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hanzawa naoki isn't a former criminal, but the series centers on exposing corruption within the very banking system where he works, uncovering schemes and abuses of power from inside the institution and becoming a symbol of resistance against them. It's the same dynamic as the apartment job: someone who enters a system (in this case, a residents' association) and ends up exposing corruption from within, only the setting shifts from a bank to an apartment complex.
in strong girl bong soon, the protagonist possesses extraordinary strength and uses it to handle everyday situations around her, blending action with a lighthearted and comedic tone. It's the same basic idea as the apartment job: someone with an unusual "power" (in this case, the experience of being a former gangster) dealing with ordinary neighborhood problems, all while keeping a sense of humor throughout the story.
taxi driver is similar because its protagonist also uses methods that operate outside the law (and are morally questionable) to solve problems the official system ignores. In the process, he becomes a kind of hero for people who need help. The difference lies in the disguise: in taxi driver, he's a vigilante taxi driver; in the apartment job, the protagonist is a former gangster trying to become the president of a residential apartment association.
a former yakuza family member who hides her past and ends up becoming a beloved, heroic figure within a community (a school, in this case), using her tough side for good.
both dramas explore complex cases through the partnership of lawyers with contrasting personalities. they blend investigation, character development, and engaging legal challenges throughout the story.
this film directly establishes the archetype we later see with Lee Jun-hyuk. it focuses on the perspective of the catholic church operating in modern korea. the contrast between clerical faith, vatican bureaucracy, and the brutality of a real exorcism involving an ancient demon that has possessed a female student forms the exact religious core that later appears in awakening.
a group of young investigators meddles with ancient rituals promising to revive or awaken spirits. soon, evil forces begin hunting them, and they must uncover the hidden secrets before everyone is killed. similar to awakening in its exploration of the supernatural by curious youth, but more focused on occultism than religious exorcism or academic pressure
set in an isolated high school, it mixes ghosts, monsters, and political repression. the protagonists get trapped in the school at night and must uncover dark mysteries while facing terrifying forces.
high school students on a field trip are forced to play a real life, deadly version of "mafia." while it focuses more on psychological suspense than demons, it explores the same atmosphere of students dying one by one and the collapse of morality under extreme pressure.
although it doesn't take place entirely in a school, this series is considered a masterpiece of korean exorcism horror. it follows a catholic exorcist priest, a medium, and a detective hunting a powerful demon. perfect for those looking for the dark, clerical side that lee jun hyuk's character will bring.
both series are set in an elite school where toxic academic pressure drives students to madness. just like in awakening, where students use dangerous stimulants that awaken terrifying supernatural abilities, in enigma the obsession with perfect grades opens the door to black magic rituals. additionally, both works introduce a new, mysterious teacher/mentor who arrives at the school to secretly investigate these hidden forces.
like doctor x, it features a physician with seemingly superhuman abilities who operates outside the system’s rules condemned by society but indispensable in the operating room. both dramas explore the tension between brilliance and conformity in a medical world corrupted by power.
