Walking on Thin Ice

Human, Flawed, and Hauntingly Beautiful

Okay, I just finished Walking on Thin Ice… and wow. What. A. Ride. 😭
It’s not your usual “hero vs villein” drama — nope, this one dives straight into the grey zone. It shows how complicated people can be — how we’re all just trying to survive, even if we make mistakes along the way. What makes it so special is the realness.

No unnecessary clickbait, no fake hype — just pure, old-school Korean thriller magic that hits like those 2016–2017 classics!

And can we talk about the cast for a second? Every single actor — drop-dead gorgeous. 😭
Especially Kim Young-kwang — my man switches from sweet to psycho so smoothly it’s actually scary. He owns every scene. And Lee Young-ae? Absolute queen. Her acting made me feel everything — fear, guilt, strength, heartbreak — all of it.
The main leads didn’t just act — they lived those roles. You can literally feel every bit of pain, regret, and emotion in their eyes. 🥺

The plot is gripping from start to finish- Intense. Twisted. Emotional. Every episode keeps you guessing, and every decision has weight. And the best part? They actually wrapped it up perfectly. No lazy ending, no loopholes — just a clean, powerful finish that gives every character the justice they deserved.

Honestly, Walking on Thin Ice is a must-watch. Deep, emotional, and beautifully written. Just… maybe don’t start it at 2 a.m. unless you’re ready to binge the whole thing. 😭💀

⭐ Final Thoughts: A must-watch drama of 2025. Real, haunting, and beautifully human.

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A nail-biting drama which is not for the weak of heart

Walking On Thin Ice is one of the most stressful dramas I've watched so far. And I say that in a positive way. I picked it up because of Kim Young Kwang and the intriguing plot but it's safe to say that I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did.

In the drama, Eun Soo, who is a devoted mother and wife to her family, sees her reality get shattered when it's revealed that her husband has lost money and their family might lose the house too. On top of that, her husband gets diagnosed with cancer, which puts his life at risk. Eun Soo needs money in order to help her family and after a bizarre turn of events, she stumbles upon an illegal bad full of a drugs. In a desperate attempt to gain money, Eun Soo decides to dive into the dangerous business of drugs trafficking and finds herself forming a partnership with the most unexpected person: her daughter's art teacher, Gyeong.

Walking On Thin Ice's story might appear simple and while I didn't expect anything extraordinary, I wasn't prepared for the amount of stress it would put me under. Every single episode lived up to the drama's name. It always felt like we were walking on eggshells alongside the characters. There were so many moments where I had to pause the drama and calm my nerves. But at the same time, I was unable to take my eyes off the screen, I was so captivated and curious to see how each situation would turn out. Every episode left me wanting more and more and the messier the story became, the more I wondered how it would wrap.

If I could describe Walking On Thin Ice's story in one word, that would be messy - but in a good way. Not many kdramas can handle these types of scripts but the writers did a good job. It was honestly so hilarious to see how complicated Eun Soo and Gyeong's situation became, at one point I stopped wishing for a smooth turn of events and embraced the chaos. When things would seem to develop in a good way, a misfortune would occur and our heroes would have their backs against the wall. Police, drug dealers, the people from their daily lives, everyone was a potential threat, especially for Eun Soo who had to constantly hide her secret activities from her family.

What I appreciated with this drama is that it doesn't attempt to glorify drugs. The scenes where Gyeong's rich clients indulged in their drugs while partying were directed in a way that made you feel almost uncomfortable and overwhelmed. Drugs are not a joke. They are addictive and they can ruin lives. Even though the story focused more on the trafficking aspect, there were still some moments which highlighted the destructive consequences (for example, when Hwi Rim started hallucinating due to his addiction and stabbed his hand).

On the other hand, we have the other side of the coin: people who commit illegal actions in order to survive. Until the very last episode, the drama asks these questions: how far is one willing to go in order to survive? And how circumstances can dictate our actions? Eun Soo, Gyeong, Dong Hyun, everyone did what they did for the sake of their families. Eun Soo wanted money for her husband's treatment and his debt. Gyeong wanted to avenge his family's ruined reputation. Dong Hyun wanted a better future for himself and his brother. All of them did questionable things, no one can deny that but the drama really makes you sympathize with their struggles. As Tae Gu said: criminals should be arrested but there are times when people commit crimes due to desperation. This complex morality made the story more thought-provoking, especially considering how it could be applied to our society.

From a technical standpoint, Walking On Thin Ice was very good. I really liked the cinematography, particularly during the calmer scenes. The quiet, relaxing moments, albeit few, toned down the tension and felt like a breath of fresh air. The camera work was also very good, especially during the action scenes and the slow motion sequences were handled well, without being overused. If I could name some of my favourite bits, one would be the scene where Eun Soo and Gyeong chased the criminals who had stolen the bag with the drugs and their escape after (the scene that is depicted on the poster). Another scene I remember fondly was the one between Eun Soo and Gyeong at the tree, when Eun Soo was finally free to let her guard down and open up to Gyeong. It was a very relaxing and beautiful scene.

I must applaud the writers for misleading the audience by shaping up Gyeong Do as the potential spy inside the police team. For the most part, I thought that he was the one who was connected with Phantom but when it turned out it was Tae Gu, I was shocked. That was a nice plot twist.

Of course I couldn't forget the soundtrack, it goes without saying that the opening song is my favourite, but the rest of the OST was very good as well. It captured the vibes of the story perfectly and in some cases, provoked the required amount of emotional depth.

Aside from its interesting story, a big part of Walking On Thin Ice's appeal can be attributed to its characters and talented cast. As I have already mentioned above, Kim Young Kwang was a big factor for my interest in this drama but as I began watching it, the rest of the cast won me over too.

Before watching Walking On Thin Ice, I wasn't very familiar with Lee Young Ae. I had watched Joined Security Area but I wasn't aware she was the actress that had played Sophie. I didn't know what to expect from her but she captured my attention from the very first episode. Eun Soo was a complex and interesting character. She wasn't a gifted gangster, she was a simple woman who got herself immersed into the crime world in order to protect her family. I liked how the writers did not make her overconfident and extremely skilled. She felt very realistic. She was afraid, she was reckless but the more she became entangled in the drugs trafficking, the more confident she became. Eun Soo's subtle development shaped her from a quiet, easygoing woman to someone who realized how much her worth is and who refused to remain the stepping stone to others.

Lee Young Ae portrayed Eun Soo's anxiety, fear and frustration perfectly. The details in her acting (her body language, the tremor in her voice, her expressions) displayed so many emotions. It was easy for me to sympathize with Eun Soo thanks to Lee Young Ae's acting and I rooted for her from the first episode. I also liked how her struggle with her morality was depicted. You could see how conflicted she was everytime she fall deeper into the drug business and betrayed her own morals.

But the drama would have never been as good as it was if it weren't for the chemistry between the main duo. Kim Young Kwang delivered exactly what was expected and some more. His character was already multilayered: Gyeong the teacher, Gyeong the son and "James", the drug seller. Kim Young Kwang captured each aspect of Gyeong's personality in a masterful way. The way he switched was just so effortless. One moment Gyeong was portrayed as the kind and helpful art teacher and then he would transform to a confident and meticulous drug dealer. Gyeong was truly fascinating to watch, all thanks to Kim Young Kwang's portrayal. Gyeong was a very morally grey character, he cannot be classified as a villain but he wasn't very righteous either. He prioritized himself and he wanted to do what would be best for his own benefit.

Just like Eun Soo, Gyeong also had a deeper motive for becoming involved with drugs. The early episodes gave some hints regarding that and the second half of the drama revealed the truth about Gyeong's past. Gyeong wanted to take revenge from Hwi Rim, who was responsible for Gyeong's false imprisonment for being an accomplish in a murder, resulting in Gyeong's family's reputation getting tainted. I was very invested in his backstory and his plan to get back on those who wronged him and until the very last moment, I just hoped that he would succeed in his revenge.

Eun Soo and Gyeong's partnership and bond was one of the best elements in the drama. Describing them as a chaotic duo would be an understatement. Eun Soo hadn't the slightest idea of the process behind drug trafficking and Gyeong had to make her learn more about this field. Their bickering was always so funny to watch, they acted like children and they constantly got on each other's throat. But while they started off on the wrong foot, they eventually warmed up to each other. There was distrust and caution between them but they learned to co-exist and work together, especially when their lives were in danger. Both of them cared about each other, they just didn't express it openly.

Out of these two, Gyeong was the one who didn't take his partner seriously at first. He thought Eun Soo as incapable and uncut for this job but eventually, he became more interested in her, especially once she proved her qualities. He was still hesitant about opening up to her concerning his past and interior motives and that resulted in their major clash but once he told her about his backstory, Eun Soo understood him more and they teamed up one last time. Kim Young Kwang did a great job portraying Gyeong's change towards Eun Soo, his gaze encapsulated Gyeong's interest and fondness very convincingly.

Another actor that stole the spotlight was Park Yong Woo who portrayed Jang Tae Gu. This man did such a terrific job, he made me be afraid of the character and hate on him at the same time. It was very nice to see that ever from early on the writers depicted him as a competent police officer, who could be a big threat for Eun Soo and Gyeong. It made the hide-and-seek game much more exciting and although I was hella worried, I was so excited to see how the events would unfold.

The rest of the cast was also good, Kwon Ji Woo as Gyeong Do, Tae Gu's right hand, delivered some great scenes as the episodes went by and Do Sang Woo as Hwi Rim made me hate the character so much. He nailed Hwi Rim's arrogance and hysteria. As for Kim Shi Ah, whom I had already seen in Kill Bok Soon and The Closet, she was very good as Sua's Eun Soo's daughter. Definitely an actress that I need to keep in mind for the future.

With all things considered, even though Walking On Thin Ice is definitely one of the best dramas I've watched this year, it still had its flaws. I believe that some parts of the story could have been more tied, there were some minor loopholes in some cases and some parts felt too overdramatized even for this type of drama. And even though I didn't expect to watch a documentary about drugs and their effects, it would have been nice if the writers had dived deeper into that aspect. I appreciate the subtle tackling of this matter but considering the role drugs played in the story, the drama could have addressed this issue less superficially.

My biggest issue, however, was the characterisation of the other characters (or lack thereof). During the last 2 episodes, the series decided to focus more on Eun Soo's husband, who after his conflicted feelings once he learned the truth, decided to support Eun Soo. I appreciate the fact that they didn't follow the classic route of the bad husband who cheats on his wife with her best friend (as it was hinted) but I needed more in order to understand his character. The first episode had handled his situation in a very interesting way. He was aware of the fact that he had messed up and that he had put his family in a dangerous position. He also felt guilty for his illness and he felt like a burden. All of that should have been addressed more in order to make him more fleshed out. I would have also liked to see more of his interactions with Eun Soo. It would have added more depth in their relationship (and make Eun Soo's devotion more convincing). He was kinda underutilized, which is a pity.

As for Gyeong, I really wish we had gotten to see more of his backstory. Thankfully, the second half focused more on that aspect but the bits we got were still a few. I wanted to see more of his past and his broken relationship with his family. Moreover, compared to Eun Soo, I feel like the writers sidelined Gyeong's motives and inner turmoil. He was still well-written, don't get me wrong, but compared to Eun Soo, I feel like he was less explored as a character. Furthermore, had we seen more of him and his family, the betrayal of his father would have hit harder. The scene was still very impactful thanks to Kim Young Kwang's performance but it still felt kinda underwhelming.

Last but not least, I found the finale to be both rushed and weird in terms of pacing. The last episodes were overly packed and some issues were wrapped very quickly, without leaving room for a better build up. The overall ending was nice but the events that led to it could have been developed more smoothly.

All in all, Walking On Thin Ice is definitely a must-watch kdrama if you're a fan of nail-biting stories and action. The acting alone is enough to carry the series and the plot itself can grab your attention very quickly. I cannot recommend it enough and I hope more people will discover it.

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