Choi Yoon Jin's captivating performance
THINGS I LIKE(+) Great action scenes
(+) Amazing acting performance by Song Yoon Ah
(+) Tense political action
(+) Deceptive storytelling
(+) Choi Yoon Jin
THING I DIDN'T LIKE
(-) Romance between leads felt unnecessary
(-) Final arc got a bit ridiculous
(-) Anna is underdeveloped
REVIEW
I was surprised to see many have highlighted disappointment towards the show. This is an action series starring Ji Chang Wook so if you enjoy fight scenes and political battles, the K2 is going to be enjoyable nonetheless. There are tons of intense moments and the fight scenes all take place in different settings. I also thoroughly enjoyed the deceptive elements of the political tension that surrounds the plot. However, the biggest treasure box from this series was CHOI YOON JIN, with her Oscar-award winning performance. Seriously, she is the best villain/anti-hero I have ever seen. Her character is just so power-hungry and spiteful, yet at the same time, charismatic and vulnerable. I started this show for Ji Chang Wook and Im Yoon Ah, but was won over by Song Yoon Ah's amazing character towards the end. I literally became a fan overnight and will definitely be checking more of her in the future. Her character is also the most important character in the show as well. Onto the negatives, yes, the final arc does get a bit ridiculous but I personally can overlook that because the plot was still enjoyable. The only thing that I didn't care much for was Anna. Unsure if it was the acting or writing, but her character just felt flat throughout the entire series. She was supposed to be an important character but she's the only one that never got any development. She's constantly running around or being naive and manipulated by others and was a huge nuisance to all the other characters. Her romance with the lead also didn't feel needed to be in the show and just felt forced.
Was this review helpful to you?
only for action
●FIRST IMPRESSIONThis drama is a retelling of the snow-white in the modern world because we have got a sci-fi mirror, an evil stepmother representing a witch, bodyguards representing the 7dwarfs, Kim Je Ha aka K2 represents the huntsman, and Anna as snow white.
●PLOT VIEW
Started pretty great but falls apart in the second half. Because the tension is raised high so much I can't accept that its slow storytelling later only to discover no twists. Also, this series is titled THE K2, the story should have followed up with Kim Je Ha more than his employer's family. Rather it has a clean, satisfying ending but still, I expected a more complex story, because it had the potential. There is a stepmother and stepdaughter with an uncaring father but it is just not used properly. Rather Choi Sung Woon and park Kwan Soo had a good villain arc but it didn’t work well.
Also, there is oozing chemistry between Kim Je Ha and Choi Yoo Jin, feeling so effortlessly intense but left untold.
Well, each episode is full of the action sequence, which is choreographed perfectly that I couldn’t help but rewind and watch.
●ACTING/CAST
Im Yoo Na as Anna has a little less screen time. She is just a romantic interest of K2. she is an Idol so the makers tried to keep her Angel image. She acted well but the script didn’t help her connect with the audience, Neither she could show up the pains of the past, nor become an Angel truly.
Ji Chang Wook is cast to do action and he portrays that part like a pro. and brought plenty of intensity and emotion to those scenes. When given the chance, he draws us into his story with his portrayal of Je Ha’s pain and struggles.
Song Yoon Ah as Choi Yoo Jin, an amazing vamp. She is a vulnerable power hungry woman portrayed perfectly. her complexity is powerful.
●MUSIC
The most awesome BGM I had ever heard. Not the OSTs but instrumental and theme music is vibing me like magic. The wolf song is awesome and even added it to my playlist.
●REWATCH
Not really a rewatch drama but action sequences are surely a treat that can't be ignored.
●APPRECIATION
I would give a bow to action directors. They choreographed and edited it so smoothly that my words won't be enough to praise them.
●CRITICISM
there were a lot of aspects which could have been done better. the Political game and business snatching of the Choi family.
Kim je Ha past exploration rather than being just told in words.
●FAV SCENE
The beach scene where Kim Je Ha and Anna play catch me if you can. This scene had a relaxing feel with uplifting music and great visuals.
●RECOMMENDATION
This drama is for those who love the action genre. The political aspect might be a bit boring though.
Was this review helpful to you?
Watch this drama if you like romance with action, it will not disappoint!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
We are all in lockdown in our countries, because of covid-19. So I decided to kill my time by watching k-dramas. At first I started with Healer. I fell in love with Ji Chang Wook, so I decided to watch The K2. You just can’t resist JCW. At first I was not sure, because I thought that Anna girl will mess everything up, because I thought that her character was not enough good.
I loved this drama because of two people Kim Je Ha and Choi Yoo Jin. Especially Choi Yoo Jin. In first episodes, I was like “ kill her”, I felt bad for Anna, but when Je Ha saved Yoo Jin in car crash. I started to ship them.
I think it was my first time to actually truly like villian. I felt pity for her , so I couldn’t see the bad things that she had done. I wanted her to slowly give up the dream about power and be happy. Yoo Jin was this k-drama, she was like soul of the drama. She was beautiful, sad and tragic character, because of her, I’m happy that I’m not born in family like hers.
Je Ha. I think I’m in love with him. THAT UMBRELLA SCENA WAS SO F*UCING TOUCHING, that I cried. I’m not going to talk about ending, my heart is still broken.Actually I wanted more of Je Ha and Yoo Jin friendship. I shipped them so hard! About JCW, he is master of action scenes and of course his acting skills just like Song Yoon Ah are phenomenal. At first when I saw Je Ha, I couldn’t imagine that he will became cute person because of Anna. The rooftop scene was hilarious. My Je Ha. He is cute, sexy, smart and strong. I very liked this character.
Anna. The were moments where I liked her, but I did not like how her character was written or Yoona just couldn’t bring the Anna that I wanted. I’m not saying that Yoona is ugly or something, but for me she was not Anna. I know that Anna have gone through the hard life, but I think script writers wrote her too weak. I wanted her to be more stronger and smarter and I wanted see more of her story just like Je Ha. That’s one of the things that I did not like about show.
Overall, I LOVED THIS DRAMA SO F*CKING MUCH THAT IT NOW WILL BE ONE OF MY FAVOURITE DRAMAS and it broke my heart. My poor Choi Yoo Jin.
But, there is always “but”. I’m so disappointed that it was not actually Je Ha and Yoo Jin romance and friendship story, Because Anna was too weak and naive for Je Ha. I think Je Ha needed someone who is similar to him and strong just like him, so he don’t have to always protect someone else, but THAT someone else can’t actually save him too when he is in danger, like Yoo Jin. Yeah I know that she was bad and killed people, but a lot of people here were killing each other, so why not happy ending for her?
(SORRY FOR MY ENGLISH, I TRIED MY BEST)
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
First and foremost, I enjoyed this drama. It started off strong but soon as K2 and An Na relationship kicked off—it suddenly became that type of drama. It does have some very slow parts.Apparently, An Na is main FL, but she seems more like a second lead damsel in distress character. I don’t feel like she added much depth to the story. I don’t miss her when she’s absent. In fact, the drama atmosphere appears more mature when An Na is not present.
> Choi Yoo Jin & K2 <
Both are phenomenal, especially Choi Yoo. She is probably the most raw and interesting one of all.
I must say – The thought sharing between Madam Choi and k2 … What are they —Soulmate? It’s apparent every time they look at each other you can feel everything that's transmitting through their eyes. Their relationship is twisted, but even so, they understand each other quite well. K2 knows the way she's program. If Madam Choi said she didn't do something—K2 will believe her.
They would have been freaking HOT as a couple. Damn the writers. They could have put them together (clearly, they had more chemistry. Their interaction feels real and raw) K2 affection for Madam Choi could have been her redemption. But no! They had to take the CLASSIC APPROACH. (Sigh!)
Madam Choi is so gorgeous! I dare say more than An Na, who is also good-looking. But Madam Choi (even with age) is just –wow!
I couldn't stand Madam Choi in the beginning. She is ridiculously crazy, but she grew on me. (Hahahaha) This is the first time I love a villain more than someone who is supposed to be our FL
Was this review helpful to you?
Despite a scenario filled with countless stupidities, I really loved this drama. One of my favorite to watch
NEGATIVE POINTS
It's hard to believe that a script so poorly written was produced. The way things are turned make the drama not natural at all. The basic idea and events that occur throughout the drama are absolutely simple. The screenwriter seems to be a beginner. Stakes are big but basic, and all things that take place in the story seem to have arisen from a simple idea, without the screenwriter having taken time to let them mature. However, this is the most important thing to do when writing a screenplay.
Some scenes are a bit long, and some moments are too explained, giving the impression that the screenwriter took the spectators for fools. It's a beginner's mistake again
The action scenes are for the most part forced, and some almost unjustified. Obviously, the screenwriter has forced himself to make an action drama
Everything that happens in the last 10 minutes is totally ridiculous. And Choi Sung Won (Lee Jung Jin) deserved something grander, given his character
(This role is purely Lee Jung Jin !)
GOOD POINTS
What really made me love this drama is the character of Choi Yoo Jin (Song Yoon Ah). She's an incredible actress, she acts perfectly the kind, sweet and adorable woman as well as the merciless ultra devilish witch. She's the best actress I've seen so far. I totally feel all of her emotions, especially the despair and loneliness she feels. She's a strong person but very frail at the same time. I really understand her character, that's why I've always been on her side, without doubting her until the end. I never really considered her to be the "bad one". What I also really appreciated was her story with Kim Je Ha (Ji Chang Wook). We feel that she's attracted to him although we don't really know what she feels, it's really a shame. I would have liked this side to be more highlighted. I loved this "romance". One of my favorite parts
I didn't find Jo Sung Ha (Jang Se Joon) extraordinary, but I could feel during all the drama that there remained a bit of love between him and Choi Yoo Jin. So I bet they are both amazing.
I liked the romances, but it's a shame that it's too fast. But that's one of the best things for me in this drama. I really loved when Je Ha observed Anna (YoonA) through the cameras !
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Here for Ji Chang Wook
I have been putting watching it off for a while mostly because I wasn't that attracted to the lead pairing. And I also read a comment once that the the ML had a better chemistry with the FL's stepmother, which just solidified my opinion on the pairing so I avoided it. I just finished watching "Healer", which was another drama of Ji Chang Wook that I have been putting off. It was kinda meh for me. I liked Park Min Young's character better than Ji Chang Wook's in that one. Anyways so I'm here finally.Ep 1 to Ep 4: I skipped most of the parts that didn't have K2, Anna, & the team chief. I'm not a fan of J4, she was sitting there in the kitchen bemoaning about the fact that she won't be getting any promotion or would not get the chance to meet a guy and talking shit about Anna, while not even realizing or caring that Anna wouldn't get to experience any of those because of her captivity. The shower scene was so funny. They wouldn't even let him get the soap out of his eyes.
My personal favorite is "Dora the explorer scene", where K2 becomes the child giving instruction to Anna through the scene and is disappointed when she doesn't follow his instructions. That was most of us when Dora acted blind.
Ep 5 to 10: I saw what the commenter was saying with the chemistry with the ML & FL's step mother. She is clearly very attracted to him when he is just probably doing his job. But the ML has this intense look on his face even with Yoo Jin, so its hard to know what he is thinking. But you can clearly see the difference between how he feels with the FL. He is always so excited when he watches the FL. (Seems stalkerish but since he is bodyguard...) I didn't much like him for the FL in the beginning because he left her behind when she was begging him to save her. But seeing that he was also in a predicament at the time, it is understandable. How many times have we gone out of our way to help others? Wow, Yoo Jin is really very pitiful, to be so vile inside to take out your frustration on Anna who she should have treated with care. The poor girl was so damn depressed she didn't need another round of mental beatings from her vile step-mother or so called "father". Yoo Jin & Se Joon both deserve each other.
Ep 11 to 16: A time or two I wondered if Jae Ha was being ignorant of Yoo Jin's feelings for him. But he was very aware, you would have to be blind to not notice, & its hard not to be aware of them when she let so many things slide for him. He pegged her right, she wanted to own him like a slave. I have long gotten over the prejudice I once had about Noona romances. So, I did see that there was indeed chemistry between them, if only Yoo Jin was another person with at least a little empathy I would have shipped them. This could have been a whole other drama. But she acted like a jealous youth even knowing that K2 had feelings for Anna as well. She has continuously mistreated, misused, and abused Anna. Her verbal abuse only increased once K2 came into their life. It was sometimes quite sad and pitiful to watch her make one mistake after another having nary a regret. Even when K2 was injured she went out of way to humiliate Anna. But she was such a complex character, I have to give kudos to the writer for this one. That women had beautiful brain. Liked how it ended. Didn't skip a lot of scenes because things got very intense and interesting.
This was definitely a good watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
A Decent Production Heavily Weighed Down by Its Script
This drama has a typical, good production that leads to high quality visuals and music, but unfortunately the show also leans heavily on its script, which is by far its weakest point. Taken together, I thought it was a decidedly average series.Let's start with the good. This is Ji Chang Wook at everyone's favorite: he plays the suave, caring, handsome action lead that everyone loves him as since his capstone role as the titular character in Healer. The production team was definitely very aware of this fact and there was definitely fan service in the form of shirtless moments and shower scenes. The K2 also highlights what I think is Yoona's greatest strength: since I was a teenage boy, during the time when she first came out in Girls Generation, I've thought that she is one of the prettiest, if not one of the most beautiful girl-next-door-type celebrities. I think the show was also aware of this as they made her character, Anna become a literal runway model, who is always impeccably dressed even when in every day wear.
But unfortunately, visuals and fan service only get us so far. The script is a complete mess -- allies easily turn into enemies and enemies easily turn into allies in the blink of an eye. An epic revenge plot line could be setup as background for a particular character, only for that character to perform a 180 for dubious reasons. The plot is also too convoluted and shows that the showrunners didn't know exactly what they wanted this series to be, so they mixed everything together in an unsatisfying way: sometimes it's a sweet romance. Sometimes it's a thriller. Sometimes it's a Makjang-like revenge story. Sometimes it's an action series. Sometimes, it's trying to be an analogy to Snow White. It doesn't do any of this particularly well, so it just feels jarring and bad. The dialog does not fare much better. I remember one character trying to order another character's death and it went roughly like this: "kill him! And after he's dead, bring me his cell phone!" It's clear that most of the dramatic tension setup is only done to enable action scenes.
Regarding the fight sequences, I thought they were poorly done, due mostly to bad cinematography. A lot of the hand-to-hand brawls look and feel very fake as you see then punching at air at abnormal speeds. I don't know what it is, but I think is very characteristic of action scenes done for Kdramas. If you compare their cohorts, such as beloved Thai action movies, American Hollywood action movies, or even revered Korean movies like Old Boy, you'll find a much higher level of mastery at shooting action sequences. Since the K2 was so heavily focused on action, and in my opinion it was of low quality, this also knocked the show down several pegs in my rating.
I thought the acting was OK, but overshadowed by the poor script. I don't think Im Yoona as an actress is particularly skilled at portraying complex emotions, but at the same time, her character wasn't terribly complex. Anna was a stereotypical sheltered, innocent, and pretty girl. Many praise Song Yoon Ah for her acting, and I can definitely see the skill, but I found her character unlikeable and sometimes inconsistent. At the end of the day, I think the bad script overpowers anything that anyone else involved in the production could have countered.
The OST deserves a special shout out because "Love You" is the most kdrama-y kdrama power ballad I've ever heard. If you have ever seen the Family Guy episode that explores and makes fun of Korean pop culture, then you have seen the part where they call attention to how at the end of many Kdramas, they put on the chorus of some dramatic song. And Love You sounds EXACTLY like a stereotypical song. Don't get me wrong, it's great. It's just so...typical.
I only got through watching the K2 because I really like Yoona and I mostly enjoyed the show Yong Pal, which was penned by the same scriptwriter. But I can't say that this show was anything special. It might help you kill 16 hours of time, but I don't think it's anything to write home about. It is easily skipped in favor of better done action series like Healer or better Makjang/Thriller type stories.
Was this review helpful to you?
perfect
this drama is really perfect and worth every second, i don’t know how can some people find it boring or bad it really had a oerfect cast with a perfect story and all, i wish they still made dramas like this in this time, truly recommend it and woukd always be my top #2 after crash landing on you.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
An innocent grill meets Dae Kay Teu in a forest
The K2 is a story that is gated by budget. It was simply ahead of its time. As a result, the action scenes and cuts suffered greatly. However, these can still be enjoyed in a comedic sense. In general, it was quite solid and enjoyable though.Good Parts
The acting was quite solid from all the cast, minus some moments such as the mum throwing tantrums. Perhaps they didnt fully know what direction they were going with in the story when making that scene. Most of the side characters were fairly memorable. Not their names but like their general role in the story/world. I only know the main characters names, Anna and Kay Teu.
Music was lowkey kinda peak, with the lyrics being like actually plot heavy and epic. The ost and soundtrack fit really well in general. Some of them being really memorable and hype as well. Theres a song that sounds like they are just chanting Ah Shit. Ah Ah Ah Shit. Ah Ah. which is peak.
K2 had a suspenseful story that was really fun to follow. Although some parts were relatively predictable, there were definitely moments where my expectations were subverted. Very well written. All the budget went into this clearly.
Cuz the action scenes were abit shit
Problems
K2 has a lot of shots/quick cuts and disorienting moments. Sometimes I could get a little dizzy from watching some of those scenes. I imagine that in a perfect world, these cuts wouldnt exist. I really hope that it wasnt some really experienced editor or something like that cuz mfs should really not be editing shows like this in 2016.
Some scenes, there'd be like person A doing something, and then the next scene when we return to it, they'd be doing something else entirely, which is a bit weird once you notice it. And they definitely did it a lot. Probably just cut out a bunch of content from the final edits.
I dont think I could rewatch the entire show, maybe like 60% of it. A good chunk of it might give me a headache from the poor editing and the last few episodes may be kinda tilting to rewatch.
Overall, the ending was pretty fitting. Although some parts felt a bit contrived, it was still pretty solid and much better than I expected it to be. Some parts made alot of sense, some parts didnt, but cant have em all. Majority of the scenes acheive what they set out to do. Some action scenes dont really make sense or some moments in general are abit silly and kinda frustrating. But the show is still enjoyable and I reckon at least a 7.5 if not an 8. Quite enjoyable.
Really enjoyed the subway add right at the end for their happy ending.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
action politicle thriller with a lil bit romance
I really enjoyed this drama for the most part. There was a bit too much politics and scheming for my taste, but it fit the drama and genre perfectly since it's a political thriller with a romance undertone as others have said. I wished that the romance was developed better ....Pros:
-Ji Chang Wook was perfect as always. The fight scenes were amazing. His warm, intelligent, and naughty eyes were also noted:) His physique was ofc also something to look forward to. I liked his character well (save some minor details)
-Choi Yoo jin (aka stepmom) was a very layered character, honestly probably the most interesting one as well but i just didn't like her at all. Nor did I ever sympathize with her. I understood her pain but that doesn't justify all the heartless things she did especially to an innocent child, aka Anna.
-The catholic Spain aesthetic was also AMAZING since it's rare to see smth like that in drama.
-Anna's cute side and the scenes she had with Jae Ha were also very sweet.
-The casting and acting were great. Everyone acted their character perfectly, if some character didn't stand out as much as others, then it's the writing but the actors really did an exceptional job.
-Jae ha's improving relationship with the guards (bc he deserved it since he is the best and he showed them many times just who's boss, You Go JCW!!)
-the ending! everyone got what they deserved and Jae ha and Anna were so sweet!
cons
- often I thought that the evil stepmom was kinda in love w Jae Ha which immediately made me disgusted for some reason.
-Jae Ha and Anna didn't spend enough time with each other or got to know each other so well to love each other -_-
-Anna's (weak) character, while I understand why she was like this (bc of her upbringing and trauma). I would have preferred if she was a stronger more intelligent person bc she felt more like a side character and a BIG DAMSEL IN DISTRESS. She always cried and trusted everyone way too easily. But I liked her and rooted for her from the start ofc
-The men's loud ass obnoxious laugh. Every time the father or Mr. Park or chairman Choi laughed that annoying af laugh, I had the urge to slap them I mean it was amusing but still showed how bad they are as human beings
-The freaking assistant, need I say more?
-I wanted to know what Jae Ha's freaking REAL NAME is, but they didn't even give up that -____-
Was this review helpful to you?
A Drama about Revenge, Politics and a one sided Love.
STORYA story about a former mercenary soldier (Ji Chang Wook) who is on a run after he is falsely accused of his girlfriend murder when he returns to South Korea his life gets entangled with two women one is the wife of a politician Choi YooJin (Song Yoon -ah) and the illegitimate daughter of the politician Go Anna (Lim Yoona) He Kim Jeha/K2 (Ji Chang Wook) joins hands with Choi YooJin when he sees the person who is responsible for his girlfriend's murder to get his revenge and is appointed as the bodyguard of Go Anna.
A Drama about Kim Jeha revenge and his relationship with those two women.
The best part about this Drama are
~ The Action Scenes
~ Acting of Actors
~ Ji Chang Wook and Song Yoon ah Chemistry
~ Kim Jeha pure and kind heart and his desire to protect.
ACTING
All the Actor and Actress played their role perfectly.
Specially Ji Chang Wook and Song Yoon ah
MUSIC
The Songs and bgm of this Drama was also really good.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
It is Good
Re watch
If you like it I am sure you will want to watch it again.
Was this review helpful to you?
