This review may contain spoilers
Flawed but Addictive
This revenge thriller hooks you early with sharp twists, a stolen slush fund, and intense stakes. It’s addictive and full of surprises—at first. But as the plot goes on, it loses steam, leaning on repetitive themes of greed, manipulation, and over-the-top action. Seo Dong Ju (Park Hyung Sik) surviving every wild scenario starts to feel more superhero than thriller. And the forgiveness arc? A bit much—he forgives the dad who killed his mom and tried to kill him multiple times. Really?Yeo Eun Nam (Hong Hwa Yeon) brings a fresh perspective, prioritizing avenging her father over romance. It’s a bold choice that might not appeal to everyone. However, the real scene-stealer is Woo Hyun as Cha Gang Cheon—a cunning chairman juggling dementia with brilliance. He’s easily the show’s most compelling character.
At 16 episodes, the pacing falters. A tighter 10-episode run could’ve kept the tension sharp. The ending, unfortunately, doesn’t fully deliver; the revenge arc feels incomplete, and some twists fizzle out. Still, Ji Seon U killing Heo Tae Yun is tragic but fitting—showing how greed consumes and destroys.
"Buried Heart" isn’t perfect, but it’s a chaotic, fun ride with plenty of additive drama. If you’re in the mood for messy thrills, buckle up and enjoy!
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a revenge buried for years
finished 8.5/10 🌟If I had one word to describe this kdrama, it would be: realism.
One of the factors I liked most was the way greed and power were portrayed.
Each of the characters was wrapped in a web of secrets... Park Hyungsik, what an actor he is! 👏
He was a 10/10 for his character. 🔥
The journey we took with Dongjun and his struggle to give back everything that was taken from him was filled with difficulties and it wasn't perfect or satisfactory which I liked because it shows that revenge is sometimes not the best solution
Hu Joon Ho is an excellent villain. His character, besides being cruel, had a charisma that I loved.
If I'm honest, his ending was very fitting because he deserved to pay for what he did and live in humiliation.
There were two things I didn't like very much:
1) Eunnam's character was given absolute relevance at the beginning, only to then deflate her character and leave everything super flat. What a waste of plot.
2) I wish they'd explored the storyline of the team that helped Dongjun with his revenge more.
They just appeared, and then, bam! It's like they vanished into thin air. 🤡
I recommend the drama if you're looking for power and a political thriller full of revenge 👏
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This was a decent revenge drama. WATCH IT FOR YOURSELF PLEASE!
WHAT IN THE ENDING WAS THAT? I know for sure there will be a season 2.This was a decent revenge drama.
I didnt watch the trailer nor did I read any details about this drama. I watched it because I like Park Hyung-Sik work.
First impression was this man was “kissing a$$”, like what??? LOL
The last part of episode 1 cut me deep deep. Like bro! WTH???
My anxiety! Yeom Jang Seon played his villain role so good.
There are no boring episodes.
WATCH IT FOR YOURSELF PLEASE. Don't pay too much attention to the bad reviews.
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This review may contain spoilers
Personally, I didn't like the story of Buried Hearts. Although the first few episodes were quite engaging, I didn’t find anything interesting in the rest of the drama. However, I must say that despite the unremarkable storyline, the only reason I completed it was because of the male lead. His acting was simply top-notch. Was this review helpful to you?
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There is a lot of disconnect in the writing.
Watching buried hearts especially in the first half I really really enjoyed it. I would say around episode 9 the story started to fall flat. Everything the plot had been setting up was exciting intense but didn't fully feel unrealistic.SPOILERS:
I think my biggest point of contention was how Huh Ildo got a redemption arc. I can't stress enough how frustrated I was when Dongju all of a sudden was chill because he was his father. I know there are emotionally conflicting feelings when someone who tried to literally kill you find out is your dad however, please they did not have a deep enough relationship in the quick few weeks to have changed that. I understand looking out for Taeyun they already had a strong bond hell he literally told Taeyun about Eunnam. Writing it as if Dongju was doing it for Ildo is frustrating and doesn't make sense. Why did they try to make Jungnan all of a sudden good? Like she is a selfish character she is solely looking out for herself and kind of her kids she doesn't need to be good I understand her motives but I am not going to empathize with her.
Eunnam, girl. I think for me it was really hard to understand her actions. She was so flip floppy but showed no fear of commitment so her flip floppiness made no sense to me. I understand her wanting to have a stake in the company but why didn't you give a chance to let Dongju figure it out the grandfather literally sent him to marry you. That felt so stupid to me and what was the point of her asking to not use a condom? Like I thought that something would come of that. Was it just to show that she fully trusted him? I don't think it makes logical sense for them to get back together especially after he got shot there was no romance between them and that is OK!!!! I just like every Kdrama girly wants to see Hyungsik in a romance he's amazing at them buttt this didn't need it and felt disingenuous at the end.
Seo Dongju, his character confused me and there didn't seem like the writing did him justice. I kept getting whiplash from his character the most because there was very little consistency. If he was more relaxed every time he was with his little trio that helped him that would make sense but every scene with them was different and didn't feel true to the previous scenes. I think we needed to see him more relaxed like he was in the beginning with Eunnam with at least one of the characters. While I think Hyungsik did a great job with the more emotional scenes and serious scenes there was a disconnect for me where it felt like he was playing multiple different characters rather than just one.
I hate how they ended this series clearly they are looking to make a season two but with how they went about the last half of the series there is no reason for me to tune in. I have more to say but I think this is a good enough review for the moment.
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thw only good thing in the drama is Park Hyung Sik.
What a disaster. I was hoping for a great revenge drama, and instead it's a boring drama that has no soul. The concept is good, but it fails at execution. It relies on the acting, but the scripts are so bad. It did not attract me from the beginning, but I thought, "Okay, I will watch one more episode as it may get better," but no. I did not really care about the characters except Dong Ju. I kept watching it for him.I could not waste my time any longer and dropped it at episode 8 and skipped to the last one. The ending was not satisfying at all after he had to get through so much.
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A Makjang that features Park Hyung Sik as a grey character? Okay I'm in!
All hail Park Hyung Sik for single-handedly carrying this drama through. I saw this immediately after Bong Soon, so you can understand why I absolutely fell head over heels in love with a long, black-haired PHS.I saw the first episode, and I thought this was another version of Song Joong Ki's Reborn Rich. The vibe of both dramas is similar, but this is a little different. The first couple of episodes, when the context is being set up, are absolutely brilliant. It seems like the drama was bogged down by its own expectations. It built a plan so huge and vast that, as the story proceeded, it wasn't able to achieve the scale that it wanted to. The characters are essentially all sad characters; everyone is powerless, but everyone is also a schemer, and at the end, no one really gets to have the last laugh. The battle between Seo Dongju and Yeom Jangseon was brilliant, and it made me want to root for Seo Dongju, even though I knew that he wasn't the nicest guy out there. So points to the writer for making a flawed character memorable enough that you want to see what stunt he's going to pull next. Apart from them, there wasn't any character memorable enough. The chairman was a cunning character, but again, not a nice guy. He had his preferences and biases, gave no shit to the women in the house, and was only interested in using people to his interests. I really did not understand the logic behind why Seo Dongju (who is so particular about whom to support and how to do it) decided to stick to Chairman Cha even after all the mistreatment. The writers portrayed it as if SDJ REEAAALLLYYY wanted to work for the chairman, because the Chairman is the best boss ever. That just made no sense at all.
The second tiff that I have with the drama is with Heo Ildo's character. I kinda understand where his intentions were coming from, but still, the way they portrayed him as this villainous character in the beginning, the redemption arc towards the end felt forced.
The final tiff that I have with this series is the romance part of it. For two people who are shown to be SO PASSIONATE in the beginning, they shouldn't be able to keep their hands away from each other, especially if both are living in the same house. But their romance just fizzles away, and the FL just becomes a cardboard cutout emotional support therapist for the ML.
The series had the potential to write many powerful female characters, but they all ended up receiving cardboard cutout treatments... such a wasted opportunity. Furthermore, several characters like the Administrator, the Hacker girl, Cheon Guho, or even Madam Pi, were just random people thrown here and there without any backstory or explanations. I would've personally loved a backstory of Cheon Guho and why he chose to stick by Yeom Jangseon through everything.
But the OST was good, and so was Park Hyung Sik. He was the reason why I watched the whole thing in 2 days straight and persevered through the dragging episodes from 8-12 (didn't see the point of dragging out a subplot for so long, they could've just ended it quicker). His hairstyle deserves another essay, and so does his wardrobe. His stylist needs a raise. And his acting was both cute and evil, the 미친놈 (mi-chin-nom) smile with the demented eyes was ON POINT.
Overall, it was quite an interesting take on the makjang genre (based on the few that I've watched) in the first couple of episodes. But it suffered the curse of the mid-series boredom and picked up pace only at the 11-12th episode or so. But by then, it was too trope-y to be excited over anything. The treatment of the series was also VERY manhwa-inspired. I actually thought that this was an adaptation of a manhwa, but it apparently is not. Either way, its a decent one time watch. Watch it for our Hyungsik-a <3
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Dongju's poetic revenge
I'm truly proud of Dongju's character. Despite everything he went through the pain, the hardships he never abandoned his principles or his humanity. He carried out a classy revenge, without resorting to violence or harming innocent people. Instead, he took away Yeom's greatest obsession his money. He locked him inside a vault full of cash making him look at it for an entire year without being able to touch or spend a single dollar.Painful, poetic, and powerful.
All that's left for Dongju now is to embrace his victory, focus on mending his relationship with Eunnam, and live a peaceful life if he could or at LEAST book a therapist its much needed in his case😭
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Buried Hearts: A wild ride
follows the turbulent life of Seo Dong Jun (Park Hyung Sik), a journey marked by betrayals and intriguing plot twists that immediately grabbed my attention.While the initial episodes were captivating, the final two felt less impactful. Despite being in the revenge genre, the execution of the revenge aspect felt less impactful compared to other dramas with similar genre.
The ending, though satisfactory, left some unanswered questions, potentially hinting at a second season. It will be quite cool to see what Seo Dong Jun's next steps should a Season 2 materialise.
Park Hyung Sik delivered a fantastic performance as Seo Dong Jun, conveying the emotional depth of his character. Huh Joon Ho (Yeom Jang Seon) and Lee Hae Young (Heo Il Do) were also instrumental in making the drama exciting, with strong chemistry evident in their interactions with Park Hyung Sik.
It's worth noting that while romance is present, it is not a central theme of "Buried Hearts," which may be important for viewers who primarily enjoy romance-focused dramas.
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Don't jumb with too much expectations. Good one time watching
The show was overall carried by the good acting of the actors. The casting director and direction did their best but the story plot had too much holes.Trying to justify the murders commited by ildo( I am not sure about names. The step father) was something that threw me off. Just because he felt bad doesn't mean his doing were forgiven. The mother(of fl) was shown as someone non villian, it's unfair. The characters other than the villians deserved better , but since it's a tragedy genres it's totally understandable.
The shots and filmography was interesting and that was absolutely fantastic. But the story had too much rough edges.
If you are here for PHS go for it. His performance was very good and that's the only reason why I finished the show. It has good drama and twists (not for me since I am good at predicting ) . He really delivered the character well. His face card was used very beautifully.
Handsomeness at its peak😉
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Synopsis
In this segment,
Central to it is Seo Dong-ju, an erstwhile obedient office worker turned to a life of vengeance when betrayed by the same system to which he remained loyal. The program attempts to weave threads of private tragedy on one hand, threads of business conspiracy on another, with Dong-ju infiltrating a massive two-trillion-won mobilization pool in order to remain in business so he can pursue ultimate vengeance. The premise is engaging enough, but occasionally too many subplots—from family treachery to political scandal—are woven in such a way that the action becomes complicated with too much to track, with at least some viewers pining for more focus and unity.
Performances
Park Hyung-sik excels in his depiction of Dong-ju, expressing his inner turmoil as much as his aloof, calculated pursuit of revenge. One of his ability to be both vulnerable and determined at the same time is one of the drama's strongest points. The supporting actors, including Huh Joon-ho and Hong Hwa-yeon, bring with them good performances; however, not everyone's narrative arc is given room to fulfill their full development, which occasionally hurts emotional resolution.
Direction, Camera, and Music
In terms of aesthetics, the show makes use of tight, intimate camera work and dark, atmospheric colors to match up with themes of disintegration and loneliness. The soundtrack, from background sound to sound effect, is excellent in bringing out the tension and drama, even if occasionnally transitions can sometimes be harsh. The technicals are fluid, if occasionally have trouble to tie all of the narrative threads together with exactitude.
General Perception
General In general, Buried Hearts is an entertaining show that deserves to be considered as a revenge drama—it's good concept and starring performance propel it along even in spite of some of the narrative missteps. Although the overplotting and occasional pacing problems detract from the overall viewing experience, even so, it still presents an absorbing, though imperfect, narrative of ambition and tragedy. Final Rating: 7.5/10
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WTF THE ENDING
WTF was that ending, bro? I’m honestly so confused and kinda annoyed. It feels like the story just stopped instead of actually ending. There were still so many unresolved problems and weird plot points that never got explained. Like, what was the point of building all that tension if they weren’t going to pay it off properly?So many things just didn’t make sense. Some characters had issues that were clearly important, but then the show just ignored them like they never mattered. It left a lot of gaps and unanswered questions, which made the whole experience feel incomplete. I kept waiting for some kind of explanation or closure, but it just never came.
I get that some dramas try to leave things open-ended, but this didn’t feel intentional or smart. It felt rushed and unfinished, like they ran out of time or didn’t know how to wrap things up. There were too many inconsistencies and awkward moments that made me question the logic of the story.
Honestly, it’s frustrating because the drama had potential. The buildup was interesting, and I was actually invested in the characters. But the ending just ruined it for me. It didn’t give any real resolution, and instead left a messy impression.
Overall, I’d say the ending was really disappointing. Too many loose ends, too many unexplained details, and not enough closure. It just doesn’t feel satisfying at all.
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