Spy (2015)

Spy is really boring. The entire drama is a build up to anticlimactic finale. The story has a great premise and sometimes I was really curious as to what was going to happen next, but for the most part I felt like I was just waiting for something to happen, Anything to happen. It went around in circles...Who has the hard drive? Who will get the hard drive? Who is going to betray who next? If it weren't for the characters and the actors portraying those characters then this entire drama would be a flop. I have watched dramas that are character driven, but I don't believe that was this writers intentions. Maybe if there had been more action during the drama then it would have been better. Anyway, I thought the actual directing and gritty feel to the drama was well done, but not enough to make this drama interesting.

All the actors did a really good job and I will admit that for the most part the dialog was good. The stand outs though are Yoo Oh Sung as Hwang Ki Chul the bad ass spy from North Korea that had no problem doing whatever is necessary to get what he wanted, He is an excellent actor. Bae Jong Ok was also brilliant as Hye Rim. She portrayed this strong character really well. I think I enjoyed her character the most. Then there is Kim Jae Joong as Seon Woo. He really is getting better with each drama that he takes on. His character was smart and fun to watch.

I like the music in this drama fine.

I won't rewatch this.

I don't necessarily recommend this drama, but it isn't a waste of time.

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OVERALL
Watch if you feel like action and don’t have anything else in mind to watch. Do not watch after an awesome drama (eg. Healer); it will make it all worse.

THE STORY
Usually, taking a few days after the end of a drama before writing a review is a good thing. Gives me time to reflect on it and miss it too, so I can write more positive things about it. This time though, I can’t say it helps the drama at all. Spy had a forgettable storyline while I was watching, and now five days after I’m done, it has a forgotten storyline.

The premise of the drama was promising, but the script was quite lacking. The characters had no spike and no development, the romance was bland and half-way through the drama got completely overlooked, and the action/thriller was watered down by the characters’ behavior, which was ambiguous or didn’t quite make sense. Even when it did make sense, because everyone (or actually, mostly the “good” ones) had no character and seemed so powerless and senseless against all their challenges, simply reacting to things and never actively taking control of a situation, it still felt like something was missing.

In short, Spy was a disappointment. On a positive note though, the drama is totally watchable, effortlessly, from beginning to end. But in a don’t-really-care-what-happens-just-watching-to-have-something-to-do type of way. It’s not bad, but it’s one of those dramas you spend the whole time thinking it could have been much more.

THE ACTING
And that is where the drama infuriates me. With such a good cast, I don’t know why they had to go and ruin it with poor writing. Spy girl aside (I don’t know Go Sung Hee), Jaejoong is not a bad actor, and Bae Jong Ok and Yoo Oh Sung are veterans I personally love. Go Sung Hee and Jaejoong had some kind of chemistry going on too. Ugh. Really.

THE MUSIC
No comment.

REWATCHABLE VALUE
Not a priority at all, but like I said, it is an effortless watch so maybe one of these days I’ll give it another go.

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