Title: The Lookout (literal title), The Guardian (English title) Air time: May 22nd – July 11th, 2017 Network: MBC Creator: Lim Hwa-min Director: Son Hyung-seok Writer: Kim Soo-eun Number of Episodes: 32 Episodes Official Site: The Lookout Home Page
Main Characters
Jo Soo-ji
Jo Soo-ji is the main character of the drama. The character itself is played by actress Lee Si-young. Jo Soo-ji is a woman detective and a former boxer who has just lost her beloved daughter. To find her daughter, she decides to join a gang and get her revenge against the criminals.
Jang Do-han
Jang Do-han is a prosecutor famous for his ‘sharp’ tongue. Played by actor Kim Young-kwang, Jang Do-han’s character is actually a boy from Gangwon province who has succeeded as a prosecutor at a young age and has a lavish lifestyle. In the first episode, you’ll see a glimpse of Jang Do-han’s reality. Then, he decides to make a gang to execute his revenge against the criminals, but he actually has his own reason for doing so.
Seo Bo-mi
Seo Bo-mi is an expert as a CCTV reader. Her talent as CCTV reader is because of her insomnia. Due to her insomnia, she has started to watch CCTV and became an expert at that. Seo Bo-mi also has past secrets about a case from ten years ago which feeds her ambition of catching the criminals by watching CCTV. The character Seo Bo-mi is played by actress Kim Seul-gi.
Gong Kyung-soo
From a quick glance at the poster above, you’ll get the impression of a hacker. Yes, Gong Kyung-soo is a hacker who is a genius. He is able to hack any personal information and even the authority’s information. The reason he joins the gang is that he feels the warmth of a family. When Gong Kyung-soo was young, his mother left him and his family broke down. He eventually had to stay at a juvenile prison. That’s why he wants to risk his life for his gang. The character Gong Kyung-soo itself is played by SHINee’s Key.
Kim Eun-jung
Kim Eun-jung is a prosecutor who has unrequited love for Jo Soo-ji. The character Kim Eun-jung is played by actor Kim Tae-hoon. Becoming a prosecutor, he has learned all the prosecutor’s dirty tricks of evading the law. Actually, he is a quiet man. But, watching Jo Soo-ji having to deal with the criminals who kill her daughter, he decides to help her. Then, Kim Eun-jung is in confusion about helping Jo Soo-jin to find the criminals or staying loyal as a prosecutor.
Synopsis
Jo Soo-ji (played by Lee Si-young) has lost her daughter, Yu-na, who has been murdered by Yoon Si-wan, a high schooler and a son of a well- known prosecutor, Yoon Seung-ro. She wants to get her revenge but gets caught and has to serve time in prison. When Jo Soo-ji is about to go to prison, Jang Do-han (played by Kim Young-kwang) asks her to join a gang that consists of Seo Bo-mi (played by Kim Seul-gi), Gong Kyung-soo (played by SHINee’s Key), and a priest named Lee Kwan-woo (played by Shin Dong-wook). They all have the same mission, to catch and bring down the criminals, and have their own revenge. At the same time, Jang Do-han is also carrying a secret that he hides from Jo Soo-ji. Can they successfully execute their missions?
Review
First of all, kudos to Lee Si-young’s acting! As a detective, her character requires a lot of action scenes that she really nailed perfectly. Viewers can also feel her desperation in wanting to catch the criminals responsible for her daughter’s death. While the drama was still being aired, Lee Si-young personally revealed on her Instagram that she was 14 weeks pregnant during filming. It’s very shocking to learn that, having seen her action scenes that include kicking and riding her cool motorbike. This proves her professionalism as an actress. And also, her character of a strong woman leading character, is very refreshing, because more often men are playing the leading characters. Second, the story is quite complicated but great for suspense. Imagine, viewers have to watch all four main characters’ background stories and then they’ve got new problems because of the villains’ counterattack. Viewers have to be very concentrated while watching because of all of the little details. Also, an idea for them to form a gang is very cool. Just imagine a prosecutor, a detective, a hacker, and a CCTV reader expert in one team! It’s incredible! But, don’t think they’re working in good harmony for a long time. Of course, there’s betrayal and disappointment among the characters. Politics and corruption also become the side topic of this drama. These details give viewers more tension while watching. In the second half of the drama, the characters’ development is really slow. I expected a relationship between Jo Soo-ji and Jang Do-han, but nothing. Maybe the writer wants to focus only on the main topic, crime. Thankfully, the writer introduced a little comedic and heartwarming part in the story. Third, the villain. Probably similar to other Korean dramas, where the villain’s scenes are quite annoying because the story just spins around on the villain almost getting caught but not quite. This happens many times in this drama. The gang is chasing a prosecutor named Yoon Seung-ro, who would use anything to get to a higher position. The prosecutor’s son, Yoon Si-wan, is the same. He is depicted as a frigid and cruel person. Again, the writer provides another background story for his awful personality. At this point, the story is getting more frustrating for the viewers because they have to follow another background story. But, kudos again for Park Solomon, a young actor who played Yoon Si-wan. His scary smirk still makes me scared until now. Fourth, characters. For this, I have to say, this drama has so many characters. Apart from the five main characters, there are many supporting characters. To make a connection for the first time between Jo Soo-ji and Jang Do-han, the writer introduces a new character who has no correlation with the actual story. This makes the viewers confused. Maybe because there are many things going on, Seo Bo-mi and Gong Kyung-soo’s background story isn’t very clear. The writer only gives viewers a big line without explanation. So, viewers have to guess themselves. But, for other characters, they are a perfect fit with the actors who played them. Overall, this drama is a good choice if you want to watch heavy suspense drama. But, if you are expecting a crime drama with a love story inside, like Healer or The K2, this isn’t the right choice for you. The drama shows us how bad a human being can be. The writer emphasizes more on the reality about today’s society. Without a care about other people’s justice, they just care about themselves and keep evading the law. As far as the acting is concerned, all actors are perfect for their characters. You can see their great acting skills matching with the story. If you are interested in a crime drama, this is a drama that is highly recommended for you!
