I’m looking for kdramas with interrogation scenes where the mc is clearly winning the back and forth, and themain character can be either the interrogator or the interrogated. They also have to be incredibly smart and pull out trump card after trump card. I think the best example of this type of character for me is Vincenzo. No serious interrogations scene in Vincenzo, but the character fits the bill to a T. 

  • Stranger
  • While You were sleeping
  • Suits
  • 99.9: Keiji Senmon Bengoshi -
  • Hero
  • Beyond Evil
  • The Devil Judge( the trials are very informal and the judge treats it like his playground lol)
  • Doctor Prisoner
  • The Veil
  • Inspector Koo(still airing but seems that way)
  • Life on Mars

hello monster

Man to man

Suspicious partner

The K2

Black

Wish I could sum up more.. not so sure wether these fit your quest totally but you could try it out, they’re good :)

I’ve watched Suspicious Partner, Man to Man and The K2 already, but thanks. I’m considering The Devil Judge and Black but I’m not in the mood to start them if you know what I mean. I’ll check out Inspector Koo though, thanks!

It is my favorite type of dramas. I love strong, smart MLs, no love triangles or at least no frustrating ones, no bullshit, crime series and action. A man must be a man - not a  ****. Catch my suggestions then.

Perfect matches:

First of all - Lawless Lawyer - that is the best of the genre you mentioned if I could call it this way and it exactly fits your requirements - not like 99% but 100% - literally. Most similar to Vincenzo from those I know.

Equally good - Love me if you dare (Chinese but the best from China I've seen and doesn't even feel like other Chinese series, I could comment a lot on it but it's not a place for an essay - a very mature with an OP ML and much more mature than everything else from China - the hell - there's even an open topic on sex, openly initiated sexual encounter and open comments on this - but of course, it's not the main reason why it is great - the ML just like the Chinese version of Lawless Lawyer and Vincenzo.

Good matches:

Healer - he's exactly such a guy, the story is good, the whole drama is good;
Vampire Prosecutor - vampires but a surprisingly interesting intrigue with a great ML style;
Hello Monster - a great intrigue too and much better than it seems at first;
Pied Piper - has both a comedy and a tragedy but this actor is generally great in all of his series - there was another criminal one, much darker one with him, which title I do not remember but equally good;
Korean version of Criminal Minds (but you know - quite dark and tragic like all the local variations of this series are - however - it  has what you want - about both the male leads since there're two ML - both smart & strong);
Ghost - about hackers etc. - fits criteria and it's quite cool;
- a classic, it is actually a criminal with a bit of fantasy but 80% a criminal;
When a snail falls in love - another good, Chinese crime series, may not seem like that but it is good;
Memory Lost seasons 1, 2, 3 - a bit controversial suggestion because it is like you said, starts great with a 1st and actually a 2nd season continuing fine - then the 3rd season becomes cheesy like hell and that whole fight of the knight in shining armor vs master villain is more funny than thrilling but I liked the 1st and the 2nd season very, very much;

Devil Judge, Black, While you were sleeping are good but not as good. Also - I can't stand the Black ending.

From Japanese ones - Galileo. May not seem like it but the guy is actually OP. The cases are childish from time to time though but still enjoyable exactly because of the ML - has two seasons.

Also - What's wrong with secretary Kim - it may be strange next to the other ones on the list but even though it does not seem like that - the ML is a total badass, mentally strongest and smartest character out there, he's also very kind while playing someone 100% opposite to who he really is for the sake of all the people close to him while they think he's just a jerk and hate him but he still plays his role perfectly, he has sacrificed all only for them and as the show goes on, you discover more and more stuff, a couple of plot twists explaining it all - he's like the Lawless Lawyer, Vincenzo or Love me if you dare but in a world of business and he does not use his fists;

Maybe match (not a guy wrecking others and crazily strong but still smart & with tricks up his sleeve):

Man to Man - it is a comedy but theoretically fits what you want;
Terius behind me - exactly like stated above;
Stranger - a great one but just the 1st season - a 2nd one was silly and boring;
Come and hug me - the ML is hmm... a strong emo? Someone like that - hunted by his past, extremely kind and gentle at heart while struggling to fight his psychopath father. As time passes, he shows more of his strong sides, badass character from time to time and he has some tricks up his sleeve. It is not like everything else I suggested though;
Memorist - a guy can read memories, he's not that strong, does not wreck every single enemy around but it is still enjoyable;
The King's Avatar - it's like K2 but about games... sometimes boring but the guy fits (Lawless Lawyer, K2, Healer, Love me if you dare are my fav dramas of all time);

There would be a couple of other shows and my watchlist here is very outdated but those came to my mind instantly when seeing a post of someone searching for exactly what I like about dramas.

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