Buried Hearts

I expect product placement in Korean dramas but usually it is subtle, in this one it breaks the scenes and the actors seem to suddenly be in an advert for kopiko which detracts from the tension.

That aside this is an enjoyable revenge drama where Seo Dong-ju (Park Hyun-sik) is the assistant to a chaebol and has an ill fated relationship with Yeo Eun-nam (Hong Hwa-yeon) a granddaughter in the family. Dong-ju steals a massive political slush fund from Yeom Jang-sun (Huh Joon-ho) and all hell breaks loose with the murderous consequences. It is an enjoyable drama but seems to lose its way a little in later episodes with the plot and pacing. The ending is left open with unresolved plot lines so hopefully there will be a season 2.

Watched Buried Hearts for Hyung Sik. And continued watching only for Hyung Sik. He was beyond brilliant as Seo Dong Ju. Acting, Looks, expressions - PHS nailed the role. I wish he does more shows like this where he can showcase his acting talent.

The show could have been better. Story could have been better. Strong premise but went flat after a few episodes. Some plot lines I really wonder what the writers were even thinking.

The female lead wasn't great. She seemed to have just one or two expressions throughout.

Everyone interprets the ending in their own way. I wasn't happy about it, but looking at the way the story went, it kind of makes sense.

Park Hyung Sik carried the show. He redeemed himself from Doctor Slump.

The best part about Buried Hearts was Park Hyung Sik. The man CAN ACT, look handsome and express so well. Cannot think of anyone as Seo Dong Joo other than Park Hyung Sik. He gave it his best and it shows.

Buried Hearts was all about revenge and politics and less romance. It got off to a great start but didn't keep up till the end.

Hyung sik and Hong hwa yeon had great chemistry and I wish they had more romantic scenes together. And they should have made more use of hwa yeon other than having her call out 'Dong ju ya' in every episode.

The whole cast were great and cannot find flaws in their acting. The only flaw was the writers who couldn't come up with a more structured and interesting story.

Had a laugh at the Kopiko scenes. It was such a ridiculous product placement. I facepalmed myself every time they advertised it.

Watch it for Park Hyung Sik. Fall in love with him. I didn't like him in Doctor Slump and was hoping he would redeem himself. And so he did.

Koreans are really good at doing revenge dramas. The Glory is a fantastic example but this one is very good too. The story of Seo Dongju a man with a fantastic visual memory navigates the dangerous tides of a chaebol family (conglomerate) while trying to save the woman he loves.

This intertwine with bad guys trying to eliminate him as he has in his memory the password for a secret fund worth 2 trillion Won.

The intrigue goes vertical, from the notion of society all the way to the Blue House (The Presidency).

Park Hyun Chik dazzles in this drama. I usually swoon over him when he's doing romance but here, he proves he can do a different genre with gusto.

Really worth watching.

Seo Dong Ju (ML) is the standout character in this drama. Have you seen the pictures of him? Just look at the impeccable hair on this man's head, with each strand perfectly styled for every scene. You watch this show solely for him alone in his pursuit for revenge, while opposing forces attempt to uncover the secret code to a 2 trillion won political slush fund stored in his head.

Yeom Jang Seon, primary old man antagonist to our main lead, does a remarkable job of making you hate him every episode. What's worse is his hair is crazy too!

Female lead? Fuhgeddaboudit. This show's major flaw is the minimal role that Yeo Eun Nam plays in the overall narrative. The promotional images led me to disappointment. The initial episodes are the strongest because both the ML and FL are in it together, but as the drama progresses, FL just ... drops out of the picture.

The final quarter of the show features some messy writing. Things are wrapping up but the drama appears to set up for a potential second season, which may or may not happen. This leads to some unusual and unexpected character shifts in hope of securing another season.