Bloodhounds (2023)

Did some things better than any other series.

Great cast, great plot, great acting, great pace, great wrap-up. A very complete package of everything. Nothing really missed for me. The action sequences were class. The relationships and network were inspiring.
Among the things that this series did better I would like to mention my personal favourite -
1. Car chase : Honestly I have watched many kdramas that have these gangs and gangsters, but it's always hand on hand combat and/or weapons. But a car chase is very rare and the one in this series has been done greatly compared to the korean average.
2. Action sequences : Nobody pulled there punches. It sure looks like it. The different weapons and techniques are amazing to watch.
3. Backstory : This wasn't overdone with MSG that somebody killed somebody's someone so the son or daughter of that person plots revenge. The background of the story is very tangible in this drama.
A very few misses that won't be annoying -
1. Some characters you'd like to know about what happened to them or so was not really explored. But it's fine as long as you're not much invested and how can you be considering it's just 8 episodes.
2. More brawns than brain. Could be a turn off for some or could be just the thing for others.
All in all as i already said, it is very complete.

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Action, pizzazz, bromance and a whole lotta stupidity.

As far as entertainment value is concerned, Bloodhounds does have a lot of it. The drama is full of hot oppas kicking ass and a wholesome bromance between Woo Do Hwan and Lee Sang Yi- who give you both Men in black and dumb and dumber energy at the same time.

WDH shines with his Alpha bunny presence and owns the role. The action scenes are snazzy, the comedy is great, it has a lot of interesting characters, the villain is charismatic, the friendship theme is at an all time high and it’s a very addictive and watchable bite sized show.

That said, the writing is painfully stupid. Like it’s just really fucking bad. The characters do such mindlessly idiotic shit just for the sake of conflict that you can’t take this seriously at all. It’s just 8 episodes of plot holes, meaningless deaths and 0.0001% common sense.

It’s junk food without substance and nothing too deep. However, it did bring me outta a super long slump and I did have fun watching it which is why I am not giving it a 4- which is where I think the writing’s at.

Cause what they are trying to sell you is essentially that a killer who is more or less the underground mafia who has killed samurais, hardened criminals, professional killers, gangsters and has the country’s richest and powerful in the palm of his hand can only be defeated by two goofy millennials who are still wet behind the ears and know how to throw a punch…

It’s hard to buy the BS, you feel me?

Anyway, overall a nice time pass and good for some swoons and giggles.

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Disappointment

It started out well - the concept of two boxers being bodyguards to a "good loan shark" is an interesting premise.
Sadly, characters who are normally / introduced as extremely smart, experienced, lethal etc. end up dumb or useless/powerless whenever the plot needs them to be.

An expert assassin not only doesn't do his job well (guy survives) but also gets jumped and overpowered by 2 guys.
An feared hitman gets sh*tfaced drunk, leaves his ID, wives photo and info in his office after he just dealt a heavy blow to an evil organization who he KNOWS know him. So bad guys do what? You can guess.
The heroes decide to get drunk and relax because... they took out two important guys from a wide net of evil villains? Villains who know their full names, specialities, addresses...? And they don't all hide in a safe house, no, they all just go on to work, private homes, drive out.

I could go on, especially with just how much this drama demands you suspend all logic and critical thinking for you to enjoy it.

The bromance between Gun Woo & Woo Jin was definitely a highlight.
The comraderie between the 'knifers' I loved as well but since there isn't any of it past a certain episode, most of the crumbs of joy i had from watching this show just went up in flames.

The overall acting and music was good, but the plot is weak and it has no rewatch value imo. A shame, because I was hyped for the show and excited to watch it.

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Disappointed

I actually didn't even want to write a review for this, but I do have some thoughts...

- the good -

> the bromance: I really liked the relationship between Woo Jin (WJ) and Geon Woo (GW), they didn't need much to become closer than brothers, their relationship was ride or die and I loved to see their bromance. Together, they were invincible and I loved their bond. Geon Woo was such a sweety and softie, meanwhile Woo Jin was a himbo, I just loved them both a lot.

> the action: man, those fight scenes left me speechless, they were NERVE wrecking and insane. I quite liked the choreography for the action scenes, and I don't care how realistic or unrealistic (re: Woo Jin getting stabbed several times and nearly dying in ep. 6/7) they were. I also loved Hyeon Joo's fighting scenes, it's a bummer Kim Sae Ron got involved in a DUI.... I also loved Da Min and her archery, that was cool even if we only got to see a little bit since she was brought in at the very end of the show


- the bad -

> Geon Woo's mom: this woman has no survival instinct whatsoever. The fact that she just took out that loan (knowing full well that her son has been working his butt off since middle school to help pay off their debts) without researching the people who offered it to her in the first place, just annoyed me. It got worse when the bad guys broke into her apartment and she thought it was GW. She really went to close her bedroom door, sensing that something was wrong, without a weapon. She could have taken the lamp on her bed stand or anything, but no. It's like she was asking them to abduct her.

> the tone of episode 7/8 and Hyeon Joo's departure: Since Kim Sae Ron (KSR) got into the DUI, she was written out of the show and as compensation we got Da Min (I think). It's understandable that the writers didn't have much time to change the script since most of the show had been filmed already. Hyeon Joo leaving the boys after President Choi's death just simply doesn't make sense. Her character was cool, stubborn and unafraid to fight. Despite the heartbreak of losing her only family, I believe she would have taken her revenge together with the boys if it wasn't for KSR scandal. The departure just feels out of character, but the writers did what they could. I also thought the tone of ep. 7/8 was very different from the previous episodes. For instance, I did not like nor understand the apparent time jump. Suddenly the boys are training and hiding in the countryside and I'm just wondering how much time has passed since Woo Jin's surgery and recovery for him to be exercising like that.... But okay. Also, GW suddenly had a different hairstyle that did not match his personality, the different styling was just a little surprising, is all.

> the DEATHS...: I was so PISSED off after episode 6 because all my good guys got killed. President Choi, my sushi restaurant guy and the knifer who was about to be a dad (and his pregnant wife as it seems). It all happened in the span of 10-15 minutes and by the end of the episode, I was so mad. It did not get better once WJ and GW collaborated with Min Beom and Kang Yong since Kang Yong and his team were almost killed as well. He and his male colleague survived, but the hacker lady was in a coma and we don't get any closure at the end of the show.... does she wake up or does she die or....??? When these three got attacked, I just got mad because none of the bad guys got any serious injury beside punches and stuff. I wanted to see Myung Gil (MG) and In Beom 12 feet under for what they did but... they just got a massive beating and will serve jail time... that's it??? Like, none of the bad guys died, but my boys lost almost all of their mates?????

> the villains and their.... research??: I thought it weird how MG and his minions didn't do a proper background check. You mean to tell me you backstabbed your former boss (President Choi) and let your bestie In Beom throw him out a building, only for said boss to disappear, which would insinuate he survived or got saved by somebody, and you DIDN'T keep tabs on him after all these years? They find out that the bookstore is President Choi's but they don't bother to look into his personal business, like his assets, or people he's linked to (even if the bookstore or any property wasn't under his name)???? What kind of villains are you? Not even staying up to date with your enemies lmao.

Overall, the show was a bit of a disappointment, I would have like for the bad guys to kick the bucket instead of rotting in a prison cell, and the last scene just left me ????. It felt underwhelming to me I don't know. The actors were great though!

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Great bromance, gripping, high-intensity action, but brutally violent

Bloodhounds is an effortless binge despite the relentless violence and absolutely ferocious fights (of which there are many). With breathtaking build-ups, ridiculous, tension-filled cliffhangers, superb pacing, and tightly choreographed fight scenes and brawls (does it matter that they’re probably also unrealistic?), getting sucked into this drama and leaving some logic at the door is easy.

Bloodhounds is a fairly straightforward story set during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, near the end of 2020 into 2021. Vulnerable families and small businesses in Seoul are struggling financially and turning to predatory loan sharks in desperation. The drama is a classic David and Goliath-type tale about two very talented boxing nobodies seeking justice and revenge as they attempt to bring down the most powerful, vicious, and ruthless of loan sharks.

The series likely won't leave you in a show-hole, but you'll be on the edge of your seat the entire time, heart thumping madly, and rooting for Gun-woo, Woo-jin, and the rest of the team. Chase scenes, for example, often bore me, but the ones in Bloodhounds were among the most thrilling, adrenaline-filled, suspenseful aspects of the series.

Woo Do-hwan continues to demonstrate his acting versatiity. His characters in The King: Eternal Monarch and Joseon Attorney: A Morality really showcased his dramatic range; here, Gun-woo is much more low-key, requiring a more nuanced and subtle portrayal, like the one Woo gave in Save Me. The greatest highlight of the drama, however, is the close friendship between Gun-woo and Woo-jin. One-time rivals in the ring, their contrasting personalities complement each other perfectly and their chemistry is immediate.

The drama is obviously not without its weak spots. The story is not especially complex or deep, and the characters, while compelling, could be more richly developed, especially some of the side characters — I wanted to know more about Mr. Choi, the Knifers, and Mr. Oh. I also wanted to know more about Woo-jin. The unfortunate consequences of Kim Sae Ron's DUI, can be felt towards the end of the series as well. And I wanted just a little more from the ending too. Despite its deficits, Bloodhounds is a solid watch from start to finish -- if you don’t over think the details and can stomach the brutal violence.

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Writing takes a nosedive after episode 6

Wow. Kim Sae Ron's DUI truly destroyed the momentum the show had built up and they did NOT stick the landing. What started off as simple, yet focused, story meandered into a laughable mess. Bringing in Siwon to serve a major role in the climax was a huge mistake. His presence earlier on the story did not warrant the role he played later on. And the other female character? The definition of deus ex machina. The production should have just bit the bullet and kept Kim Sae Ron for the last two episodes. Her role was just too significant to have been written out in that manner, and it didn't align with her character's values to fuck off to the Rome.

The cast and action sequences are really what made the drama stand out. The writing was, initially, much better than your usual K-Drama fare and didn't rely on any of the tired tropes we see in crime-thriller K-Dramas. It felt more cinematic in its nature. But the characters behaved so stupid, at times, that it just felt silly. Hyeon-ju, Gun-woo, and Woo-jin making bad decisions wasn't nearly as bad as seeing President Choi and his knifers make such obvious blunders. Those two knifers had death flags the minute they appeared on screen, but I wish their deaths hadn't been so stupid. You're a VETERAN in the business yet you're not covering your tracks when going against a HUGE gang? Dumb. The ending just emphasised everything that was wrong with the writing prior to the concluding episodes.

Should have been a BL btw. Gay subtext was crazy lol.

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Action packed hit

Watched this primarily for Woo Do Hwan since its announcement but the delay of release now made sense because of Kim Saeron's scandal in 2022. Before getting into the short review, honestly have to say I hope she can make a comeback because her role in this showed immense growth since seeing her in High School Love On. Controversial opinion, but there you have it.

The drama is far more violent, explicit, bloody and gruesome than anticipated going in, that I felt it should've been rated R. Viewer discretion is advised. Regardless I enjoyed it immensely. Great action sequences, insanely epic fight scenes that got me on edge and fearful at the same time. I loved the minute details regarding the fight from Ep1 in comparison to the one in Ep8, where the dynamics have changed between villain and protagonist.

Woo do Hwan delivered in his excellent performance yet again as Gun Woo and immediately earns sympathy from the viewer. His chemistry with Lee Sang Yi leaps off the screen. I haven't seen a bromance in a while and honestly, it gets better with every episode. Park Sung Woong who played Myunggil was really, really superb and have your blood boil from his actions.

From the scandal, the director had to make the call to rewrite scenes whilst they were in midst of filming, and it's very evident what's been done to accommodate KSR's reduction of screen time. It makes me wonder what the drama was supposed to have been if this scandal never happened because her character was significant very early on in the episodes, and her relation to the main characters was one of the highlights of this drama before it literally fell apart.

I have a strong sense that the archer was never supposed to be there, and it was always meant to be the three of them - Gun Woo, Woojin, and Hyunjoo - since their bond was sealed in the first half of the drama. Despite the great teamwork with the archer, it felt forced that this new character essentially replaced Hyunjoo. After the tragedy in Ep6, it was used a leverage to cut down KSR's scenes by making her "leave" to Rome. There was absolutely no logic to this and she should've been hell bent for revenge (far more, in fact) than Gun Woo and Woojin (whose emotions were reasonable and consistent) and stayed with them for Ep7-8 for the epic and cathartic finale.

Honestly because of the unspoken changes, the effect of last few episodes somewhat dampened the drama as a result and felt very abrupt. They did their best, but Bloodhounds definitely could have been much better especially from episode 6-8. It's not terrible exactly, but you have a sense of what might have been planned beforehand. I don't see the possibility f a S2, nor there is a need of it. Worth watching if you like action dramas, but it had great potential.

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good start, good visuals, mediocre plot, unrealistic fight scenes

-this one started out promising. I was impressed by the boxing scenes in the first episode which were (both, the training scenens and the actual tournament scenes) rather realistic and well done. I was hoping the drama would stick to the idea of keeping the fight scenes realistic to some degree. Sadly that was not the case. The further the drama progressed, the worse the rather elongated fight scenes got.
Let me put it like this: yes, a real boxer can take a certain amount of rather strong blows to the head and take it. But also this is limited. Someone who is particularly not a professional boxer, like the main villain Kim Myeong-Gil for example? It is rather ridiculous that he gets full force blows to the head coming from a professional boxer about 20 times in a row, and he just gets up and hits back and even runs away. Plus the villain is in his 50s. Someone not used to these blows and that age? Gets one, maybe two strong blows and is knocked out cold - or actually dead.

- similar unrealistic scenes sadly with one of the main characters - Hong Woo-Jin. In the really brutal attack he suffers in the middle of the drama? He is beaten, he has a severe heavily bleeding wound (or several) in his abdomen, stomach etc. , he is left there in a burning building with heavy smoke he inhaled given he was still breathing. He would have been dead there. He gets to a hospital nonetheless, again is bleeding so heavily no one could survive it, - and survives. And even more unrealistic is that someone who had suffered these severe, extremely damaging injuries, can get as flexible, fit and strong again as shown later. Even if, by a total miracle, he would have survived these catastrophic injuries he would not have been able to stand multiple super strong opponents fights like shown afterwards. In fact, if he really had survived he could have been happy if he after a longer while would have been able to walk straight, to go to the loo normaly, to use the parts of his body (muslces, tendons etc.) that were actually crashed and destroyed to a decent degree. Never would he have been able to train like a bodybuilding maniac with full power and flexibility.
(and to add that too: none of both main characters would have any teeth left, neither their small, straight beautiful noses. Their faces would have visible and lasting heavy damage, Woo Do-hwan's character already after the extreme face headbutt he receieved from that troll guy in the beginning. If happened as shown, all teeth would be broken out, nose would be broken)

- the plot started out ok, showing the mean business of loan sharks and how they terrorize people which actually really happens in South Korea. It later got a bit confusing as to why certain things happen or don't happen, which was gilded with even more rather violent action scenens and fights. I have to mentione 'my name' once again, which had heavy fight scenes as well, but they were comparably brilliant, stayed at least realistic to some degree most of the time and didn't need to be so excessive to overshadow weaknesses in the plot as there, the plot was strong and intelligent.

-Woo Do-hwans character Kim Gun-Woo...oh well, someone who has witnessed the sheer evil of what happened to his mother, then to the granddad and his then best friend? Someone like that is not still like a naive puppy most of the time, it doesn't really make sense to me. f you have seen such things, survived them and decided to take up the fight against highest organised crime,you simply can't be like a 5-year-old good boy most of the time, it wouldn't work.

- I personally didn't feel any real chemistry between the characters, especially the girl, Kim Hyeon-Ju, seemed strangely artificial and 'created' to me.

I was waiting for this drama eagerly as I really liked Woo Do-Hwan in 'the king, eternal monarch'. In 'bloodhounds' now he got an impressive body for the drama, and it's obvious he had real boxing training. Sadly I didn't feel his character was real, due to the rather mediocre plot, and rather artificial connection between all the characters.

-I also thought it was just too much violence at some points hiding the weak plot, - all in all, it couldn't convince me, I didn't like the whole 'mood' in the drama and wouldn't feel like watching it again.

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finished it in one sitting…

woo do hwan pulled a woo do hwan card again! he came back with a completely different look this time. a big boy with soft eyes. i swear most of the time he was on screen he took my breath away. that being said, i reAaaally liked lee sang yi, first time i saw him was on hometown cha cha cha, i will definitely keep an eye on his next projects after this outstanding perfomance.

about the story and the relationships… fucking lived for the bromance and found family plot, its like the writers knew what i expected from this project and they just served it to me on a golden plate. this did not need romance and im sooooo glad they did not include one just for the sake of it.

im waiting for a s2 just so i can see more of our facorite marine duo… but if we dont get a s2 im still really satified with how this season ended. great job !

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Very promising at first

As I'm reading other reviews, I'm realizing we all kind of had the same off moments.

I don't want to repeat what has already been said but this drama truly had some great potential at first.
The bromance is very nice, the highlight of the show. WDH showed everyone some heart in all he did which was very inspiring, yet unrealistic at some point. The fighting scenes were very impressive even though I can't tell how normal it can be: 2-3 men taking on 30 men. Also episode 4, the car chase was literally so good. That truly got me shivering. Let's not forget the effects creating the wounded bodies, the blood and everything else. Such a good job!

Indeed there were many plot holes. So they were fighting this really bad guy but they also did not add to their security or safety after having attacked the bad guy. Instead they just went back to their normal day and routines and that was really off.
The first 6 episodes built the whole history while the last two were just a bad speeded wrap up. Some things felt forced just to end the show. Tbh I thought there was gonna be a 2nd season, considering how good they were trying to built the story at first.
They had the chance to bring Kim Hyeon Joo back for the final attack, but instead they added Oh Da Min to the fighting team. The moment she heard about her grandpa being kidnapped, there wasn't a single emotion expressed through her face.

To sum this up, this drama made me experience some very strong emotions; it had the power to captivate me and make me binge watch 6 episodes in just a day. It's a solid 8 I would say. You can totally give it a go. You'll get some good visuals of Kim Geon Woo :p

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An exciting and moving experience to watch

I really liked this show! It was so very emotional and sometimes difficult to watch becuase of all that happens... but it was really well done and full of heart.

The two main characters are pure, hard-working, strong-willed, and human in every way. The casting was just perfect. The bad guys are really scary and intimidating while the good guys are heroic, have surpassed loss and challenges, and can stand up for people who aren't able to do it themselves.

Although this is not the kind of genre I normally watch, I was enthralled by the casting and wanted to check it out...it was definitely worth it and I fininshed it very quickly. Shows that are deep, human, emotional, and end in triumph are some of my favorites.

I really appreciate the production quality, the cool soundtrack, and the chemistry each cast member had with each other. The reason that I may not re-watch it, at least any time soon, is because it was just really emotionally taxing, so be prepared to cry. Don't worry, it has a good ending.

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