Thanks for the recap missvictrix.
I hear and agree with you.
I'm not a fan of bloody violence, sometimes less is more as I think it makes it more impactful.
Hopefully now the show has set the story up and we get the vibe it won't be as prevalent otherwise I will just be ffing through those bits.
The characters at this stage do feel a bit 2 dimensional but again as the story goes on we should get more layers.
Who knew though this was a lead combination I needed, they have a lot of chemistry and are fabulous in scenes together.
JCW is amazing with the little he has to work with so far and this seems like a great role for him.
I'm really enjoying the way it is filmed with the dark, grittiness.
It's nice to have male leads who are not groomed to perfection and covered in makeup, it makes it feel more real.
Looking forward to the next episode.

Every time the thugs shouted, "다 조져라! (Kill them all!)," I would sing Bibi's "가서 조져라" from "Law". ("Imma break it down like only I can do, Bitches talk shit, but they never come through.")

Moving Episodes 10-11 really prepared me for the opening violent gang fight. I kept wondering how Joon-mo could keep his undercover operation a secret from his wife. Does he never go home at night? This drama is really keeping Ki-chul mysterious (or just one-dimensional) because we really don't get his perspective.

DJ Ki-chul was strangely hilarious, and I wasn't sure if the superstar whom he greeted was supposed to be important or not. Jong-ryeol's character was also not fully explained why he suddenly joined hands with Ki-chul's Gangnam Union and became his loyal bodyguard.

The setting doesn't really feel like the 90s to me.

I'm not very analytical but I swear one of the thoughts that came to mind when watching all 3 episodes was "how can all this action feel so boring"? I figured it was just me and my apathetic self which is why I continued on even though I thought that way after the first episode then the second and finally the third.

The first episode, the first scene, made me chuckle because all I could think was the folks behind this wanted to take full advantage of this being a foreign streaming project (I don't know if it also airs on Korean stations/channels like how Vagabond and Extraordinary Attorney Woo aired on Netflix as well as SBS & ENA respectively) but the instant (and I think graphic though less graphic than Song of the Bandits if memory serves) violence just screamed that to me.

I didn't know what to expect and I guess I don't know what noir is but "noir" brings to my mind an idea of sleek and sexy. The style, the vibe. Maybe it's just personal taste but I didn't feel that way watching this. I think the most "noir" thing is all the smoking. Maybe it's because I'm so used to the "wholesome" Korean image pushed that it is always so weird and jarring seeing stuff like people doing hard drugs or being junkies in Korean media (I don't even like watching that stuff in American media). It's like they can DO that?! (sidenote: I don't really *like* or want the wholesome image, I'm just saying that I'm used to it)
And then we have the obligatory belittling of people due to their job, rank, comparison to others, and chauvinism. Seriously, it's like how to hate people in 10 minutes or less.

I thought Wie Ha Joon's character was the most interesting and I was looking forward to him fighting back. Again, that was a thought going through my mind "oh, I can't wait til he fights back" as I was watching the scenes because he's a lead character and that meant there weren't any real stakes here (to me).

I'm sensitive to the child being penalized for the sins of the parents so that added another layer of annoyance for me.

I have no idea if I'll continue this.

Maybe, they knew that not many people like gangster stories and dropped 3 episodes at once which is a smart move, but without the thrill of the chase Ep 1 ended up being ordinary. If they are going to drop us into an intense fight scene, then they should have gone back to show us the stake at play instead of slowing the pace with gangster fights one after another. Drop! @missvictrix thanks for first impressions.

The first scene looked more like a zombie attack with blood everywhere than a battle between humans.

I'm tired by dramas that put violence like their selling card and forget the rest.

My only interest for now, it's the trio of actors. I like the 3 of them and I hope they will be able to shine in this chaos.

I am not a fan of violence so wantec to check recap first.

Is Ji Chang Wook's lack of discern regarding scripts could be a reason behind this strange start?

Btw, this is how I had felt while watching 'For the Emperor' - lots of senseless violence and sex without having any character rich story to connect to is just that - lots of sex and violence. They tell us what they are supposed to think and feel and bingo, you are disconnected.

It was fine, but I do agree we don't know these characters. Stories like this with short episode count and the need to get to a point are better off being linear storylines. It makes it easier to understand character motivations and understand the characters themselves, but that may just be my bias.

- I must be having some underlying issues I need to address, because while I flinch and stop episodes when romantic tension is too high, I have zero difficulties watching scenes of violence.

- With that said, the show is fun. I am grateful to director for not making me watch Wie Ha Joon with 90s kpop hair styling, one long earring and t-shirt with panthera pattern. That's where I draw the line. Wie Ha Joon looks great in suit and every show that takes advantage of dressing him in black had a great success so far.

- By episode three, I loved all the characters. They are all well written and even the fl, who had a very small screen time, seems like a strong addition to the cast. I would have no complaints to the show, if only she doesn't get killed to advance the guys character growth.

- Probably because I don't take the show too seriously, I am having fun imagining Gicheol setting everyone in one straight line, for himself to walk dramatically in the front center.

- At least here, I am glad the director lets their cast exist without tons of makeup or blurry filter (*side eyeing Destined With You*. Have you seen Jo Boah and Rowoon? Why do they need any of that? They are not cartoon characters, they don't need so much colouring)

This is on hold for me after the first episode. At the end, as JCW and WJH stared intensely at each other, I wondered, in a rather disinterested way, if they leaned a little closer, would they kiss? They won't, and even if they did, it wasn't reason enough to watch the next episode. Shame.

Will there be recaps or hangouts? @missvictrix It'd help me decide if I should pick this up again.

Ji Chang-wook ... Suspicious Partner was way back in 2017, give us something where we can root for you buddy!

Nothing special but JCW sure as shit shouldn't have stopped doing action, and the leads have great chemistry, which will keep me watching for now.

I'm partial to the noir genre, and to JCW and WHJ as well. But sadly after watching 3 episodes, it feels like they might have been miscast here. JCW fares a bit better in his portrayal, but really neither actors brings any of the edge/grit that is needed for their character arcs/motivations to resonate for me.

I'm hoping these are just early pains, and both actors settle into their characters in the coming episodes.

On the positive side, WHJ looks delicious in suits, JCW with his crew-cut, and together they have enough chemistry to inspire their own BL-spinoff.

It is clear that no one truly appreciates the violence displayed and glorified. I recently heard an interview with a former Dreamworks employee who resigned because of the constant and total social engineering put into every recent film and series.

I hope that Korea does not let itself be influenced too much by the USA, in recent years I have become convinced that we should look to China, at least when it comes to entertainment. You can notice how in Chinese shows (and partly also in Korea) evil is often punished and never justified. And in any case there aren't as many violent shows as in the West.

Thanks for the recap. I really wish to see a recap for the other 4 eps that have been out so far.
Based on the whole 5 eps, I would say this series impressed me with its fast pace with rich plots, subtle and intense interactions amongst characters, beautiful cinematography and soundtrack. The acting skills of the whole cast are very good, especially Ji Changwook's emotional acting in the 4th ep funeral scene. As it sits in the noir crime action category, people should expect lots of fighting scenes. So those violence scenes do justice for me as the production team made them look so real and emotionally powerful.
The flow of the story is full of surprises to me, raising questions such as who the characters really are, are they good or bad, what do they really know? What are their motives? After watching ep 4 and 5, I believe that the series is getting more and more interesting, I can't wait to see the future episodes..

This is madness. She gave up her necklace and he gave up his ring. What do these mean?

This is crazy. Can’t say I like the ending. By now Jun-mo realises how much Gi-cheul loves Eui-jeong that he was willing to give up his drug business in order to live like an ordinary guy so as to be with her. But he loves his wife too, just as much. But why? Why?