cry0nic
This review may contain spoilers
Without a doubt the best thriller of 2023
Absolutely blown away by the quality of this drama. Top notch acting, plot, set design and cinematography. Never a dull moment in this drama. I really like how they managed to turn the run of the mill undercover cop story into such a captivating drama.
The "villians" Jung Gicheul and co were portrayed realistically and did not act like the typical gangsters. Rounds of background checks right till the end just to prove Junmo/Seungho's identity. The police too were not infallible; their mistakes and lack of communication within departments caused Junmo's identity to be exposed. This is a scenario that happens too often in the real world and while watching made me feel irrationally angry, it really sets this show apart from the usual shows that portray the police undercovers as perfect. The ending too was a cherry on the top. Many kdramas fall prey to a rushed cliched ending and this doesn't. Characters stay true to their motivations right till the end and there isn't a shoehorned happily ever after ending. I always felt that Junmo and Euijeong's relationship was doomed from the start, even before the whole undercover mission started and I liked that the show deliberately kept it ambiguous as to what would happen to them. At the same time there was just enough details in the last scene for the audience to come to their own conclusions.
The only gripe I have would be the all too coincidental meetup of Euijeong and Gicheul, but I guess Seoul/Gangnam isn't THAT big of a place so run-ins would have bound to happen. Though of course, they never ran into each other before the undercover mission started lol. I would have also appreciated if the 2 female characters (Euijeong and Haeryun) were given more screentime. Euijeong basically exists to show Gicheul her sad puppy dog eyes while Haeryun just strutted around in her best tough girl impression. I get that the main characters are Junmo and Gicheul but it wouldn't have hurt to show more of the female characters. I mean Euijeong is supposedly an accomplished police officer in her own right but she barely did any investigative work in this mission! But of course these are just minor complaints.
TLDR: just watch this, you won't regret. It is THE best kdrama thriller that came out this year and will probably be the best overall kdrama in 2023 (to me at least). Oh, and the 2 leads are straight up the most good looking korean actors right now. If this doesn't convince you I don't know what will.
The "villians" Jung Gicheul and co were portrayed realistically and did not act like the typical gangsters. Rounds of background checks right till the end just to prove Junmo/Seungho's identity. The police too were not infallible; their mistakes and lack of communication within departments caused Junmo's identity to be exposed. This is a scenario that happens too often in the real world and while watching made me feel irrationally angry, it really sets this show apart from the usual shows that portray the police undercovers as perfect. The ending too was a cherry on the top. Many kdramas fall prey to a rushed cliched ending and this doesn't. Characters stay true to their motivations right till the end and there isn't a shoehorned happily ever after ending. I always felt that Junmo and Euijeong's relationship was doomed from the start, even before the whole undercover mission started and I liked that the show deliberately kept it ambiguous as to what would happen to them. At the same time there was just enough details in the last scene for the audience to come to their own conclusions.
The only gripe I have would be the all too coincidental meetup of Euijeong and Gicheul, but I guess Seoul/Gangnam isn't THAT big of a place so run-ins would have bound to happen. Though of course, they never ran into each other before the undercover mission started lol. I would have also appreciated if the 2 female characters (Euijeong and Haeryun) were given more screentime. Euijeong basically exists to show Gicheul her sad puppy dog eyes while Haeryun just strutted around in her best tough girl impression. I get that the main characters are Junmo and Gicheul but it wouldn't have hurt to show more of the female characters. I mean Euijeong is supposedly an accomplished police officer in her own right but she barely did any investigative work in this mission! But of course these are just minor complaints.
TLDR: just watch this, you won't regret. It is THE best kdrama thriller that came out this year and will probably be the best overall kdrama in 2023 (to me at least). Oh, and the 2 leads are straight up the most good looking korean actors right now. If this doesn't convince you I don't know what will.
Was this review helpful to you?
