TOP KDRAMAS I HAD WATCHED IN 2020 (#15-#11)
So I couldn't fit in "TEN TOP KDRAMAS" and struggled for a while, before I decided to go for "15", but at the same time it wasn't a SOLID 15, and there were slight changes in placement because I actually went to
WARNING: *SPOILERS AHEAD*
MY #15 TOP TEN KDRAMA FOR 2020: "BAD GUYS" (Hangul: 나쁜 녀석들)
I came into this 2014 series from enjoying "BAD GUYS: VILE CITY", having had previously read about this series, and somewhat enjoyed what I watched, although I did not finish the entire 11-episoder series from OCN. I doubt if I would, because at the midway point, I'd felt that it would've been better to move forward, instead of back ... and that the 2019 feature film "The Bad Guys: Reign of Chaos" would have been a somewhat sequel to this series, made sense for me to move on, IMHO. Scroll to the bottom of this post for clips :p
Having said that, the premise/concept of BAD GUYS was fun, and something I could really sink my teeth into, but since watching Vile City first, watching this no longer felt "fresh" (for me), and the dated fashion sense and hairstyles turned out far more distracting that I am normally tolerant with, alas. BUT, I cannot deny a "redemption tale", and since we've been "glorifying criminals" (cue DC Comics' JOKER and his laughter from murdering folks...) in popular media... "MURDER" is BAD. I do not condone it.
MY PLOT SYNOPSIS: To combat rising violent crimes, A detective is tasked to form a team consisting of incarcerated criminals - including a blurry gangster (Ma Dong-Seok), a contract killer (Jo Dong-Hyuk) and a serial killer with a high IQ (Park Hae-Jin). There of course is a straight-laced Police Inspector (Gang Ye-Won) who joins the team ... and we navigate and discover the connection each of them have with the detective and each other (Oh how Korean scripts love intertwined plots), and uncover their individual sob stories, which has led them to who they were when they were incarcerated. (Read synopsis on asianwiki.com).
Rated "NC-16" and currently watchable on Netflix, who has a much shorter series description: "Reinstated to eradicate the worst crimes in the city, a detective requests the release of three convicts to enlist their help in catching the felons."
MY #14 TOP TEN KDRAMA FOR 2020: "STRANGER 2"
(Also known as "Secret Forest" for Season 1 / Hangul: 비밀의 숲)
PLOT SYNOPSIS: "The prosecutor's office and the police find themselves on opposing sides. The prosecutors, including elite prosecutor Woo Tae-Ha (Choi Moo-Sung), want discretionary power over investigations. Meanwhile, the police, including Choi Bit (Jeon Hye-Ji), tries to get complete investigative authority that is independent of the prosecutor's office. Under this tense situation, Prosecutor Hwang Si-Mok (Cho Seung-Woo) and Detective Han Yeo-Jin (Bae Doo-Na) chase after the truth in a hidden case." (asianwiki.com)
"Synopsis" for Kdramas very often just explains away the bare bones of the plot, without giving away too much of what the series may present ... and in this case, the "twist" and resolution was not as important that the political maneuverings the script was trying to portray, moral story aside. Or more likely my "entertainment-addled" brains could only take so much LOL
I did not "hate" it though, and it still had some memorable moments, especially from the actors' performances, IMHO. This felt more like "their platform" rather than a story-POV, disguised as "premium TV". Read my full review HERE
Seasons One and TWO are currently streaming on Netflix, so enjoy!
MY #13 TOP TEN KDRAMA FOR 2020: "NOBODY KNOWS" (Hangul: 아무도 모른다)
PLOT SYNOPSIS: "Nobody Knows is a drama about a battle between good adults and bad adults over a poor boy who falls into a coma. Trying to be good adults might go against the trend of today when it is so difficult to find adults who would willingly take the responsibility, act thoughtfully, and make a sacrifice for the others. And here come two adults who fight against bad adults, and they are Young Jin, a police officer at Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and Sun Woo, a teacher at Shinsung Middle School. By showing how the two main characters struggle and fight for what they think is right, Nobody Knows gives questions about the roles of adults for the children who are abandoned and marginalized." (Watch on VIU.com / Video on Demand)
I was here because of Kim Seo-Hyung (Detective "Cha Young-Jin") whom I remembered from "Sky Castle" (#4 on (My) TOP TEN KDRAMAs WATCHED in 2019!) who was the manipulative private tutor.
The plot synopsis belies a somewhat "personal story" of not just the principal, and where a mystery premise seemingly "supernatural" was teased, which turned out to be a criminal caper, as it unravelled and is resolved by the finale, with everything explained away.
In my extreme preferences, I admittedly felt I'd been holding my breath for the twice-weekly show, that turned somewhat mediocre (but managed to edge out "STRANGERS 2"), but the build-up for this 16 x episode series (from SBS) was intense and enjoyable to watch though. Featured below is an interview with Kim Seo-Hyung, because she continues to fascinate me.
MY #12 TOP TEN KDRAMA FOR 2020: "TEAM BULLDOG: OFF-DUTY INVESTIGATION" (Hangul: 번외수사)
PLOT SYNOPSIS: "Jin Kang-Ho (Cha Tae-Hyun) is an enthusiastic and effective detective. He tries to catch criminals by any means necessary. He also doesn't get along with other detectives. Kang Moo-Young (Lee Sun-Bin) is an enthusiastic PD of a TV investigative program. The program tries to catch criminals that the police could not. Kang Moo-Young is upright, but she will take risks to reveal the truth. Jin Kang-Ho and Kang Moo-Young unexpectedly meet and they begin to cooperate on unsolved cases." (asianwiki.com)
I cannot remember how exactly I landed on this series - more likely I was clicking thru finding out what other projects actor Cha Tae-Hyun had done, after my yet again rewatch of 2015's "PRODUCERS" (blame IU, whom I am still crushing on), and thought to give this 12-episoder series from OCN a try having acknowledged OCN-productions to have a saturated color palette and certain level of quality (at least in the series Id watched), and the next thing I know, I was enjoying their hijinks and stylised presentations and quirks! And that finale twist was satisfying (to me)!
The series doesn't "blow minds", and it was a struggle having to take any of them seriously (recognizing quite a few of them), but it was highly entertaining, and their "victories" highlighted with splendour (see clip above), and that is satisfying! Infused with a judicious sprinkles of OTT-comedy, all that certainly worked out well in the shityear that was 2020, innit? HAH!
But seriously, must we have yet another "enthusiastic PD of a TV investigative program"? There's another in this list too tho LOL
MY #11 TOP TEN KDRAMA FOR 2020: "BAD GUYS: CITY OF EVIL"
(Also known as "Bad Guys: Vile City" / Hangul: 나쁜 녀석들: 악의 도시)
A detective recruits a band of criminals to take down a larger criminal (Read synopsis asianwiki.com), featuring tons of smouldering intensity, short-fuses, gangster-drama, and guilt-tripping heartbreaks and Kdrama-twists enough for me to stay thru the 16 episodes from OCN (Release Date: December 16, 2017 - February 4, 2018), which I binged on, judiciously too! "Redemption" for a f**ked up past, revenge for the turned and corrupted angels, the story insane and intense, as much as a Kdrama can get, IMHO.
...although I have to admit, the massive corridor gang-clashes which admittedly enthralled me in the beginning, started to turn me off with seeing constant "massive gang clashes" again and again, TBH ... but weirdly "satisfying" ... perhaps helped sate my longing for the celluloid triad days of "Young & Dangerous" from Hong Kong
For more clips of the "BAD GUYS" franchise, head to #나쁜녀석들 on youtube.
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