Cruel City (2013) poster
8.5
Your Rating: 0/10
Ratings: 8.5/10 from 9,801 users
# of Watchers: 25,129
Reviews: 110 users
Ranked #452
Popularity #567
Watchers 9,801

It portrays the cruel life of the drug cartels and the story of revenge for a loved one. Jung Shi Hyun is a newly appointed under-boss of the drug cartel. He lives in the shadows. No one knows his true name. No one knows his identity except the ones he calls friends. When Jung Shi Hyun is accused of murder, he is determined to find out who really killed the girlfriend of Ji Hyung Min. But is it really only for himself? Or does he have another reason to find out who killed her? Ji Hyung Min is a detective who is seeking revenge for the death of his girlfriend. He only has one suspect in mind, Doctor's Son. He's determined to catch him and kill him for what he has done. But no one knows what Doctor's Son looks like or any details about him, so how is he supposed to know who he is and how to find him? He proceeds on a long journey to fight for justice. (Source: Hwayi at MyDramaList) Edit Translation

  • English
  • Русский
  • Español
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Country: South Korea
  • Type: Drama
  • Episodes: 20
  • Aired: May 27, 2013 - Jul 30, 2013
  • Aired On: Monday, Tuesday
  • Original Network: jTBC
  • Duration: 60 min.
  • Score: 8.5 (scored by 9,801 users)
  • Ranked: #452
  • Popularity: #567
  • Content Rating: 15+ - Teens 15 or older

Where to Watch Cruel City

Viki
Free (sub)

Photos

Cruel City (2013) photo
Cruel City (2013) photo
Cruel City (2013) photo
Cruel City (2013) photo
Cruel City (2013) photo
Cruel City (2013) photo

Reviews

Completed
mysecretsoul
98 people found this review helpful
Jul 31, 2013
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.0
Every actor hopes his first project after mandatory service will be a hit. Jung Kyung Ho luckily can set his hopes to rest; they've been realized. Cruel City will likely stand as the best drama of 2013. Even if better appears in the coming months, nothing can take away its status as top-notch noir.

Writing for this series remained consistent and strong throughout, even maintaining good pace. Characters rarely failed to behave in an intelligent manner. The much-lauded, flooring twists are just as crazy as you've heard (and better yet, even supported by prior evidence in the story). What is most impressive to me though, is that the script remains faithful to itself and the spirit of the genre. We are shown a seedy, pessimistic world which is…well, cruel. Potential viewer expectation aside, this kind of darkness is what we were promised from the first and delivered at the last.

Nearly every lead was dynamic, from Shi Hyun and Hyung Min to Jin Sook and Safari. Even the hardcore villains had strokes of complexity which made most more than mustache-twirling monsters. These grounding factors may not cease our hatred of them, but at least add some level of understanding. Yoon Soo Min likely is the weakest link of the main cast, her arc included; she needed a bit more weight to contend on equal footing with the other plot lines. The completion of her journey manages to be satisfying nonetheless.

Jung Kyung Ho shines brilliantly as both star and main draw of Cruel City. Decadent charisma pours from him in droves, lending his Doctor’s Son an impossibly fierce magnetism. The most compelling action sequences belonged to Kyung Ho also; I quickly fell in love with his sharp knife skills and cat-like elegance. It's important to note he filmed the final episodes with a nasty back injury; his epic performance is not only a product of talent, but dedication and hard work. This drama was also very kind to Lee Jae Yoon, whose slowly developing Hyung Min I gradually gained affection for. He portrays the team leader as smart, sympathetic, and steady -- with a shot of menace to prevent him being a boring goody-two-shoes. Honorable mentions go to Kim Yoo Mi and Yoon Hyun Min; their respective characters Jin Sook and Hyun Soo are over the top cool and attractive. To say I became deeply invested in the fate of both of them is an understatement.

“Love is dead,” according to one of Cruel City’s most recognizable themes: Kim Young Jin’s “Wound.” My love for the music will never die, though. It is stirring and atmospheric, always well-utilized in show. Even instrumental tracks are memorable, though the rare vocal was always delicious. Many fans here at MDL went crazy trying to find out their artists and song titles before the soundtrack was released.

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Completed
joiy
87 people found this review helpful
Jan 15, 2014
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 3
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
I'm almost speechless when it comes to this drama, that is how good it actually is. Usually i'm a fan of the romantic/comedy type but for some reason I watched this and oh WOW! It is just pure amazing.

This show made me jump, scream, laugh and cry, my husband asked me if have turned nuts;). One second your thinking Is he a gangster? other your thinking OMG no he can't be, he must be undercover, then ooh no he is sooo bad and next OMG HE IS. It's not limited to the main leads but also to all of the supporting casts, they seemed all to be so very good planned out.

Chemistry between all of them was really nice, the bro-chemistry, the family-chemistry and the love-chemistry. No sloppy violence.
I'm sure i'm not alone thinking that its nice when a show ends in a realistic manner or unexpected. But some shows, you just wish they could end the way you want it, somehow Kdramas and especially this use the ending to make you keep thinking about the show over and over again after its done. I LOVE IT.. can't stop thinking about an alternative ending in my head.

Im out of praises, watch it and you will love, it.

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Recent Discussions

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Details

  • Drama: Cruel City
  • Country: South Korea
  • Episodes: 20
  • Aired: May 27, 2013 - Jul 30, 2013
  • Aired On: Monday, Tuesday
  • Original Network: jTBC
  • Duration: 60 min.
  • Content Rating: 15+ - Teens 15 or older

Statistics

  • Score: 8.5 (scored by 9,801 users)
  • Ranked: #452
  • Popularity: #567
  • Watchers: 25,129

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