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This review may contain spoilers
Trigger: My Weekend with Kim Nam Gil, Kim Young Kwang & Too Many Guns
DISCLAIMER:
This review isn’t my usual style. These are basically my raw notes, scribbled down while watching and cleaned up just enough for you to read. I’m not a professional critic, just a fan with a keyboard and too many opinions. I’m focusing on the story, not the camera angles or production budget. If you want a deep technical breakdown, wait for my friend @Zo****.
And don’t worry, no major spoilers here, unless you count my frustrations as spoilers.
The second I saw the posters for Trigger, I knew I was in. Then I found out all episodes dropped at once? Done. That was 380 minutes of my life… gone. But what’s life if not collecting bad decisions? And honestly, Kim Nam Gil and Kim Young Kwang, with no female lead to pull the usual tropes? Say less. We’ve been starving for action dramas this year. Sure, we got Mercy for None, but those six episodes were more “mercy-less” than merciful. And no, I will not start a fight with Netflix today.
If you’re an old-school TV fan, think Breaking Bad for the moral dilemmas and Narcos for the deep dive into the dark world of illegal guns. Trigger walks that same tightrope between psychology and total chaos. It’s a fascinating look at what happens when weapons flood the streets and ordinary lives get turned upside down.This drama opens a can of worms,and doesn’t bother closing it. I binge watched it in one weekend, pen and paper in hand like I was studying for the Korean SATs. Brutal. And at the end? I had more questions than answers. Does Netflix owe us a second season? The ending sure hinted at it, but waiting for K-drama sequels is like waiting for Kingdom Season 3: possibly lethal.
THE BIG QUESTIONS:
What happens when regular people take “justice” into their own hands?
What happens when society pushes people so hard they finally snap?
Are the “bad guys” really bad, or just good people with no options left?
Why is it that no one listens to the bullied until they get hold of a gun?
Are medical professionals equipped to handle extreme cases of mental health?
THE CHARACTERS
Moon Baek: Robin Hood in Tailored Suits and a Killer Smile
Played by the ridiculously talented Kim Young Kwang, Moon Baek was… a red flag identifying as a green flag. He outshined the actual main lead, Lee Do. Period.
He’s the cheerful-but-deadly villain with a heartbreaking past, which he casually shared with Lee Do during one of their “dates.” (Yes, I’m calling them dates. Their bromance wasn’t on my bingo card, but here we are. The best duo of 2025.) His tattoos, artistic enough to hang in a gallery, are part intimidation tactic, part trauma cover-up. Gunshot scars, body trafficking scars, surgeries… Moon Baek is practically a walking medical miracle. But his real scars? Invisible. And those are what fuel his twisted mission to “empower” victims, just in the worst way possible. He doesn’t give guns to the wicked; he gives them to the righteous who’ve been wronged. Which makes you want to root for him… until you realize the terrifying consequences of letting him have his way. He thrives on the sheer thrill of watching “security personnel” scramble and sweat while bullets fly, an epic display of just how outmatched the authorities are.
Lee Do: The One-Man Army
A brilliant former special forces soldier, should have been the unstoppable hero of this story. He knows his guns, his tactics, and the psychology of his targets. Yet the security force sidelines him, treating him like a part-time consultant instead of the asset he is. After his high-stakes past, he’s now stuck behind a desk at a sleepy police station, a far cry from his days in special ops. To the National Intelligence Service, his solo stand during the police station attack wasn’t bravery, it was paperwork. Just him ticking off his “body count” target. As if heroism comes with a checklist. He’s a highly skilled operative, but bureaucracy has him on a tight leash, forcing him to act like a pencil pusher instead of the formidable force he once was. Lee Do needs a gun, a team that actually knows how to use guns, and probably a better ride too. (Consider this a humble request to HR on behalf of all viewers.)
LET'S RE-WRITE SOME WRONGS:
The writer-director Kwon Oh Seung (pulling double duty...suddenly things make sense) is relatively new, with only Trigger and Midnight under his belt. Still, he’s going places.
By “places,” I mean the Police Academy and the NIS offices, because he could use some consultancy on how real police responses work. In many instances , every officer on screen moved like there isn’t a truckload of guns and protestors waiting for them. (To be fair… there actually was a truck full of guns. No joke.) Epic fail.
Some storylines deserved more screen time. The school shooting scene? That could’ve been an entire episode. It was psychological, painful, and had real-world implications. But instead of exploring the aftermath, parents panicking, the community grieving, we got a quick candlelight vigil and Netflix’s “Insufficient funds” notification.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Trigger is a brilliant idea that needed more time and more depth. I love shows that peel back society’s layers, ask uncomfortable questions, and challenge our sense of morality. This one did all of that… but then wrapped it up too quickly.
If you’ve ever been pushed to your limit and wondered, “How far would I go?”, this drama is for you. It will make you question the black, the white, and the grey areas.
Violence-wise? Pretty mild. They even give you trigger warnings at the start of intense episodes. (Maybe I’ve watched darker shows, but I didn’t find it that bad. Do I need therapy? Probably.)
Favorite Quotes:
“If revenge ruins my life, is it worth it?”
Lee Do
“In a world where the strong devour the weak, it’s not your cheap sympathy that will protect them.”
Moon Baek
Writer's notes ✍️
In a funny twist, I ended up watching Kim Young Kwang’s 2021 movie Mission: Possible right after finishing Trigger. He is now the real main character, and the plot holes all over Trigger? Filled nicely in this movie. Review coming soon. Stay tuned!
And finally, flowers to the real MVP of this drama: composer Hwang Sun Jun, whose portfolio is longer than the Book of Psalms. Brilliant work, he gave this drama an edge in the best way. Some of his work can be found here: https://kisskh.at/people/76665-hwang-sang-jun
This review isn’t my usual style. These are basically my raw notes, scribbled down while watching and cleaned up just enough for you to read. I’m not a professional critic, just a fan with a keyboard and too many opinions. I’m focusing on the story, not the camera angles or production budget. If you want a deep technical breakdown, wait for my friend @Zo****.
And don’t worry, no major spoilers here, unless you count my frustrations as spoilers.
The second I saw the posters for Trigger, I knew I was in. Then I found out all episodes dropped at once? Done. That was 380 minutes of my life… gone. But what’s life if not collecting bad decisions? And honestly, Kim Nam Gil and Kim Young Kwang, with no female lead to pull the usual tropes? Say less. We’ve been starving for action dramas this year. Sure, we got Mercy for None, but those six episodes were more “mercy-less” than merciful. And no, I will not start a fight with Netflix today.
If you’re an old-school TV fan, think Breaking Bad for the moral dilemmas and Narcos for the deep dive into the dark world of illegal guns. Trigger walks that same tightrope between psychology and total chaos. It’s a fascinating look at what happens when weapons flood the streets and ordinary lives get turned upside down.This drama opens a can of worms,and doesn’t bother closing it. I binge watched it in one weekend, pen and paper in hand like I was studying for the Korean SATs. Brutal. And at the end? I had more questions than answers. Does Netflix owe us a second season? The ending sure hinted at it, but waiting for K-drama sequels is like waiting for Kingdom Season 3: possibly lethal.
THE BIG QUESTIONS:
What happens when regular people take “justice” into their own hands?
What happens when society pushes people so hard they finally snap?
Are the “bad guys” really bad, or just good people with no options left?
Why is it that no one listens to the bullied until they get hold of a gun?
Are medical professionals equipped to handle extreme cases of mental health?
THE CHARACTERS
Moon Baek: Robin Hood in Tailored Suits and a Killer Smile
Played by the ridiculously talented Kim Young Kwang, Moon Baek was… a red flag identifying as a green flag. He outshined the actual main lead, Lee Do. Period.
He’s the cheerful-but-deadly villain with a heartbreaking past, which he casually shared with Lee Do during one of their “dates.” (Yes, I’m calling them dates. Their bromance wasn’t on my bingo card, but here we are. The best duo of 2025.) His tattoos, artistic enough to hang in a gallery, are part intimidation tactic, part trauma cover-up. Gunshot scars, body trafficking scars, surgeries… Moon Baek is practically a walking medical miracle. But his real scars? Invisible. And those are what fuel his twisted mission to “empower” victims, just in the worst way possible. He doesn’t give guns to the wicked; he gives them to the righteous who’ve been wronged. Which makes you want to root for him… until you realize the terrifying consequences of letting him have his way. He thrives on the sheer thrill of watching “security personnel” scramble and sweat while bullets fly, an epic display of just how outmatched the authorities are.
Lee Do: The One-Man Army
A brilliant former special forces soldier, should have been the unstoppable hero of this story. He knows his guns, his tactics, and the psychology of his targets. Yet the security force sidelines him, treating him like a part-time consultant instead of the asset he is. After his high-stakes past, he’s now stuck behind a desk at a sleepy police station, a far cry from his days in special ops. To the National Intelligence Service, his solo stand during the police station attack wasn’t bravery, it was paperwork. Just him ticking off his “body count” target. As if heroism comes with a checklist. He’s a highly skilled operative, but bureaucracy has him on a tight leash, forcing him to act like a pencil pusher instead of the formidable force he once was. Lee Do needs a gun, a team that actually knows how to use guns, and probably a better ride too. (Consider this a humble request to HR on behalf of all viewers.)
LET'S RE-WRITE SOME WRONGS:
The writer-director Kwon Oh Seung (pulling double duty...suddenly things make sense) is relatively new, with only Trigger and Midnight under his belt. Still, he’s going places.
By “places,” I mean the Police Academy and the NIS offices, because he could use some consultancy on how real police responses work. In many instances , every officer on screen moved like there isn’t a truckload of guns and protestors waiting for them. (To be fair… there actually was a truck full of guns. No joke.) Epic fail.
Some storylines deserved more screen time. The school shooting scene? That could’ve been an entire episode. It was psychological, painful, and had real-world implications. But instead of exploring the aftermath, parents panicking, the community grieving, we got a quick candlelight vigil and Netflix’s “Insufficient funds” notification.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Trigger is a brilliant idea that needed more time and more depth. I love shows that peel back society’s layers, ask uncomfortable questions, and challenge our sense of morality. This one did all of that… but then wrapped it up too quickly.
If you’ve ever been pushed to your limit and wondered, “How far would I go?”, this drama is for you. It will make you question the black, the white, and the grey areas.
Violence-wise? Pretty mild. They even give you trigger warnings at the start of intense episodes. (Maybe I’ve watched darker shows, but I didn’t find it that bad. Do I need therapy? Probably.)
Favorite Quotes:
“If revenge ruins my life, is it worth it?”
Lee Do
“In a world where the strong devour the weak, it’s not your cheap sympathy that will protect them.”
Moon Baek
Writer's notes ✍️
In a funny twist, I ended up watching Kim Young Kwang’s 2021 movie Mission: Possible right after finishing Trigger. He is now the real main character, and the plot holes all over Trigger? Filled nicely in this movie. Review coming soon. Stay tuned!
And finally, flowers to the real MVP of this drama: composer Hwang Sun Jun, whose portfolio is longer than the Book of Psalms. Brilliant work, he gave this drama an edge in the best way. Some of his work can be found here: https://kisskh.at/people/76665-hwang-sang-jun
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