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Kill It (2019) – English Review

A hitman who works as a veterinarian gets a client who promises to reveal his forgotten past after he kills a lot of bad people. But in the end, this becomes complicated because a cop he knew when he was young may stand in his way.

Kill It consists of 12 episodes. Many have compared Kill It to my favorite Korean TV series, Flower of Evil. I definitely see the resemblance, where a female cop who cares about the hitman must make a tough choice. The problem is that her father is not a good person, so she has to decide which side to take or whether she will remain neutral and just do her job.

The protagonist, who works as a hitman, doesn’t know anything about his past except that he grew up in an orphanage, and it turns out most of the kids there disappeared. He now works as a veterinarian, but then he gets a new job where the client promises to reveal the truth about his past if he kills several people on a hit list. He lives and works in a building owned by a girl who also experienced something awful in her youth, and the protagonist had something to do with that. So now, he tries to protect and take care of her.

One day, a female cop who also grew up at the orphanage recognizes him, and he remembers her. She moves into the same building, and now they are all “best friends,” but a killer is still a killer.

I have to say that after 11 episodes, I had no idea where the final episode would take me. And that’s a good sign because I think many will be fooled into thinking this is a light, entertaining series with a lot of romance and no consequences. But there’s minimal romance here. The protagonist and the female cop don’t start a romantic relationship because he’s a broken man and a killing machine, even though he tries to protect the people he cares about. So, you won’t find much romance in Kill It—it’s more about friendship and how the protagonist’s past haunts him. The female cop flirts with him, but he gives her a cold shoulder several times.

Kill It was made a year before Flower of Evil, and there are similarities. Surprisingly enough, Kill It starts out with a more charming and entertaining atmosphere and then turns into a really dark series. I didn’t expect the ending we got. Because of that ending, I hated a character I shouldn’t have hated. The ending was sort of fitting, but it still made me so angry. Damn you! It’s all your fault! But at the same time, I would have written the ending differently because of everything the character had gone through. I know how I would have written the ending, and it would have been much better and more fair.

The acting is solid. The hitman, played by Jang Ki-yong, doesn’t express himself much, but that fits his character, as he’s a broken man. Then we have another South Korean hottie, Im Jin-ah, who plays the female cop. Her character is pretty stupid and naive for a cop, but she’s hot! She plays the emotional train that’s hard to read toward the end, which means she did her job well. And my God, she’s HOT! I just wish she could smack those handcuffs on me since I’m a bad, bad boy! My GOD! Arrest me, woman!

Roh Jeong-eui is charming, but I wish they had given her more screen time and maybe toned down her energy because she felt like she belonged in a different series. She didn’t seem as damaged as the protagonist, but considering what he went through, that’s understandable.

I really enjoyed Kill It. It has a lot of mystery and, of course, a lot of corruption. The corruption angle is something I’m really tired of seeing in South Korean TV series and movies. It felt a little forced, but I understood what they were going for—that rich people will always buy their way out of trouble.

Another thing I didn’t quite like was the wrap-up of the characters’ arcs. It felt like some scenes were missing, and some characters didn’t seem to matter much to others due to the rushed conclusion, which disappointed me. I was hoping for those Infernal Affairs-style emotional ending scenes, complete with a sorrowful score and lingering regrets. I want to say so much more, but as you know, I try not to spoil anything, which makes reviewing movies and TV series tricky sometimes.

And speaking of the score, it’s great. It builds up the suspense and makes the emotional scenes hit harder. The music has that magic touch I’m always listening for when watching movies and TV series. It’s so important in projects like Kill It, where the right score can elevate the entire experience and keep you invested in the story.

But in the end, this is a series that shouldn’t be spoiled much, because if you do, you’ll ruin the experience for those who want to watch it with fresh eyes.

Rating: 8/10

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