict father Min Yong-jae (Lee Dae-yeon). Seon-jae lives with Cha Ji-won (Lee Jin-wook), Cha Ji-soo (Im Se-mi) and Yoon Ma-ri (Yoo In-young).

Seon-jae is jealous of Ji-won who is loved by his family. On one ocassion, due to manipulation from Baek Eun-do (Jeon Gook-hwan), Seon-jae tries to cover up his own faults. However, he is found out by Ji-won's father Chairman Cha Jae-wan (Jung Dong-hwan). As a result, Chairman Cha was being shot dead.

When Ji-won tries to find out the truth of his father's death, he is being framed as a murderer. When on the run in Thailand, he meets Khaya (Moon Chae-won) who saves his life. Ji-won escapes his life and names himself as Black.

Khaya later moves back to South Korea with Kim Ji-ryoon (Kim Tae-woo) and renames as Kim Swan. Swan becomes a reporter at Panda News to expose the wrongdoings of Sunwoo Group. She reunites with her father Baek Eun-do shortly and her real name is Baek Eun-young. Eun-young loses her childhood memories during the Tsunami incident in Thailand years ago.

My View

GMB IMHO is an extremely good drama in terms of how each episodes flow. The plot is not boringly slow at times unlike some dramas. Every scene brings me through steadily.

Kim Kang-woo expresses himself skillfully and I love Jeon Gook-hwan as well. His first drama which I had watched was Empress Ki and I thought his character as El Temur was great.

Rating

4/5 Stars

Korean Drama : The Man in the Mask

Alternative Title

Masked Prosecutor

Year Released

2015

Genre

Action

No. of Episodes

16 - runing time of 70 minutes per episode

Starring

Joo Sang-wook, Kim Sun-a, Uhm Ki-joon

Storyline

Ha Dae-chul (Joo Sang-wook) is a prosecutor by day and a masked vigilante by night. He meets Yoo Min-hee (Kim Sun-a) who is a female detective of the violent crime division.  

Dae-chul also has a half-brother, prosecutor Kang Hyun-woong (Uhm Ki-joon).

My View

I guess the plot does not really captivate me as I started fast-forwarding a lot of scenes starting from episode 2.

Rating

1/5 Stars

Korean Drama: The World of the Married

Year Released

2020

Genre

Family, Romance, Thriller

No. of Episodes

16 + 2 specials - running time of 80 minutes per episode

Starring

Kim Hee-ae, Park Hae-joon, Han So-hee

Storyline

The plot starts off with a perfect life follows by suspicion, betrayal, lies and manipulation. After which is a comeback, revenge and fear. 

Then there is emotional breakdown, dilemma and suicide. Finally, the show ends with reflection, letting go, a lot of patience and forgiveness.

My View

The first episode left me swearing a lot. If betrayal by your other half is not enough, there are those people who keep their silence about the truth.

Another part that makes me curse was when Lee Tae-oh (Park Hae-joon) and Ji Sun-woo (Kim Hee-ae) had a fierce fight which landed Tae-oh a police's constraint order.

In the end, all of them realise what is the most important thing in their lives. Eventually, they get to move on in peace.

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 : Children of Nobody

Alternative Title

Red Moon Blue Sun

Year Released

2018 - 2019

Genre

Mystery, Thriller

No. of Episodes

32 -  running time of 30 minutes per episode

Starring

Kim Sun-a, Lee Yi-kyung, N, Joo Suk-tae

Storyline

Child counselor Cha Woo-kyung's (Kim Sun-a) life seems perfect until a little girl whom she doesn't know has been appearing in her subconcious mind. From then on, her life starts getting from bad to worse. 

Her husband has an affair, her second child is stillborn and she accidentally knocked a child down which ended up killing him.

Detective Kang Ji-hyun (Lee Yi-kyung) is someone who believes that every life matters be it a criminal or civilian. He crosses path with Woo-kyung when he is investigating some murder cases connecting to child abuse.

My View

I have not watched such an awesome thriller drama in a long time. 

For the first four episodes, my heart was racing as everything seemed spooky and mysterious. At the end of the first episode when Woo-kyung completed the poem, my heart skipped a beat.

Throughout the entire show, I just cannot wait to find out what's next. The plot is too good that I'm unable to write any spoilers. Lol..

Rating 

5/5 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