This drama’s story centers on revenge, action, friendship and romance: the ultimate combination to create various story’s developments all the time excluding any chance for dragging or slow moments. The intense events were always present to create cliffhangers at every turn in each episode. What I appreciated the most about this drama’s screenwriting was the action and revenge departments; they were really well done in a way that will make you believe they’re the core of the drama regardless of any other subjects. I also have to refer to the masked hero theme that was used in a great way.
The acting department was actually good. Lee Min Ho can be quite stiff but that doesn’t deny that his action scenes were pretty well done. Other cast were also appreciated since they could deliver feelings especially Kim Sang Joong who portrayed the villain role in a perfect way. As for characters, I believe they were nice to follow considering the fact that their developments were quite good.
As for music, I have to give this drama’s OST credit; not only they were well chosen but they were also put at the right moment creating an enjoyable atmosphere.
This drama can be watched by those who like action dramas mixed with revenge and romance or those who like the masked hero theme and thrilling stories. However, this drama should be avoided by those who dislike Lee Min Ho or those who are looking for a light drama.
If you’re willing to watch City Hunter, get ready to throw yourself in an endless circle of intense events without a drop of slow moments.
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Story: What a story! The writer/s of this drama know how to write! This was action, adventure, revenge and romance done right. As you watch this drama, you notice it is almost like riding a ride. Some of the episodes are packed full of dramatic tension and zip by so fast that when the credits roll you sit there thinking "The hour is over already?" There is a depth and smartness to how the characters are written and for the most part, the pacing of the 20 episodes is framed very well. All good stories need moments of 'set-up' and because there are so many bad ass episodes when the action calms and there is a need for some exposition you don't mind...you understand that its necessary and it builds up the tension for the next stage of "The Plan". There are surprises around so many corners, moments where you suck in your breath. There are times when you want to pump your fist and times when you want to sob your heart out. There are well timed comedic moments that will have you laughing out loud. Pulling these physical and emotional reactions from the audience is the mark of great story telling. It's the best praise and prize a writer can get and the writers of City Hunter certainly got it from me.
Characters: Again, the characters are written so they are not dumbed down for the audience. They are fleshed out so well that you end up having sympathy for a character you know you ought to hate...who deserves your disdain and yet, you feel their pain. Or you may find yourself loving a character that is on a dogged search for and could just bring down your beloved hero. The character of Yoon Sung (City Hunter) is a flawed and fallible hero but he's smart and ultimately good and I found myself behind him and his cause. You get to see so many moments of kick-assery but you also get to see the price he pays; whether it is his body or his psyche. Also, those he's fighting aren't stupid either so he has got a fight on his hands. I like that the writers didn't make the antagonists stupid and they weren't always easy for City Hunter to catch. It made this show a delight to watch.
Romance: While I am all for some loving, hugging and kissing...I like that this drama knew when to quit. They didn't sacrifice the story to serve up the audience lots of drippy, gooey love. Yes, the love is there and the story shows the discovery and build up of that love but City Hunter has a mission. He's got stuff to do! We get to see how that love changes the City Hunter, puts the "true North" to his moral compass, gives him a reason to want to live beyond revenge and that is a beautiful thing. But thankfully, the writers weren't afraid to place that story on the back burner. Not only because it made sense in the framework of tale but also, they didn't pander to us mushy romantic types and force more into play.
Acting: I could go on and on (I know, I already have) but I'll just say t his. Lee Min Ho does a fantastic job. I was not a huge fan of his prior to this drama but now I am. And I would add that there isn't one actor in this whole drama that does a bad job. The main characters were cast well for their roles. There wasn't a time as I was watching this where I cringed or felt cheated that the actor wasn't serving the story or phoning in a performance. Lee Joon Hyuk (Prosecutor Young Joo) was amazing. Park Min Young (Kim NaNa) was often luminous and pretty bad ass in her right. Kim Sang Joon played (Jin Pyo) so well I hated him and had real moments of sympathy for him. Kim Sang Ho (Ahjussi) ~ I love you! I want to buy you an American Express Black card and let you home shop to your heart's content!
Season 2: When the 20 episodes are over...chances are, you are going to want one! Watch this if you are hesitating. There's a reason why there's about a thousand reviews of this Drama.
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The cast is brilliant here as well. Basically everyone is amazing. Lee Min Ho seems like he has a lot of experience working out the 'likable jerk' archetype, because he nails it here. I called him a moron so many times during the watch and yet found myself loving him and rooting for him all the same.
Park Min Young is divine perfection as always and continues her place in my Top 5 Kdrama Actresses list. Lee Joon Hyuk is probably the best raw actor in this show, and Kim Sang Joon has the sort of charisma you want in a good villain, despite having literally one facial expression for the entire 20-episode run. But even the Supporting characters shone here, foremost among them being Kang Jin Sung, whose voice is like the most beautiful music, and Kim Sang Ho, who proved here that ugly can still be oddly attractive.
Honorable Cast Mentions:
- Chun Ho Jin and his 'intense eyes' should always be in every drama.
- Hwang Sun Hee can't really act well, but she's extremely good at being more beautiful than everyone, so props to her.
- Gu Ha Ra was born to her role here. I never got tired of her immature antics and that bouncy, youthful movement that always sent her too-perfect hair flapping this way and that. Simultaneously annoying and endearing, I always smiled when she was on camera.
- Choi Jung Woo embodies his characters better than most Korean actors. He has more range than you would you think at first glance.
Now, all that being said, unfortunately, despite its amazing cast, the story of City Hunter is ultimately a letdown and makes it a candidate for my Most Overrated Drama.
From a writing standpoint, the first half of the show is a paradise of interesting character moments and interactions. The characters grow, you fall in love with them, you root for them, you laugh and cry along with them, the way every good drama does. In particular, there is one scene where Park Min Young starts crying in the middle of a sentence without showing any other facial indications of sadness. She is fighting to be reasonable, dispassionate, selfless, and brave. Her voice is clear and strong and nary a quiver is to be found in her lips. And yet the tears betray her. It's a powerfully acted sequence that takes you by the heart and screams 'LOVE ME!'
However, the further you get into the back half of this drama, the more disconnected it becomes from anything relatable. All the character build-up you were invested in? Almost completely gone. The intriguing hero? A veritable wellspring of idiotic and inexplicable decisions, especially in connection with the heroine. The likable side characters? Either disappeared or killed off for no reason. The heroine? Used almost exclusively for reaction shots. All of this culminating into one of the most lackluster endings I've yet to experience in a drama. It did a couple interesting things, for sure, but for the most part the final episode just felt like a normal episode and the resolutions were either rushed into unimportance or simply nonexistent. So many story threads simply left dangling. And for what? Longer and more numerous reaction shots, yelling of character names, and oft-repeated plot points. The main plot of the show is well-written and compelling, but the characters are all but abandoned towards the end, which is inexcusable.
Basically, if you want some great action, awesome acting, and a handful of laughs and warm fuzzies, you'll get them from this show. If you want satisfying resolution and characters that do stuff that makes sense, you'll be disappointed. It's a show everyone should see, but not a show that everyone will love.
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I've never really understood the allure of Lee Min Ho before and admittedly, I sought great enlightenment in that regard with City Hunter, however, 20 episodes in and I'm still lost. It's safe to say that he is the namesake of Korean Entertainment Industry, internationally famous and even No#1 on the most popular list on our beloved MDL but for all that hype, there isn't much basis. To put it bluntly, he really isn't a very good actor. Sure, he's plenty cute but sadly his gorgeous looks can't save his acting from being plagued by redundancy and lack of versatility.
Lee Min Ho is like a bar of undiluted highly sweetened chocolate; eat one and you'll thoroughly enjoy the delectable sugar high but eat too many and it will turn from delicious to downright nauseous real quick. In other words, he's not the type of actor whose shows one can binge-watch because doing so will be akin to subjecting yourself to the monotony of a recycling machine.
For being an almost perfect hero with no flaws, his character "Lee Yoon Sung" is surprisingly not the sharpest knife in the cutlery and even though the writers created him to be very likeable, he is straight up annoying at times. The biggest example of that is probably when somebody close to him gets shot or severely injured in front of him. Instead of calling the ambulance like a normal person would, he absolutely has to act out the whole 15-minute-long over-emotional dramatic scene filled to the brim with hysterics where he clutches the dying person to his chest, looks deep into their eyes, cries tears of heartache and assures them that they will indeed not die, all the while sufficiently increasing their chances of said death.
I mean, how Kim Na Na survives after being shot is still an enigma to me because our dear Yoon Sung did try his level best to cause murder due to excessive blood loss because wallowing in misery and repeatedly asking your girlfriend why she'd take a bullet for him is oh so important than taking her to the nearest hospital. (Of course, he donates blood to her later and saves the day because we can't let our watchers forget who the true hero is, now can we?)
Park Min Young is a cute actress and Kim Na Na is essentially someone that I would really root for. Which is why, obviously, the creators had to abuse her character to the maximum. I mean if you're going to sell me the fact that a woman who can fight off eight thugs when her man is in trouble, walk right into the heart of danger without an ounce of fear, is an excellent shooter, a level four in Judo and just a badass in general can just as easily be kidnapped, drugged, taken hostage without so much as a mewl in defense by a single man, I'm sorry, but I'm just not going to buy that bullshit. The only thing that I despise more than spineless damsels in distress (without just cause) is a spineless damsel in distress disguised as a strong and highly intelligent heroine.
Na Na did not deserve to be used as a tool to highlight Yoon Sung's character just so he could appear to be the perfect knight in shining black mask, rather, she should've been an independent and resilient woman in her own right who could effectively save herself, but alas chivalry trumps all.
If that isn't enough, City Hunter gives a new meaning to the term "bad romance". It introduces two people who don't deserve to be together in any possible realm and force them to fall in love. As it happens with forceful collision, the result is destruction of both entities. Their affection for each other is completely unbelievable. No matter the martyr syndrome, noble causes and tortured hero bullshit- simply nobody should have to deal with Yoon Sung's horribly immature and selfish attitude. He's constantly pushing and pulling at her, switching gears and being cruel for no reason and Na Na's highly self-sacrificing, outrageously understanding, Mother Theresa level righteousness is frankly, pitiful. Add zero chemistry into the mix and you get a perfectly stiff romance that is difficult to swallow no matter how many justifications you provide to wash it down with.
To top it all off, both the actors have a very short emotional range and their crying scenes made me feel like the awkward back-patter who has to fake sympathy in order to not look like a douche-bag. Furthermore, you got to love how every single dirty politician is exposed with video recordings because it's absolutely 100% inevitable that sooner or later all corrupt criminals will announce the entirety of their sins word by word in thin air. You just have to conveniently be at the right place at the right time with a recording device at hand and you got yourself a wonderfully detailed confession. How exotic.
However, get depressed not, because the show does admittedly has its moments. The best thing about it is the fact that the few things it chooses to well develop are indeed, excellently executed. The injuries are very realistic and if our protagonists get hurt they actually suffer for a lengthy period of time instead of possessing magical healing powers. (Ahem, K2, ahem)
Kim Sang Joong is simply the star of the show. I mean, talk about charismatic villains. Not only is he extremely handsome for an ahjussi, he's also a brilliant actor and I think his cold-hearted glares ultimately made this show worth watching. Lee Jin Piyo is a ruthless mastermind, too cruel and extremely focused on his single-minded revenge. Anything that comes in his way is collateral and messing with him is synonymous for signing a death warrant. I'm not going to lie, I seriously shipped his and Yoon Sung's father-son relationship (as lacking and unhealthy as it may be) and one of the best moments of the show was their showdown in the last episode.
Prosecutor Kim with his holier than thou attitude, fierce determination and power walk (despite the fact that he in reality accomplishes nothing as a prosecutor and loses every time to the City Hunter) really grew on me over-time which was why it was really heartbreaking what the show did to him. I mean, if they were going for emotional impact they got it because honestly, I got very teary-eyed in that particular instance.
There's no denying that the story of City Hunter is very well thought out, the suspense element is nicely done and the interaction between the main characters and some of the supporting one's (Yoon Sung's mom, Bae Man Deok, Sung Chang Hoon and Jung Joon) were really touching to see. The music is good and even though City Hunter's strategies aren't exactly Sherlock-esque, I thoroughly enjoyed all of his exposés. There is a tiny idealist that resides in my heart that secretly loves the whole sentiment behind a masked hero saving the people in times of need and despite all of his flaws I was still sincerely rooting for Yoon Sung.
So, in conclusion I'm going to say that City Hunter is over-all a pleasurable drama, it makes you stick to it till the end and anticipate the incoming episodes with a fervor but when you sit back and ponder upon questions like; "What scene would I like to rewatch and put on replay?" "Which event was unforgettable?" "Which part got my heart racing?", nothing comes to mind. It is surely a good time-pass but not something that'll get you invested.
P.S: I hope all the Lee Min Hoes and City Hunter fanatics out there don't have a Cerci-mode walk of shame leading to execution-style murder in mind for me. Y'all are gorgeous human beings so please go easy on pelting the "This review ain't helpful" button.
Teehee ^~^
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I could not watch another drama for quite a long time after watching City Hunter, simply for the fact that I felt no drama could live upto it. City Hunter gave me everything that I wanted- action, intrigue, suspense, romance, humour, great music (the theme song 'Sad Run' is AMAZING!). The cast and acting is great (honestly,the fact that Lee Min Ho is the lead was enough for me), the plot has its twists and turns and is very intriguing, some amazing stunts/actions and amazing chemistry amongst the cast.
The drama is not perfect; it could have done better in terms of either developing the romance further or no showing it at all and also, they could have had a better concluding scene. Yet, no drama is ever perfect and this show was very close to perfection.
The only reason why I haven't rewatched the entire drama is because the suspense has already been spoiled for me and without it, I won't have as much fun as I had when watching it for the first time.
Watch this drama for some amazing acting, an intriguing plot and for Lee Min Ho.
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I waited until now to watch it, I mainly watched it because of its story which was a masterpiece of art. I couldn't think of a better cast than Min Ho as the lead actor; this is one of the dramas that made him snatch a spot in my favorite actors list.
The prosecutor Kim Young Joo, I totally fell in love with his role; I keep waiting for any scene he have with Yeon Sung! And let's not forget the rest of the cast who were awesome; their roles were done perfectly: I rarely give a 10's to the cast so if I do so, that means I am more than amazed.
The music: One of the fewest drama's music that I will never forget, I keep waiting for the OST and sing along with it (^___^).
I watched this drama with an average of four episodes per day, usually when I reach the middle of a drama I skip parts but in this drama I couldn't do so because each and every part is extremly important that i couldn't miss it.
Basically, if You're action lover (as myself) you need to watch this and even if you're rom-com lover (as I became lately) you won't regret watching this because it have a romantic side; the kind of a sweet romance not too innocent and not too straightforward.
The reasons I didn't give this drama a 10 overall even though I loved it so much are basically two : the 1st is the unsatisfying ending, don't get the wrong idea it's not sad or something but it didn't convince me, the 2nd is because I am pretty cheap when it comes to 10's I rarely do that.
Anyway, if you haven't watched this you need to start!
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This is probably one of my favourite Action, Crime, Law, Mystery, Political, Romance, Suspense drama's ever. Honestly I don't normally watch action, crime, law or political drama's unless they have some sort of romance between the lead characters. I thought that a romance drama was the only type of drama that I could be interested in watching, boy was i wrong. Although there is not much romance in the drama and the law/political side of the drama is a bit mehh, the action scenes and the smart strategising "city hunter" uses to capture his enemies, makes up for everything else! It has a realllllllly smart story line, which I admit I love (smart things), but it was also executed great!
Acting/Cast:
I'm no film critic, or pro actor/actress, but I seriously think the acting in this drama was greatttttt! I love Lee Min Ho fullstop. But that does not make me biased towards his acting skills, I honestly think he is a great actor, especially in this drama. He played a good looking guy who is good at everything, and uses his everything for well planned revenge. Park Min Young's character was quiet different from the normal female lead as she was strong, yet pretty and feminine, however it was still the usual poor female, rich male type of drama (not saying I don't like this type of drama, I actually find it more entertaining than a rich female and poor male...). Although there wasn't much romance in this drama, the lead character's were so well together, that without being romantic, you could feel their love and affection for each other. The second lead male was really good to, but he never really made me want to give him Kim Nana (Park Min Young). If he were to be any part of the drama, I really wanted him to be best friends with Lee Yoon Sung/City Hunter (Lee Min Ho). They were so cool together on screen.
Music:
Because the music was good, this helped to make the drama even better (like music does to any drama). It wasn't the best OST I have heard (like BBF or Secret Garden), but it is still nice and matches the drama well. Whenever it comes on in my iTunes, it does make me nostalgic, sometimes making me want to watch it again. Notable songs from the OST are: "So Goodbye" by Jonghyun, "Love" by Yim Jae Bum and "I love u, I want u, I need u" by Apple Mango.
Rewatch?
Yes I would rewatch it, and I do often. Of course I don't watch the wholeeeee thing again, because I will admit there are parts of the drama that you can only really watch once in your lifetime, because they aren't that interesting. But any scene with Lee Min Ho in it is bound to be rewatched many times.
Overall:
I honestly did not watch this drama until probably a year after it came out, because the genre did not interest me. But after watching it, I regret holding off for so long. EVEN if you only watch romance dramas, I recommend this drama! I also recommend this drama if you like to watch action, strategy type dramas, because it is goooood!
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It took me some time to get through the very first episodes but when they were finished I sat glued to my computer.
City Hunter is a bit different from the other dramas I watch. Mostly lovey-dovey romantic comedies are dominant in my heart but I'm glad I got, finally, made myself watch this one. It has everything; action, love, friendship, relations overall and a freaking amazing plot that is very complicated but still easily understood for someone who isn't that familiar with Korean politics and other relevant areas.
Number one in this drama was, of course, the beloved Lee Min Ho, and yes, his character was awesome in every thinkable way! Handsome, kind, heroic and fights like a king! Yet, he is not the only one to impress. Park Min Young made a great job with her character Kim Na Na, and Go Ha Ra surprised me in the part as the spoiled President's daughter. Lee Joon Hyuk is now another actor that I will stalk to death. I also finally admitted that old people can act!
There is especially one of the instrumental pieces that I seriously love! It's dramatic and has a lot of emotions in it. It is the City Hunter drama translated into music. SHINee's Kim Jonghyun's ballad (So Goodbye) totally set the mood in the sad scenes, and yes, I love that guy...
There are quite a lot of episodes (20) á 60 minutes. There are MANY cliff hangers and sometimes the tension is just killing you, so I would be careful to watch this too often since it probably isn't good for your heart... But I will rewatch this drama, no doubt!
Except for the first one or two episodes that are made to introduce the watchers there is one tiny little thing that disappointed me, and that would be the ENDING. There were tons of drama and guns were fired etc. really cool and brilliant, but the very ending of the ending was a superduperteenytiny bit... dissatisfying. You have been WARNED !!!
But the drama is still worth watching! :D
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THE GOOD
The beginning was heart-stopping and explosive. The groundwork for the revenge arc was established well in the beginning for Lee Yoon Sung's adoptive father to pursue. Despite the constant nagging and pressure from the father, Yoon Sung never followed his wishes. He never became a cold-blooded murderer; instead, he pursued the corrupt politicians who wronged his "real" father through justifiable and legal means (never mind the technical procedures though). I liked that Kim Nana was such a kick-ass heroine who was willing to fight and protect the guy herself. She was pretty, smart and sassy, a great combination for a loveable heroine. We seriously need more K-drama female leads like her because it's nice to see strong women in shows once in a while. Did I mention how much I loved the way most of those slimy, corrupt men were brought to justice under Yoon Sung's skillful machinations? Prosecutor Young-joo was one of my favorite characters and it was such a tragic moment when he died. And I have to admit that I was lapping up Min Ho's fight scenes. He really looked good doing those stunts. LOL. This is by far, his best Korean series to date because we got to see his acting range getting pushed a little bit although I do think he still needs more experience to put more depth to his acting. My issue with him is that he is too much of a pretty-faced, insanely popular idol that for me, it's hard to distinguish him from the characters he portrays, if you know what I mean. To be a true actor, I think, one must disappear completely into his character. In Lee Min Ho's case, his charisma as "Lee Min Ho" often if not always overshadows his performance.
THE BAD
My goodness, the ending of this drama was such a hot mess I don't even know where to begin. Honestly, what really happened in the end? There was no actual closure to Nana and Yoon Sung's 'romance', or his relationship with his real mother. There were a few confusing time jumps in the last episode which left me scratching my head and wondering whether or not a second season was coming. It felt rushed and disorganized.
THE WEIRD
I don't know how to classify this drama's genre. Sure it was quite serious with the revenge thing but I don't know, somewhere along the way, these weird beats and occasional bursts of humor and cute made me feel a bit off. I guess it's because I'm not used to this kind of atmosphere in revenge/action dramas. Perhaps the romance was supposed to control the reigns, I don't know. Also, I find it hard to believe that Yoon Sung had never been influenced by the cynicism and callousness of his adoptive father. I mean come on, the man practically taught him how to KILL since he was a baby; he was exposed to the violence and bitter hatred of his father for many years. Wasn't there any reasonable side effect to his psyche at all? Experiencing this kind of childhood SHOULD have some negative effect on any kid. I was expecting to see him slightly jaded and cynical. Anyway, I loved the internal conflict he had between his sense of morality and his duty to his father.
Would I recommend this? Yep, I would. City Hunter was highly entertaining and enjoyable to watch.
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The story line and plot were engrossing right from the first episode. I loved a political thriller. It had amazing action and marvelous performances by Lee Min Ho and Park Min Young. I think they are the best pair of any drama I have seen so far. Most importantly, the characters were as good as the actors.
This show has the best characterizations I have yet seen in a kdrama. The guy isn't a jerk and the girl isn't lacking in brains or pride. I love that she doesn't need saving from a guy every time because she can fight for herself pretty well- both physically and emotionally. I wish we had more strong female protagonists like Kim Na Na in all kdramas. If that happens, kdramas would be unbeatable.
I was constantly interested in how the revenge would take place and how each operations would be carried out. I was excessively bored because of the plot of the sick mother. The show had much interesting things for me to care for, so I don't think it was a necessity. It was just a plot device for the emotional factor to lure female viewers. Other than that, it had a great ending and I never felt let down. There were some dull moments here and there, but it was never beyond my patience to skip it altogether.
I recommend this show to everyone who is tired of cheesy romances in dramas.
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