Buried Hearts (2025)

Park Hyung Sik Deserved Better — And So Did We

🛑 Spoilers ahead. This review is entirely based on my personal opinion. If you feel differently — that’s totally valid. But if you’ve watched this show and felt even half of what I did, you’ll get why this review exists. Also, yes, there’s a chance I spiritually slept through this drama, but the way these plot points were handled... I doubt I missed anything better.

Buried Hearts (2025) is a drama that had all the right ingredients — secret births, betrayal, generational trauma, murder, chaebol dysfunction, memory loss, and cliff accidents. Sounds like a classic makjang, right? But instead of delivering a gripping mess, it gave us a confused, emotionally inconsistent ride that tried to be everything and ended up being... not much.

Let’s start with Huh Ildo. This man quite literally drove Dongju off a cliff, murdered his ex-lover and best friend, and spent 99% of the show embodying pure villainy. And yet, the moment he finds out Dongju is his son, we’re suddenly expected to feel sympathy for him? Worse — they hand him a redemption arc, letting him die while saving the very son he tried to kill. Why? Either let him sit in the rot of his own guilt — haunted by the lives he destroyed — or commit to the villainy and let the audience hate him all the way through. Don’t throw us this diluted “I saw the light” redemption at the last minute. Not after everything he did. Not even close.

Seonu’s arc was all over the place — from laid-back illegitimate son to a shady schemer with barely any real progression. His mother’s shift from tragic figure to manipulative enabler made no sense either. And Eunnam’s mother? She literally had her lover killed and walked away without a hint of remorse or consequence. Just... moved on. Where was the emotional payoff?

Speaking of Eunnam — she was never held accountable. The writing gave her a tidy redemption arc without making her earn it. Her motivations might make sense on paper, but her actions didn’t. She chose revenge over honesty, over love, over basic communication. And somehow the show still wants us to root for her? Sorry, I’m not buying it. Add to that her acting, which felt flat during key emotional moments (possibly more a script issue than performance), and it was hard to stay connected to her.

This is not the kind of “soulmates through pain” story we need in 2025. Trauma isn’t romantic. Betrayal doesn’t equal fate. Life doesn’t work like that, and dramas need to stop acting like it does.

Dongju’s arc, ironically, made the most sense. This man has been through it — birth mom dead, adoptive mom dead, adoptive sister dead, love of his life betrays him, birth dad turns out to be his worst nightmare, and everyone he trusted either lies to him or dies. His decision to leave at the end is one of the few moments that actually felt earned. And I would’ve loved that moment… if they hadn’t ruined it with that one unnecessary kiss scene. Seriously — why are you kissing someone who literally slept with you the night before and married another man the next afternoon without ever revealing her true identity to you? Eunnam chose revenge over him every time. So why the fairytale closure?

And then there’s Taeyun — the ultimate tragedy of the finale. Born into a family of murderers, blamed for sins he never committed, constantly trying to be kind to both Dongju and Seonu — and he’s the one who dies. Seonu kills him while Dongju’s already gone. Really? He’s the one you kill? Not the actual villains? Not the people who actively betrayed others? It’s like the show is saying only people with buried hearts — those broken enough to betray and survive — get to live. The kind ones don’t make it.

Park Hyung Sik, however, carried the emotional weight of this show on his back. His final breakdown scene? Genuinely heart-wrenching. For a second, I forgot how messy the writing was. Prosecutor Yeom’s actor also deserves praise — somehow managing to command every scene, even when the plot had no clue what to do with him.

Ultimately, Buried Hearts tried to say a lot — about love, family, grief, guilt, and redemption — but it ended up undermining every theme it tried to build. It made forgiveness feel cheap, grief feel shallow, and love feel transactional. There were many more characters I haven’t even mentioned here — which, frankly, is telling of just how little impact they had on the story. They were there, but that’s about it.

I’m glad it’s over. I really am. The cast deserved better. Especially Park Hyung Sik. If you’re watching for him, maybe you’ll stay for the performance. But if you’re here for the plot? Prepare to be disappointed.

5.5/10 — and that’s purely for the acting. At this point, the only thing buried is my patience — under a mountain of messy arcs, wasted potential, and unnecessary forgiveness.

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Buried Potential: Sparks of Briliiance, No Fire

This drama unfolds like a tense chess match, where power struggles, hatred, and revenge drive the conflict between Dongju (ML) and Yeom (Antagonist). It starts strong, teasing deep and emotional family and business secrets that could hook any viewer. Yet in the middle, it stumbles, losing its grip and focus. What could have been a captivating tale of power play instead leans heavily on dramatic music, tangled family relationships, and a pace that swings from uneven to outright chaotic.

The top 3 flaws are:
(1) Unnecessary Romance: The female lead and love story added nothing meaningful to the narrative. Her poorly written character felt irrelevant, and her scenes often lacked depth, making me skip most of them.

(2) Overloaded Family Drama: The story relied too heavily on tropes like hidden sons, secret relationships, and misunderstandings. While these elements can be engaging, too much of anything is bad. Their overuse made the plot feel cluttered, uneven, and sometimes outright unnecessary.

(3) Underdeveloped Supporting Characters: Except for Huh Ildo, the supporting cast lacked depth & importance. Their appearances and actions are random in the story, making them forgettable & leaving overall narrative fragmented.

K-drama revenge thrillers are famous for their strong emotions, big confrontations, and gripping plots. Buried Hearts had the potential with those elements but it didn’t come together well. It is like there were some good ideas and sparks, but the directors and writers forgot their jobs.

Park Hyung Sik is the only postive outcome of this drama - it is a new look and role for him, and he plays the part well. Alas, he alone cannot carry the drama and it is writing, pace & other characters - that dragged it down.

It's one of those dramas that I picked up with excitement, but got dissappointed pretty early. Still I stuck with it only to know how it all ends & not to add on to my drop list.

Overall:
SKIP. Or watch if you are a diehard fan of Park Hyung Sik, he deserves better tho.

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Park Hyung Sik.. Dark and Vicious..

The best thing about Buried Hearts is Park Hyung Sik.. He might not be considered as the best actor out there but but his performance here?? So So good.. Saw a whole new side of him.. I would say he was the antihero.. Cold and calculating.. This might just be his darkest role yet.. He really had the vibe of a psychopathic killer in his darkest moments.. I loved the Park Hyung Sik I saw in this drama.. His dark vibes and murderous eyes were enough to elevate the drama's story.. He was phenomenal and the reason to watch this drama despite its flaws..

The first few episodes were good.. But honestly it felt like nobody was in control of the story. Not even the writer himself.. It was just spiraling out of control with no clear direction. The drama leaned heavily on exaggarated tropes. Honestly we didn’t get anything new here, its the usual chaebol dysfunctional family with secrets, betrayals and secret kids. They tried to juggle one too many twists and that i would say was one factor that made this drama feel weak..

Let’s put it this way.. It lacked originality..

Another disappointing aspect for me was the romance.. There was undeniable chemistry between the couple.. But it felt downplayed to prioritize the thriller element.. I see it as a missed opportunity.. But man their intimate scenes were tryuly INTIMATE..

Yeo EunNam's a complex character.. Most people wont like her and thats understandable.. Her decision to marry someone else and why she broke DongJu's heart, by the time we reach episode 10, the reasons just feel irrelevant.. Her character stops developing at a certain point and it honestly feels like a wasted opportunity.. Its almost like she is not relevant anymore.. That’s what happens when you cram too many twists into a drama.. You forget to properly develop some important characters..

The fact that she wasn’t ready to give up the shares at the beginning was a key moment for her character.. But again, the reason behind that decision gets completely undermined later on.. Throughout the drama, she only ever truly laughed when it was with the ML or because of him.. He was her source of happiness.. It took her a while to come to a solid decision.. But in the end, she chose the ML.. Then again that too gets underplayed..

The supporting cast was good.. Huh Joon ho as Yeom Jang seon who is the manipulative antagonist was too good with his chilling duality, Friendly one moment Sinister the next..

The cinematography was slick.. If you are someone who appreciates the framing and visual composition in movies or dramas, you will notice that this is a carefully crafted series.. With scenes so elegantly framed they could make you pause just to admire certain shots.. Some frames speak for themselves, quietly telling a story in a single shot.. This might be a controversial opinion but you don't get such attention to frames in dramas like this..

Like I mentioned at the beginning, this drama started off strong but lost steam as it went on.. The writer honestly seemed clueless.. If I were to start listing everything that went wrong in the second half, this review would be far too long and frankly, it wouldn’t be worth it.. Honestly, it was Park Hyung Sik who carried the show.. This is just another formulaic script that heavily relied on its ML..

And what was that ending?? The male lead literally abandoned his ambitions, his love, and just left.. He worked so hard for 16 episodes, only to walk away like that?? Dropped everything he strived so hard to achieve?? They really went for a poetic touch in a drama like this?? Everything fell apart the moment he left. What was it all for then??

I just couldn’t digest the fact that they thought an open ended finale like that would make viewers happy.. They sabotaged the drama themselves.. They should have given us proper closure to this story arc.. He achieved his objective.. He got together with the girl he loved.. Then he takes a break with her.. Sail away.. Far away.. End it there.. After that sure, throw in your post credit scene about the chairman’s son killing the grandson and aiming for the company.. Is it really that hard?? Kdrama writers often drop the ball when it comes to writing satisfying endings.. And Buried Hearts is just another victim.. Such an ending to a drama that will never get a second season is unacceptable..

Overall Buried Hearts isn’t going to excite you, keep you bolted to your seat, or stir any real emotions.. There’s a clear lack of focus throughout.. But I would still recommend watching it for Park Hyung Sik.. For Dong Ju and Eun Nam and their chemistry and whatever little romance they had..

" They ruined the show.. Ruined the Characters.. Seon U should have stayed innocent.. Taeyun deserved better.. Taeyun was the only kind soul in the whole drama.. Killing him was just nasty and cruel.. Dong Ju and Eunnam deserved a wedding.. We deserved to see their wedding.. "

16 episodes for what??

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All flash, no fire. Meh.

Revenge thriller drama is one of those genres that is hard to screw up but also, at the same time, hard to make good. It has been there since the start, and if you’ve been watching K-dramas long enough, you have probably seen all there is to it. There are only so many tropes to it that you would have pretty much always seen happen. Thus, to make it different from the rest, the characters unique to the plot set it apart from the average. Buried Hearts had all the ingredients to be a standout K-drama but somewhere along the way, it forgot to pack the emotional punch and compelling storytelling that makes dramas truly memorable. From the first episode, the setup hinted at deep secrets and emotional revelations. Unfortunately, what followed was a plot that never quite found its footing. The storylines meandered, and the pacing felt uneven and random at times. By the midpoint, it was hard to stay invested in the characters' journeys. There's a quiet beauty in slow-burn narratives, but here, the burn never really ignites.

Park Hyung Sik as Dong Ju might be the only positive thing I have to say about this show. I haven’t seen much of him, to be honest, but the man can act. Those large and arresting eyes alone can hold an entire monologue in a single glance. Everything from his hairstyle, makeup and attire elevates his character as Dong Ju. He certainly commands the attention of the male lead. If PHS had not been the main lead, this show would have collapsed under its own weight. He is not just carrying the drama; he IS the drama. However, after saying all that, I am still not invested enough in Dong Ju, the revenger, but it’s more down to the accompanying characters and story that didn’t keep up with him.

Yeo Eun Nam. The emotional baggage that led her to cruelly abandon the love of her life in pursuit of her goals was a bold, fitting statement for a female lead. That version of Eun Nam was charming and ambitious, driven not by cold ambition but by fierce love. She felt like the kind of woman who could outplay you with a smile and make you thank her for it. The talent, the looks, the chemistry with Dong Ju; it was all present from the start. I was hooked. How did she end up feeling like a B-side? Two episodes later, she’s full of regret, stripping away everything that once defined her. Her motives collapse into weak, muddled reasoning, and from that point on, her choices become downright baffling. She’s reduced to an eye candy role, dull as a Monday morning. The affair subplot? Unnecessary and insufferable. It cheapened both leads and wrecked all the character work the show had so carefully built up to that point. He barely began to hate her, and she barely clung to her marriage vows. Fitting, I guess. Almost comical how she became an open, walking adulteress right in the house and somehow, no one batted an eye. Nothing against Hong Hwa Yeon; she was flawless. But the writing did her no favours.

So often, people criticise actors for having one-dimensional expressions, and Lee Hae Young as Huh Ildo was exactly that. He carried the same sickly, stoned, vaguely psychotic look the entire show. Even my dog could tell he was up to no good. From day one, the guy was plotting to swallow the whole company, stealing left and right and ready to murder to get his way. And yet, for some reason, the show keeps hinting at some hidden “good side” when literally nothing he did supports that idea. I don’t get it. It didn’t add depth; it just made him look weak and underwhelming as an antagonist. I know a lot of people were impressed by his performance, but for me, it just didn’t click. It felt like one of those roles that seems compelling simply because of the character’s intensity, but lacks real depth on closer inspection. Personally, I found the character lacking in nuance. The whole concept of making him overtly evil, only to later justify it with a ‘he didn’t know any better’ and expect some sort of forgiving reaction from the audiences, came off as unconvincing writing. Another confused character in a story that couldn’t seem to decide what it wanted him to be.

There are honestly so many other characters worth discussing, like Taeyun, Seonu, and Yeom Jang Seo, but I’ll skip over them because, in the end, they all suffered from the same issues: underdeveloped arcs, confusing motivations, and erratic, inconsistent behaviour. It felt like the writer had no real idea what to do with most of them beyond their initial concept or purpose.

The quest felt strangely uneventful, almost too easy for him. Everything that could go his way did go his way, eventually. How many times can one guy cheat death before it starts to feel like a running joke? I get it, it’s makjang, so I shouldn’t expect tight realism. But when it keeps happening, it stops being thrilling and starts feeling like lazy writing disguised as high-stakes drama. Smart characters suddenly turn clueless and guardless- I’m looking at you Yeom Jang Seon. Major events get swept under the rug, all under the weak excuse that “nothing could be done about him.” It started off strong, but the middle turned into a chaotic mess full of missed opportunities and hollow tension. The ending? Everything wrapped up so abruptly, it left me with more 'whys' and 'whats' than satisfaction and closure. After such a great start, nothing else really landed for me.

The biggest letdown? The lack of big emotions. Revenge thrillers in the K-drama world are all about stirring emotions, explosive confrontations and high-stakes showdowns that hit you right in the gut and keep you on the edge of your seat. Buried Hearts had all the ingredients for that: forbidden love, betrayal, and sacrifice. But yet… everything was delivered in a messy fashion that made the emotional core feel hollow. It wasn't subtle; it was just flat. It’s not a bad drama, but it never quite becomes a good one either. Despite its sleek aesthetic and occasional flashes of brilliance, Buried Hearts ultimately feels like a missed opportunity. The story could’ve hit harder and made me feel more, but instead, it left me oddly detached. The writer had some good ideas here and there but failed to piece them together and expand on them meaningfully. There were barely any endearing characters, and the romance, despite the lead's early chemistry, fizzled into something tepid and forgettable. And I blame the writing of the characters for many of the issues. It's one of those dramas that I stuck with, not because I love it, but because I just want to see how it ends.

A revenge tale dressed in beautiful, dark aesthetics but lacking any real consequence or emotional punch. Park Hyun Sik and co deserved better.

Popping some Kopiko while I bury this experience deep down with the rest of my wasted watchlist.

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Seo Dongju Deserved Better—Welcome to My Villain Era

Buried Hearts had a start that felt really promising because of the slush fund, the revenge setup and the memory loss, which really had me hooked, but the drama lost its grip in the middle. Everything started to feel so repetitive and dragged. It felt so emotionally draining to finish the drama leading me to push myself to finish because it most definitely would have ended up in my "On Hold" list if I didn't.

From the first to the sixteenth episode, Seo-Dongju kept suffering non stop. Either the man became the target himself or lost bonds close to him with no room for him to catch his breath or gain a moment of stability. Although, it felt as if he was the only one carrying the whole drama, his character still lacked a lot. He fought for a vague sense of justice for an ending that didn't even feel satisfying. His breakdown after he had gained control made me question everything. What was his definition of revenge and why was he trying to get to it when it felt so pointless in that moment? Every single loss he had experienced felt so hollow because the tragedies kept piling up. It's as if there was no time to process the emotional connection a character had with Seo-Dongju to be able to feel his loss.

The most unbearable part for me in the drama was the unnecessary "romance" the writers dragged on. It was so frustrating to see Eunnam come up on screen because why was she in the light of redemption? How could she leave Seo-Dongju when he needed her the most? He experienced so much grief and dealt with it on his own only for her to waltz back into his life with some half-hearted emotional line like "For me, you come before everyone else" like didn't you actually prove that when you chose to marry someone else over HIM? And then it's the audacity of questioning Seo-Dongju how he expects to be forgiven because of what Huh Ildo did. So isn't your choice for marriage to someone else over love and communication perhaps a bigger concern and a decision you should be begging for forgiveness for from Seo-Dongju instead? He had no one by his side. Not one person. And yet the viewers are expected to accept the reconciliation and forget whatever happened. The romance felt so forced and the expectation to forgive Eunnam's betrayal was highly unrealistic because the reassurance of her presence by Seo-Dongju's side felt meaningless after the damage had already been done. Moreover, her character was just so inconsistent because her decisions left my questions unanswered. Choosing Yeom Hicheol made no sense if she was just going to divorce him eventually. What was her motive? If she didn't care about losing the shares later, why did she even choose the marriage? Just to make Seo Dongju go through that period of suffering? Was she ever on his side? Did she even love him? None of it made sense.

Park Hyung-Sik really gave his all—an incredible performance. But it just wasn't possible for him alone to carry the whole show. Although, he did well, the script of the drama didn't really give me a chance to feel connected to his character. Loss after loss after betrayal after trauma—it all happened so quickly and intensely that at some point, it just numbed me. And it's as if his own character was numb too or more like, he felt less human. How can someone go through so much in such less time and not break? There was no real emotional processing, no moments of healing, or glimpses of joy to make the suffering bearable or meaningful. Just an endless cycle of heartbreak. Every time something went wrong, my brain literally went "Oh God, not again. Give him a break."

Overall, I felt really disappointed with the show, especially due to repetitiveness of the plot and its very unsatisfying ending. Most characters were inconsistent with their written personalities especially Eunnam and Seonu and how others would turn their back on Dongju randomly. Also, the show would have been more interesting after Seo Dongju's father had died a bit later after some sort of connection had been built. The universe really was against Dongju and maybe things would have been different if he wasn't attacked from all sides by almost every character on the show.

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It must have been hard...

Seriously I wonder who to blame director or screenwriter. Story is all over the place. Characters change form evil to kind and from kid to evil in 10 minutes and there is literally nothing new or creative I get from this series.
It seems like making series only for the sake of making them. Is it even worth investing so much money and time if the series doesn't have coherent story? Where is the artistry of making a movies or dramas.
There is so many not finished plots or stories that were not explained properly. Like the whole president illegitimate child. Which is apparently similar age as the grandson is honestly so silly. It's not like it's impossible but whole cheating thing was not explained enough.
The first wife and mother of president kids is nowhere to be found or mentioned. Now this kind kid helping old man to find home and working hard at bakery decides in an instance to be bad, take over the company and get rid of his "nephew" I guess for money and power as if it was his motive since the beginning.
Like any person who ever worked in a company even for a little while know that there is no way to easy manage things on your own especially without any experience, knowledge and connections. It's scary and shareholders would never agree to participate in downfall of the company. Yet new wife and her son feel qualified to do it? If they would be spoiled Nepo babies it would be more convincing but them working at the bakery and then wanting to be CEOs makes it so unrealistic.
Another one is with vault. You are telling me that vault that can be open only by code or blowing it up can get plumbing and bathroom installed easily and like no one noticed it? The person is being held hostage there and obviously never get sick. For a whole year or more no one needs to enter this vault to get money? 😂
I mean I could go for ages on how silly this drama is but in all honesty I'm tired of actors trying to save the series and cover up bad scripts by trying to act well. Not enough criticism is directed towards directors or screenwriters and actors are the one blamed for the whole movie or TV series disasters.
Honestly I thought it will be great but as the story progressed and new ridiculous ideas were introduced I started to feel like the ending is not going to be well executed and I was not wrong. They tried to resolve it by finishing it all in one episode. It felt so flat and unsatisfying. Nothing actually had it's closure as if they would want to make season 2. Ridiculous idea with that sloppy writing but if they don't make it that would be even worse because ending it like that is pure disaster.
It must have been hard for actors to deliver whatever this show wanted to deliver because I still don't know.

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So much potential but failed to stick the landing

This drama at a glance had everything going for it. Corporate and political drama, memory loss, family intrigue and scheming surrounding who gets to rule the company, and even a decent splash of romance between Dongju and Eunnam where you were always guessing if they would or wouldn't end up back together. But when going for a revenge plot, especially with so many morally grey or outright evil characters, you MUST stick the landing. The antagonists must face justice, the protagonists should emerge victorious with perhaps a better appreciation for what they had prior to the conflict, and the anti heros need justification and understanding for why they behaved the way they did.

But Buried Hearts totally fails to stick the landing, taking all that build up across 16 episodes and driving it directly into a brick wall. It almost feels like the writers got bored of the show around episode 12/13 and just felt like they had to wrap up the story by any means necessary, regardless of what it would mean for the characters. Almost none of the characters arrive at the end with a better understanding of the world or themselves, the only person who has any real character development is Seonu and he becomes a straight-up murderer out of nowhere in the final 20 minutes of the show when he offs his rival for heir of Daesan group Taeyun. Taeyun's mother never is shown to have any remorse for all the terrible events she caused trying to protect Taeyun, and his death seemingly out of the blue undercuts almost all tension resulting from those actions in the first place. We never really see Yeom Jangseon face any real justice for his crimes, Dongju makes this big show of how he will punish him and in the end all we get is a short conversation between the two and then get told about Dongju taking all of Jangseon's wealth and property but we never see it. Jongseon just ends up let back out on the street to wander back to his old home, no mention of his wife or how she will react to getting him back after a year of being presumed dead.

But i think the biggest two let-downs in terms of character arc are Dongju and Eunnam. Eunnam functionally does not change from start to finish, she feels like an NPC just dragged around by the plot so that Dongju has a reason beyond personal revenge to act the way he does. She never really seems to have much motivation on her own and the issue at the core of their relationship is never resolved in any meaningful way. As for Dongju, he makes this big show at the end about needing to "go find himself" since he feels he can't tell right from wrong anymore after all he has done but it feels wholly unearned. We never see him struggling with this moral question prior to episode 16 and feels like a cheap excuse from the writing team to have him out of the way for Taeyun's murder and to force in a surprise twist of him not actually ending up back with Eunnam.

It feels like the only character that was fully realized was Huh Ildo, and even then they managed to undercut a lot of the emotion and growth behind his character by having him change allegiances one too many times and then killing him immediately after he finally has a heart to heart with Dongju.

Overall, I'd say the show is only worth watching if you want to just see a standard revenge fantasy show as long as you are okay with none of the characters really changing or growing as a result of the events of the show. They feel very 2D and don't seem to exercise a lot of agency over their own lives outside of Dongju and Jangseon.

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A revenge drama that took way to long to have thrilling stakes : finished it thanks to hot main lead

Let's be real : without Park Hyung Sik in the main role, I'm not sure I would have completed this revenge drama. Indeed, the story progressed in a sluggish way, after a (long) but somewhat gripping introduction, it took almost up to last quarter of the drama for the stakes to get really thrilling. The choices made by characters are often dumb and feel contrived by the pacing of the series : often there to add artificial drama rather than making real sense. The hero could have had his revenge multiple ways but writing purposely seemed to slow down his progress. Then when the story really picked up in its last arc, it seemed a bit too quick on the conclusion and handling of its aftermath.

The romance was not good : at no point of the story did I manage to care for the heroine : not sure what's the most at fault here : the scenario offering almost nothing to do to the character or the very bland way the actress Hong Hwa Yeon portrayed the role. Park Hyung Sik is the highlight of the series : he reaches here an upper level of hotness and charisma, each of his slow motion arrival feel like an angsty runaway. Among the remainder of the cast, I was particularly impressed by Lee Hae Young who played the most interesting antagonist among the foes that want to harm the main lead. Their interactions were the best part of the series.

One of the undeniable strong point of the series resides in its high production value. The sets and decors in which the characters evolve are quite magnificent. The hanok house of one of the villain, the company office...there are a lot of picturesque sets highlighted by a good directing and amazing job of the lighting department. The way that light frammed the characters was really striking over the course of the series.

I would not necessarily recommend this drama unless you are a fan of Park Hyung Sik or are truly an aficionado of revenge drama. The romance felt too bland to me and other than the hero, almost no secondary characters on "the good side" is interesting because of lack of solid background. The real stakes and angst come a bit too late and feel to short-lived with what felt like a rushed conclusion after a sluggish set up.

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Total trainwreck

I LIKED:

- Lead actor Park Hyung Sik, pretty convincing.
- Il Do's and Seong Yu's sons

I DISLIKED:

Everyting else...
- Main story fed to you bit by bit but finally it's no fun.
- The SFL who acts despicable and illogical.
- Main villain who is just grotesque
- Most of the secondary characters that are in a posture for no good reason
- The music that was loud and stressful for nothing
...

IN SHORT:

Do not watch this. You will not be entertained. You will be led on by the writers and director with every stupid development possible but you will not enjoy this. Especially the end that is basically BS. 5/10.

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I'm waiting for better development in the plot.

Unfortunately, I still haven't been able to connect positively with the drama. I don't see anything different here from the usual Korean dramas of today. The political aspect is the same old greed, and the idiotic villains only change actors. Even worse, the romantic storyline—aside from the couple's chemistry—doesn't captivate me at all.

Eun Nam is far from my favorite type of heroine. She's opportunistic, rich, spoiled, and has a gorgeous, devoted man at her feet, yet she's drawn to more and more money... disappointing! Where is her nobility of character?

Park Hyung Sik is a great actor, incredibly handsome and charming, but his character, Seo Dong Ju, despite being intelligent, is emotionally weak. This makes him less appealing in a role that initially seemed vengeful and determined.

I'm waiting for better development in the plot, but for now, just good fight scenes and action aren’t enough to win me over.

Such a shame—I had high hopes for this story.

So… the wait is over! The drama really wasn’t what I expected.



The first thing I felt when I finished the drama was a raw sense of uselessness. I even called myself stupid for insisting on something that hardly captivated me from the beginning.



Then, after cooling off, I thought I was being unfair to myself for disregarding my own effort — and unfair to a great actor like Park Hyung Sik.



At the very least, I felt obligated to share some thoughts about this absolutely confusing production that was *Buried Hearts*.



From the start, I felt this wasn’t a production that could accommodate a romance between the main characters, Dong Ju and EunNan. In fact, in my opinion, EunNan was one of the worst characters in the entire plot — she didn’t even deserve the title of female lead.



From beginning to end, she was bland, ambiguous, and unappealing in her decisions regarding Dong Ju. At no point did she deserve to be by his side — neither as the protagonist nor as the FL character.



The political setting had its ups and downs, but the excess of convoluted family schemes and deceptions was a total turn-off. So many manipulations, so many unresolved entanglements, so many family misunderstandings — it became exhausting.



In the end, many characters entered and exited the plot in na obsolete, meaningless, or completely underdeveloped way. Among them, the unfortunate Ji Seon-Wu, son of Gang-Cheon. I can only assume the producers lost their minds when they gave him such a stupid ending. The kind, gentle young man introduced to us at the beginning suddenly turned into a senseless monster. Saying ambition got to his head doesn’t convince me... where was the character development that justified such a change?



Other characters who entered the story with some promise but led nowhere: the unpleasant daughter Kuk Hee, the mysterious secretary Kong, Dong Ju’s psychologist and his clown-like father, the charming hacker, the president of nothing… among others.



Of course, these are just a few examples, since there were so many unnecessary characters in the drama that I can only assume they were added to fill space or justify part of the production budget.



Even the main villain, Yeon, played by the good veteran actor Heo Jun-Ho, ended up being more laughable than truly threatening. His ending would’ve been far more interesting if they had just kept him locked up in the Daesan vault for life — since his human conscience is clearly unreachable.



Park Hyung Sik was masterful, commanding in both performance and presence. He brought Dong Ju to life like no one else could. For me, his strong presence was the only thing that made the story worthwhile.



It’s not a drama I’ll carry with me. And if they ever create a second season, I’ll happily skip it with no regrets.



I’m glad it’s over — life is too short and too precious… no one should waste 16 hours and 20 minutes on this.



It’s not a drama I would recommend to anyone I care about.

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A promising thriller that forgets what it was trying to say

*Buried Hearts* markets itself as a slick revenge thriller drenched in corporate corruption, memory loss, and familial secrets. And to be fair, it starts that way. But as the story unfolds, the show loses not only its narrative grip, but also its own identity.

"A Strong Start That Quickly Fizzles"
The early episodes are compelling. A secret slush fund, a shadowy professor pulling political strings, and a lead character with amnesia - there’s no shortage of tension. But the writing quickly shows cracks. Instead of escalating the drama, the plot circles back on itself repeatedly, bogged down by overused tropes (amnesia again?) and characters who stop evolving after episode three.

There’s a frustrating lack of depth in how the show handles its core themes. Power, memory, guilt - these are fertile grounds for psychological drama, but *Buried Hearts* rarely digs deeper than surface-level reveals. Characters tell us how they feel; the show doesn’t show us. The narrative doesn’t trust its audience to interpret nuance, so it spoon-feeds motivation through long, expositional dialogue.

"Plot Twists or Plot Padding?"
The drama leans heavily on twists, but few of them land. A late-game near-incest plotline feels like a desperate attempt to inject shock value, only to be reversed quickly. The big reveals often feel more like filler than payoff - contrived rather than earned.

By the final third, the show is barely holding together. Pacing becomes a major issue. Scenes drag. Characters lose their edge. The revenge plot, which should intensify, flattens under political subplots and boardroom infighting that lack emotional stakes. What could have been a tight 12-episode series overstays its welcome across 16.

"Performances Can’t Save the Writing"
Park Hyung-sik does his best with what he’s given, but the script boxes him into a narrow emotional range. Dong-ju’s amnesia is used more as a reset button than a way to explore internal conflict. Hong Hwa-yeon, while understated and watchable, is underutilized, especially in the second half where her arc plateaus into passivity.

Even Huh Joon-ho, playing the morally gray puppet master Yeom Jang-seon, is reduced to a repetitive mouthpiece for exposition rather than a compelling antagonist.

"Direction and Visuals: Serviceable but Uninspired"
The direction is clean but lacks distinct style. There’s none of the visual storytelling or atmospheric flair that defines standout K-thrillers. Music is overbearing, often cueing emotion instead of letting the scene breathe. And while the sets are appropriately cold and corporate, the lack of variety becomes visually monotonous.

"Final Thoughts: A Forgettable Thriller That Forgets Its Own Heart"
*Buried Hearts* has all the ingredients of a high-stakes melodrama, but it lacks cohesion, restraint, and most importantly, soul. The show wastes its premise, dulls its tension with repetition, and leaves its audience more frustrated than satisfied. What could have been a biting commentary on greed and identity ends up as just another forgettable entry in the ever-growing list of K-dramas that promise more than they deliver.

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It started as the best...

I wasn't interested at first I thought it was going to be a boring drama about greedy old men fighting for money and Park Hyunsik wasn't enough of an incentive to sit through that. I got curious though and watched the first 4 episodes in one go.

I got excited and came here praising the the drama, it was thrilling, dark l, twisted and with a fiery romance thrown in. Park Hyunsik's acting is amazing in this drama He's looking more beautiful than ever and each episode leaves you wanting more and twist after twist came and it became one of those tropey Telenovelas I grew up watching with my mom. The best character died and we were left with uninteresting villains and a mess of a plot.

My fears about this drama came true, it was the best of the ongoing for me (who at the time hadn't started When life gives you tangerines.) but it crumbled as the story progressed to the point that I'm dropping halfway through episode 15 without Ildo the drama has become the boring story of greedy old men I wasn't interested I'm watching to start with, the romance has been ruined by the distasteful they're siblings but not really though twist and besides Dongju and maybe Taeyun I just don't care about anything else.

The best acting role of Park Hyunsik in a meh storyline unfortunately. I leave this drama disappointed and hoping for a Hyunsik villain role in the future.

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