The Spies Who Loved Me (2020)

A well-structured but boring watch

PLOT: Starts entertaining, but sizzles out pretty darn fast
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Jun Ji Hoon (the ML) is an Interpol undercover agent working on a case that involves his Ah Reum's (his ex-wife's) close friend. When the job goes south, Ji Hoon is forced to keep a close eye on Ah Reum (the FL), reigniting his feelings for her in the process.

In the wake of a tragedy, Ah Reum decides to unofficially investigate the suspicious circumstances of her friend's death. The trail leads her to reconnect with Ji Hoon, her ex-husband, and then later to suspect Derek Hyun, her current husband, of being involved in her friend's death.

If you go by the summary, one would imagine this show to be Male-centric, since we know right off the bat that the Male Lead and Second Male Lead are both secret agents on opposing sides. And to a certain extent, the story begins with them. Yet Kang Ah Reum's character becomes the best thing about this show and the heart of the story until we cross into the second half.

Unfortunately, there's nothing memorable about this drama aside from the depiction of a consistently strong Female Lead, who just so happens to also be kind of boring and a bit self-centered.

While we could blame the incorporation of comedy as one of the weakest points, it's the bland characters that hurt this drama the most.

MAIN CHARACTERS: Simple, dull, and unengaging
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Kang Ah Reum:
An ambitious wedding dress designer who works hard to keep her business afloat, Ah Reum is not only smart, charming, and hardworking; but she's also stubborn, uncompromising, and committed to a cause. For a Female Lead, Ah Reum is always actively involved in the plot and, one could even say; she one-ups both Male Leads on multiple occasions. Credit where credit is due, the writer managed to keep Ah Reum from becoming the "victim" of the male leads' deceitfulness. That doesn't mean she doesn't feel hurt when she figures out both men lied to her, but rather that she isn't defined by that pain. Unfortunately, after a while, her character just falls flat and becomes boring. Her wishy-washy attitude towards the male leads certainly doesn't help. And she starts to showcase some flaws as we cross into the second half, during which she's shown to be self-centered, petty, and judgemental.

Jun Ji Hoon:
An undercover Interpol agent who's introduced as the ace of his team and Ah Reum's ex-husband. Unlike your typical Male Lead, Ji Hoon has been written with enough flaws to balance his strengths. He's a master of combat, smart, and loyal; but he's also emotionally-driven, ridden with guilt, and lonely due to his sacrificial nature. Outside of his love for Ah Reum, however, there's nothing of substance to his character. And let's just say there are even a few occasions where I wondered if he was referred to as the "ace" in a sarcastic way. Don't get me wrong, he's always a sweet character, but he's ultimately the most boring.

Derek Hyun:
He's Ah Reum's current husband and a corporate spy working for an underground group who's wanted by Interpol. He's a master of disguise; charming and sweet, who has been groomed from a very young age in the art of deceit. And it's precisely how easy that smile lights his face that makes him a dangerous spy. For one never knows if he'll offer a hug one second and stab you in the back with the next. Out of all the characters, he was the most interesting but also the less explored.

Although the three of them may read quite impressive on paper, they failed to be fleshed out properly. Like I've mentioned, Derek comes closest to an intriguing protagonist, especially on those few occasions when he narrates his thoughts and exposes his contradicting feelings. But being locked in the wretched love triangle hurts his story; as his identity crisis (being a loving husband vs being a cold-blooded spy) is never dealt with properly. Especially because the drama reminds us constantly that he's the second male lead and we all know what that means, right?

With leads me to talk about the weakest part of the drama...

PORTRAYAL OF ROMANCE: Uncommitted & boggled down by the Love Triangle
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If you're not tolerant of a love triangle that drags throughout most of the story, then this one will test your patience. Add to that the fact that it's never made clear who Ah Reum loves from the two men (up until the very end), and this draggy mess of a romance becomes boring fast.

Ah Reum is certainly loyal to Derek, but at some point, it felt more of a commitment of the mind than of the heart. Long before certain events took place, it was clear she felt like she was "stuck" with Derek rather than she wanted to be with him. Which was a disservice to both characters and their relationship.

On the other hand, Ah Reum's feelings of guilt towards Ji Hoon, whom she felt she discarded when their relationship got too hard, makes her constantly gravitate to him more organically. And because Ji Hoon is still in love with her, their relationship felt like infidelity in progress --which is a hard sell for someone intolerant to cheating portrayed as romantic.

It's clear that reconnecting with Ji Hoon and finding out the real reason they broke up shook Ah Reum's heart enough to tempt her. Which caused her relationship with Derek to feel like a settlement of responsibility rather than actual love.

It doesn't help that the love triangle feels forced and unfair towards both male leads; who lose their identity by becoming little more than love interests.

The desire of the writer to keep both prospects equals in terms of pain also meant that most of the emotional aspect of Derek's story was left unexplored. Even worst, Ji Hoon got an uncompelling, watered-down version of Derek's story to keep him in the "running" for the audience's sympathy.

Needless to say, I didn't enjoy the romance at all, which is a problem since that's a big part of the dull plot.

SUPPORT CHARACTERS: Unmemorable
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There's not much to say about them except that they provided a few comedic moments. Ultimately, though, they were unremarkable.

ANTAGONISTS: Predictable & riddled with clichés
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The drama had too many antagonists and, as a result, they all felt shallow, cliched, and uninspired in their execution. None of them stood out or left an impression. How could they? There were so many, there was simply no time to make them unique or even slightly interesting, for that matter.

The only one who was mildly interesting because of his eccentricity was Jang Doo Bong, who showed Hyun Joon has some great acting chops.

OVERALL: Draggy and forgettable
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I think the drama struggled to create a good enough story for me to recommend it. This feels more character-driven than plot-driven, yet the characters themselves lack complexity or at least something interesting to make them stand out. The bland story, coupled with the uninteresting characters, made this drama a difficult one to muscle through. The pacing slowed and dragged even more once it crossed into the second half. So if this drama doesn't pique your interest during the first four episodes, chances are you won't enjoy the rest.

Perhaps The Spies Who Loved Me needed to have fewer characters to properly flesh out the important ones? Or maybe they could've gotten rid of the whole love triangle business sooner, so we could focus on the plot and the "twist" (I'm being generous by calling it that)?

Though Derek's story was the only interesting aspect, it wasn't original. Episode 15 may have touched lightly upon identity crisis, but it was never fully delved into. It's a shame because that aspect showed potential for an enjoyable watch. But the fact that he wasn't the Male Lead also meant his airtime was limited in service of giving Ji Hoon (a much less interesting character) more screentime.

While Ah Reum was certainly a strong female character, ultimately she was just as uninteresting as her male counterpart. I never felt emotionally invested in any of their stories. Even when the characters were in pain, the portrayal of hurt seemed superficial and irrelevant. There were also a TON of cringy moments when it came to the bromance; a relationship that seemed built for kicks & comedy at best, and queer-baiting at worst. Although the last few episodes did show a sweeter relationship between the guys.

All in all, I can't recommend this drama if you're looking for an interesting plot. But if you enjoy love-triangles and don't mind a bland story, this one might strike your fancy.

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Fun and thoughtful spy drama that deals with relationships

Likes
1. Yes!! This felt like an actual spy drama and had similar vibes with My Secret Terrius. But this one is different because beyond the spy and action, there were a lot of discussions on love and marriage. Actually it is like a relationship drama under the guise of a spy drama.
2. I loved the 3 main leads. Jihun, Ahreum and Derek had so much chemistry together as a team and separately as couples. The stark contrast of the marriage between Jihun and Ahreum vs Derek and Ahreum were both so beautiful, i actually got confused who she will end up with. I was team Jihun but i wondered how they will get back together without Derek in the way. I liked how they resolved this.
3. The bromance between Jihun and Derek was also great. They both loved the same woman although they had different ways to show their love. Hated Derek's character at first but came to also like and pity him in the end. I hope he is having a good life like he wanted.
4. Although Jihun loved Ahreum he never crossed the line and waited until the time was right. They were too young when they got married but now they grew up, got to know each other more and found out thy actually worked well together. They looked like the korean Mr and Mrs Smith in the last episode. Really loved the acting of Eric in this drama.
4. Ahreum is one of the best female leads in 2020. She was smart and tough, yet feminine and compassionate. She fought Tinker and slashed his leg with a pair of scissors, she made a sweet deal with Kim Dong Ran and helped take down Helmes boss. I actually thought she would get out of the wedding dress business to be a full time agent in Jimin's team but being informant is way better!
5. Yonggu and Seora ?

Dislikes: The bad guys didn't get what they deserved.

Rating: 9/10

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A watchable spy story

I usually don't care for spy stories - by the 4th or 5th episode the plots get so convoluted that I lose track of what's going on and by the 6th episode I just don't care any more. But because hope springs eternal, I gave this a try and I'm glad I did.
First, I am a fan of Im Joo Hwan. He tends to end up in second lead roles, especially if the role is evil or generally a horrible person. I was really pleased with the complexity that was written into this role for him, and as usual, he delivered a lot of misdirection as to whether he was a good guy or a real scum. The ending for his character was totally satisfying for me and worth the watch.
I liked Eric Mun more than I have in the past. And Yoo In Na was a nice surprise - although she is pretty active, I wasn't really aware of her before, but she got my attention here. Overall, the cast and the acting were excellent.
The story had enough twists and turns to keep me bingeing, but it never got overly confusing. Easy to follow but engaging - that's the best! I didn't actually notice the music, so on one level, that's a good thing, since I really hate shows where the music seems to want a starring role.
Overall, a good watch, nice for bingeing. Nothing record breaking or earth shattering, just a good solid K-drama rom-com. Which is no small thing.

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this drama is so UNDERRATED!

Okay, so I've been following every ep since the start and it's been utter torture for me to wait for it till Wednesday cause the suspense and the build-up are great! I must say so far so good! The storyline keeps getting better as the new eps are released.

The thrill is real, so are the comedic and romance elements, they created a surprisingly good synergy out of these three. There were no awkward scenes due to lack of acting skills the actors are pretty polished.

The beginning was not so poised but each of the characters were introduced steadily and the storyline moved on, they did jump in between the past of ML and FL frequently but narratives were rather clean and figurable.

The crimes dramatised here were quite convincing and the FL trying to theorise them was portrayed in a serious yet comical manner, her character came across as someone bold who has both beauty and brains yet a tinge of childishness along with a lil bit pride was obvious. The supporting roles were not totally blurred out of the storyline nor did they overshadow, they all served their lines well.

The ML's, both are plentiful of romanticists, a more than decent amount of jealousy's been shown. Both have their own ways of showing love and tbh are polar opposites of each other in the eyes of the FL, one being depicted as the reckless lousy bum and the other as a perfect perfectionist. Not both of them share the same kind of strong emotional connection to the FL.

Well, guess that's it for now, can't say about the ending but my overall score for this drama is going to be a 9 at least! Hope they don't mess up the remaining eps like Do do sol sol la la sol oml it's ending was kinda disastrous.

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WHAT WINS POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE ? BORING!!!!!!!

The story line is bit different saying the spies who are police (+ve) and industrial spy(-ve). After watching few episodes I became more interested in how heroine is going to handle them both being ex and present husband.
The plot is interesting but the making was not so effective.
If you are watching just to pass the time then go ahead but searching for a thriller or romance this is not the one.
The love , marriage,misunderstanding, divorce, and care even after divorce was a positive of the story.
The jealousy between the 2 male leads was very cute.
acting is good.
Being a spy is not such a easy task and personal life will be totally effected with it maybe professional life totally consumes personal life that is explained.
I felt a bit drag in the plot from episodes 4-14 and again in last it was ok.
but the ending is made in a way where 2 leads are good .

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Delightful, funny spy spoof

I must admit, I'm a total Eric Mun fan, and love just about everything he's done. So I may be biased. Also I do love spy stories, especially the spoofs. So this drama had two things going for it from the start.
I found it very funny from the first episode. Granted there was suspense, and not everything was light-hearted. The villains did kill some people after all. But that really didn't affect the very deft, light touch the writers brought to the story. I especially liked all the Bond references, since I'm an avid fan of those books & most of the films.
This kept the momentum going, brought in a few more thoughtful themes (particularly the examination of love and marriage, and the nature of trust), and showcased once again Lim Ju Hwan's amazing acting talents. I never found it boring, and it managed to end well, which I had really wondered about as the plot progressed.
All in all, a fun watch. I enjoy shows that don't make me think too much, and do not annoy me with hand-wringing, angst, noble idiocy, and other such annoying plot devices. I'd definitely sit through this again!

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ONE OF THE BEST SPY SPOOF, PUT YOUR BRAIN ASIDE AND ENJOY

This drama has it's moments.
The first half is more melodramatic and slow, the second half is fast and fun to watch.
This is one of those dramas that you can binge-watch.
Again this is one of those which would've been perfect with a 12 episode run but been stretched to 16 was overkill.

The most surprising aspect is the screen time of almost all the cast including the supporting cast is nearly the same.

I would call this drama better than ' Man to Man ' coz of its unique involvement with every character.
The ending was perfectly balanced.

Even though the spy angle is quite confusing a becomes a joke at times, the humour is what keeps this drama alive.
In b/w the relationship angle is an added charm, I would on top of that add the very fact that this does have some great focus on the relationship aspect of both the couple.
Terrific involvement in that regard could've added space for more romance but being a SPY drama it just remains as a wish.

Overall this is a perfectly balanced drama in all aspect, neither too bad nor too great.
Just a good simple watch :)

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Too fancy for an espionage story.

The way on the life of undercover agents was way too fancy on this drama. It misses some of the thrills and action needed on the fast-paced action pack adventures of an espionage story. It somehow relates more on the three-way love affair.

A certified sniper and killing machine provided a gas gun for protection? Errr... could it be Robert De Niro's waitin' talkin Italian lols...
Even the opening intro to each episode was somewhat like the opening scene to a James Bond movie with a golden yellow bullet ricocheting across seemingly to be like that of the opening teaser of a Bond or MI movie. But unfortunately even the graphics were poorly done with a hardly noticeable size of the bullet. i'm sure Bond will hide and fly to the moon for if ever he sees these wannabe scene.

Even the ending will leave one hanging with clouts in their minds.

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Disappointing

I left this drama with a bad taste in my mouth. Although the ending was acceptable, I was not happy with it because I really didn’t see how Ji-Hun was better than Derek…other than the fact that he was a cop who caught spies while Derek was a spy. Both men kept their careers a secret from FL. I can understand Derek doing so (after all, FL did exactly what he feared she’d do once she found out), but I don’t understand why Ji-Hun felt the need to hide his from her. There’s nothing shameful in being an Interpol agent. If FL had such a gigantic issue about her husbands lying to her about what they did for a living, then she shouldn’t have ended up with either one of them.

Yeah, I’m a Derek fan, and I think his character got the shaft in this drama. He was royally screwed by his mother AND his wife. The wife insisted that he leave the life he’d been trained from childhood to live and then she goes bat crap crazy when her world starts falling down around her ears. Derek, of course, gets the blame. Hey, sister, you were the one that insisted he stop being a spy to save your marriage. Did you think it was going to be easy? Not only that but he has to leave the spy game with the help of his wife’s ex who just happens to still be in love with her. We, the viewers, are constantly told that Derek is selfish, cold and calculating with a fake smile yet he basically gives up everything for this wife of his. Yeah, he runs away in the end, but I don’t blame him one bit. He gave FL the opportunity to disappear with him and start a new life, but she refused because she had to find Sophie’s killer…so don’t tell me that she was ‘abandoned’, ok? In my opinion, she abandoned him. Derek’s character was the most interesting yet he’s the one that gets shafted the most. We’re constantly told he’s a scumbag, but I just don’t see it, and I would have preferred his character being redeemed with his marriage healed and happy once again. If the scriptwriter wanted her to end up with her ex, they went about it the wrong way, and I disliked the feeling that she was actually cheating on Derek despite her and Ji-Hun not exchanging anything but hugs.

FL – although she’d supposed to be a strong, independent, professional woman, I no longer felt sympathy for her once she went bat crap crazy on Derek in episode 15. She totally forgot that he’d been instrumental in bringing down his own mother, that she’d forced him to choose between the two of them, that he was in the hospital because he’d taken the hit by Tinker’s car instead of her. Everything is suddenly all Derek’s fault. Pardon me, but I think it was her prying into Sophie’s death that started this whole ball rolling. It wasn’t as if Sophie was her best friend either yet she was obsessed with finding this woman’s killer. If she hadn’t started prying, she could have remained in blissful ignorance so some of the responsibility for her situation in episode 15 was hers. I wanted her to suffer long and hard when she thought Derek was dead. Not only that but she’s partnering up with her ex-husband who’s obviously still in love with her. Love and regret are dripping out of Ji-Hun’s eyes and yet she makes her current husband turn himself over to this man. That’s just clueless, showing no respect for Derek’s feelings. I mean how humiliating to have to turn yourself over to your wife’s ex! By the end, I disliked this woman because she threw all the blame on Derek when she instigated this whole mess and then insisted on Derek giving up his spy career. She was not abandoned. He gave her the opportunity to start a new life with him, and she turned him down. She claims in episode 16 that out of love, she tried to accept him as he was – that’s total BS. As soon as she found out he’s a spy, she insisted on him leaving his career and turning himself in. That’s not accepting him; that’s an attempt to forcibly change him since she threatened that if he didn’t, their marriage was over. This woman is just full of self-righteous baloney.

Just an aside, there was more chemistry between Derek and Ji-Hun than FL with either of these two leads.

The supporting cast wasn’t as memorable as I would expect from a Korean drama. The most interesting supporting character was Doo Bong. Young Goo was cute, but I wasn’t crazy about his crush on the cynical, tough girl Seo-Ra.

That’s about all I have to say about this train wreck. The action, story line felt slow, the only twist was who ‘Mrs. Big’ was, and I definitely was not satisfied with the ending.

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An okay watch

was going okay till ep 4 .... but i am going to skip to the final episode
edit - okay so i skipped to the final episode and found that the female lead too gets into the spying industry, a source to be specific and her ex husband and her do a mission together and after it's success they drink wine, talk and see their fortunes and the episode ends with them kissing, maybe the feelings are rekindled.
meanwhile fl's husband is alive (he was a spy too and was declared dead) and fl comes across him thinking it's a coincidence (they don't meet or talk tho) but it is not ! when she recognizes him she runs after him but he disappears but before disappearing he leaves a pin (used by dressmakers to pin fabrics) on fl's coffee table.

so even if you skip a few episodes from the mid of the series you won't miss too much.

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Not that bad

It's not that bad, a bit messy towards the end but not a total waste of time with some enjoyable scenes.

Spending 500words to detail the review seems too much as the drama dont have any unforgettable scenes. It's not one to stick in the mind unfortunately.

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Ill do better next time
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Ill do better next time
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Ill do better next time
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Ill do better next time
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Ill do better next time
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Ill do better next time

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