Synopsis. Kill It is a 12-episode 2019 kdrama about a hired killer who is searching for the truth about his past spent in an orphanage. Who is he? Who is his father? What is a numbered child? He crosses paths with a detective investigating the killings he was hired to perform. They share a past…they both lived at the orphanage. Separately they investigate their past and those responsible. Once the truth is revealed, will their shared past alter their future?
What I liked.
Writing (second half of the series). Writers Son Hyun Soo and Choi Myung Jin were unknown to me. The first half of the series, I found the writing generated more questions each episode than it answered. Then the writers chucked the murky and focused on the key questions – what is the mystery of the leading man’s past, why were there numbered children, was history repeating itself, and would our leading man escape or be captured by the leading lady detective pursuing the killer? I was satisfied with answers and how Writers Son and Choi answered the questions. I’d be curious if this duo wrote another series, would it be solid from the first episode or suffer the the same first half murkiness?
Core Characters.
Leading man Kim Soo Hyun (Chang Ki Yong). While I’ve seen series with this actor, he didn’t resonate with me. Kill it was an excellent vehicle to showcase a brooding, chisel faced killer that protected those he loved and wanted to find out the truth about his past and ensure it was never repeated again. He survived a dreadful past and was passionate about protecting his tribe and the future for them. While his methods weren’t within the confines of the law, I rooted for this character.
Leading lady Do Hyun In (Nana). Hyun In was the moral compass of the series. She was a smart detective that wouldn’t stop until she found answers and it didn’t matter who the evidence pointed to, she went after them. She cared for our leading man and the girl he protected (who shared a past with Hyun In). Her past from the orphanage was difficult and her childhood friendship with Soo Hyun allowed her to accept this quiet guarded man, because she knew he had a caring heart. She believed in him, and he deserved it.
Message. This drama’s theme “remember the past and don’t repeat it” was clear and the mantra of our leading man. He would NOT stop until he remembered his past and ensured that the evil actions of the past would never be repeated again.
OST. This drama’s OST resonated with me. Check out the six vocal songs and their instrumental versions here.
1. Forever Love sung by Min Kyung Hoon
2. My Everything sung by Han Seung Hee
3. Take Out My Heart sung by Jung Dong Ha
4. Unspeakable Secret sung by Jang Hee Young
5. You, Like, Me sung by Kim Bo Kyung
6. Just Stay sung by ALi
What I didn’t like.
Writing (first half of the series). Writers Son Hyun Soo and Choi Myung Jin created a murky mess the first part of the series. I found the episodes confusing and wondered if clarity would ever be achieved.
Too many characters named Hyun 😊. As I recapped this series the leading man was Soo HYUN, the leading lady was HYUN In and another key character was HYUN Woo. Keeping it straight was easier said than done.
Would I recommend Kill It? Yes, the mystery of the orphanage was compelling. I had to know our leading man’s past. I became a supporter of his need NOT to let history repeat itself. I liked the focus and determination of the leading lady. In the end, I was able to overlook the murky series start when it morphed into the gripping second half. I hope to see more range from Chang Ki Yong in future roles.
Asian drama fan. I watch and blog dramas on https://kjtamusings.wordpress.com/.
I glad you gave a reminder of the OST; I liked the OST. Well said KJT that the theme of Kill It was “remember the past and don’t repeat it”. Soo Hyun 🔫🐺 did his best within his paradigm to break the cycle.
I concur that the first half of the episodes of “Kill It” raised more questions than it answered and the story improved in the second half which became gripping, although I personally thought a bit of murkiness still remained in the end. It would be interesting to see if another drama written by these writers would start out murky.
I thought the idea of contract killer Pavel 🔫🇷🇺 having Alzheimer’s disease was an interesting concept, but Pavel 🔫🇷🇺 was eliminated too early to capitalize on that plot point.
I was surprised that I found myself rooting for contract killer Soo Hyun 🔫🐺. I attribute that to a combination of the writing and acting. I empathized with Soo Hyun’s 🔫🐺 dreadful past as he had no choice, other than death, to become a contract killer. It seemed Soo Hyun 🔫🐺 wanted to quit and lead a normal life, but his desire to find out about his forgotten past got him tangled up in Hyun Woo’s 👨🔬 revenge and then Soo Hyun 🔫🐺 chose to kill to protect the people he cared about.
I concur with your thoughts about there being too many characters with Hyun in their name … it was confusing. Although it made sense to me that our lead characters shared the name Hyun, as many siblings share either their name first or middle name … the girl who gave him his name considered Soo Hyun 🔫🐺 to be her brother.
I’m glad you selected Kill It to recap as this drama that would have been lower on my watch list due to my expectations. I may have missed the compelling drama Kill It became.
I would recommend watching Kill It. You may need to slog through the murkiness of the first half (read KJT’s recap and comments for some clarification), but the rest makes Kill It worth your drama watching time.
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Soo Hyun 🔫🐺 did his best within his paradigm to break the cycle.
That was his legacy.
Pavel 🔫🇷🇺 was eliminated too early to capitalize on that plot point.
Agreed, he ended up with less impact on the storyline as a whole.
It seemed Soo Hyun 🔫🐺 wanted to quit and lead a normal life, but his desire to find out about his forgotten past got him tangled up in Hyun Woo’s 👨🔬 revenge and then Soo Hyun 🔫🐺 chose to kill to protect the people he cared about.
He wanted to honor Pavel’s wish that he walk away, but couldn’t turn down the opportunity to unlock past and right the wrongs.
I’m glad you selected Kill It to recap as this drama that would have been lower on my watch list due to my expectations.
Timing and serendipity on my blogging this better than expected series.Appreciate your feedback throughout.
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