Han River (2023)

easy to binge in a day if you want a good laugh!

so i watched all 6 episodes in a row and thoroughly enjoyed it!

here is what i liked about it:
- the teams dynamic is great, i loved their friendship and banter, you can tell they get on really well
- the comedy aspects in this had me laughing out loud multiple times
- the acting from everyone was great, i especially enjoyed lieutenant han
- it is easy watching

i don't quite understand why people are saying its boring or that they didn't like it, however i suppose we are all different.. BUT i would definitely recommend this to someone if you want some easy watching action filled drama, it did not disappoint!

i just hope we can get a season 2!

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Buddy Cop Comedy, and what else?

This drama has everything you would expect out of an action/mystery drama with a basic premise: a brash male lead whose curiosity knows no bounds, his sunbae who is unwittingly dragged into his schemes no matter how hard he tries to get out of them, a maknae who seems like an amateur but is the one who's doing most of the work, or at least most of the work they're actually supposed to be doing.

A female lead who is kind of a badass but becomes kind of childish around the male lead (as does he around her) to depict their contradicting personalities, another sunbae the crew used to work with, and now the male lead dislikes for a reason that is very intricately connected to the plot and of course, a very handsome villain who puts his fists to use first.

We have the storyline of several different cases converging to seemingly become one case, and all signs pointing to our villain being the one behind all this. There are tons of characters and you don't really know what's going on, until you do, and of course, it all culminates in the final few episodes.

So what else? Well, the comedy is pretty good, as is the mystery. The drama being set around the Han river also makes it a pretty new addition to the genre. The pacing is good and for 6 episodes, they tie up the loose ends pretty well. And the crew actually seems to do their jobs (in addition to the crime scenes they inadvertently come across, of course). The small plotholes and few of the conclusions being not so satisfactory aside, this was a fun watch.

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Not awful, but...

This was not what I expected. SO MANY reviews, and one of the tags, said "comedy" - This was a funny as DIY dentistry. THe base story was fine, and it was quite well told in 6 episodes, but a comedy it was not. OTOH, it was lovely to see Han Ji Hye back on screen. I hope this was her way of easing back into acting now her child is bit older. I actually started for this for Bae Da Bin, but her role was disappointing – for a former Marine, she was portrayed as pretty much weak and useless. Also, I was hoping to her speak English as she did in her last Drama, but no such luck with this one

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Irrelevant to the title

When I first heard about this series, I knew I had to add it to my PTW list. I was even more excited when I saw the lineup. However, I can understand why one of the tags for Han River Police is comedy. Initially, I thought the series would focus on various situations that occur at the river, including heartbreaking ones like suicide (as South Korea unfortunately has many such cases, particularly at the Han River). I thought it would be a great idea to explore this beloved place in Seoul, where many people have experienced both interesting and sad events. I believe this could reflect reality and be an excellent way for the writer to incorporate different cases. I was thinking along the lines of First Responders, but with the rescue team being the main focus here.

However, after watching all six episodes, I am quite disappointed with the overall execution of the drama. . It felt more like a movie, and it ended the way I expected a movie to end. I also had trouble connecting with the characters because they were not fleshed out enough. Even though there were only six episodes, there was still enough time to ensure sufficient character arc. Unfortunately, the show focused too much on one particular case involving the main antagonists and some of the protagonists, leaving little room to explore other themes. It felt like watching an action movie, with numerous fights and a drug smuggling organization typical of thriller films. I watched the last few episodes and thought, "This has nothing to do with the Han River lol."

Overall, I enjoyed the show to some extent, and I must give credit to Lee Sang Yi, who played a villain role here. I had never seen him in this kind of role before, and he did an excellent job. I'm used to seeing him play goofy and friendly characters in other dramas, so it was a refreshing experience to see him go full 180 degrees in this one.

Despite my criticisms of this series, if you are a fan of Sang Yi and want to see him play a ruthless man, check this one out!

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Disappointing frontline responder drama

After watching First Responders, I missed it so much that i thought this would alleviate my longing. Boy was I sorely wrong.

The dramatic started off well enough as it was amusing and action packed but then quickly descended into the usual tropes: three way love stories, corrupt politicians, mafia, rouge hero law enforcers with tragic pasts…

For a drama called the Han River Police, they spend less than 25% of the drama ON said river.

Also for a 6 episoder, it really dragged along. Why is it First Responders can go on for 2 seasons with 12 episodes each yet this is so draggy at a quarter of the episodes? It had better NOT have a season 2!

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Begins okay but loses its way

The scores for this series steadily go down; in fact they plummet. Though KDrama and films are among the best in the world—maybe THE best—most fans know that they are not all superb or even all good. So when many people who love it so much score some of them like this one so low, there is a reason. We feel they are not very good, and there are too many more that are. I watched all 6 eps, and regarded it as a muddled mess, heavily influenced by the western demand for repetitious violence, sex for sex’s sake, cliches, weak character development, and just a lot of plot and character confusion. It’s a shame because though they work so hard, the actors’ talents are wasted in this series.

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Fun and easy to watch

Likes
1. Some didnt like the comedy at the start but i liked it coz it seemed like a fun action show that doesnt take itself too seriously.
2. Love the Hangang team, esp bickering of Dujin and Chunseok. There's a running joke that Chunseok doesnt know how or doesnt want to swim but look who saved Dujin in the end! I thought it was Nahee or Jisoo but i shouted in surprise when i saw who it was! (This is my 3rd KHW drama this year!)
3. Kwon Sang Woo is really best at action comedy. No wonder Nahee has a massive crush on Dujin. Lol when she spends more time with them than with her own team.
4. Suprised that Sangyi can play an effective villain (he went on a crazy killing spree in ep 6). Actually felt bad for his character.
5. Of course show is not complete with Sung Dongil and Park Hosan.

Dislikes
1. 6 eps is not enough!
2. I wanted to know what happened to Giseok in the end.

Would i watch the team for another season? Yes!

Rating: 8.5/10

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River Cops Red Smoke & Golden Ferrys °7.4° °VG°

HRP it's a cop drama that not only stays afloat, but it actually sails at times. It opens like a typical police action thriller. The bad guys, their big guns out, bust up a cruise and take hostages. Where's the police when you need them? Trust me, the police are all over this one.

There's nothing atypical in HRP, but coming up with entirely new things with any regularity is getting to be largely undoable. So we must look at the execution, and the execution is competent. Nothing more, nothing less. If you enjoy cop dramas, you should like this one. HRP is a 2023 release that is rated 83 on AWiki. It is 1 season consisting of a mere 6 55-minute episodes. It's miniscule compared to most Asian dramas that typically go on for 20+ hours.

Here's our misfit heroes:

Kwon Sang Woo (Why Her?-8, Queen of Mystery) is officer Han Du Jin. He's a specimen and a dedicated officer. He's tasty enough to inspire a crush or two.

Bae Da Bin (It's Beautiful Now, Do You Like Brahms?) plays “weirdo” Do Na Hee. She's tough. She did military service. She can fight. She's a man's man, but she's a woman. She's also head over trotters for Han Du-Jin. He acts like he doesn't like it, but… She's awesome - the very best thing about the show.

Kim Hee Won (Misaeng: Incomplete Life-9.1, Moving) plays Lee Chun Suk, a River officer who can't swim ~ the only one of his kind. He isn't one to seek out danger or extra work, either. When the time comes, we see that he will get the job done. Shin Hyun Seung (So Not Worth it, Be My Boyfriend) is Kim Ji Soo, the fresh faced kid on the force.

The prolific Sung Dong Il is Chief Do Won Il. He has a special relationship with Na Hee. I like the guy. So Far I've seen him in 200 Pounds Beauty-6.5, Along With the Gods 2: The Last 49 Days-6.7, Reply 1988 (still working on it) The K2-8, The Legend of the Blue Sea-7.2, The Cursed-8.3, Hospital Playlist-9, & Sisyphus: The Myth-8. The only show in which he felt slightly out of place is The Cursed. In everything else he shines.

On team villain we have:

Lee Sang Yi (Once Again, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, When the Camellia Blooms-8) is the overly privileged bad guy, Go Ki Seok. He's a tad cartoonish, not that people like that don't really exist. The actor is with a prostitute in one scene and acts out having an orgasm - something I've not yet seen in a Kdrama. Like everything else the character does, he is all-in. It's a very convincing and intense climax. The scene is not gratuitous as it underscores his pathetic loneliness. He's also a baseball fan. I like that about him…

Jung Young-Joo (Move to Heaven-8.4, Lovely Runner) is the scary Madam Choi, another excellent character for which this actress is perfect. Total Dragon Lady. Choi Moo-Sung (Stranger S2, Prison Playbook, The Good Bad Mother, Reply 1988) is top villain, Hwang Man-Dae. I've only seen him in Reply, and he'll always be a big cuddly bear to me. Even as a bad guy, he's teddy-felon. Screenwriter & director Kim Sang Cheol (The Forgotten Bag) is primarily responsible for this show.

This is a simple but competent crime thriller and it is solid for the subset. The characters are fleshed out well enough and the tensions are mostly credible. There's great action and moments of brutal violence. One very cool underwater scuba fight is reminiscent of Sea Hunt and other 70's adventure shows. There's also a fantastic fight in a cramped car. HRP probably won't convert anyone to this genre, however. It serves to feed an established appetite.


〰🖍 IMHO

📣7.4 📝7 🎭8 💓5.5 🦋5 🎨7 🎵/🔊6 🔚8 ▪ 🌞4.5 ⚡7.6 😅3 😭3 😱4 😯2 🤢5.5 🤔3 💤0

Directing 7.4
Writing 7
Acting 8
Romance 5.5
Flutters 5
Art 7
Sound & music 6
Ending 8

LEVELS
Warmth 4.5
Action 7.6
Laughs 3
Tears 3
Fright 4
Tension / Anxiety 2
Gore 5.5
Thought provocation 3
Snores 0


Age 16+
Sex depicted - even without nudity it is graphic.
Language: $h!+ dhead, F💣 @$$h0le, but it is sparse.

Rated
TV-15/TV-MA

Re-📺? Probably not, but it is worth seeing once. I wouldn't miss a S2.

In order of ~lite&trite~ to ~heavy&serious~ you may also like:

Modern Day -
Love to Hate You 8.9,
Crash Landing On You 9.1,
Oh My Ghost 10,
It's Okay Not To Be Okay 9,

Action/Crime/Sci-fi -
Descendants Of The Sun-8.3,
Inspector Koo-8.4,
Vagabond-8,
When the Camellia Blooms-8,
Law School -8,

K2 8,
Private Lives 8.1,
Sisyphus 8,
Tunnel 8.5,
Signal 8.6,
Blood Free-8.5
D.P. -8.4,

The Cursed 8.3,
The Wailing-8.8,

Flower of Evil 8.9,
The Man from Nowhere 8.9,
Black 9,
Squid Game 8.4,
Kingdom 8.3,
Sweet Home 8.4

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Droughty!

Solid idea and setting with an interesting start but it was missing something to bring it to life. The plot just didn't click, the villains were as generic as they could come and the main uninspired conflict reeked of boredom. Dialogue that aimed for wit and intensity often missed the mark, coming off as either overly dramatic or just plain dull. Honestly, the only thing that was keeping it watchable was the handful of recognizable names from the cast members, at least the characters were well-portrayed by a competent cast. On the bright side, it was just six episodes, so it didn't overstay its welcome.

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just 10 min and ML is man-child crying because of some rubber bullets

what kind of weak police officers Korean are A man crying in broad daylight because of some rubber bullets and there chief is pacifying him, is he police chief or his nanny
if they made this show to laugh at Korean police then it will be good
JOKERS calling themselves han river police who clean river
so basically they are Cleaners but pretending to be police
16 min and this so called police stole key and run away like cowards
there is one so called strong woman who like raising Man child without having her own child
and a Ajuma who understand why he act like child because he is a child between his leg
this drama proves that Korean Man have tiniest thing there....
do not waste your time on this and find something better if you want to watch police show... they are cleaners, cowards, crying adults and thief's

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