Ailiseu (2009–2013) User Reviews

If you liked "24", you're gonna like this one too.

[ebossert · 9/10 · 18 April 2011]

Wikipedia gives the following information: "Iris is a South Korean espionage television drama series broadcast by KBS in 2009. With a budget in excess of 20 billion won (17 million USD), it, along with its spin-off Athena: Goddess of War, share the record for the most expensive Korean dramas ever produced. Premiering in October 2009, the series was a critical and commercial success, with an average viewership of over 30% in addition to ranking as the top program consistently every week after its debut. The series also took home many of the highest honors at the 2009 KBS Drama Acting Awards, including Byung-hun Lee winning the top recognition, the Daesang Award. Among other nominations and recognitions, Lee and Tae-hee Kim were also named as one of the best on-screen couples."

My Review In One Breath: This series (20 episodes, 60 minutes each) concerns a National Security System agent who attempts to take down a secret organization. After the introductory opening episodes, the missions are similar to what one would find in the American "24" series (excluding the "real time" element), with agents attempting to stop terrorist attacks with the use of satellites and information support technicians. Of course, this is in the Korean style with some romance and melodrama blended in. Acting is top notch, with Byung-hun Lee in the lead role and a very good supporting cast: Tae-hee Kim (his love interest and fellow agent), Seung-woo Kim (a North Korean agent) and So-yeon Kim (as the gorgeous North Korean sniper). Production values are slick, the scoring is great at times, and the pacing is very fast for a K-drama with plenty of shootouts (a few of which are fantastic) and suspense. Storyline is clichéd but the secret organization is intriguing and represents a brilliant little twist on the North/South Korean conflict. Consequently, the relationships between the characters change significantly in exciting ways and the viewer will have an emotional investment in the protagonists. Highly addictive stuff.

A Korean Melodrama for Dudes.

[cremea · 8/10 · 16 November 2012]

NOTE: This review has been edited as of 10/08/18.

Iris is 20 episode Korean TV show that aired in 2009. It's your basic Korean melodramatic TV series format, only it's infused with a significant amount of action & intrigue. Iris 2 (Iris II, Iris; New Generation) is its second/follow up season, which was also 20 episodes, but it didn't air until 2013.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

I had originally written 2 separate reviews years ago for this show/series, because IMDB originally listed them as 2 different shows. Since then, IMDB has apparently merged the original Iris page and the Iris 2 page together, so I'll do my best to merge my two original reviews together here under one review for both "shows/seasons".

Iris (Season 1) was a unique show in Korea when it aired. The idea behind it, was to get some guys who like action/spy/intrigue flicks to also tune into a TV genre almost exclusively geared to attracting female viewers by nature. They spent a fortune making this show (by KTV standards at the time), and it shows; production values are through the roof, various exotic locales are visited, there's some terrific cinematography, blazing gunfights, action scenes, etc.

Viewers loved it immediately (as did I), and it's easy to see why; it's often a riveting television series that is hard to look away from! And, Judging by the show's super high nationwide ratings (nearly 40% of all Korean TV viewers were watching this show by the time it wrapped up), I'd say the producers accomplished their goal and then some. Iris was a massive success by KTV standards that soon spawned a spin-off show (Athena), a movie (which was just an edited version of the TV show), talks of a second season (which only rarely happens in this medium), and so forth.

The closest comparison to this show for western audiences is the American TV series "24", and that's a fair analogy, as they do share many similarities. Here's your story: Two marine friends get recruited by the NIS (basically the South Korean equivalent of the U.S. CIA/NSA). While there, they meet the primary love interest who is their section chief responsible for training them. The 2 friends quickly take to their new jobs as secret agents, and are soon deployed in the field. Things go wrong when they are sent on an important mission though, and they discover they're mere pawns in a much bigger picture.

After the botched mission by the 2 friends/leads, this show boils down to a matter of uncovering what everybody's motives are, who's working for whom, and trying to stop the world from blowing up. Along the way, there's your main love interest story line, the main friendship story line, and so forth.

What cannot be understated is that this show is, at its core, a soap opera. It's a high octane soap opera indeed, but a soap opera nonetheless. I've seen a ton of Korean melodrama shows/series over the years, some of which tried their best to have these "soap operas" reach an audience that includes EVERYBODY (males/females, Koreans/foreigners, action fans/love story fans, etc.), and this is one of those rare shows that actually accomplishes this fairly well.

Iris (Season 1) is very entertaining and highly watchable. I gave it 8 out of 10 stars in my initial rating, and I stand by that. As for Iris 2 (i.e. Season 2). Very disappointing for several reasons. I see some reviewers think it's better than the original, however they are wrong, and I'll now explain why: Iris 2 is greatly hampered by two overriding factors: 1) It's just more of the same with a weaker story and less prominent actors, and, 2) The show producers missed the window to capitalize on the popularity of the original show/1st season, by delaying its production for nearly 4 years.

Don't get me wrong, I like a lot of the actors/actresses in Season 2, and they performed well overall, but the story and writing is lacking in general compared to the first season. In addition, everything seems rushed and tacked on (and/or poorly thought out), in what appears to be a last ditch effort to just cobble something together to put on TV and bring this show/series to a close. Part of the problem is because there was a bunch of hemming and hawing FOREVER about how to write and budget for a new season, along with trying to negotiate and sign up much of the original cast (despite the fact that, SPOILERS, most of their characters died or "were disappeared" at the end of the original show), and so on. As a result, Iris season 2 turned out to be a hodgepodge mess that was just "too lacking, too little, too late".

There are a couple of cast members in Iris 2 that are back from the original, but they're mostly all supporting roles that are non-essential and/or are under-utilized. There's also several new tie-in characters related to characters from the 1st season, but none of these prior cast members or new "related characters" really fit well within the overall story. And, I cannot forgive the fact that they cast some English speaking dude as the main evil guy. No offense to him as an actor or person, and I understand they're trying to be more "globally receptive" by speaking English some, but this role should have been given to someone fluent in Korean; the resulting "forced" English dialogue between him and some of the Korean actors/actresses is often distracting, and prevents the Korean actors/actresses from acting at their best (since they have to use a foreign/second language in some crucial scenes with him).

Iris 2 (Iris, Season 2) is not very good when compared to its forerunner. I originally gave it 5 out of 10 stars, and I stand by that.

Bottom Line: 8 out of 10 stars (for Iris 1 ONLY). As for Iris 2, hmmm, watch Athena; Goddess of War instead!

Great until the ending.

[AJ_McAninch · 7/10 · 10 November 2018]

A fine series with A-List actors, but with a completely irresponsible ending. Shame on the writer and producer.

Run, don't walk, to see IRIS (now on NetFlix)

[canuckteach · 9/10 · 4 December 2016]

A stunning miniseries from South Korea about the 'NSS' (the South Korean Secret Service). Pardon me if I struggle with the character (or actor) names, but several performances are quite stunning. Character-development and -relationships are superb, irony occurs frequently, and there's plenty of action to match the slower sweet scenes showing the developing love-story between Choi Seung-Hee, the pretty female Service leader, and Kim Hyun-Jun, a stud recruit to the spy service. Talk about star-crossed lovers! They get separated, find each other, and then lose track of the existence of each other for months, but only after some very near connections. It's one of those: 'HEY! HEY! Look to your right - she's still alive... HEY! HEY.. Oh No..!' Unexpected sentimental stuff when you are are watching a cold-hearted spy & intrigue show.

IRIS also features a 'cross-over' character {that's a term I invented, by the way, so credit me if you use it!}: a character who switches sides, for some reason, to aid the protagonist. Example: the cowboy who breaks free from the wealthy townfolk in 'SHANE' and rides out to warn SHANE about the pending ambush. In IRIS, it's a pretty North Korean agent who falls out of favor with her bosses, and joins Hyun-Jun in his quest to get to the bottom of this IRIS conspiracy (after a few attempts to kill him, of course).

Also in the show is one of those super-assassin types, whose imminent presence is signaled by the camera focusing on his distinctive cowboy boots. Lots of fist-fights and shoot-em-ups to go with some well-staged car chases. Plenty of double-crosses and plot twists. It has everything U.S. network primetime action shows DON'T have. Like I said, run -- don't walk - to tune this thing in. I am writing this in early December: if you have down-time this month, add IRIS to the mini-series that will dominate your time, instead of clearing snow.

10 stars surpassing all of James Bond movies ever watched

[jhp2025 · 10/10 · 14 May 2017]

After watching this one, I felt like that all of James Bond movies are rubbish. Both either its casting or its stories quality! I herewith highly recommend IMDb's audience to watch it and understand its story line, then you'll understand why I wrote this. Truly I've underestimated Korean movie before I watched this one, and some others. The actors and actresses are as well mostly highly and well educated from certain universities, so they proved their quality doing their job.

8 out of ten, for season one. 9 for season 2.

[martin-fennell · 9/10 · 29 June 2013]

Terrific. This for me is better than the original. I found myself questioning it less than that. Section chief Oh is not as irrating, as I found him in the original. Jang Hyuk is excellent as the damaged (aren't they all) agent. But all of the cast turn in good performances particularly Lee Da-Hae as the love interest. There are quite a lot of hand to hand combat scenes. Some better than others. The best one for me is between Lim Soo-Hyang) and Yoon So-Yi. There also some nice comedy moments, particularly a howlingy funny sequence involving a gangster/arms dealer. Well he's listed on Asian wiki as arms dealer. But he came across as more of a gangster to me. Park Sang Wook is great in what is basically a cameo role as the aforementioned. The story for me is tighter than in the original. There's also a nice cameo at the end from.. Well I won't say who. But the sequence ends with two women showing a bunch of guys that you can't put a good woman down, or a bad one for that matter. It made me think "Oh, those two should have their own series together" But it would me more lighthearted than Iris; maybe as two female private eyes ☺. Sequences that made me go "hmmm" It is obvious when Park Tae Hee dealt so easily with iris agents, how good she was. Yet only two are sent to tail her afterword'. There is at at least one great snow chase scene. Was there two? I can't remember. Some great fashion too, particularly Lee Da Hae's trench coat, and Oh Yeon-Su white outfit. Then there is Lee Da Hae's great walk, when she enters her place of work, and the sound of her shoes. I also liked the music.

Quick paced hitech spy thriller

[aarthimoorthy · 10/10 · 15 July 2020]

With multiple twists and turns, it's a gripping series. You never know who is the good guy and who is bad, keeps you on the edge. I good binge watching series.

If war breaks out ...

[Sabahzul · 6/10 · 15 August 2020]

... in the Korean Peninsular, you will understand why the North could really win because the spies in the South are always deeply in love. Even in situations where there are lives at risk, possible terrorist attack or even nuclear bomb detonated, the two lead characters will always have time to spill a few tears of longing. They always seem to be in the verge of crying and when they are not, they are wondering about the other which leads to more sorrow close-ups. If you can stand extreme melodrama then the action and plot is not too bad.

Well 24 hangs a big shadow over this.

[martin-fennell · 9/10 · 23 December 2012]

But in 24 as far i recall, you never saw Kiefer Sutherland crying. This has some great action sequences. It also spends more time on the romance angle than 24 would.

But it also has moments of which didn't cut it with me (1) When Kim Sun Hwa is shooting at Kim Hyun Joon she's not really a very good shot is she. As a matter of fact, a lot of people who tried to kill him are very bad shots (2) the reason for the main character to gang up with the terrorists and attack NSS seemed weak. They had nothing to do with what happened to him. That was IRIS. Is there something I've forgotten? (3) The final confrontion between Vick and Kim Hyun Joon, More should have made on how Kim got into the place. As a matter of fact, i thought that Vick would have made sure that no one was following him. Assuming that Kim was just too smart for him, you would imagine Vick have had lots of alarms in his place. So there should have been a sequence showing Kim getting into the building. Then when he has the opportunity to kill him, or take him in, he decides to throw his gun away and kick the you know what out of him. Not only that, he leaves the gun conveniently near for Vick to attempt to kill him. (4) The confrontation where the S. W,A. T team leader pulls a gun on Kim. That was just too silly. (5) The hostages disguised as terrorists. Well Kim, and San Wee were plainly being fired at. So unless a quick bit of hypnotism was done on the hostages to make them believe they really were terrorists, I don't understand why they would fire on them.

My favourite character was the North Korean female agent Kim Sun Hwa. She was in serious mode most of the time. But on the few occasions, she did smile, it was lovely to see. My least favourite was the section chief. Where all of the other acting was minimalist, he went in the other direction. I liked him at first, but then his over the top expressions weren't to my liking. So why after all my complaints, do i rate the series so highly. Well, it's compelling. It keeps you on your toes. You want to know what's gonna happen. That's a big plus. I would like to see some of these actors (i include the ladies) in other stuff, because i found it hard to gauge just how well they can act.

My favourite scene is where the section chief and others come to Choi Seung Hee's house on her birthday. But they find her in a very bad way. I just liked the way it changed from light to dark.

Although Entertaining, Iris II is not a Perfect Sequel, but it sure does have its Moments

[totalovrdose · 6/10 · 27 November 2015]

Iris was a serious South Korean spy thriller, with interesting plot twists, engaging performances, and several brutal betrayals, culminating in a finish that resulted in more than a few questions remaining unanswered. Promising to answer some of questions raised, Iris 2 is a show that had enormous shoes to fill, and unfortunately, its feet do not match the ambitious size of the original. Though one might imagine the sheer number of story-lines would make for a wealth of material, several aspects of the plot are tirelessly dragged out, obviously in the show's desperate attempt to reach 20 hour long episodes. Often predictable, with minimal character back-story, and a plot held together at the seams with sticky tape, the conflicting and often contradictory story-lines risk the production falling apart at a moment's notice.

However, if you look past the flaws, there are a number of notable reasons why this show deserves a look, not least of all, the poignancy that is efficaciously delivered by the writers, alongside the talented (and VERY attractive) actors. This is heightened by the amazing musical score, including the gorgeous song from Davichi. Several of the fight sequences are sure to impress, though at the same time, those familiar with the aforementioned original, or even Athena, will see a great number of similarities, alongside the addendum that their frenetic orchestration can make them hard to follow.

Furthermore, though some of the dialogue could be accused of immaturity, the chemistry and interactions between the characters prove to be engaging in themselves, the romantic and familial relationships being conceived with much emotion, while some of the witticisms are especially enjoyable. Though the show is often unrealistic, with characters severely injured in one episode, and running around during the next, alongside contradictions in the story-lines, and ideas that fail to be fleshed out, Iris 2 gradually finds its footing towards the end, resulting in an emotionally powerful and worth-while finale.

Jung Yoo-Gun (Jang Hyuk) and paramour Ji Soo-Yeon (Lee Da-Hae) work together for the NSS, under the authority of deputy-director Choi Min (Oh Yeon-Su), who is determined to rid the world of Iris. Her goals however, are continuously been undermined by the ambitious Kang Cheol-Hwan (Kam Il-Woo), who seeks control of the agency, though his allegiances are unclear. When an Iris cell, led by Rey (David McInnis), storms the NSS prison housing the agency's former director Baek San (Kim Young-Chul), and extricates him in an attempt to garner much needed information, it becomes clear that Baek San has an important role to play in the war against the terrorist group. When North Korean traitor Yoo Joong-Woo (Lee Beom-Soo), a man desperate to clear his name, is recruited by Iris agent Kim Yeon-Hwa (Lim Soo-Hyang) to assist with her mission, tensions between the North and the South begin to escalate, and threaten the inevitable commencement of a unification war.

With the sheer number of cast members, it is no surprise that some are provided significantly less screen time than others, with fellow NSS agents See Hyun-Woo (Yoon Doo-Joon) and Yoon-Shi Hyuk (Lee Joon), alongside Iris operative Park Tae-Hee (Yoon So-Yi), being difficult to associate with due to the significantly lacking characterization. Set over the course of more than a year, Iris 2 includes not only locations throughout South Korea, but internationally as well, which involve a car chase through the streets of Hungary, and a chase sequence on the ski slopes of Japan. When in its home nation, the shoot-outs often occur in warehouses, amongst other abandoned and condemned locations, which offer little in the way of uniqueness.

Moving on, it's a fact, in every production, the antagonist is defeated. However, what's most important is not only how, but what horrors they have in store for the heroes. In short, how impressive a villain are they? The monotonous repetition of failure that consumes the enemy organization with every turn they take however, only makes their defeat all the more inevitable. To add insult to injury, the enemy group, Iris, have no motive or agenda, and without a cause, the audience is unable to connect with them on any level. If ever a cause was mentioned, it must have been whispered, for this viewer certainly never heard it.

The lacking interest in the terrorist cell is heightened by the show's inability to continuously hold us in suspense. Even the threat of a third world war, despite the emotional performances by the actors, flat-lines in its ability to make us legitimately believe this may in fact come to fruition. However, where the show excels, is its ability to captivate the audience with its character relationships. Unlike American shows, that often drag out romances to the point of utter boredom, Iris 2 gives its viewers enough tension, poignancy, grief and hope, to keep us entrenched for the entirety of the season. Moreover, though antagonists are loathed by the audience at times, on other occasions, they are equally sympathetic. Although the acting could occasionally be accused of being a little too melodramatic, one cannot ever deny the potency, with more than a few moments having the capacity to bring a tear, or more.

In conclusion, Iris 2 is best watched in moderation, and despite the occasional complexity of the stories, the show is very easy to follow. Despite been an enjoyable experience, Iris 2 is not a show that will cause you to continuously reminisce over the story-lines or characters. The show's conclusion leaves the Iris franchise open for a sequel, with a number of plots left unresolved, and several character stories requiring a more definitive close, though whether a third installment will occur, remains to be seen.

"Iris" - Tons of action.

[jaybizman · 9/10 · 16 February 2021]

From IMDB: "The National Security Service (NSS) is a secret South Korean black ops agency that takes on a secret terrorist organization, called IRIS. Stars: Yeong-cheol Kim, Yun Ju-sang, Seung-woo Kim."

Two Series, first has 20 x one hour episodes, and only that is on Netflix as of now. The 'NSS' is so secret that even the President of South Korea knows nothing about it. Think about it as the NSA. Hard as nails Agents with cyber skills. They even have Satellite monitoring.

Story intertwines between battles for supremacy between North and South Korea. Both have/want Nuclear weapons.

In the meantime, two sets of 'love triangles' are in play, and the mostly attractive protagonists put on a great show. Bit slow to begin as character backgrounds were established - then it doesn't stop. I hope Season Two can be seen asap. Recommended and an easy 9/10 for entertainment.

Pulse-pounding Korean spy thriller

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 28 May 2018]

Review of Season One:

IRIS was a massively popular South Korean TV series that took the form of a spy thriller. The film focuses equally on explosive and fast-paced action sequences along with numerous and complex character interactions along the way. I watched the first season of the show, which comprises of twenty episodes centred around Lee Byung-hun's put-upon lead character. The story jumps into the thick of the action from the word go and remains fast paced throughout, although I did think twenty episodes were a few too many. What surprised me was just how low budget the show feels. The requirement to stage regular fight scenes every episode means that the production has a cheap digital look at times, and one two or there bits of music which are repeated over and over again throughout the twenty episodes (pulse-pounding music during the action bits, a cheesy song during the romantic scenes). There is padding and there is melodrama and romance, but generally this is watchable, exciting fare. The director makes the most of his star's matinee idol looks and there are so many twists that you quickly lose count of them amid the mayhem. Think of a Korean version of 24 or SPOOKS and you'll be close, but IRIS is very much a product of its own nation and as such has a voice all its own.

What a group of incompetent special agents

[casperlei0324 · 3/10 · 16 August 2020]

Saw this on Netflix and I like the casts. Knowing it's an old show but with all the good reviews online decided to give it a shot. It definitely has one of the worst and cheesiest plot of all the Korean shows I have seen.

All agents in the show either from North or South are just all so incompetent. Within the operation the action is good, but how every operation is executed just make me cringe with people making horribly stupid decisions. Outside operations the agents are constantly strolling around randomly like nothing urgent is happening.

The romance plot is just cheesy to the max without much build up, and the constant flash back to the same moments when things were going OK get very annoying half way through the show, because they serisouly do the same flash back every episode just to remind the audience how much they were in love, while not much love was really felt from the dry romance plot.

There are also lot of plot holes, with agents randomly traveling to different places without any difficulty while they are on national wanted list.

The agents don't do much for their job, they are constantly eating, drinking, partying, traveling, walking around randomly, taking days off when depressed, considering about quitting before even the first mission, and constantly only thinking about their love interest instead of focusing on the job. The supposely CIA like NSS keeps lose track of their agents within operation or when they are on vacation. They can't even find target that are strolling around freely in the street, and keep felling for the dumbest trap. The amount of cringe worthy moment are just ridiculous.

Now just keep playing the show in the background while I do other stuff to see how it's going to end, and I can still follow the plot because there are just so many useless fillers.

Great mix of action and romantic serie

[paulomen-772-759390 · 9/10 · 27 December 2019]

Good thriller about the nacional security service of South Korea, with the tense relationship with North Korea.

A young and musculine LBH

[madbird-61243 · 8/10 · 27 December 2018]

Watch this after Mr Sunshine. Iris is no compare to Mr Sunshine. But given its huge investment and foreign settings, it is worthwhile to have a look.

Personally i dislike the look and temperament of the female lead. A young and musuline LBH is however the biggest magnet to me. So no matter what i will finish the drama.

At times breathtaking ....

[wheatley-20230 · 8/10 · 19 October 2021]

... in it's heart-stopping action scenes, this drama is the closest cousin to Bond and Bourne I have seen on TV, with death-defying stunts, a huge budget and a massive body count. It also boasts a very physical turn from Byung-hun Lee as a highly believable super agent.

It is unfortunate that the plot wanders too far away from credibility on occasion to maintain the suspense.

The opening action sequence grabs you by the throat. Then there is a hiatus while the past history of the characters and their relationships are presented. Stick with it and once the action kicks back in it just does not let up.

A Powerfull Korean series with Unusual ending

[jsaleem-89705 · 8/10 · 25 February 2020]

My first South korean Series,Series story,Direction,Script,Acting,Music all was beyond Great Lee Byung- Hun & rest Cast acting was soo good & Story was full of suspense with heart warming Romance & mind blowinh action But dissapointed by end is was necessary to make sad ending

The show could be shorter... but still good

[muath-z-mashal · 8/10 · 28 July 2020]

When i begun to watch this, i did't expect it will attract me.. how ever, it did, its amazing. However, the creator could did the show in 10 episodes.. because 20 episodes for one season are overloaded..

Korean's 24 Jack Bauer

[va3lim · 8/10 · 4 May 2021]

If you like 24 series, I think you'll like this too. However I find there's a bit too much love triangle in the series. It has action, thrills, suspense, love, friendship, betrayal, some mystery on the IRIS organization. The leading actress is pretty & make it more enjoyable to watch. In summary, it's a very good show if you can don't mind the love story & love triangle.

A soap opera

[satin-48250 · 3/10 · 16 March 2021]

As some reviewers wrote it, this is mainly a soap opera. I watched the first season mostly for the main actor, Lee Byung-Hun. I really like him (I'm a big fan of A Bittersweet Life). Kim So-yeon and Yeong-cheol Kim are very good too. Seung-woo Kim's acting is a bit limited here but he has a real on-screen presence. The other actors, including Kim Tae-hee, are overplaying.

The story is way too cheesy, the camera shaking during many action scenes is almost unbearable, the plot holes are too numerous to be counted, the spy agencies depicted here are beyond incompetent, etc. I guess there's a cultural gap here since it was a huge success in Korea.

One of the best, must watch

[vanleong-86734 · 10/10 · 25 December 2021]

One of the best Korean action TV series. The story of the all-powerful IRIS was too difficult to believe but let's go with it. The wish of the S. Korean President for a summit and reunification was a bit stubborn and wishful thinking. But let's do with it again.

Beside that, the story was solid, especially on the South side. The North side was a bit wishy washy, but the North Korean team (Mr. Pak and Sun-hwa) were excellent.

On the South side, all the casts were wonderful, especially Seung-hee, Hyun-jun, and Baek San. The love story between Seung-hee and Hyun-jun were short but lovely. Seung-hee, played by Kim Tae-hee, was absolutely gorgeous and stunning beautiful.

The fight scenes in this drama were excellent, including those in Hungary, Japan, and Korea. One standout scene was the 10 minutes gun fight at downtown street. It was non-stop shooting, something you don't see even for high budgeted movies. A must watch.

Without spoiler, the story did end in a somewhat of a clip hanger. Naturally, people wanted a season 2. They did make a season 2 but from what I saw, it was a big disappointment.

Love and Fight

[farman-87609 · 10/10 · 31 July 2023]

If you are looking for a show that combines both fight and romance, then this is the perfect choice. I found both aspects equally captivating in the storyline, where the characters are agents of a secret agency so covert that even the President of Korea is unaware of it. As expected, with a secret agency involved, there's plenty of action and fights. He is the more focused one, while she is the most intelligent agent who sticks to her job and excels at it; both of them are not easily handled. He starts as a soldier and then joins the secret agency, and together they tackle numerous difficult tasks.

What I appreciate the most is how the show portrays Japan, with its beautiful snowy landscapes and captivating essence. Throughout the series, you witness how two best friends become strangers when someone comes between them and alters everything. As they change, everything around them evolves as well.

If you are intrigued by shows involving secret agencies and enjoy watching love blossoming even in the darkest of times, then this is the perfect choice for you.

Spy thriller, good tension, better than average production values

[talonjensen · 8/10 · 27 August 2020]

This is a review of season one. The story line is fast paced and keeps your interest with tension. The production values are better than average for a Korean TV series, with the exception of the then, trendy, camera jerkiness which is horrible at times. Don't expect the production values to be as good as a movie.

There are the typical plot holes, but the show moves fast enough you can mostly ignore them. It is amazing to me that still, in 2020, most Korean shows never admit the ability to track a cell phone for location or recent calls after a bad guy or phone number has been identified. Regardless, I didn't mark this 2009 show down for that omission because my review is in comparison with other Asian dramas.

The show is well written enough that I couldn't always tell what was going to happen next, which I really enjoyed. Most shows follow pretty standard plot lines and this one follows a common overall plot arch, but the details were often difficult to predict, especially early in the show. Later in the show it becomes more formulaic.

The main characters aren't the best actors in the world, but they had chemistry with each other and with others, so that worked well.

SPOILER ALERT! I have to admit that I was disappointed in the tragic ending which I assumed was a vehicle to pull the female lead back into the spy agency. But, turns out that is not the case. So, just another Asian drama with a tragic ending.

I am usually very analytical (an engineer by education), but I generally want my shows to lift me up at the end, so that is entirely emotional and I did not enjoy the ending.

I just want to mention that Season Two is mostly new characters, weaker writing and weaker production values. It starts roughly 3 years after season one.

Who is the bad guy ?

[alaningle7 · 8/10 · 28 December 2021]

Lee Byung-hun stars in one of my favourite movies "A bittersweet life" so I am always going to be generous with my rating in whatever he is in. As usual he puts in a great performance along with the whole cast and there are some really great action scenes which reflect the budget. My issue is the story does not flow as well as it should and the series concentrates on the big explosive scenes and not enough time on the development of the characters. Enjoyable action packed drama but could have been great.

What?

[Mao123 · 5/10 · 13 March 2017]

Towards the end of this show, I found myself saying what more and more. This is not my first k- drama, but this is definitely one of the most disappointing shows I've ever watched. It seemed to have so much potential that all just fell flat in the final, crucial episodes of the series which made me even more confused as to why it was so highly praised and rated by everyone. I'm now wondering if we even watched the same show. Honestly, if you are going to watch this show, be prepared to be frustrated at the end.

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First off, the beginning, although slow to some viewers, showed lots of promise. There were so many great opportunities that were set up and there were good characters, a lot of good twists and turns as the series continued, I could almost overlook the constant shaky cam., the choppy editing, and the odd direction. However, the show peaked around episode 15 or so and then rapidly declined at the end. The main failings were the plot, which became pretty convoluted towards the end, the lack of resolution of major plot points and the subsequent forgetting/absence of said plot points, and the plot holes that require you to suspend your disbelief and logic in order to follow what's going on and have it make sense. Then there is the final ending scene. I mean really, after watching all that they end the series with a major death that comes out of literally nowhere...I know apparently there were some issues with Lee Byun Hyun not wanting to continue with the series, but at least write off his character in a convincing way that actually makes sense in the context of the story. How are more people not upset with this? I understand that this was a tragic show and people died, but it seemed as though they wrapped up the main plot of the story, and LBH and KTH were going to get their happily ever after....except just kidding, he gets mysteriously shot and the show ends with no explanation whatsoever. That is not a befitting ending for the characters and his death was not set up at all and seemed to be a quick fix to the LBH issue and a chance to get in one last death for shock value.

Giving this five stars because the plot was good towards the beginning and had some good performances in the lead roles.