2011/CGV This 3 episode TV movie/mini-series is an example of the missing link between the rather tame prime time action dramas such as City Hunter, IRIS, Athena: Goddess of War and Formidable Rivals on one side, and Korean cinema's infamous thrillers such as the Vengeance Trilogy, The Chaser but also Breathless on the other side. Girl K fills in the niche between these two extremes and it tastes like more! The debut performance by Han Groo can be summarized in one word; Outstanding. Surrounded by a great cast of veteran actors and a few newcomers, the performance being delivered here by this young newcomer is spectacular. Stuntwork, singing, acting and dancing (though not in Girl K), this is a multitalented girl that deserves a lot of attention. Her next drama is MBC's Just Like Today which starts airing November 21st. That cast too has some very impressive names, but this girl is destined for more than sitcoms. However, this could also be a chance to show if she can play a variety of characters. I'm hoping to see her in a prime time drama or film in the near future, because she has potential and plenty of talent. There were a few moments where I thought I was looking at Ha Ji-won's character from Secret Garden since they look alike and have a few small similarities. The rest of the cast does not let Han Groo down, with familiar names such as Kim Jung-Tae, Baek Do-Bin, Jeon Mi-Seon but particularly Park Hyo-Joo all making sure this 3 hour drama feels professional and serious. Fans of ZE:A can be happy too, since Dong-Joon is an important element in bringing some lightheartedness to this dark and violent drama. Because dark and violent it is. Rated 19+, Girl K is generous with its violence and blood, and also shows some nudity and sexuality. If that is not your sort of thing, consider yourself warned. Consequently, the action is a lot more violent, bloody and confrontational, but without becoming unnecessarily gory. A good balance is achieved there. The fighting scenes are also better and feel appropriately colder in comparison to what you may have seen in City Hunter. There are still enough spectacular and entertaining scenes with unrealistic and over the top action to separate itself from the more serious Korean film thrillers. The fact that a sizable group of trained agents are unable to hit one guy while he kills one after the other distracts a little, but not too much. There is a small element of melodrama and romance in Girl K, though it really takes a back seat, undoubtedly caused by the short run time. One could also argue that this drama makes a statement against overly romantic story lines we see in every mainstream Korean drama and ends it in style, violently. These few scenes do however lighten the mood a little, which is necessary in order to appeal to a broader audience and prevent it from becoming a mindless action thriller. I'm a little more critical on the plot and background story. Stem cell research is interesting and all, but it goes too far with 'the evil biotech corporation' that invented something big and reacts violently in order to protect its discoveries. It's not all that important to the way in which the drama progresses so I believe they could have come up with a more convincing story to wrap this drama in. Overall, if you the average Korean action drama is a little too cutesy and tame, this Korean version of Nikita is definitely what you're looking for. This could easily open the way for a follow-up, because three episodes was way too short. 8/10 http://www.reddit.com/r/KDRAMA/comments/mfs2w/girl_k??_k_2011cgv_excellent_bridge_between_drama/