Gritty action, frustrating story.
I really enjoyed the fighting scenes and bromance in this drama, but unfortunately that wasn't enough to make up for the drama's faults.My biggest gripe is just the writing/story, specifically with regards to how the actions of some of the characters were written and how some scenes played out. I feel like in each episode, there was always at least one mistake a character made that, on one hand, you could realistically drum it up to being an honest to God mistake, but on the other hand, you can just tell the mistake was purposesly written in order for the bad guys to get yet another one-up on them and for the plot to move along.
It's just frustrating to watch as a viewer, because based on what we have come to know about each character, their background, strengths, fighting specialisties, etc., we would expect things to play out a certain type of way, and when they don't it just seems like a disservice to the character.
In summary, I just felt like the bad guys were given plot armour 99% of the time while the good guys had to suffer the most and it was frustrating to watch.
Aside from the plot frustrations, everything else was good. All actors did a great job, even Saeron, and I loved the bromance and fighting as well.
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not sure how much more time I need to move on from this show!!!
i have to admit the first 3 episodes had me wondering what all the fuss was about, but then things started happening in a pace I couldn't move an inch. the journey from 4th episode to the 6th were a total cliffhanger! the plot was quite interesting and the fight scenes excited me to the utmost, but what was more to these 3 episodes for me that stood above all was the characters and how deep i had fallen in love with most of the characters before I'd realized(which im gonna cherish forever!). even the evil characters got me passionate tp know more about them.however im afraid to say the 2 last episodes weren't as much as i had hoped for; especially the last. the ending makes quite sense but it felt to me like it was apart from the pace the previous episodes used to go by. i mean things hadn't gone so easy in the last 6 episodes to be flowing smoothly then in the 8th episodes, that's what im talking about.
all in all, I've recommend the show to all my friends and i already can't wait for the 2nd season.
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This review may contain spoilers
Packed with action, bromance, and thrill!
I absolutely devoured this show! It was heart-racing level of good! Full of adrenaline! Small spoilers towards the end.Geon Woo meets Woo Jin as rivals in a boxing match but they quickly become friends. Geon Woo's mother falls for a loan scam and thus starts the journey of both men trying to take on a dangerous group of men.
The bromance is impeccable and fun with a bit of jokes thrown in here and there. It reminded me a bit of Midnight Runners. Though Bloodhounds has a lot of violence and blood and a bit of torture. I had to speed up some of those parts but mostly I was filled with an adrenaline rush as the show went on.
Episode 6 made me anxious and I was sweating. So be prepared for that. It's not a very easy watch.
There is no romance in this series. It's pure grit and testosterone. But they didn't forget to add some badass females. I was delighted by them not simply depicting women as helpless or eye-candy. Nope. You'll love them!
I only have two small issues but it's not something that would make me like this show any less.
SPOILER
- Why did they (writers) send Hyeon Joo away? I was so ready for her to be there at the end.
- The ease with which Kim Myung Gil kills the deadliest killers felt a bit of a stretch. Especially since he says he was scared of them.
SPOILER FREE
This series deserves at least a one time watch. Especially if you saw Woo Do Hwan in Joseon Attorney, then watch him in this different avatar in Bloodhounds. He is spectacular!
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This review may contain spoilers
This show hides a mediocre plot behind excessive violence, good visuals, and a star packed cast. A short drama that does not take you long to get through but also requires you to suspend belief to enjoy. Most of what this drama does right is the comedic timing and entertaining bromance between the leads. The action sequences were mostly choreographed to perfection with no one pulling their punches and the interactions, while brutal, felt organic for the most part. If you enjoy action packed stories that are heavy with violence and characters that defy the odds then this would definitely be for you. Not a horrible watch by any means but also lacks logic in the plot execution. While the first episode introduces you to fairly naive and good hearted boxers that accidentally find themselves trapped in a fight with an underground mafia boss the story misses any true character growth or believability by the end.
First the bromance felt very insta-love to me. These boys meet once and all of a sudden are completely inseparable and share a bond that feels forced in the beginning. As a viewer I quickly adapted to the relationship and enjoyed it going further but the show would have benefited from offering a more concrete growth in the friendship through time. I mean they meet and the following day Geon Woo ends up in a fight with the corrupt loan sharks that targeted his mother and Woo Jin backs him up wholeheartedly immediately upon finding out. Now I know Woo Jin is kind-hearted and it is plausible to try to help a new friend find the money he needed but the script made the connection feel deeper too quickly. Geon Woo being a naive puppy dog the entire series was also a little off putting. His good intentions were endearing in the beginning but by the latter half of the show it does not make sense that all the mindless killing wouldn't have changed him or at least bolstered his confidence making him a little more dominant.
Then you have Hyeon Joo whom with her brings a better understanding of the overall situation but her tough as nails character misses the mark at times. Knowing that about her however ended up being a bad thing because it did not make sense for her character to make the exit she did after the only person she loved was brutally murdered. Her replacement Da Min was much more palatable but lacked any gravity to her character because she was just thrown in to make up for writing off Hyeon Joo.
The action sequences also began to lose their spark. It began to feel repetitive where the bad guys would just send in more and more men and the good guys would just miraculously survive no matter how many they were facing. While highly entertaining to watch it wasn't believable that they could continuously go up against 20-40 men against the two of them and act like they were fine the next day. I could believe they won but not that they came out of the fights with nothing but a couple cuts and bruises. Episode 6 was also incredibly idiotic. To watch veterans to crime circles make decisions that put themselves in danger made absolutely no sense. There is no way that veteran killers would just get drunk on the night of a major event, leave personal information that would lead to their wherabouts out in the open knowing they would be hunted, and then to also be taken down by one or two men when they had previously proven their prowess against a dozen. None of it made sense and all of it happened so fast that it just pissed off the viewer.
This show's charismatic male leads can't save it from the continuous plot holes, unsatisfactory ending, and overall sense of incompleteness.
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SO GOOD
Man I didn’t know what to expect watching this show but one thing for sure is that it frustrates you…A LOT!So many things happen at once that at some points I needed to pause the show and take a breather. Definitely another exhausting watch but in a good way! It tires you out along with the characters, you’re not the only one fed up with everything, so are the characters and that’s what makes you connect with the characters.
I was hoping for a cliffhanger so it could hint at another season because seriously the main characters’ chemistry is no joke. Both of them worked so well together and I wish they would play more roles together!
On another note, the ending was extremely satisfying. Even though it was frustrating, everything paid off in the end. Seriously great kdrama!
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This review may contain spoilers
A Top Kdrama of 2023
This kdrama has become probably one of my favourites of all time! I was a bit unsure when I first began watching, but as a fan of Woo Dohwan, I figured I'd see if I liked it.The storyline throws you right into the mess in the first episode which was a bit of a shocker, but it worked well with the production of the show. I really enjoyed seeing a drama where it focused on friendship without having side-plot romance. Gunwoo and Woojin's friendship and as people on tiktok say "bromance" was really comforting to watch develop and strengthen throughout. I also really liked how Gunwoo's character wasn't your typical "mafia-esque" male lead; I liked how he was kind-hearted even to those on Myeongil's side, and that he never became this rugged criminal that's happened in many other shows I've watched. It was nice to see a balance with Gunwoo and Woojin, where Gunwoo is more reserved and soft-spoken, Woojin is more extroverted and sarcastic.
Overall this series was amazing and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys revenge dramas. There is a decent amount of gore so watch at your own discretion, but my rating is a 9.5/10
Ps. Du-yeong's death broke me
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Terrible Writing Packaged with Good Action
LIKES:Action right in first episode
Decent fight scenes
Writing:
No romance thrown in, because it didn’t need it.
The bad guys didn’t upgrade to guns.
The bromance between Gun Woo and Woo Jin was fun and heartwarming.
I liked the young archery character and her dynamic with the two boxers.
Production:
for the most part was good, sometimes zooming camera in too close, but at least shaky camera wasn’t noticeable.
Music:
was fitting, but no song stood out.
Cast:
well selected and I love that Woo Do-Hwan is a main lead. (Both boxers were delightful eye candy!)
FX:
blood and scars were decent.
DISLIKES:
FX:
the stitches looked to be done by a butcher and not a medical professional. Some of the facial damage, like broken noses were omitted. The big facial scars should’ve been a little more raw looking, compared to what was shown.
Directing:
Pro criminals not noticing a car tail gating them on an empty highway and following them every turn they make?
The elite bad guys seem to be able to handle a lot of force on their heads, which throws the realism of the fights out the window.
Writing:
A few characters we need more information on what happened to them, especially at the end. However I understand why they had to get rid of Kim Sae Ron’s character due to the actress’s DUI, but the way it was done made no sense due to the character that was created up until that point.
The whole Marines part about the two boxers: Marines are trained in hand to hand knife fighting and many other weapons. The South Korean military are trained in Teukgong Moosool. Their characters knowledge and skills therefore very lacking.
Criminal element was very unrealistic, especially since the master villain gets defeated by two young boxers. Also all the masters (the brains and brawn) get defeated so simplistically, which made for a disappointing conclusion for their characters.
A lame plot was covered by violence.
Pacing issues:
Ending felt rushed, but they had plenty of extended drinking moments. Time could’ve been used better.
OVERALL: The fitness level that the main actors had to achieve was awesome. This should've been an action movie and not a series. It's fun to watch for the fights, but don't expect anything from plot. I don't need to watch it again, maybe just clips of the 2 boxers (lol), I would recommend it for fight scenes and action only.
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A Knockout of Action and Emotion
Bloodhounds doesn’t just hit hard in its action sequences, it hits deep. This is a series about fists, debt, and survival but at its core, it’s a story of loyalty, love, and a refusal to be corrupted by the violence that surrounds them.The fight choreography for this drama is truly impressive. It's fast, clean, and absolutely lethal. But what makes it truly special is how every punch feels impactful. You don’t just watch the characters fight, you feel the tension and their personal struggles with each blow.
At the heart of it all, it's definitely the bromance between our two leads and also between other male characters like the two knifers. There’s something so refreshing about seeing men express raw emotions like affection and vulnerability without any pretense. Our leads' bond felt so genuine and it’s this that makes it more than just an action-packed drama for me.
However, while the series shines in many areas, there is one glaring gap I couldn't ignore with U Jin . We know very little about him and his family, unlike the other lead. What made him become a loan shark in the first place? Even if he and his father aren't close, doesn't he have other family members who care for him? These are questions that are left unanswered. In fact, it feels like U Jin almost gets sidelined.
Another character who felt a bit off was Hyeon Ju. After everything she goes through, her decision to just leave everything behind and run off to Rome felt a bit out of place. While trauma can understandably drive someone to retreat, I expected her character’s fire to burn brighter, not fizzle out. Given everything she’s been through and her personality, I thought she would have been driven more by vengeance or a desire to face her enemies rather than run away, but maybe she did it as a way to respect her grandfather's final wishes...
On a lighter note, a thing I loved about this show was how Bloodhounds strikes a perfect balance between intense moments and well-timed humor. Something that quite a few other shows fail to achieve. The occasional comedic relief is perfectly placed, helping to lighten the mood without undermining the overall tension. And it’s this balance that makes the show even more enjoyable, keeping you hooked from start to finish.
In short, Bloodhounds made me feel so many things—laughter, tears, and suspense all in equal measure. It’s a complete and powerful series, blending everything perfectly. And honestly, I can’t wait for season 2 to come out!
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This review may contain spoilers
Bromance is so important that is what kept it going. The action scenes were my favourite especially when it was 2 against 100 and yet still won when the opposition was using weapons that I rewatch it many times if I need a pick up. The story was intriguing and kept me glued to the point even my siblings who hate kdrama also watched it as well. It shows what is power exploitation and the lengths these characters will go to. It made me cry at times, especially at 6 but also made me laugh with the 2 cousins who made my day. Was this review helpful to you?
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Long live the boxer bros
Somehow I think still less brutal for Lee Sang Yi than Hometown Cha Cha Cha?A few noteworthy things- for one, this was SO much more gutwrenching than I anticipated. Episode 4 actually gave me stomach cramps. I have never felt so sick over fictional characters that I knew were not about to die. The plot integration of COVID and the financial consequences it had was executed flawlessly; the shift for the last two episodes actually provided some welcome relief as someone who doesn’t regularly watch action dramas. And finally, my new favorite duo, goofy golden hearted outrageously handsome boxer bros.
Very high hopes set for season 2! Please just let LSY keep his curls
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Show Casting
The casting in this show was phenomenal. Very action packed and 100% worth the watch. I highly recommend this show.Such amazing actors, visuals, script writing and Veryy action packed. 👍🏻
I would recommend this show to anyone who loves action and boxing plus very hot actors. It is a phenomenal experience for someone who has never seen an action worthy Kdrama. This show will keep you on the edge of your seat so much suspension and craziness all in one show.
This is a no skip episode type of show.
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This drama hit me when I least expected it (kinda felt it coming tho...).
This drama was really, really good. The storyline was great (some parts could've been left out) and the characters were good too. I loved the ending actually, and think they did a pretty good job.There are some parts I don't want to talk about, cause they hurt me. Like, I cried my eyes out during a certain episode and I'm still not over it (unnecessary!).
Will definitely rewatch this drama again!
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