334. The Fiery Priest 열혈사제 (2019) Korean

Kim Nam Gil, Kim Sung Kyun, Lee Ha Nui, Go Joon, Keum Sae Rok

Drama Rating: 8/10     Neck Score: A+

I don't know if I've ever had a drama that's stressed me out this much. I loved it, but I also was so worried about half the characters all the time, especially since the bad guys were just so bad. Like they really made them kick puppies. Like, they made them hurt children, and priests, and puppy priests, and really nice people. Also, half the characters that you know are supposed to be good guys are working for the bad guys. This was a corruption crime drama on steroids. It reminded me a lot of Lawless Lawyer, with the level of corruption, etc., but with a much larger comedy element. Even the bad guys were comedic, just not when they were killing people, etc. Also, we don't get the romance because, well, he's a priest. Waste of some good chemistry, but it's not about that. But what it doesn't have in romance is made up with some epic bromances.


So, we have corrupt officials who are like 100% bad. Then you have gangsters that you can't 100% hate, because they are being mistreated by the scum officials. Also they are either hot or hilarious. Then you have the corrupt policemen who you are annoyed at, but can totally see where they are coming from. They are too scared to fight the super corrupt system. The biggest part that made me frustrated was just how obvious all the corruption was. Everyone knew about it, no one did anything about it, and it was so blatant. But I guess that can happen too. It takes a hot headed, ex-NIS agent, priest and a couple of murders to make everyone clean up their act and clean up the corruption.

But it was pretty hopeless at the beginning. Our Father Tsunami got angry a lot at the start. No one but the other church people would listen to him, any small win he had would be immediately invalidated, and I would be too stressed to watch all the injustice. But for some reason I kept coming back. Maybe I too, just like Lee Ha Nui, was drawn back by Kim Nam Gil's visuals. He really did make the priest's robes look too sexy. But it was probably more the relationships with everyone. They did a good job turning everyone from frenemies into real friends. As the band of vigilante justice fighters grew, the bromances and womances, etc., grew more lovable too. I couldn't help but want to come back for more. Then, as the successes began and the talents were revealed, and hope grew too, it went from a frustrating pleasure to a 100% pleasure and my favorite drama I was currently watching.

So, yes, it is hard to watch at times. Who wants to see a bunch of buffoon villains beat our puppy heroes again and again? But the comedy and fighting are definitely good. I love all the actors in it. Even with just the Nam Gil Sung Kyun bromance, I would be fine. But there was so much love going around. It was great. Yohan and Song Sac. Song Sac and Bobcut, that was unexpected. Just Song Sac's fighting. Yeah. Father Puppy and Father Tsunami.... So many friendships to ship. It's great. Don't worry, it's a rocky traumatic start, but the show is worth it the whole time.