Seoul Busters: Episodes 15-16

by lovepark

A chance encounter leads our detectives to their next case, and in order to solve it, they go undercover as MZ gangsters. Alas, their captain has a penchant for the dramatics which causes a whole slew of confusing moments for our team, but as the saying goes, if you can’t beat them, join them.

 
EPISODES 15-16

How many detectives does it take to bust a gang? That’s the reigning question this week as our team of five trade in their police badges for fake tattoos and online clout. What started off as a misunderstanding at their local restaurant turns into a case about MZ gangs (MZ as in Millennial and Generation Z) and online gambling. While the last part is technically out of their jurisdiction, Yoo-bin rules that a report was made to them directly so they must resolve it.

The general scheme of these gangs is simple: get people addicted to their game, offer them predatory loans, then harass them for money — rinse and repeat. Our detectives learn firsthand how easy it is to fall into their trap as they play a couple of rounds online for “research purposes” which leads to Yoo-bin’s encyclopedia of knowledge. “The only way to win at gambling,” Yoo-bin claims, “is to not play.”

In order to catch the money mule, the detectives go on a stakeout, but this time, Yoo-bin joins them. Cue four very uncomfortable one-on-ones as each detective sits for hours inside a car with their stoic boss. It goes as well as you’d imagine, and as their misery increases, so does my glee. Kiss-up Jung-hwan can barely breath because of the awkwardness, clueless Tan-shik offers Yoo-bin every amenity under the sun while they wait, and big bro Joong-ryuk gets outranked for bathroom breaks.

In the fourth interaction, though, Yoo-bin is the one in the hot seat as he faces his mini-me who copies his movements and facial expressions. (Dong-goo is even wearing the same jacket; so cute!) Out of the crew, only Min-seo seems comfortable alone with their captain since she falls asleep while on duty, but thankfully for the rest of the team, they no longer have to do stakeouts since they catch a glimpse of their target and follow him to his office.

Using his big brain, Yoo-bin figures out the super simple passcode to their door (which is also the name of a popular drinking game), and the others swoop in to arrest the gang members. Though one escapes, Tan-shik cuts him off, and during their scuffle, our youngest recognizes his high school classmate. They exchange greetings, and at one point, the gang member even helps Tan-shik arrest him as if playing cops and robbers on the playground. It’s absolute buffoonery, and I love it.

Through Tan-shik’s friend — and a little manipulation — our detectives discover the location of the hidden money, but not the exact spot. For once, Yoo-bin’s powers of deduction hit a snag as he and Joong-ryuk dig multiple holes in the ground with no luck. (Well, Joong-ryuk does 90% of the digging since Yoo-bin is basically a toddler with a shovel). In the end, Joong-ryuk’s hunch about the hiding spot was correct, and they stumble upon the secret stash barely covered in dirt.

With the money secured, the team just needs to catch the mastermind behind this MZ gang, so Yoo-bin decides their next course of action: get their target to approach them first. Thus, the Dongbang Group is born, and our overeager captain studies movie quotes to prepare for his role (some of those last lines are definitely not from gangster movies). He looks crazy in his office doing impressions, and Joong-ryuk watches him from the door wondering if their leader has finally lost it.

In order to successfully trick their target, Min-seo calls in her sister for a group makeover, and while she might not be good at making Min-seo pretty (even the gorgeous Park Se-wan can’t pull off clown makeup), she does manage to turn this bunch of leather jacket, sweater vest wearing detectives into a gaggle of scumbags. With their new look, the Dongbang Group swaggers across town to their new office, and they part the streets as onlookers gawk and shake in fear.

Our Shakesperean method actor gets a little too into his role, which worries his team, but gangster Yoo-bin is more about posturing than anything else. They open a new Instagram account to make their presence known and fill it with photos of the group posing in front of other people’s sportscars and knock-offs. It’s hilarious how out of place they look in their staged environments as passersby comment on their ridiculous displays of bravado.

While their pictures do garner some attention, it’s mostly from high school recruits and gambling ladies. At this rate, our detectives will start to lose themselves in their roles before even getting to meet their target, so they switch gears and attend a party for an MZ gang union to gather more intel. The event is rowdier than they expected, but they manage to keep up their ruse with a sleight of hand trick and unbridled gusto (plus, adding hyung-nim to the end of every sentence helps seal the deal).

The team learns a little about “Lawyer Yoon,” the second in command of this hierarchy, and reconfirm that the only way to get to “Mastar” is through him. Luckily, their increased efforts finally lure in the fake lawyer, but before Dongbang Group is allowed a piece of the pie, they need to prove their loyalty first. Lawyer Yoon asks them to gather an unpaid debt, and ignoring his team’s silent protests, Yoo-bin accepts.

They arrive at an office teeming with gangsters, and despite their initial grumblings, our detectives handle the situation likes pros. The camera follows each of our heroes as they fight off these tatted goons, and the whip pans and body crossings make for a fun and intense long take that highlights each of their unique fighting styles. This brilliant scene then ends with the local police arriving, and Yoo-bin flashes his badge, asking for their cooperation to keep their cover a secret.

After handling Lawyer Yoon’s request, Yoo-bin asks to meet in person at their headquarters, and though it breaks the norm, the gangster agrees. In celebration, Yoo-bin starts busting out some strange moves, and after staring at him for a second, the rest of the team joins in on the fun, matching his energy. This is why I love them.

Despite our detectives doing all the legwork and finding the MZ gang’s office, the Cyber Bureau won’t offer backup since they think the intel is unreliable. This means Dongbang Group will have to face whatever waits for them inside by themselves, but their aggressive entrance fizzles into confused loitering as they question their location. Did they accidentally raid a library?

They’re greeted by a room of checkered-shirt programmers, and Lawyer Yoon arrives shortly after to introduce them to the “brains” of the operation. Once Yoo-bin gets hold of the gambling program, his team drops the act, and they barely lift a finger as they order the scrawny nerds to head outside in a single file line. Now all that’s left for our detectives is catching the elusive “Mastar” but their only clue is the text history between him and Lawyer Yoon.

While the rest of the team believe “Mastar” stowed away to China, only Yoo-bin realizes the truth behind the pattern of communication. The reason he could only text at certain times and never showed his face was because he couldn’t. The mastermind is in the military, and Yoo-bin collaborates with the military police to handle the situation. As for the rest of the MZ gang union, the others are on standby and immediately make arrests once their captain gives the order.

Thanks to “the heart of a beast” Joong-ryuk, “the cold-blooded sharpshooter” Jung-hwan, “the splendid terror” Min-seo, “the savage crown prince” Tan-shik, and “the king of the underworld, the dark soul” Yoo-bin, Dongbang Group has saved the day from MZ low-lives terrorizing society. Of course, the threat of jail time only riles up these gangsters who still think they’re on top, but the show ends with something all Korean kids fear: parental disappointment. As one of the leader’s mother visits and leaves with tears in her eyes, a silence falls over the room as these young men finally reflect on their actions. It’s sappy for sure, but hey, at least it was short.

I love these adorable fools and their antics. It’s surprising how much I like them all individually as well as in pairings (the stakeouts were fun), but my favorite scenes are definitely when the entire team is working together. There’s a certain synergy in the room that only comes from all of them sharing the same space, and it’s hilarious to see their unique personalities combine into a single brain cell at times. Though they’re all different and sometimes contrasting, they always end up on the same page, and it’s this unspoken trust and camaraderie amongst the detectives that makes them such a fun bunch to watch. Even Yoo-bin, who seems devoid of any similarities with this last-place ranking unit, has really integrated himself with the team, and his quirks shine in their presence because they double rather than dim his light. Who else would dress up as wannabe gangsters with their captain and then have a celebratory dance break?

While I expect to laugh at my sitcoms, I was pleasantly surprised by the action sequence this week. It was an impressive faked long take with clean cuts and fun details that was high-energy and wonderfully choreographed. The execution was great with a good eye for utilizing the actors’ strengths to make the timing feel smooth, and I loved how there was both action and comedy in their fight. It’s a stark contrast to the show’s first “fight” in the park between Joong-ryuk and the murderer — that one emphasized comedy more than action — and while I still found the first one funny, I was amazed with this week’s scene and enjoyed watching everyone show off their skills, including the behind-the-scenes staff.

 
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