Bloodhounds (2023)

You Just Might Feel Like You've Gone a Few Rounds Yourself With This Incredible Series!

“Bloodhounds” reminded me a little of “My Name,” one of the most spectacular thrillers I’ve seen in a long time. If you go into this series thinking it’s just about two boxers mixing it up, you’re only scratching the surface. As with so many fantastic Korean shows, there’s so much more going on, and you barely have to watch even half of the first episode to realize that this story—like so many others—is like an onion. Peel back one layer, and there’s another one waiting. That’s the sophistication of the writing of this series.

Kim Geon Woo is a professional boxer who is doing all he can to help his mother pay the rent on the small café that she owns. Little does Geon Woo realize that his mother has taken out a loan, via one of the most notorious loan sharks in the business. The story is set during COVID-19 when so many businesses are struggling to survive, and so many of them are turning to alternative means to try and keep going. Unfortunately, this falls right into the hands of Kim Myung Gil, a ruthless mob boss. You might be a little surprised to find that Geon Woo is polite and courteous, even when he’s knocking his opponents down, he rushes over to make sure they’re all right.

Hong Woo Jin is the fiery, impulsive professional boxer who is actually a bit familiar with the loan shark world, as he’s been a “bloodhound” which is basically another word for a “collector.” After losing to Geon Woo in a fight, he’s shocked when Geon Woo wants to strike up a friendship. Woo Jin is pulled back into the loan shark world when Geon Woo is ruthlessly beaten in his attempt to defend his mother.

Both fighters are soon brought under the protective umbrella of Choi Tae Ho, a former powerful loan shark who’s only too familiar with Myung Gil and his tactics. Choi Tae Ho now uses his immense wealth to give out principal-only loans (no interest) to those in desperate need. However, once he finds out that Myung Gil is behind the series of plots to take over a building in order to open a casino and bleed foreign customers dry, Choi Tae Ho comes out of the shadows to try and bring Myung Gil down, his former lieutenant.

The series is brutally honest and realistic in its violence, which can be difficult to watch. As good as Woo Jin and Geon Woo are, they can’t escape getting beaten, battered, and bruised, including cutting up their knuckles. It’s one of those rare times when you realistically see that knuckles get cut up during a fight, which impressed me, since this is a detail that most scenes of this caliber too often overlook.

Myung Gil is a fantastic villain, and a series like this can only go so far as how good the villain is. He’s smart, cunning, and absolutely ruthless threatening to punish anyone who gets in his way like a massive tidal wave. However, like so many people like Myung Gil, he believes he’s untouchable, and that ultimately leads to his downfall.

I was incredibly impressed with Woo Do Hwan (Geon Woo) and Lee Sang Yi (Woo Jin). They must have trained with professional fighters, because their movements and tactics are spot on! And they also do it so fast and effectively, that you’ll likely marvel at the fight scenes! I’d be curious how long it took to choreograph just one fight scenes (and there are a number of them throughout this 8-episode series).

The Korean underworld is dark. The sun doesn’t even really come out. Even in the daytime, it’s cloudy, as if marking the level of corruption that dwells within the city of Seoul. Too many times, we actually wonder if this small group can finally come out on top over Myung Gil. Each time Geon Woo, Woo Jin, and Choi Tae Ho score a point, Myung Gil finds a way to score two. The entire series plays out very much like a boxing match. Two sides, bobbing, weaving, trying to outthink their opponents, while scoring a hit and then moving back into defensive mode.

What impressed me the most was the naivety of Geon Woo and Woo Jin. They may be able to box, but they know very little about the Korean mob world and what to do. They are anxious and eager to help, but Choi Tae Ho and his lieutenants have to teach them and share the wisdom of their own experiences.

This is an intense but bingeworthy series! As soon as you finish one episode, you immediately have to keep going to find out what happens next. By the time the series is over, you feel like you need to sit in the corner to get a breather!

The story is tautly written, and the performances throughout are absolutely spot-on! This is a fantastic series, that when it’s all over, you may feel like you’ve gone 15 rounds!

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An Emotional Action-Packed Drama That Keeps You On Edge

I saw great reviews about this drama and have been wanting to try it and I did not expect it to be so good! I almost binged all 8 episodes in one day because each episode kept me on the edge of my seat. I just couldn't stop watching.

There are so many great aspects of this drama. Acting. Action Sequences. Characters. Script. I haven't watched such a thrilling action drama in a long time. The writers did an excellent job at the world-building and character introductions so that you get what is going on quickly and also connect emotionally to the main characters even if they don't have many scenes. I really felt for everyone on Choi Tae Ho's team and it was very emotional. I have to say that I bawled hard for certain moments, not to spoil anything. The bromance between Geon Woo and Woo Jin was also amazing! I did not expect their bromance chemistry to be that strong but it worked well and they had cute interactions like real friends (but they are actually friends in real life too). As you watch, you can see how they each developed their personalities and boxing skills. I liked Choi's team the most and I wish we could see more of them working together. Even the villains are developed so well that you fully hate them because they show you all the reasons they are evil and deserve the worst. I hated Kim Myung gil... I really do. He really does a great evil smirk and it left a really strong impression. I don't think I ever seen him play such an evil character before.

The action sequences are the highlight of this drama though. I haven't watched boxing before but wow, they sure looked handsome while fighting. I didn't know boxing could look that good. Woo Do Hwan and Lee Sang Yi brought their characters to life and it felt like they were real boxers, though it helped that they actually learned to box for their roles. The charisma was just flying out of the screen :) I couldn't get enough of their fight scenes, especially the ones when they fought together. They should take on more action dramas because they have the skill. I am now looking forward to their future projects. Such talented actors! All the fight scenes and action parts were just so thrilling to watch! I want to applaud all the actors and stunt actors for their hard work on those scenes. It must have been tough pulling it off so well.

The plot was also done pretty well. There are some parts that I don't understand why it was necessary to do but I guess it helped the characters develop further. I wish they didn't have to go down that route though. I also wish that the last episode could have ended differently and shown a more detailed conclusion to all the villains so I could heal from the trauma they left me in the 8 episodes. It was also super nice that the script writer naturally included comedic moments in the drama despite the seriousness of the plot to help bring more laughter into the darkness. It was done so nicely that you can't help but chuckle. I can tell that this is the same director that did Midnight Runners- same great action and witty lines.

Overall, this drama has all the elements for those who love action. It is also only 8 episodes so it is guaranteed to be fast-paced and binge-worthy! Warning though- the fight scenes get really graphic sometimes and may be hard to watch for some. Please be careful about those scenes if you can't handle lots of blood and violence. But wow, so many great action kdramas came out this year, like Vigilante.

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Moving and impactful but leaves a lot of its potential unfulfilled

I'm very conflicted writing this review, as the good parts of this show were really great, but there was too much that they left on the table by the end :(
The fight scenes were the spectacular and the best I've seen in any Korean show. The chemistry and acting of Woo Do Hwan and Lee Sang Yi was immaculate, and the supporting cast really shined. I found myself invested in almost every side character, and especially especially in Park Sung Woong's downfall. Characters who are enigmas at the beginning of some episodes are masterfully integrated throughout the show. Be warned, episode 6 will cause you to lose sleep ...

Now onto the negatives - mainly, it felt unresolved in a lot of ways, and some characters could have been actualized more.
After episode 6, we don't see Hyeon Ju again. She was one of the most interesting side characters and it would have been great to bring her back at the end or have her reprise her role during the revenge arc to bring closure for her character.

It's shown at the end through a montage that the villain Myung-Gil and all his associates are brought to justice through the justice system. But for all the awful things they did throughout the whole series, I felt like at least half an episode should have been devoted to documenting their downfall. The ending in general felt too rushed, and I would have liked to seen what could have been with 10 or 11 episodes to work with instead of 8.

Finally (spoilers) it was weird to me that after Myung-Gil killed their whole team, they left him alive at the end. The whole plot seemed to be about the dangers of leaving evil people like Myung-Gil alive, and after all they'd been through, it was kind of frustrating for them to leave him with the capacity to come back for revenge.

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Simple review

binged it in one day, I love it so much, didn’t like the way the good ones died, the president, the motorbike guy, and the sashimi guy. also didn’t like how the girl didn’t come back. I loved the action, fighting, and blood parts, hitting the bad guys was so satisfying, too bad they didn’t use gloves with spikes it would've been perfect. Woo do hwan was so hot and cute at the same time, I love how funny Lee sang yi is, and the girl made me gay panic, also sashimi guy and the other one were so freaking hot.
I LOVE the osts and music placement, it was perfect.
I screamed when kim min jae came out, just made everything perfect.

Overall 10/10

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A rollercoaster

Bloodhounds has been a rollercoaster for me, All of my drama careers I have never ever came across such a drama that gave me a rollercoaster of emotions and thoughts!!!
I should definitely start from the main main actor which is Geon-woo (Woo Dohwan) I have never seen such a pure soul as he is! Despite all the bad things he went through and the hardships he faced, he did never lose his positive and kind spirit!! (A soul that we fight every day to keep and achieve ❤️) up to the very last minute he believed, fought and succeeded ?
I am sure it would have been even harder to him if he didn't have a supportive and true friend like Woo-jin (Lee Sangyi) I like how silly yet mature this character is! The actor really give it his best and I can't see anyone doing the role except him ?
The story itself is so strong and kept me on edge the whole drama long! There are some twists and actions that kept me dumbfounded and surprised to the instinct I doubted everything till the very last end...
A shout out to the ahjusshis who gave the half part of bloodhounds a beautiful story and acting ?
Despite what they did to me in episode 6 and 8 this drama is definitely a 10/10 in every way possible. ❤️

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really recommend it!

would be a 10/10 if it didn’t make me cry so goddamn hard
um why do reviews have to be 500 characters in length?! all i can say is you have to watch it, binged it in 2 days (watched whenever i could basically whilst having work and uni)
now ill just waffle to fill in the character limit
세상에 물들어 버린다
빨갛게 물들어 버린다
아픔을 참아본다
독하게 견뎌본다
달빛이 타오르는 밤
Grr wolfgang ah
Grrah we go wild
Grrah we go wild
Focus
우리가 느껴지면 예의를 갖춰
고갤 쳐들지 말고 자세를 낮춰
굶주린 사냥꾼 굶주린 사냥꾼
자비 하나 없이 단숨에 목을 물어버려 (버려)
다 씹어 먹어버려 (버려)
약육강식의 세계 죄책감은 묻어버려
고조되는 음악과 우리의 howling
분위기를 압도하기에 가뿐

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Idiocy

What a feast! Let's see....

-A magic melee stun gun more potent then any taser ever dreamt to be, you can touch anyone through thick jacket for a couple of seconds, it makes bzz sound and they drop down lmao
-Miracle telescopic baton that can one shot guys
-If you think mc taking 10 guys alone in the first episode is over the top, wait until you see two male leads taking 30 guys armed with baseball bats a couple of episodes later!
-Car chase where smaller car somehow topples a bigger van, and then they get out of the car and run towards the other car with heavy load of gold, while the other car is just calmly waiting there instead of driving up and picking them up.
-Police is nowhere while all of that happens
-Nobody uses guns, not even gangsters
-Similarly, nobody uses katanas, machetes or other melee weapon available on the market. A rare character is smart enough to use a kitchen knife, but of course kitchen knife is useless against the power of boxing.
-The thugs use these shitty hollow aluminum bats instead of normal wooden ones or wooden kendo swords. Of course when they hit our characters it makes a bonk noise and nothing happens, our heroes are too high level for this shit. But of course if they pick up a hollow aluminum baseball bat, the thugs are screwed!
-Useless ML with his useless crying mother, really, entire story wouldn't have happened if she read what she signs.
-Useless FL who's trying to be smart but forgot she's an idiot.
-Pretty cool second ML who has no stakes in any of that and I have no idea why he's hanging out with these losers.
-Antagonist casino plan is fucking idiotic but in a universe where taking loans on stolen ID cards of homeless people is a viable scheme it might just work.
-People get beaten and cut pretty deep in the face but are perfectly fine the next day, no nerves or anything damaged.

Even though I'm only 4 episodes in I can see it's a proper shitpost of a drama, can't wait for what dumb shit will happen in the second half.

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Bloodcurdling

I have really been looking forward to this one- it has Woo Do Hwan, it has action, and it has boxing. So right away the intrigue for me is off the charts.

With a first episode only being watched there is only so much I can say for now but- wow.

Woo Do Hwan is a stellar actor and this is definitely my favorite work of his I’ve seen. In terms of versatility he gives it all, he’s a badass, he’s a sweet son, he’s a great friend- he really is everything.

I can’t wait to see more from him and his delivery because with only an episode it already is so so good. This drama gives exactly what it should and honestly goes beyond that. It had by heart racing by the last scenes of the first episode.

It’s not boring and easy to understand, the motivations and character contrasts are clear. It’s a clean drama other than all the blood. The story is right knit and no story bears contradict eachother. So for now it’s a 10/10 simply because I’m enjoying it a lot.

The action really is what sells it. Just watch for yourself

I’ll update later when I watch more but I had to rave for now

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Brut et intense avec une franche camaraderie

Deux boxeurs qui deviennent amis et vont lutter contre un usurier sans pitié. À la fois émouvant et entraînant sur fond de pandémie.

L'intrigue est en pleine pandémie. Rues désertes, port du masque obligatoire (ce qui ne gêne en rien la performance des acteurs) et bien sûr la détresse humaine et la chute financière d'une grande majorité des commerces - dont cafés et restaurants.

Le drama débute en plein combat de boxe au public absent. C'est de cette façon que Gun Woo (Woo Do Hwan) et Woo Jin (Lee Sang Yi) se rencontrent. Rapidement, ils se découvrent des points communs autre que la boxe et deviennent amis ponctué de pas mal d'humour. Et c'est un point fort, l'humour. Derrière la cruauté de l'usurier détestable mais parfait en la peau de Park Sung Woong, le duo offre de belles scènes gentilles et amusantes. D'ailleurs, les physiques de Woo Do Hwan et Lee Sang Yi sont spectaculaires (ce n'est qu'un détail, mais je voulais le préciser ahah).

J'ai lu plusieurs critiques qui disaient que Bloodhounds aurait pu être un drama exceptionnel. J'ignore ce qu'elles voulaient dire parce qu'il est excellent sur ce qu'il promet : deux amis qui décident de se venger d'un usurier qui vise exclusivement les plus pauvres et dans le besoin. Il apporte aussi de sacrés scènes de combats qui sont un pur plaisir visuel, car en plus d'être lisibles, elles sont joliment chorégraphiées.

À savoir qu'on fait disparaître en cours de route l'actrice Kim Sae Ron. En pleine controverse (ivresse au volant), Kim Joo Hwan a décidé de la retirer le plus respectueusement possible pour les personnes ayant travaillé sur le projet. Ce qui explique l'entrée de Oh Da Min en tant que petite fille de Oh In Muk.
Malgré ce détail, le drama en souffre que très légèrement (à moins de faire une fixation dessus).

En bref, Bloodhounds donne ce qu'il promettait avec un duo brillant aux scènes de combat parfaites et dynamiques ainsi qu'une image propre et une musique discrète, mais efficace.

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Série com 8 eps, que consegue entregar o que promete, muitas cenas de ação bem feitas e eletrizantes. Além de contar com bons personagens, e um bom desenvolvimento em um tempo curto.

Mas devo dizer que até o ep 6, que diga-se de passagem, foi um grande ponto de virada, a trama estava perfeita. Porém nos dois últimos eps, o roteiro decaiu, e se tornou bem conveniente. Isso me fez abaixar um pouco a nota, mas ainda achei um drama bem acima da média, e que conseguiu me prender, me emocionar e me fazer ficar apreensiva pelos personagens, e ah, o final, o final... foi bem satisfatório.

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