Boxers fighting crime – hey this sounds familiar! I was instantly intrigued by the premise of the Netflix original series Bloodhounds since my own novel mashes up boxing and vigilante justice. This K-drama was…a wild ride to say the least.

Things start out with a bang in the first episode, with an exciting boxing tournament and a violent attack on the protagonist’s mom. From there, the action only accelerates. Every episode had pulse-pounding, beautifully choreographed action sequences with enough bonding between characters to grab you by the heartstrings and pull you along for the ride.

Since I’m going to be reviewing the entire season, I’ll break it out by categories such as characterization, plot, pacing, etc. There will be some minor spoilers ahead, but I’ll avoid any major spoilers for those who haven’t seen the show.

Bloodhounds Season 1 Synopsis

Kim Geon-woo is a talented young fighter who beats the overconfident Hong Woo-jin in a boxing tournament. The two strike up an unlikely friendship from there, bonding over their shared military service in the Marines and their love of boxing. This strong bond will carry them through a nightmarish ordeal as they fight against vicious loan sharks with predatory lending practices.

The trouble starts when Geon-woo’s mother – already struggling financially due to the pandemic – signs a shady contract from Smile Capital to provide a “low interest loan” for her café. She unfortunately doesn’t catch the “gotcha” in fine print and finds herself buried in debt. When she can’t pay, Smile Capital sends thugs to vandalize her café and threaten her. Geon-woo rushes to his mother’s defense, provoking the ire of the company CEO, Kim Myeong-gil.

From the moment the courageous young boxer decides to take a stand against Myeong-gil’s harassment and extortion, he makes a very dangerous enemy.

With help from a mysterious yet benevolent moneylender named Choi Tae-ho, Geon-woo is able to pay off his mother’s debts in exchange for becoming a bodyguard to Choi’s adoptive granddaughter. This gets Smile Capital off his mother’s back for now, but Geon-woo won’t be satisfied until he ends the company’s criminal harassment of other unsuspecting business owners.

Teaming up with Woo-jin and Choi’s granddaughter, Geon-woo decides to take down Smile Capital. Although Choi tries to dissuade the young people, he eventually realizes he has a responsibility to deal with Myeong-gil since he is his former employee. Choi has tried to leave his loan shark past behind him, but now he must take responsibility for the monster Myeong-gil has become.

Characters

The characters are excellent in this TV series. Geon-woo and Woo-jin serve as perfect foils to each other: the former is polite and introverted while the latter is bold, charming, and rash. Mr. Choi is intriguing since he has a dark history but clearly regrets it. He tries to atone for his former crimes as a loan shark by lending money without interest to help the needy. Myeong-gil is the kind of villain you just want to punch in the face, but you probably wouldn’t dare because he has the creepy “I’m going to end you” kind of smile.

Plot

The plot is…less than realistic. Time and again, Geon-woo and Woo-jin find themselves surrounded by dozens of Smile Capital thugs armed with baseball bats, knives, and other weapons. Yet they always manage to punch their way out with nothing but bare fists and the occasional baseball bat they pick up. Totally unrealistic, but it makes for fun action sequences.

All that aside, I enjoyed the twists and turns in the plot as I learned more about Mr. Choi’s backstory and his dealings with Myeong-gil. Smile Capital weaves a tangled web of deceit, threats, and bribery. The extent of their influence makes them feel untouchable – the ultimate underdog story.

Pacing

The pacing goes from zero to sixty and doesn’t slow down the whole season. To be honest, it left me confused at times. The show alternates between the protagonist POV and antagonist POV, so viewers get a full picture of the villains’ plan for maximum tension. I appreciated the fast pacing, but sometimes I just felt lost.

Action

The action in this series is probably the best part. The choreography is dynamic and exciting, with complex fight scenes flawlessly executed. Although I would have liked a little more realism, I admired the choreography and performances from the actors.

Closing Thoughts

Here’s the TLDR version: you’ll love this show if you’re a fan of action-packed, gritty crime dramas. I’m disappointed there was so little boxing in Season 1, but I’m hopeful that Season 2 will feature more of it. The violence was a little much for me – especially the knife fights.

I’m also upset by some of the decisions made in the plot, mostly related the characters who died. There were too many heartbreaking character deaths!

On a side note, I was sad to learn that the actress who portrayed Mr. Choi’s granddaughter, Kim Sae-ron, passed away under very unfortunate circumstances. She gave a standout performance in Season 1; the show won’t be the same without her.

At times the action felt over-the-top, but the bonding between characters and the intriguing twists and turns were enough to keep me hooked for Season 2. I’ll be back with a review of that season soon.