This may be one of the most unique psychological thrillers I've ever seen. I'll admit that I was a bit confused during the first two episodes as I tried to figure out what the heck was going on with Detective Ryu Soo Yeol who is a part of the Anti-Crime Unit, which basically equivalent to our Internal Affairs. He's trying to piece together evidence of a missing woman, but a mysterious man in a motorcycle jacket and helmet keeps showing up out of the blue and beating the daylights out of him. While it made for intriguing scenes and shifts within the story, it also left me puzzled.
It wasn't until the end of the second episode that I realized that "K"-the man in the motorcycle gear-is actually Ryu Soo Yeol's alter-ego. A part of himself that finds himself using when confronted with dangerous situations. The interactions between K and Ryu Soo Yeol aren't just interesting but also contain some of the funniest interactions of the series.
Of course, as with so many other Korean dramas, there is always more to things than meets the eye, as Korean stories are often like onions. You have to peel back another layer to find out what else is going on. At first, we start with-what appears to be-a simple missing persons case that turns into a ring of drug dealers, which then turns into the mastermind who is secretly plotting Ryu Soo Yeol's downfall. A deep, dark secret from his past as he struggles to put the pieces together as well as dealing with the fact that he's got a split personality. In the hands of a lesser writer and director, this series could have easily become ridiculous and laughable.
As the series begins, it's obvious that Ryu Soo Yeol is a very self-absorbed guy. He is just as corrupt as the police officers that he investigates. He's not above taking bribes and even turning his back on justice and doing the right thing for an envelope of money. He also warms himself up to his superiors, and by all intensive purposes, he's living the good life without much care. In many ways, the transformation of Ryu Soo Yeol from nonchalant playboy to someone who finally begins caring about doing the right thing, coincides with the appearance of "K."
However, it soon begins to be painfully obvious that Ryu Soo Yeol is a bright but careless detective, often going into dangerous situations alone rather than with a partner. There's a reason why police officers and detectives have partners. First and foremost is so that the partner can corroborate their story and version of what happens. There are several cases where Ryu Soo Yeol might have avoided a situation if he'd used a partner.
Lee Hee Kyum is his love interest and fellow officer. Their relationship begins tenuously because it's obvious that Ryu Soo Yeol had a short fling with her. However, it's quite obvious that she still has feelings for him. She's a capable officer, although she does fail to follow one of the most basic rules of handling firearms: never draw your weapon unless you're prepared to use it. Such carelessness puts her in a dangerous situation and could have gotten her killed.
The relationship between Ryu Soo Yeol and "K" as well as with Ryu Soo Yeol's enemy Jung Hyun Soo is what drives this series. It has quite a thrilling and captivating story when we finally realize who is behind the sinister plot to destroy Ryu Soo Yeol.
I've seen Lee Dong Wook already in "Touch My Heart" in which he was fabulous. I was more than a little blown away by his portrayal of a very different kind of character in Ryu Soo Yeol. Performances in general were fantastic in this series.
For a series filled with action, suspense, and humor, this one isn't one that should be overlooked!
It wasn't until the end of the second episode that I realized that "K"-the man in the motorcycle gear-is actually Ryu Soo Yeol's alter-ego. A part of himself that finds himself using when confronted with dangerous situations. The interactions between K and Ryu Soo Yeol aren't just interesting but also contain some of the funniest interactions of the series.
Of course, as with so many other Korean dramas, there is always more to things than meets the eye, as Korean stories are often like onions. You have to peel back another layer to find out what else is going on. At first, we start with-what appears to be-a simple missing persons case that turns into a ring of drug dealers, which then turns into the mastermind who is secretly plotting Ryu Soo Yeol's downfall. A deep, dark secret from his past as he struggles to put the pieces together as well as dealing with the fact that he's got a split personality. In the hands of a lesser writer and director, this series could have easily become ridiculous and laughable.
As the series begins, it's obvious that Ryu Soo Yeol is a very self-absorbed guy. He is just as corrupt as the police officers that he investigates. He's not above taking bribes and even turning his back on justice and doing the right thing for an envelope of money. He also warms himself up to his superiors, and by all intensive purposes, he's living the good life without much care. In many ways, the transformation of Ryu Soo Yeol from nonchalant playboy to someone who finally begins caring about doing the right thing, coincides with the appearance of "K."
However, it soon begins to be painfully obvious that Ryu Soo Yeol is a bright but careless detective, often going into dangerous situations alone rather than with a partner. There's a reason why police officers and detectives have partners. First and foremost is so that the partner can corroborate their story and version of what happens. There are several cases where Ryu Soo Yeol might have avoided a situation if he'd used a partner.
Lee Hee Kyum is his love interest and fellow officer. Their relationship begins tenuously because it's obvious that Ryu Soo Yeol had a short fling with her. However, it's quite obvious that she still has feelings for him. She's a capable officer, although she does fail to follow one of the most basic rules of handling firearms: never draw your weapon unless you're prepared to use it. Such carelessness puts her in a dangerous situation and could have gotten her killed.
The relationship between Ryu Soo Yeol and "K" as well as with Ryu Soo Yeol's enemy Jung Hyun Soo is what drives this series. It has quite a thrilling and captivating story when we finally realize who is behind the sinister plot to destroy Ryu Soo Yeol.
I've seen Lee Dong Wook already in "Touch My Heart" in which he was fabulous. I was more than a little blown away by his portrayal of a very different kind of character in Ryu Soo Yeol. Performances in general were fantastic in this series.
For a series filled with action, suspense, and humor, this one isn't one that should be overlooked!