What Is the Story About?
Bloodhounds follows two boxers with different techniques who are opponents turned friends. They join forces in pursuit of money into the world of private loans. However to protect Seol and its poor people from the long and cruel arms of a ruthless loan sharks amidst Covid-19 crisis, they begin using their boxing skills.
Performances?
One of the biggest wins of Bloodhounds is its star-cast that exudes the charm and heavy weight screen-presence required for the respective roles.
Particularly, Woo Do-Hwan and Lee Sang Yi. The actors manage to convincingly bring their bromance on board and oh-god their punches land effortlessly like lightening shots.
Analysis
From the writer and director of the famous cop- action-comedy ‘Midnight Runners’ Kim Joo Hwan, Bloodhounds is a revenge action thriller based on a webtoon titled ‘Sanyanggaedeul’ by Jung Chan.
As a film-maker with hands on experience in bromance-action genre, Bloodhounds’ action choreography, and the authenticity of the bromance between its heroes come as no surprise. Much like Midnight Runners, Bloodhounds also begins with setting up of the friendship of the two male leads.
Boxers Kim Geon-woo and Hong Woo-jin are former Marines and also opponents-turned-friends. Bloodhounds starts off with showing the audience who Geon-woo is and how he and Woo-jin became partners in crime. The story slowly moves ahead through peak Covid-19 pandemic and how life’s been hard as hell on everyone and how loan sharks were having a feast, torturing poor folks of Seol.
Gun-Woo’s mom and Woo-jin also get into deep financial trouble. This is when Gun-woo willingly gets into the trap of Smile Capital’s Loan business. He gets scammed and his mother becomes a victim to the ruthlessness of loan sharks. Her shop is on the verge of getting torn to shackles.
The first episode of Bloodhounds initially moves at a snail-pace, but ends with a kickass banger when we see boxer Gun-Woo flexing his muscles (literally). His punches are second coming of lightening. They are so well choreographed and shot as well. Ofcourse, it’s the hero’s saviour moment.
What follows thereby in Bloodhounds is a story that’s as old as our forefathers, a tried and tested saviour-angle where the boxer duo joins hands with Mr. Choi, as a vigilante-ish duo against exploitative loan-sharks. Now, coming to the best part, much like Midnight Runners, we have a banger duo in Bloodhounds. That’s a casting job, well done.
Secondly, the fight choreography is beyond exceptional. While Midnight Runners is an action comedy, Bloodhounds is as serious and as bloody as it can be. The two boys means business. Their action stunts in each episode steals the limelight away from the paper-thin plot easily. Rather than looking forward to the story, one would look forward to the kind of punches and action we’d get to see in the upcoming episodes.
Coming to what doesn’t work, apart from the routine storyline, the screenplay of Bloodhounds is quite slow. For a show with a story this basic, and that runs mostly on epic action only, 8 episode run-time is too much. Some of the characters aren’t given due justice as well. Cha Hyun-joo’s character should’ve made a come-back and we deserved to see more of Oh Da-min and her archery skills.
In short, Bloodhounds will definitely quench your thirst for an entertaining action thriller. Epic bromance of the boxer duo, as a bonus. However, if you are not a fan of action, the episodes could feel a bit of a drag. Nevertheless, Bloodhounds is worth your time. Oh-la-la because what it surely is, is Entertaining.
Other Artists?
Apart from the main leads, Park Sung Woong shine as the ruthless elite’s representation – Kim Myeong-gil, the CEO of Smile Capital, and a notorious illegal loan shark. He is ruthless and embodies the evil so well.
Huh Joon Hu, Kim Sae Ron and Jung Da-eon give good performances too.
Music and Other Departments?
Koo Ja-kwan’s music rightly elevates the setting of Bloodhounds. The cinematography and colour grading choices also work well with the show. One of the biggest gripes of Bloodhounds is its editing, some episodes are just too long to have gobsmacking elevatory stunt sequences.
Highlights?
Stunt Choreography
Cast
Entertaining
Drawbacks?
Paper Thin Plot
Cha Hyun-joo’s abrupt Character arc
No room for logic
Too Long
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes.
Will You Recommend It?
Yes.
Bloodhounds Series Review by Binged Bureau