Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area – Part 1

Starring: Yoo Ji Tae, Park Hae Soo, Jeon Jong Seo, Lee Won Jong, Kim Ji Hoon, Jang yoon Ju
Year Released: 2022
Number of Episodes: 6
Genre: Action, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: South Korea
Where I Watched It: Netflix
Director: Kim Hong Seon
Screenwriters: Ryu Yong Jae, Kim Hwan Chae, Choi Sung Joon
Recommended By: N/A
Who I Watched It For: Park Hae Soo

Thieves overtake the mint of a unified Korea. With hostages trapped inside, the police must stop them — as well as the shadowy mastermind behind it all.

I’m a sucker for a good thriller and anything Korean so once I heard that this was coming out, I placed it at the top of my to-be-watched list.

I have enjoyed Park Hae Soo in most of the shows that I’ve watched him in and I heard a lot of good things about the Spanish version but since I primarily watch Korean shows, I knew that I was going to watch this one. This was a good show though I wish that all episodes had been released together instead of the seasons being split up. Aside from that, there’s much to recommend this drama. It’s filled with loads of action, heaps of drama, and even a surprising romance that kept the show on the up and up. I just wasn’t ready for it to be finished so soon..with loads to still look forward to.

The Story

The premise is reminiscent of Oceans Eleven, where we have a team of con artists trying to pull off the heist of all heists and I’ve got to admit that this money heist had me gripped, at the edge of my seat, and wondering how it was all going to come together. The plan itself was pretty genius, the team had the right amount of good and bad to make things interesting and there were enough gotcha moments that had me all twisted up. My only gripe was that it all happened so fast. I was left wanting more but the overall story being told here was fun and entertaining.

I will say that the genius-ness of the plan was also pretty fucked up. I mean, there was a lot that went into play to make the plan come together and holy shit, all of the balls that were thrown in the air to make the plan come together was a whole lotta, whole lotta. I was here for all of it though. I’m mighty curious about where we go from here in the second sason.

The Cast

I wasn’t too familiar with the cast from other shows. Sure, some of them looked familiar but for the most part, I got to know their acting chops through this show alone. I liked all of their acting. I didn’t think any of them was a weak link and I thought they all brought something unique to each scene. I enjoyed the dynamics between those on the team that wanted to stick as close to the straight and narrow as they can and those that were just there to blow shit up.

There was a lot of badass eye candy, a lot of shady-ass people that I knew were there to cause trouble, and enough innocent victims to round things up and of all of the characters, my favorite has to be Denver. Not only was he fine as hell, but his character was interesting and I loved his relationship with his father and the romance that blossomed between him and his boo thang. He brought a lot of complications but man were those complications a whole lot of fun. I also really enjoyed Rio and Tokyo. Those two were cute, fun, and just an overall good time so I hope to see more from them in the second season.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this was a fast, fun, and furious six episodes that packed a serious punch. I thought the writing was strong, the acting was superb, and I thought the way that the writers and the director wove everything together was a nice touch to a pretty fantastic drama. I will definitely be tuning in for the second season, I just need it to hurry up and release. I’m a fan of this show and I definitely recommend it. Especially if you’re in the mood for some fast action, smart drama, and loads of eye candy. This show delivers all on fronts.

Final Rating