A well-rounded gateway drama suitable for beginners!
I don't know why, but as soon as I finished this drama, it instantly became a favourite that I always looked back on fondly. I really enjoyed the story and the manner in which they wrapped up the drama definitely enhanced my overall appreciation for it. I loved the characters, their development, and their interactions. The story had a bit of everything and was woven together in a way that, to me, made perfect sense—a good balance. At the time I was watching this, I was more accustomed to watching movies with a mix of genres, so seeing the action, comedy, friendship, romance, mystery, and detective elements all fit together didn't feel out of place or overwhelming. The drama also included tropes I really enjoyed, like enemies-to-lovers(ish), hidden identities, slow-burn romance, found family, and a strong female lead who remained consistent despite occasional naivety.I had previously seen Lee Seung Gi in another drama before this and didn't have a strong opinion of him since I thought his acting was lacking somewhat. However, my impression of him changed here because he portrayed a stronger and more complex character that he handled exceptionally well. As for the rest of the cast, specifically Cha Seung Won and Go Ah Ra, this was my first exposure to their work, and I found myself genuinely impressed with their performances, as I thought they all portrayed their roles convincingly.
Considering that this drama was among the first few Asian dramas I completed, I believe I enjoyed it for what it was at the time. I still remember the emotions I felt watching this! I don't plan on rewatching it in order to preserve those positive feelings because, having seen more nuanced dramas in this genre since then, I know I would be more critical in my evaluation now. I think viewers watching this drama for the first time in 2023 might find it average and not deserving of its higher score here on MDL. However, I'll keep my original score because it had a significant impact on me as a newcomer to kdramas, serving as one of the gateways into the genre and helping me discover some of the tropes I still enjoy to this day.
(Completed: 2016)
Was this review helpful to you?
Really, it is entertaining, but the story... And the low level of police work is so obvious that it almost hits kids' series level. Fortunately, the characters develope quickly after the first 4 episodes and some actors (like the Team Leader) are just awesome.
It is a very sympathetic drama "for in between".
Was this review helpful to you?
Not for me!
Im afraid I found the performances of all to be vastly over acted - especially the FL! Ive liked her in other dramas but I found myself fast forwarding through her scenes! Overly dramatic facial expressions to everything! Her character bever really made sense to me and she took far too much from the ML. The ML for most of the drama I disliked- I know he was emotionally damaged but he was so cold and rude and just downright offensive.Far too many emotional angst scenes - just get on with it!
20 episodes was far too long for essentially a rather convoluted story that actually was not that interesting!
Was this review helpful to you?
I started to watch because of a review that someone made to this drama and i absolutly don't regret a thing! Loved and enjoyed EVERY episodes in this drama!
The story is amazing. The acting..wow the acting is perfect! Lee seung Gi and Go Ara acting was tottaly perfect, essentially as a couple!
> A Great story, a great romance and great music!
> Lee Seung Gi can kiss <3
> Action
> ALL episodes made me begging for the next episode!
I really loved this rama and recomend to all of you!
Was this review helpful to you?
Do me one favor. Don't die in front of me - Eun Dae Gu
নিজের চোখের সামনে মা-কে খুন হতে দেখে জুনিয়র হাই স্কুলের এইটথ গ্রেডের ছাত্র Kim Ji Yong। যে ডিটেক্টিভ কে বিশ্বাস করেছিলো সে, Seo Pan Seok, সে-ই সম্ভাব্য খুনী কিংবা খুনীর সহযোগী। হামলা হয় তার উপরেও। মনে প্রচন্ড ক্ষোভ নিয়ে মায়ের মৃত্যুর দিনই নিরুদ্দেশ হয় সে। পালটে ফেলে নিজের পরিচয়, নতুন নাম নেয় Eun Dae Gu। এরই মাঝে পার হয়ে যায় এগারো বছর।এগারো বছর পর Dae Gu ফিরে আসে ডিটেক্টিভ হিসাবে। যোগ দেয় আরো চার জন্য নতুন ডিটেক্টিভের সঙ্গে ক্রিমিনাল ব্রাঞ্চে, রুকি ডিটেক্টিভ হিসাবে। উদ্দেশ্য, তার মায়ের হত্যাকারীকে খুঁজে বের করা, এগারো বছরের আনসলভড কেসকে সলভড করা। কিন্তু এখানে তার বস তারই আজন্ম শত্রু Seo Pan Seok, যাকে একবার বিশ্বাস করে ভীষণ ভাবে ঠকেছিলো সে। এখন Dae Gu কি পারবে এগারো বছর ধরে দমিয়ে রাখা সমস্ত ক্ষোভ পুষে রেখে স্বাভাবিক ভাবে দায়িত্ব পালন করতে? নাকি যে কোনো মূহুর্তে বিস্ফোরণ ঘটাবে সমস্ত ক্ষোভের?
ফিরে এসেছে এগারো বছর আগের তার মায়ের খুনীও। সে এখন খুন করতে চায় Dae Gu-কেও। কিন্তু কেন? তার মায়ের খুনটা কি আদতেই সাধারণ কোনো খুন ছিলো? ডিটেক্টিভ Seo Pan Seok কি আসলেই খুনীর সহযোগী? না হলে খুনীর সাথে তার কিসের সম্পর্ক?
Lee Seung Gi আর Go Ah Ra দুজনেই আমার খুব পছন্দের। তবুও ড্রামাটা কিভাবে এতদিন বাদ থেকে গিয়েছিলো জানি না। কিন্তু এটা ফেলে রাখার মত ড্রামা না। যথেষ্ট ফার্স্ট ফরোয়ার্ড ডিটেক্টিভ ড্রামা, কোথাও ঝুলে গেছে বলে মনে হয়নি। রোমান্সের পরিমাণ খুবই কম, যতটা না হলেই না, ঠিক ততটায় আছে। কিন্তু থ্রিল আর সাসপেন্স আছে যথেষ্ট পরিমাণে।
ক্রাইম/মার্ডার মিস্ট্রি/ডিটেক্টিভ জনরা যদের ভালো লাগে, সবার জন্য সাজেশানে থাকবে ড্রামাটা! :)
Was this review helpful to you?
My Rating: 7.5
In Short: A great cast which made this a very watchable show, though not as suspenseful or funny as it could have been given the great comedic potential of our leads.
Pros: Not the silliest portrayal of police work I have ever seen, and the cast definitely sold it to create a high level of cute.
Cons: Disappointingly one-dimensional villains, and some plot holes that I couldn't quite get my head around. The fun premise and great cast could have been taken better advantage of.
Was this review helpful to you?
The story was quite good, the mystery of who killed his mother was very suspenseful until the very end. Go Ara and Lee Seunggi had great chemistry, but Seunggi looked so weird not smiling and upbeat like we normally see him on tv. One of the funny scenes of the drama was when Seunggi came out the shower and Go Ara runs into him and her face smacks right in the middle of his chest, their reaction is hilarious..
Would definitely recommend it, it was better then the other dramas that were on around the same time.
Was this review helpful to you?
A light hearted drama which will make you smile
It was a light watch and the comaradrie between characters is amazing. They grow from rookies to good detectives and are there for each other.There is suspense, thriller, comedy and romance. It's an amazing watch.
The story progressed at just the right pace among 20 episodes. The cast is not only good looking but also delivered justice to their characters.
The comic timing is very good ............... ................ ................ ................ ................ ............. ................ ................ ................ ................ ............. ................ ................ ................ ................ ............. ................ ................ ................ ................ ............. ................ ................ ................ ................ ............. ................ ................ ................ ................
Was this review helpful to you?
I started it because I wanted to see everything my boy Lee Seung Gi's is in, and the plot description didn't seem too bad. But honestly this drama can be described in one word: cliché. Boy oh boy is it frustrating when it’s exactly what you’d expect and you could practically write the show yourself.
This drama is your basic crime-mystery plot, with the heroes vs the Corrupt Company/Authority.
Everything is connected, and with every developing plot line it’s like "oh OF COURSE this person is related to this" and "of coURSE this tragic past incident is connected to the other person's past trauma"
Even the romance is cliché in every possible way. He’s the cold but mysterious male lead and she’s the cute, clumsy dorky one in the squad. They knew each other in their childhood, I could go on. And I really disliked his treatment of her. He belittles her, calls her ‘birdbrain’ and ‘freeloader’ when she’s been nothing but nice to him. Even by the end of the drama I still couldn't support the couple because they had barely any screen-time so I couldn't get attached to them.
I’m just in a constant tug of war between 'not enough romance' or 'pls! no more forced/unnecessary romance thx'. Like why couldn't the writers make it more natural? The romance scenes feel separate from the rest of the show, almost like switching genres. It adds nothing to the plot so I guess they just added it every now and again to say 'Oh but there's romance too!' It's so bizarre, a ‘romantic’ scene happens, aaaand then it’s back to the plot the next scene. Back to normal. Idk, it’s just a weird way they’ve done things???
To explain what I mean (minor spoiler:) The couple had like 6 mini scenes during the whole drama (and half of them are just them looking at each other while they're sleeping), and didn’t even have a REAL mutual kiss until the last 5 minutes of the last episode, what kind of bs? It's like, include it in the story or DON'T!
Not only is it predictable, the entire plot just goes around in circles. The reason behind the tragic crime at the beginning of the drama keeps freaking CHANGING. UGH the entire plot is stretched out sooooooo unnecessarily long. Even I was like “wait there's MORE??? WHEN WILL THIS TRAIL OF CORRUPTION AND LIES END?!!?!” I'm as emotionally exhausted as the characters. I pity the male lead so much. He's at the centre of everything and just when he overcomes yet another heartbreaking truth, there's another truth bomb around the corner. You’re All Surrounded? More like 1001 ways to hurt Eun Dae Gu. So much pain for one man, yikes.
Although I did love when the show called themselves out:
“Why do these kinds of things only happen to Team 3? This stuff only happens in dramas.”
He’s right and he should say it.
Or his other famous line "This team is bad luck! Hostages! Attacks! And your mother was assaulted! And now yet another attack!” lmao he is my spirit animal
Yeah so, save your time. If you're after an actual DECENT Heroes vs the Corrupt Leaders drama, watch 'Healer' or 'Pinocchio'. They're made in the same year and everything.
Was this review helpful to you?
Come and Enjoy the Wild Fun Ride of Cops and Bad Guys
The only reason I wanted to watch this Cop K-drama was because of the 2 main male actors - Lee Seung Gi and Cha Seung Won; they were also in A Korean Odyssey and I loved the crazy funny bromance between these 2 guys. I have finally marathon-watched You're All Surrounded last weekend, and it was a wild ride. I think this is one of the best cop drama I have ever watch; felt fresh, not so boring, and has few good OST. There were lots of twists and turns, deep conspiracies and mysteries (mainly relating to why Eun Dae Gue/Kim Ji Yong's mother was murdered - the basis of this drama), complex villains, plus bits of romance thrown in. The chemistry between all the casts were great, especially between the 2 main lead couples. There were also many sad instances that brought lots of tears too. However, I have only 1 disappointment, that is, how the ending was rushed and wrapped up. I wished they have spent more time on how the main villain finally get punished, and less time on one unnecessary side-character (over-the-top loud shrieking Criminal Section Chief).Overall, I really enjoyed this k-drama and I wished they made Season 2 immediately after Season 1 ended. I really miss these guys - Detective Seo Pan Seok and his 4 rookie detectives.
Was this review helpful to you?
The right to quit is only given to those who try to the end.
''You're all surrounded'' starts with a bang and ends with a bang. It's a drama that gets you hooked from the first episode and leaves you satisfied when you finish it. It was a very enjoyable ride for me... at least till the last few episodes.STORY:
- The first half was perfect. It mainly focuses on solving cases and I started watching the drama to see this. The new rookies in the violent crime unit lacked enthusiasm to be detectives, while the leader of the team, who is very arrogant and rude, wasn't really happy to teach them. But despite this fact, with each episode, they were starting to act like a team and that was my favourite part of the first half. The rookie detectives started to realize what is to be a detective and what responsibility it carries. While solving cases, which were very emotional and well-written, the characters developed a lot. Seo Pan Seok - the leader of the team realized that the rookies have the potential to become real detectives and he was very proud of them, while the they stopped complaining about their job and started working hard. If I had to rate only the first half, I would give it 9/10.
Now, the second half. It almost felt as if I was watching another drama. While the first ten episodes focused mainly on solving cases and character development, the remaining ten focused on Dae Gu's story and family problems. There were almost no cases. Honestly, I couldn't care less about his story. I mean, it wasn't that bad at first, but then it got too complicated and messy, I was bored as hell. When I'm watching investigation dramas, I prefer the plot to be mainly focused on the investigation part. Of course, side plots are welcomed, but in You're All Surrounded, these side plots were tedious. Everythig was developed horribly. I mean, when you are watching the first half, you think that everything will finish when Dae Gu catch the killer. Simply as that. But noooo, they had to drop a childbirth secret and useless villians, it's a korean drama after all. What saved the second half for me was the romance between Dae Gu and Soo Sun, they had some very sweet moments. The bromance scenes with Dae Gu and Pan Seok also helped, I got Hwayugi vibes. If I had to rate only the second half, unfortunately, I would give it barely 4/10. It got too dragged, too repetitve and the ending was too rushed.
CHARACTERS:
- Okay, I liked the characters. But, if I have to be honest, if you go and watch 10 dramas, at least 7 of them will have pretty much the same characters. A main lead who has a trauma from the past, very kind-hearted, although he acts coldly; a very emotional female lead who works hard; a dumb and funny character; a calm, veeeery good-looking character and a villians who have absolutely no freaking reasons to act like this. In a setting like this, characters like Pan Seok and Chief Kang were very well welcomed. Well, it's not like I adored Chief Kang, for me she was just a bad person, but it was easy to sympathise with her. Kim Sa Kyeong was so useless, why did she have to be there? Oh, yeah, for Pan Seok's side story. Villians like Yoo Ae Yoon and Yoon Moon Bae are also pretty common for korean dramas. They were there to be evil. That's it. Cho Yeong Chol was the more interesting character.
ACTING:
- The first thing I really need to say is how impressed I am with Go Ah Ra's acting here. She was very good, I was completely shocked. Girl, what happened with you in Hwarang and Black? I think she knows only one way to act and the uses it with every character she plays. And here, her way of acting suits the character and I think that's what happened in Miss Hammurabi, too (she played pretty much the same kind of character there, a judge version of it). She made me love Soo Sun and she even made me almost cry and that means she really did a great job. I think all the actors did well... okay, except for Ji Woo who played Soo Sun as a child. Her creepy eyes are present here too, I am not surprised. Ahn Jae Hyun was quite monotonous here. It's not like his character requiers a lot, but in some particular scenes, he wasn't very stable.
Overall, You're All Surrounded wasn't a bad drama, there are many enjoyable and emotional scenes and I do recommend it. It has everything - comedy, drama, romance (not much), action (not much), mystery (which sucked lol), and they are all combined quite well... at least in the first half.
Was this review helpful to you?
Watched this gem in 2022 ,, by today's standards it's really interesting drama one of the best
I just stumbled on this drama on a fan page and was intrigued by certain scenes ,, I don't normally watch older than 2016 dramas ,, not very old but the production quality matters to mein this one It was really good drama started with a criminal case then very funny youthful episodes made me laugh a lot then they dove into emotional cases revolves around the leads ,,,, I loved the whole cast especially the main leads ,, their dynamic and friendship was the best ,,, the romance wasn't heavy but it was the right amount and in it's right place ,,, wasn't forced or out of no where ,,, some relationships were awkward but it didn't last long in this awkwardness
the emotional case of the main lead broke my heart and made me very sentimental towards him ,, he was a cry baby but he has the right to be like that ,, he endured so much ,, no normal human being would be sane after all that
I liked every aspect of this drama ,, the friendship , the criminal cases ,, the detective parts even the villains were irritating as they can get and I liked how they played their role
I recommend this drama so much to anyone who likes friendship ,, light romance and melodramatic detective dramas
I promise you will enjoy this drama very much and you can find it on dramacool website subbed to english with okey quality
Was this review helpful to you?
