When I feel like watching a well-directed drama with interesting action and a gripping protagonist, I return to Swallow the Sun.

The plot revolves around a young thug from Jeju who is trying to grab a chance at a better life. Only it's not so easy. A series of unpleasant events litter his world, and meanwhile in his heart is the painful realization that his birth was the cause of sadness, not joy.

The script is written really well. It allows you to get involved in the turbulent fate of the protagonist. Ji Sung perfectly portrayed ML making him completely natural, as if we were really watching not a drama but a slice of someone's life. Great music from before the era of ubiquitous k-pop, so it may be too retro for young viewers, but it holds the atmosphere perfectly. Add to that the fact that the drama was filmed on Jeju, in the States and in Africa, which even now doesn't happen often and gives it an unusual character. It's a story told on a grand scale but with attention to the characters and the coherence of the plot. I'm just watching it for the fifth or sixth time, and I heartily recommend it to those who like well-blown action, romance and revenge