Review: City Hunter

"Boss, a monkey just stepped on a landmine." 

From: Korea


Watch it On:

Drama Fever, Hulu, Netflix, Viki

Who’s In it:

Lee Min Ho as Lee Yoon Sung

Park Min Young as Kim Na Na

Kim Sang Joong as Lee Jin Pyo

Supporting Cast

Lee Joon Hyuk as Kim Yoo Jo

Kim Mi Sook as Lee Kyung Hee

Lee Seung Hyung as Song Young Duk

Lee Kwang Soo as Go Ki Joon

Hwang Sun Hee as Jin So Hee

Go Ha Ra as Choi Da Hye

What it’s about: 

 Want to raise a hot assassin with a heart of gold?  Go to the Golden Triangle.

An Action/Thriller nominally about Lee Jin Pyo is a "Navy-Seal-esque" operative taking revenge for the deaths of his partner and team.  By training his partner’s son (Lee Yoon Sung) to become an international assassin.  That goes about as well as could be expected.  Meanwhile, Kim Na Na just wants to get through her first year as a secret service agent.  While Yoon Sung country-hops to unravel the secret of his birth and come to terms with Jin Pyo’s revenge, Na Na discovers that the events of her parents’ may have been slightly fabricated.  

 

 

Most kdramas tend to leisurely unravel the backstory during the first episode.  City Hunter dives in full-throttle, slowing down only to build exposition with tense anticipation.  The leads and the ensemble cast really shine here.  Total bonus points for the supporting players, especially Lee Kwang Soo (of Running Man fame) who is flipping hilarious as Yoon Sung’s envious techie co-worker.  But the award goes to Kwang Sun Hee as Yoon Sung’s Mother.  Her understated portrayal of a grieving Mother who harbors her own closet of skeletons along with the fantastic chemistry she brings to the mother-son relationship really steals the show.   

 

You should know…

Most dramas have a OST (Original Sound Track) that consists of terribly addictive, but somewhat similar pop songs.  City Hunter has some corkers, but it’s the driving orchestral score and head-banging rock numbers that underscore the nail-biting scenes beautifully.  Then there is the slow burning romance, which is equal parts Squee! Adorable and “Oh the Feels!” 

Look out for the feisty and aegyo ridden Go Ha Ra as the president’s daughter, the ridiculous Lee Seung Hyung as the iconic fussy adjussi, and Lee Joon Hyuk as the mostly heart-wrenchingly noble second male lead to grace screens in a good long while. 

The Highlights:

Yoon Sung’s Thai childhood.  Equal parts awesome and tragic.   Also, elephants.

"Martial Spats" between Yoon Sung and his Adjussi

Kim Na Na does not mess around when you threaten her guy.

Everyone wants a flower-boy secret service agent as their math tutor.

Having a bad day?  Home shopping network.

Everyone is blood-type O.

Lee Min Ho pulls a Jackie Chan in a kitchen fight

Don’t mess with girls who know Tae Kwon Do

Two grown men fight over a purse.
Personal Driving service, your gateway to romance.
Roommates by Necessity 

 









Reactions:

S’ra

This was my second kdrama.  I was already reeled in with Faith, which is why I was like – hey Lee Min Ho, action, stuff blows up real good, feisty heroine?  Sure, why not?  But City Hunter sealed the deal.  I was hooked for good.  There-after I found myself taking inordinate amounts of time trying to explain to people how kdrama is not all melodramatic soap opera.  Sure, there are moments of cheese.   But the quality of production alone made me wonder why I wasted many hours watching sub-par domestic action shows.  (Don’t get me wrong, I have a great love for many a great American show.)  But whatever quirks the show may have aren’t enough for me to put aside my love for the massive awesomeness that is City Hunter. Also... Lee Min Ho. Just sayin' (Even if he's not Choi Young here and wears really random pants.)

Verdict:

Enough everything to keep even your non-kdrama friends planted on the couch.