City Hunter (2011) (DVD) (7-Disc) (English Subtitled) (End) (SBS TV Drama) (US Version) DVD Region 1

Lee Min Ho stars as Yoon Sung, the flirtatious new network analyst at the Blue House (Korea's White House), but that's only his cover. The first episode of backstory sets up his revenge mission against the men who killed his father. Twentysomething years ago, a task unit was ordered killed by five officials trying to hide their own involvement in a covert operation. The sole survivor of the massacre, Yoon Sung's foster father Jin Pyo (Kim Sang Joong) escaped to Thailand with his late friend's son, vowing to return one day for blood.

Retaining his good cheer despite being raised under grueling circumstances, Yoon Sung sets out to take down his enemies, dubbed the "Group of Five", but his mission takes on a different tone than what Jin Pyo trained him for. Yoon Sung is not out for blood but for justice and redemption, and his beef against his targets is not only a matter of revenge, but also a response to their present corruption. It is this sense of righteousness that gives the drama and its renegade hero a meaningful core, and makes the traps he lays so satisfying to watch. Yoon Sung delivers his catches to dogged prosecutor Young Joo (Lee Joon Hyuk), whose unbending integrity allows no room for compromise, be it against politicians sacrificing public welfare for personal gain, or vigilantes acting outside the law.

Yoon Sung's greatest obstacle, however, proves to be his own father who wants death not downfall for his enemies. Completely consumed by revenge, Jin Pyo will stop at nothing to eliminate the targets, including hurt and deceive the son he raised. Yoon Sung, for his part, stands by his beliefs, pitting father against son as they race to take out the Group of Five. Yoon Sung's conflict is paralleled by Young Joo, whose stubborn principles are tested when his own father turns out to be among the Group of Five. Lee Joon Hyuk hasn't received as much attention for his role, but his performance is as solid and unyielding as his character, providing a much needed mirror and moral compass for the City Hunter.

More and more skeletons and conflicts appear as the revenge mission progresses and stakes rise. Jin Pyo and the audience (though not Yoon Sung) know from the very beginning that the President (portrayed in sympathetic, stately manner by Cheon Ho Jin) is the fifth member of the Group of Five, and the drama builds to the final heartwrenching conflict and revelation in thrilling and compelling manner. The emotional roller coaster is matched by slick action, with the simply yet effectively staged fight scenes, car chases, and stunts relying more on choreography and timing than flashiness.

Lee Min Ho is in handsome form as the cool action hero, but it's his acting that deserves a special mention. The Boys Over Flowers star had already showed he could take on more mature roles in his previous Personal Taste, and in City Hunter, he rises convincingly to his complex character with assured charm. As the presidential bodyguard whom Yoon Sung falls for, Park Min Young provides cuteness, courage, and the faint hope for happiness after all the dust settles. The leads' onscreen chemistry is sizzling (so much so it extended to real life, apparently), providing some respite from the darker happenings, but romance remains less integral to the drama than the struggle for justice and reconciliation, the choice between right and wrong.

The most important conflict in the film is unquestionably that of father and son. Somewhere between terrifying and tragic, Kim Sang Joong's Jin Pyo is an immense, iron-handed figure in the drama, and absolutely compelling to watch, so much so that his steely presence often overshadows that of the City Hunter. Especially in respect to Yoon Sung and Jin Pyo's relationship, City Hunter delivers far more than expected, and it's the kind of emotional payoff that might not have been possible with a straightforward adaptation of the manga.

Those still looking for a connection to the manga though will find it here and there. A City Hunter team of sorts emerges, and they make use of the manga's "XYZ" code for the first time at one point. Because of these building pieces, as the drama progresses, it takes the shape of a possible origin story, though no one from the production has called it such so we can't be sure. Whether it's meant to be an origin story or just a very loosely inspired adaptation, City Hunter stands alone just fine as an entertaining and involving vigilante action thriller and one of the best Korean TV dramas of the year.