Friday, February 22, 2013

Let's Just Talk About Lee Min Ho: City Hunter Review

When I first started watching kdramas I was pretty hooked. I went through Lie To Me, Boys Over Flowers, and Coffee Prince in rapid succession. I had a bit of a drama hangover after that and needed a little break. For about a month I tried several different romantic comedy kdramas but I just couldn't get into them. Too much like BOF or Coffee Prince! Same old, same old. Then I was recommended City Hunter, and boom, the magic was back! Turns out I just needed a little action and revenge in my life. I recommend that every drama fan switch the genres up a little once in awhile so they don't get old. City Hunter was the first drama in awhile that I just couldn't stop watching. Here are some reasons you should invest some time and emotional energy into City Hunter.

1. The Story Line

Lee Min Ho plays Lee Yoon Sung, a man raised to take revenge on the government officials responsible for his father's death. He is educated in America and then returns to work in the Blue House (the Korean equivalent of the American White House) where he can infiltrate the system to find the culprits. In the process he becomes the City Hunter, an anonymous crime fighter. Think of Batman, but without a costume. He also falls in love with a girl who he loves but wants to protect so he pushes her away is in typical superhero fashion. It's a great story of love and revenge and the choice between the two. It had just enough of the great kdrama cliches we come to expect and love, along with some new plot twists. I was captivated throughout.


2. Lee Min Ho








Need I say more? Lee Min Ho is the Korean equivalent of Ryan Gosling. Just check out his meme potential. I have to admit that I wasn't super attracted to him in Boys Over Flowers, but he did grow on me. However, City Hunter came along and boom, all the hidden bad-a hotness came out! He's just so smooth in all the action scenes. I love this man, I can't help it. I'm pretty sure you won't be able to either.





              

       


3. The Leading Lady


Park Min Young is the perfect combination of strength and loveliness as Kim Na Na. The character Kim Na Na is talented and hard working as well as having a strong sense of what's right and wrong. She is an admirable heroine. Not only that, but she doesn't even need Lee Yooon Sung to give her a makeover! I really enjoyed this leading lady, even though I experienced intense feelings of jealousy of her for her beauty and the fact that she gets to kiss Lee Min Ho.


 

4. The Compelling Second Male Lead


Prosecutor Kim Yong-joo, played by Lee Joon-hyuk, is the City Hunter's rival in both crime fighting and love. Like the City Hunter, his goal is to uncover corruption and bring evil politicians to justice, but unlike the City Hunter, he believes in doing it by the book. He tries to discover the identity of the City Hunter because he believes he is dangerous. He is also the romantic rival of the male lead, as both vie for the attention of Kim Na Na. Once again all this is similar to Batman, but still in a fresh way. I really enjoyed this character, as he provided a great foil for the lead as well as additional eye candy.


5. The Chemistry Between the OTP


As mentioned in my Coffee Prince review, this is really the most important aspect of a good kdrama.  Lee Yoon Sung and Kim Na Na have believable attraction between them. They are simply adorable. I'm also a fan of a little, "I love you and want to be with you, but I want to protect you from the bad guys who I'm fighting, so I have to pretend that I don't love you. Maybe one day we can be together when I stop saving the world." So romantic, it gets me every time. 


The one complaint I have in this area is that this drama definitely left me unsatisfied in the passion aspect. Especially at the end. Ugh, that's the worst! But it was still great.




So if you need a change in pace in your kdrama addiction, or you're looking for a kdrama that you can trick your significant other into watching with you, City Hunter should be added to the top of your list. There's enough action for the men and adventurous women and enough romance to keep you wanting more. 

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Places to Watch City Hunter


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