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We don't get many action media which put a woman in the front. Usually, we have a male character doing all the dirty work. It's even less rare to see a woman in the center when the story focuses on vigilantism. Taxi Driver and Vigilante, for example, are two popular dramas where the male protagonist is the one who gets directly involved in the action part.

But what if the tables turned? What if instead of a male vigilante, there was a woman?

A Bona Fide Killer centers around Yoo Bo Na, a seemingly ordinary woman, who is happily married with a child. But Bo Na harbors a secret; she is the infamous Kingfisher, a killer who has been going after criminals for 15 years. After three years of inactivity, Bo Na goes back to "work" and resumes her duty as a public servant of justice. Only this time, her husband, Kwon Tae Seong, a reporter who has been writing about Kingfisher throughout the years, seems to get closer to discover his wife's identity.

I went into this drama pretty much blindly. I saw the poster about a woman with a gun and was immediately sold. I anticipated action and I certainly got it from the very beginning of the first episode. The more I watched, the more I realized that this wasn't a typical action story about a female vigilante. It was a story about a female vigilante who tried to balance her life while protecting not only her identity but the people she treasured the most too.

A Bona Fide Killer felt like a very fresh story. While not extraordinary as a concept, the story was very fun and easy to follow. Since the drama is based on an on-going webtoon, I don't know what changes were applied, therefore I'll judge based on what we got. A Bona Fide Killer was a combination of action, mystery, thriller and comedy. The blend between the different genres was handled well most of the time and I enjoyed the tone of the drama. It was lighthearted and dark when it needed to, highlighting the different aspects in Bo Na's life. A life full of love and crime.

I adored Bo Na and her family from the moment I got introduced to them. Bo Na and Tae Seong's relationship warmed my heart and the adorable Yul never failed to put a smile on my face. The domesticity between them provided me with a feeling of warmth and security and I wanted them, more than anything, to stay safe and sound.

It's safe to say that Bo Na has become one of my most favourite female characters in kdramas. As I followed her story, I felt like I connected to her even more and I was rooting for her and her justice. As the drama revealed more about her past, it became clear why she cherished her family so much and why she'd move to great lengths in order to protect them.

At the same time, while portraying her as a devoted mother and wife, the story didn't reduce her character as a mere housewife. Bo Na has her own goal to protect the world from criminals, when the justice system is unable to. She was fierce and unforgiving when it came to heinous crimes and her punishment was always delivered in the same way: a single shot and the "meeting" was concluded. Her fighting scenes were so thrilling to watch, I love it when women are included in fighting sequences and in Bo Na's case, she was the ace of her team and the person they relied to quite often, making her role even bigger.

It was interesting to observe Bo Na tackle her responsibilities between her two lives. There were some various scenes where she would discuss with the mothers of Yul's classmates which brought a tone of normality in the drama and which showcased Bo Na's eagerness to learn how to be a proper mother. That humanized her even more as a person, considering the fact the viewers would constantly see her going after criminals without a second thought (even though that too was a humane act).

That was my first Kong Hyo Jin project and I simply loved her. She was perfect as Bo Na, she could switch from a loving mom and wife to a cold vigilante in an instant. I liked the way she portrayed Bo Na, especially with how she would use the tone of her voice and facial expressions. Her performance was very balanced and helped the audience connect with Bo Na's character. I was captivated by her performance and I totally understand why she has become so popular.

Bo Na's husband, Tae Seong, captured my attention as well. He was so loving and considerate towards his family and it was clear that he cherished Bo Na and Yul so much. I appreciate how it was shown that he helped with house chores too and the times when he stood up against his mother in order to support Bo Na made me love his character even more. Typically, the son is portrayed as passive when it comes to his mother but here, the writers showed him going against his family when they ridiculed his wife.

His relationship with Bo Na was one of my favourite aspects in the story. It was very mature and grounded, both parties treasured each other and as we learned more about their past, we saw how they saved each other, each one in their own way. All of these moments were a nice yet stressful built-up for the inevitable reveal of Bo Na's identity. Although Tae Seong's love towards his wife was undeniable, it wasn't clear how he would react to the news of his wife being the person to hom he had dedicated years of his work. And that uncertainty added more drama and angst to the story.

Jung Jun Woon was very good as Tae Seong. His chemistry with Kong Hyo Jin was more than natural and at no point did I feel it was forced. His acting was subtle, yet it carried many emotions, particularly whenever Tae Seong contemplating about Kingfisher's identity.

Lee Sang Yi as Lee Dong Jin, Tae Seong's friend who worked for the police and who was after Kingfisher, managed to steal the show too. His character was adamant when it came to his beliefs about Kingfisher and his ability to connect the dots made me anxious numerous times. Sang Yi's performance, albeit less emotional, showcased the character's complexity, especially towards episodes nine and ten. His character was both fun and frustrating to watch, in the sense that he just wouldn't move on from Kingfisher, making the viewers worry about Bo Na.

The majority of the supporting roles were compelling enough. Sung Do Il was nice to watch as Kim Bong Pal and Hal Yul Ri as Oh Hyun Nam radiated so confidence and elegance, only to quickly turn into a fan girl for Bo Na. I also enjoyed Moo Jin Sung as Ki Young Do, whom I was able to read from the first episodes, regarding his feelings.

The cinematography during the action parts was fun and full of energy. The quick editing enhanced the hectic environment and the camera angles during the sniper scenes added to the weight of the situation. The soundtrack combined tracks of different styles, creating a different atmosphere based on the scene and the characters. The songs and instrumentals were pleasant and set up the appropriate vibes.

With all things considered, while I had a blast watching A Bona Fide Killer, I think the story could have been handled better. Since the drama was fourteen episodes long, there was room for more development regarding the characters and the themes. I don't know what portion of the webtoon was covered and if the writers took any liberties, so if you have read the webtoon, you are free to ignore my comments.

I feel like the story had some segments which felt more like fillers instead of meaningful additions which contributed to the development. The mini love-triangle between Bo Na's sister-in-law, Se Ah, Se Ah's friend, Seong Hun and Young Do, while fun and charming, became boring as it went on and dragged the plot back. I would have preferred it if the writers had focussed on one pair, either Se Ah and Young Do or Se Ah and Seong Hun. But its conclusion was very satisfying, so in the end, it ended up fine.

Bo Na's team was so fun and charming and I wish we could have gotten more scenes between the members. It was evident that all of them worshipped Bo Na and their dynamic as a team in the first episodes was one of the best parts. I wish we had gotten to see more of their bond or backstories at least, although that didn't prevent me from enjoying their interactions.

Bo Na's past was explored well but the clash between her and the final villain could have been more impactful, if their backstory had been explored more. We got some important scenes which added depth to Bo Na's character, it's just that the final confrontation came across as rather anticlimactic.

A pet peeve of mine was how the subplot with Bo Na's mother-in-law was handled. I think the writers could have been more brave and let her face the consequences of her actions by having Tae Seong not speak to her longer. Bo Na was too forgiving in my opinion, I understand where she came from and how sensitive she is, but she should have been harsher until she would have gotten a proper apology.

All in all, I had a great time watching this drama. I'll miss Bo Na and her family and I'll miss anticipating Kingfisher's next kill. If you enjoy action stories which combine slice-of-life elements together, you have nothing to lose by giving a try to this series. It's definitely one of my favourite dramas this year and I'm sure that Kingfisher's story could capture your own heart, too.