Seoul Busters is the newest comedy K-drama to come to Disney+ Hotstar, and the latest in its lineup of hit Korean shows. The story follows a team of cops who are considered the worst of Seoul’s Violent Crimes unit, and the mishaps they get into.
I recently had the opportunity to preview the first four episodes of Seoul Busters prior to its official premiere later today. Right from the start, Seoul Busters had me in stitches with its over-the-top interpretation of police procedural tropes.
It gives us the typical archetypes present in most shows (supercop leader, enthusiastic rookie, jaded veteran, etc.), dials their traits up to 11, and throws them into completely ridiculous situations.
The stars of Seoul Busters
The series stars Kim Dong-Wook as Dongbang Yu-Bin, an elite police officer who suddenly requests to be sent out into the field. His decision perplexes his superiors, but Yu-Bin is determined to rise to the challenge. As a result, he becomes the new captain of the misfit Songwon Violent Crimes Team 2.
Team 2 is a motley crew of rejects. There’s Moo Jung-Ryeok (Park Ji-Hwan), a gruff former national boxer with a chip on his shoulder. The team’s other senior member is Jeong Jeong-Hwan (Seo Hyun-Woo), a stingy family man who immediately tries to suck up to the new captain.
We also have Seo Min-Seo (Park Se-Wan), a tough female officer with a short fuse; and Jang Tan-Sik (Lee Seung-Woo), the idiotic rookie who nonetheless has good intentions.
We see just how incompetent Team 2 are at their job in the first episode, after they let a suspect get away during a stakeout. The four are transferred to a new station, which is temporarily sharing a building with a daycare center. Yu-Bin shows up as their captain just in time for their first case.
Learning to work together
The first three episodes follow the newly-formed team as they investigate the mysterious death of an entertainment company manager. The team members initially dismiss it as a suicide, but a Yu-Bin suspects there is more to the case, and orders them to dig deeper.
At first, the team are annoyed by Yu-Bin’s thoroughness. Jung-Ryeok also resents that he was skipped over for promotion to captain, and clashes with Yu-Bin at various points.
Eventually, their investigations lead them directly to the entertainment company, and its suspiciously friendly CEO. They learn that the victim was being bullied by his client, a famous actor with a violent temper. They also find out the victim had borrowed money from a known scammer.
Things soon take a turn when another person ends up dead. Despite this, Yu-Bin manages to deduce who the real killer is. The arc ends when they make their arrest, and finally come together as a team.
Episode 4 kicks off a new arc, where we start to learn more about the characters. We see glimpses of Jung-Ryeok’s past as a boxer, and how it plays into the team’s latest case.
We also get a hint of Yu-Bin’s backstory, which may indicate his real reasons for leaving a cushy career path. Altogether, it is a fascinating taste of things to come, and I look forward to it.
Is Seoul Busters worth watching?
The show does a great job balancing the comedic tone with the serious business of crime solving.
Most of this is thanks to the cast, who perform their roles with enthusiasm and great comedic timing. There is slapstick and visual comedy, which give Seoul Busters a unique vibe different from other recent comedy series.
Kim Dong-Wook is perfect as Yu-Bin, a brilliant detective who manages to wrangle his chaotic subordinates. He also has keen observation skills, leading Min-Seo to draw parallels with him and Sherlock Holmes.
Park Ji-Hwan and Seo Hyun-Woo do a great job portraying characters who have wildly different reactions to Yu-Bin’s arrival. They have the next most unique personalities, and I hope to learn more about them as the series goes on.
I also enjoyed Lee Seung-Woo’s performance as Tan-Sik, who is the butt of every joke in the show. However, he manages to inject some charm into the role, which makes his character rather endearing.
Park Se-Wan shines as Min-Seo, who is probably the most relatable character in the otherwise crazy Team 2. However, her hot-tempered nature makes it clear why she was placed there. There are hints of a future romantic connection with Yu-Bin, so look out for sparks flying there.
Fans of Korean comedy can sign up to Disney+ Hotstar today to enjoy immediate access to Seoul Busters. There are also other hilarious K-dramas including Han River Police, and Crash, as well as police dramas like the award-winning The Worst of Evil, and Vigilante.
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