Great watch! Will not disappoint
I'm not someone that likes action that much, nor do I like gore, but this series deserves a good review.Things that especially deserve praise:
First of all, the fighting sequences were top class ? amazingly executed, they'll keep you on edge. You just cannot deny how good those scenes were.
Second, the acting. The main leads were amazing, the bromance between them was very natural. The actor that plays Geonhoo has such delicate expressions, you can see the happiness, fear, anger, passion – everything clearly in his eyes. The other actors were good too.
Things that I personally don't like:
1. Quite a lot of gore. Sometimes it even felt like it was too much for no reason lol like they even showed little things like drawing blood during a blood donation very graphically. And obviously everything else was much worse, I couldn't watch. So yeah very graphic display of blood and injuries, be warned.
2. Since this isn't a favoured genre of mine, I was pretty distracted during most of the discussion scenes. I'm not very good at paying attention to those long serious talks and discussion of plans by the good guys and the bad guys. And there's quite a lot of that in this series so I was often lost on the plot and just let myself figure out what's going on as it went on. I actually thought I wouldn't like this series for that reason, but the story and acting kept me hooked later on.
It's not a series that one would re-watch though, although I can see people rewatching just the fighting scenes haha
Was this review helpful to you?
Bloody brilliant!
A little late to the party, but I'm still glad I watched this drama. For starters, I love action series with a pinch of drama. It was refreshing to see Woo Do Hwan in the role of a boxer who fights for his family and the people he loves. The first series I watched with him was the drama "tempted" or "the great seducer", it depends on how accurate the English translation is. I didn't write a review for that drama because I'm still in doubt whether I liked it or not, but I have to say that I remembered him and his way of acting. In "Bloodhounds" I was really captivated by his innocent look and sensitivity that I had to keep watching. Plus seeing him as a boxer holding his heart in his hands was really emotional and wonderful.The bromance is real! He and Lee Sang Yi were a pairing that I never expected to love so much and I really hope that I will have the chance to see them together again. If not, I can rewatch the drama all over again haha.
As for the story, it’s a typical story of revenge for one's family, which was wronged by a criminal. I'm not saying it's bad, I love such stories and watch them no matter how many times it’s repeated, but here's what really bothered me. I had the impression that the writers helped the criminals more than the good guys. I know that sometimes there is karma and sometimes something happens that you didn't expect, but it really seemed to me that the criminals had everything delivered on their plate, while the good guys struggled until the end.
But all in all, it was an amazing drama that I watched in one day and I'm saddened that it's so short. I would like more!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Goofy & Cute Male leads, Bromance and Beating tons of gangsters at the same time Still like it!
I like it! If you watch it for entertainment then it is perfect BUT it also has lots of plotholes and You can find faults in the story...Like some things are really funny and not practical at all... no one is that clumsy or thoughtless the way they show both of the main characters...
BUT overall if you put practical & logical mind aside, it is one of the good action series.
The casting is good, Both of the main leads, Kim Geon Woo & Hong Woo Jin, Mr. Choi's character, and all the supporting characters did a good job with their acting...
The action scenes were not natural or practical... No matter how good Boxer you are you just can't beat tons of fighters who only kill or beat... It's just not practical... some fight scenes remind me of "My Name" BUT not too much.
One more thing the elders teach the kids how to fight with knives in a day... IN A DAY! LOL... they are boxers, not a robot... come on?
When you know who you fighting, you only defeat two of his man and NOT kill them... and then you just Chill & celebrate instead of planning your next move... WTF You know he is a loan shark, who has people in his pocket and you are just a boxer... ohh come on!?
AND when you are a professional Bloodhound before Lee Doo Young you leave your family photo in that place while your wife is pregnant and Hwang Yang Jung goes to his cafe like a regular Friday.... what do you expect?
I like the main leads friendship the most... They became friends very naturally... The duo has a perfect balance b/w a goofy and cute personality one talks non-stop and the other one listens.
I really really love Woo Do Hwan's character ? His innocent & cute character reminds me of his The King: Eternal Monarch Character Jo Eun-seob.
About Kim Hyeon Joo's character... She was like I will fight for people and all then she just RUN AWAY.. that too when his one and only family get murdered?
In starting they show her as a cold personality who wants what she wants but after Mr. Choi's death. She was like I can't handle it... I'm just a lit girl... I want peace... instead of revenge? That doesn't go with the personality she had before.
Overall it is worth watching once, I like it even tho some things were not practical. it's a fictional story so you can also put that aside.
Was this review helpful to you?
intense & unrelenting
battered and bloody is the heart in Bloodhounds, a truly shocking and grisly crime thriller that never lets up. throats and Achilles tendons are slashed, backs are broken, skin is pierced by knives and arrows, literal salt rubbed into wounds, just an unrelenting display of blood splattered cruelty and violence.but there is still a heart buried underneath so much carnage. this couldn't possibly be a success if not. it would just be male aggression, a bleak tale of predation and power with no hope in sight. but luckily it has two goobers who are also highly skilled boxers just trying to do good.
I would not watch this again!
Was this review helpful to you?
Can’t hardly go higher than 8 but it deserves all acknowledgment
I guess for most part of the series, everything is on point. The plot, the cast, the performances, the music (which people disagreed on). And then at some point it is like we are watching a different season. Not a different series but different season.It was disturbing because we needed that development of characters and all to come to this turning point, even tho I can understand why people and the director would find it unnecessary because… we can imagine it.
But it doesn’t help us to get engaged in the story of our characters anymore. I am not sure if another ending would have been better or if netflix said « well we can’t have a longer season » and they cut it out or if a second whole season woud have been needed.
As well… the ending itself (last 2 mns) are lacking « background storyline »… Fortunately we are only talking about 1 last episode tho which is why we are not giving less than 8 for the plot.
Also what is refreshing is that it is finally a series about brotherhood and only brotherhood. Also, we appreciate a lot the humor which is more subtle than what we usually see on kdramas.
What makes it hardly rewatchable is that we know the end. There is no surprise anymore.
But thanks to the incredible performances and the first plot we enjoyed it a lot.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I watched it for the plot...
While watching you can tell this was made by a film director. The cinematography is great, the fight scenes were awesome, the close up shots on Heo Joon Ho and the cop turned loan shark were fantastic. Now that I've used up all my adjectives, the weakness of this show is the plot. It seems to have a flow for 6 episodes then turns into a new show, almost a season 2 in episode 7 and 8. Understandably it is because they needed to edit around the lead actress, but if you don't know what happened you find a choppy plot.The brotherhood between Woo Do Hwan and Lee Sang Yi was the best part of this series. I found myself wondering why directors haven't used that cute side of Do Hwan up to now. He's this big muscly man who can kill you with such gentleness in his eyes. The first introduction of his character sets the tone for how he acts and thinks towards the whole series. Sang Yi is a bit underused, he's comic relief and a screen partner that brings out Do Hwan's cuteness but we end up knowing nothing about him other than he is really loyal.
Heo Joon Ho and Park Sung Woong bring their A game as always. The former has always scared me since Come and Hug Me and in his one fight scene I thought he would win. Here the director understands that his strength is in his eyes and enhances that with every person he has a scene with. If I was watching PSW for the first time I would have hated him but I've seen him in roles where he's nice so that softened him for me. His ending was a bit anti climatic though but man, I have to hand it to him, he's doing those stunts at 50.
Finally, they really could have done without that chaebol subplot and given more to the boys. The most interesting bit for Gun Woo's development was when he asks if he's really become a bloodhound. The chaebol did nothing but whine and whinge the whole time he was on screen. He didn't deserve a bit of Gun Woo's kindness, and that while charity bit at the end was laughable.
TL;DR This show had potential but it drops the ball in the last stretch
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Wonderful!
Wonderful! This series is amazing! The fight scenes are incredible, I was always very excited and anxious in those scenes. After that crazy closing, hyeon ju left suddenly, I confess that I found that annoying. She had a friendship with the boys, it was okay that she was going through a difficult time, but she was too sensitive, she simply left Geonwoo in the hospital alone, desperate and shaken, I found it completely unnecessary on her part. I felt so sorry for Geonwoo in the hospital alone, oh man, I was almost crying with the poor guy! The scene where he cried in front of the nurse and begged her to take another bag of blood to save Woojin; it was too much for me! I CRIED, I REALLY CRIED! Anyway, it's impossible not to like this series, I confess that the ending could have been better, it could have shown a little more about the boys' lives after all that war! I, like the others, really fell in love with these characters. Mainly for geonwoo, because besides being hot, having a bad boy look, he's a F-O-F-O!! He's such a baby, who gave me a Geonwoo in my life?Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
The Story Pulls You In But...
The story of a boxer who's mom gets scammed by a big company and is left with a permeant scare ya know at first i was iffy but after the first or second episode i immediately got dragged in and absolute loved it if you are a fan of boxing or mma or even hand to hand combat this is definitely your show full of amazing story build and character development and anticipation that keeps you from leaving this show is really amazing!Now let me get to one thing i didn't like about this show, The fact that all the killing happened on the good guys side i mean hell man they lost Tae Ho and Yang Jung who were definitely sad deaths for sure but with the death of Doo Young I Felt Utter Sadness and Disappointment the reason for my disappointment lies in the fact that Geon Woo and Yoo Jin dont kill anyone for example when they had in beom down in the bookstore they should have finished him off i know it was about keeping the boxers heart but by them leaving him alive gave to many opportunity for him to come back and there is no such thing is boxers heart when someone hurts your momma so ultimately the deaths were caused by the main charcters own self pride and sustainability but caused a father to die in front of his wife to me its just not logical to have had In Beom Get beaten than left then beaten then left then beaten again i mean really just not logical.
Other Than That It Was Defintly A Good Watch Not Gonna Rewatch But a Good Inital Watch!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Socar pneu
No segundo episódio quase dropei, achei as cenas de tortura um pouco pesadas para os parâmetros que eu tinha de outros Doramas mas, depois consegui ver tudo e apreciar a história sem me prender tanto a violência em si.A amizade dos dois principais é muito bonita, eles superam muita coisa juntos e são grande apoio um para o outro!
Claro que as cenas do treino deles foram um grande chamariz né, aquele tal de "conteúdo" que toda dorameira procura e parece só existir nas telinhas... Recomendo! ?
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Friendship Goals
I love fighting and car chases in shows and this drama is no exception, the scenes were so exciting especially the training montage in episode 5.I love the bromance between Gun Woo and Woo Jin, they always have eachothers back and would die for eachother, god I want this friendship.
Episode 6 had no chill I wasn't able to grief anyone's death. Doo Young and Yang Jung could have overthrown them but they were caught off guard, I expected Mr Choi to die since he is old but damn not that brutal. I knew something bad was going to happen when Doo Young announced he was going to be a father and the wholesome drinking montage.
I understand the actress career is basically dead after the DUI but I really liked her character in the show sure she was annoying at the start but the more she was around the more likeable she was.
I feel like after episode 6 it was a bit of a drag, a new grandfather and granddaughter duo that no offence wasn't really necessary it was alright but they could have introduced the granddaughter earlier, I kind of shipped Woo Jin with Mr Oh's granddaughter but then again they could be more like siblings.
I feel like it should have more of a build up for the downfall of Myeong Gil it was very rushed. I wanted Myeong Gil to suffer.
I was so confused during one of the scenes in episode 8 when the guy got poisoned, the stabbing and the girl that got hit with a truck (which was an utterly jumpscare XD).
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
One of the best action and revenge drama of the year.
I'm more than familiar with Woo Do Hwan as an actor, he's the one who made me check out this series and I don't regret it.I would like to say that a lot of k-dramas tends to fall too much into the cheesy cliché when it comes to good people supporting each other to accomplish a goal/revenge (example Mad Dog, Taxi Driver S2), the interactions just become superficial and predictable, good storyline is replaced by humour.
Here, the series had the perfect balance between emotion, action and intensity with humor and the relationships between the characters.
Woo Do Hwan here is showing how much he is one of the most promising young actors in South Korea, his acting of a good kid wanting to protect his loved ones was embodied perfectly, we really feel for him. But I have to say, it wouldn't have been the same without Lee Sang Yi completing him. The two have shown us a very strong friendship, which goes beyond social expectations and is based entirely on the instant friendship and familiar feeling they got toward each other since they've met. Their moments of support have been truly admirable. Woo Do Hwan making us feel like he needed Lee Sang Yi, his hyung. They supported each other until the end.
Park Sung Woong was a perfect antagonist, just the right amount of annoyance, complexity and substance. A real psychopath.
As for Kim Sae Ron, I was surprised when she abruptly left the show after Lee Sang Yi's life was in the balance, without really saying goodbye, but I guess it make sense for her to fulfill her grandfather's wish by going in Italy, I would have hoped for it to be written better.
Speaking of writing, the script is just awesome, it's simple but intense, the fighting choreographies are very realistic, I felt really engaged in the story. And for once the police are quite effective and the nepo kid is likeable. So what more could you ask for ?
I just hope to see Woo Do Hwan and Lee Sang Yi on the same screen one day, they have great chemistry.
I recommend this series without hesitation.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
NO GUNS, ONLY BOXING JABS
This lesson is for people not to borrow money from the loan-sharks. full packed action, great fighting skills, amazing collaboration between actors, and good plots. Geon-Woon (Woo Do-Hwan) was capable to punch men right on the face, a kind-heart amateur boxer fought against Woo-Jin in local ring, the two bonded together with a benevolent moneylender to take down a ruthless loan shark who preys on the financially desperate people. Story began when Geon Woon's pitiful mom borrowed money from a loan-shark and got attack because she couldn't pay back the money she borrowed, in order to save her Geon Woon need to get money to pay them back, with the help of Woo-Jin's connection he got a job as a bodyguard with 2 years advance pay to paid off mom's debt. His job was to watch over his employer's grand daughter that has been watching the operation of syndicate thief as they used it to taking loans using homeless men's ID.Apparently the operation connected to bigger scale of loan sharks. People they care died as they saw it to find justice for them. Don't see gun use in the drama, lots of hit punch jabs, which is awesome. Woo Do-Hwan built as tough as a boxer but his bright smiles proved his naive character, innocent young men who would fight to powerful loan-shark just because.
Skills and fight were real.
Was this review helpful to you?