[Genre: action, romance, suspense]
{Korean}
I finished watching City Hunter and I loved it! I was hooked from the beginning. I really love it when a drama can get my interest instantly. This action drama deals with many themes, such as betrayal, revenge, justice, truth, and love.
Usually when you think of betrayal, you imagine a close friend or family member betraying you. But, City Hunter handles a different type of betrayal. The betrayal of your own country. Jin Pyo (Kim Sang Jung) was the only survivor of the “Wipeout Mission” that was supposed to kill the 21 special agents for the sake of hiding a government secret. Apparently the five high ranking government officials who made this decision had never heard of the adage “the truth always comes out.”
Jin Pyo was not only betrayed by his own country, but he also had to watch his best friend die protecting him. I can only imagine the pain, anger, and confusion he must have felt. Can you really blame him for having a lust for revenge?
Jin Pyo steals his best friend's baby boy and trains him hard to become a fighter. Despite Lee Yoon Sung's harsh upbringing, he is a caring and playful man who can't stand by while someone is being wronged. Even in the Golden Triangle, where Jin Pyo raised him, he saved a stranger's life. This stranger was Bae Sik Joong. Sik Joong is allowed to stay with Yoon Sung as long as he works as a cook.
This drama also presents two different types of revenge: blood shed and no blood shed. I believe that Yoon Sung's form of revenge is acceptable, because he exposed crimes that the politicians committed. Jin Pyo's idea of revenge, on the other hand, is unacceptable, because it involves murder.
I was very impressed with Lee Min Ho's acting, as were many others. I don't feel like any other actor could have portrayed Yoon Sung better than him. You can tell that he put a lot of effort into understanding his character and expressing the emotions properly and at the right times. I was also impressed with Lee Min Ho, because he performed most of the action scenes. He was even injured during the filming of City Hunter and still insisted on not using a stunt double. I admire his dedication, but I hope he realizes to not push himself too much. I would hate to see him seriously hurt himself.
Lee Min Ho's Car Accident
Lee Min Ho Continues Filming Despite Shoulder Injury
Lee Min Ho Interview Part 1
Lee Min Ho Interview Part 2
Lee Min Ho wasn't the only good actor, though! Kim Sang Jung was also great. Throughout the drama I would have mixed feelings of like and dislike for him. I was even worried about him being capable of killing Yoon Sung. I could tell that Yoon Sung wouldn't kill Jin Pyo, but I wasn't so positive about Jin Pyo. I felt like he truly loved his son, but I also think his lust for revenge was so strong it could overwhelm those feelings. Jin Pyo's face expressions were slight, but you could tell in multiple scenes by that small change that he did care about his son.
Spoiler
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I cried when Jin Pyo died, because I felt so bad for him. He was the most tragic character in City Hunter. I would have liked it if he lived, but he would have ended up in jail. In a way, I feel like it was fitting for him to die. From this scene where he confesses to everything to clear his son's name, I no longer have a single doubt in my mind that he truly loved Yoon Sung. I feel like that was his gift to him. He knew that Yoon Sung wanted to live a normal, happy life with the people he loves.
Another thing that made this korean drama good was the plot. There were many twists in City Hunter and it wasn't predictable. I absolutely love it when a drama can surprise me. The plot also seemed well thought out. The only part I didn't like was the ending.
Spoiler Warning
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I didn't like the ending, because you're left unsure of whether or not Kim Na Na and Lee Yoon Sung are together or not. I would have been happier if they hugged each other at the airport, but they kept their distance and merely smiled. It makes little sense. Then it makes even less sense when they show Lee Yoon Sung driving at night alone. Honestly, I didn't even realize the car scene was part of the ending; I thought it was part of the recap. I also wanted to see what would happen with Yoon Sung and the President. I am very disappointed with the ending, especially since every episode was so amazing. The ending completely flopped in my opinion. I really think there could have been a better ending.
As for the City Hunter OST, I enjoyed it much more than the Secret Garden OST. The songs I liked in particular were Sad Run, Middle Point Symphony, It's Alright, So Goodbye, Suddenly, and Red Water.
Overall, I think City Hunter was a really good drama and I plan on watching it again in the future.
If you want to purchase some City Hunter merchandise, check out my Squidoo Lens on City Hunter. I will be adding more things to it later, but so far I have some Lee Min Ho posters and calendars.
Note: If you are posting a comment with a spoiler please give a warning beforehand.
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