Bloodhounds Full Review: Woo Do Hwan, Lee Sang Yi are a dynamic duo; Park Sung Woong makes for a great villain

Name: Bloodhounds

Premiere date: 9 June 2023

Cast: Woo Do Hwan, Lee Sang Yi, Heo Joon Ho, Park Sung Woong

Director: Jason Kim

Writer: Jason Kim

Genre: Noir, Action, Crime Thriller

No. of Episodes: 8

Where to watch: Netflix 

Bloodhounds is coordinated by chief Kim Joo Hwan, who has shown strength in exciting activity and bromance-like stories with the movies Midnight Runners and Lion. Woo Do Hwan, who appeared in the films Lion, Master and The King: Eternal Monarch and Lee Sang Yi from the shows Youth in May and Hometown Cha Cha Cha mix into shockingly noble and foolishly valiant Gun Woo and Woo Jin, who are closer than just siblings, creating chemistry throughout the storyline. Heo Joon Ho of the Netflix series Kingdom and the film Mogadishu and Park Sung Woong of the movies Woongnam and New World flaunt areas of strength for them and mystique by playing President Choi and Myung Gil.

The story: 

Gun Woo and Woo Jin, both talented boxers, met as rivals in the ring but quickly became close due to their shared passion for boxing and being former Marines. Gun Woo's mother, who owns a cafe, is the victim of a scam perpetrated by Smile Capital, an illegal loan company whose vicious methods push people to the brink. Gun Woo and Woo Jin, who have a good heart, meet Choi, a legend in the private loan market, and decide to get back at Smile Capital CEO Myung Gil.

Action: 

There is no doubt that the action in the series was extremely well-choreographed and spaced out correctly throughout the storyline. There was just enough to not bore the viewers and it bodes well with the flow of the story. Woo Do Hwan and Lee Sang Yi are dynamic as fighters and they do a great job at portraying the intricacies of a boxer in all the action scenes. 

Woo Do Hwan and Lee Sang Yi: 

Woo Do Hwan as Gun Woo is the perfect mixture of cute and strong. He shows his different sides whenever he needs to but maintains his strong morals at all times. His sweet smile as he takes care of his mother is a beautiful sight to see. Lee Sang Yi as Woo Jin is one of the best additions in the drama. His expressions and funny lines are the comic relief needed in the otherwise intense drama. Their fight scenes together are also done well as they almost glide as they fight. 

Heo Joon Ho and Park Sung Woong: 

Heo Joon Ho as President Choi and Park Sung Woong as Myung Gil is a great casting decision as nobody else could embody those characters. Heo Joon Ho did a great job of showing a man who wants to make up for the things he did in the past by being a modern Robin Hood with Hyeon Ju (Kim Sae Ron) as his sidekick and treasured person. Myung Gil (Park Sung Woong), on the other hand, is everything that is evil in the world. His expressions and cursing style is a complete caricature of a Korean gang member but he gives chills with the way he does not hesitate before hurting someone. 

Unexpected characters: 

There were a few characters that were amazing and unexpected in the drama. Choi Siwon as Hong Min Beom is an amazing character as he starts off as a man who has the whole world on the tip of his finger but after understanding the extent of Myung Gil’s evilness, he feels helpless. His chemistry with Gun Woo and Woo Jin, which comes pretty late, is appreciated and their ending scenes were heartwarming. Kim Min Jae made the unexpected appearance in the drama, he played the role of Kim Jae Min, a two-timer detective that was on Myung Gil’s side. His deep voice, coupled with the evil looks was one of the best parts of the series. 

Final thoughts: 

This short series does not go in depth on any moral lessons but it is an intense drama nonetheless. They do dive into the concept of loan sharks and the way people of all ages are getting conned in different ways. The camaraderie, relationships and loyalty seems like a recurring theme of the series itself. There are no romantic connections, which is a good decision as it would have cheapened the point of the drama and we definitely recommend people to give this a chance, if they like an intense, action-packed drama that is also filled with pockets of heartwarming relationships shared between mother-son, friends and others. 

ALSO READ: Bloodhounds Early Review: Woo Do Hwan is a strong and warmhearted boxer; Lee Sang Yi is a beautiful addition

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