City Hunter Review

City Hunter

Korean Title: 시티헌터

Genre: Action, Thriller, Romance

Year: 2011

Language: Korean

Episodes: 20

Box set available on Amazon

Synopsis:

After the Rangoon bombing that killed several South-Korean officials, five officials, known as the Council of Five, decide to get even with North Korea. Not known even to the president, they send a team of 21 men on a secret mission to assassinate North Korea’s high ranking officials. However, after the South Korean president announces that they won’t retaliate, the Council of Five is left no choice but to abandon their men. The team includes Lee Jin Pyo (Kim Sang Joong) and his best friend Park Mu Yeol (Park Sang Min) who has just borne a son. When they are about to embark on a submarine that would bring them back to South Korea, the men onboard shot them, killing everyone except Jin Pyo who is shielded by Mu Yeol. Realizing that they have been betrayed by their own country, Jin Pyo vows payback.

He returns to South Korea and steals Mu Yeol’s newborn son from Kyung Hee. He leaves for Thailand where he raises the child, Yoon Sung (Lee Min Ho), as his own. He gives Yoon Sung extensive training and tells him years later about his biological father and his plot for revenge. After studying in the US, Yoon Sung goes back to Korea with a mission and a warning on not falling in love.

He meets Kim Nana (Park Min Young), whom he develops feelings for, and Kim Yoong Ju (Lee Joon Hyuk), a prosecutor with a strong sense of justice. As he hunts down his enemies, Yoon Sung is conflicted with having to choose between heroism and revenge, and between love and his mission.

Cheerfulnuts’ Review:

City Hunter has everything in store for you. There is action, thriller, drama, and romance. The drama is well cast, with Lee Min Ho and Park Min Young as the lead characters. They are both well-known actors and the storyline is good so it makes this series a must-watch especially to K-drama fans.

The drama starts strongly and looks promising. Most Korean dramas are sprinkled with unrealistic events, and City Hunter doesn't exempt from that. That said, the plot is very well-developed. It gets better and better in each episode. The series is packed with suspense that it never fails to keep me on the edge of my seat!

I don't know much about politics. I don't even watch the news anymore. But I can relate to this drama. A lot of corruption exists not only in Korea but in most, if not all, countries around the world. So it feels really satisfying to watch City Hunter kick the asses of those corrupt officials.

There is some character development here. As the story unfolds, Lee Yoon Sung has to make some important decisions. I like that he always sticks to his principles despite his dad’s threats. I also like Kim Yoong Ju’s being righteous and upright. Although he can be annoying at times, having such a guy hunt City Hunter adds more depth to the story.

About the romance department of the show, Yoon Sung doesn't act sweet and all but I can't hate him. Having been trained as an assassin doesn't make him good with expressing his feelings. It's fun to watch how his relationship with Nana grows despite his playboy persona and his lack of social skills. He doesn't act like Gu Jun Pyo in Boys Over Flowers as he doesn't try to impress his love interest at all. He protects Nana from afar and keeps his feelings to himself, which I find really sweet.

I love that the antagonist, Lee Jin Pyo, is someone dear to our hero, which makes the story very exciting. There is no one harder to defeat than someone you love. Kim Sang Joong's portrayal of Lee Jin Pyo is amazing. He's the type of villain that you can't totally hate. Even if I don't agree with his ways (who would?), I can sympathize with him and can't help feeling bad for him. He also makes me shudder when he's one step ahead of Yoon Sung.

The series do have some flaws. As I've said, there are unrealistic events, such as having too many coincidences (e.g. the hotel room incident). Despite that, I love City Hunter. It's one of the most heart-pounding dramas that I have ever seen. With a very strong plot, great cast members, hot male lead, a creepy yet likeable villain, awesome action scenes... I couldn't ask for more! You don't have to be a K-drama fan nor a female in order to like this one.;P I highly recommend City Hunter to everyone!

Cheerfulnuts’ Verdict:

9 out of 10 stars