Puck

Puck

6/10

Puck

Genre:                                 Episodes: 2                         Year: 2016

Melodrama

Synopsis:

Due to unfortunate circumstances, Cho Joon Man has been forced to work as a debt collector for the gang he is in debt to. Despite his job as a loan-shark, Joon Man has a sweet disposition. In order to help a hokey coach pay off his debt, Joon Man joins his team to try and help them win at least one game in the season.

Cast:

Lee Kwang Soo (Cho Joon Man)

Kwak Dong Yeon (Hwang Kyung Pil)

Jung Hae Kyun (Heo Myung Geun)

Lee Kang Min (Hwan Seo)

Son Soo Hyun (Nam Sung Shil)

Kim Byung Ok (Kye Sung Soo)

Lee Shi Won (Ga Yeo Eun)

General Thoughts:

It’s a much better drama than I initially antisipated- so much so that I wish it had one or two more episodes to go into a bit more detail. While some parts of the story are a little confused (what were anyone’s motivations in this drama?) the characters, relationships, and overall feeling of the drama made it engaging and fun to watch.

Basically a typical sport movie

There were definitely times where the story came off a bit cheesy- but I kind of figured that would be the case. What with the melodrama and the sport. The series did have a bit of a heartwarming vibe about it, but the tone did skip around maybe a bit too much. The melodramatic feel fit well as that was the ambiance we were originally introduced to, and the feel-good moments often came as a result of the initial suffering and angst.

Kwang Soo upped his game in this one

However, there were a few times where there were some comedic beats that didn’t quite blend in as well as intended. These comedy moments weren’t outright ridiculous and still made sense in the context of the story, but did feel out of place in the big picture the drama was trying to present. It did show that the drama could have been played as either a comedy or a melo- but seeing as most of it was melo, they probably should have kept it all that way. As for the actors, the star of the show was definitely Lee Kwang Soo. It was so nice to see him in a role that wasn’t just goofy, clumsy, loveable idiot. He truly brought the character of Joon Man to life and was able to express all the necessary emotions for us to understand the characters current and past emotions. I hope this opens up more doors for Lee Kwang Soo and helps expand the types of roles he will receive in the future. Kwan Dong Yeon was cute as the troubled underdog hokey player- I just wish that we’d seen a bit more of him. Of all the boys really.

You kinda know what will happen, but you kinda don't care

The two older men (the coach and the gang leader) were fairly bloody confusing. It was hard to understand the connection between the two, why Coach borrowed money, and how they thought winning one ice-hokey game would get enough money to cover the costs of the debt. However, once you blindly accepted these things as facts without looking to hard at the details, it was easy enough to just sit back and enjoy the ride.

What Was Great:

Mini Bromance:

The relationship between Joon Man and Kyung Pil was wonderful to watch develop. We already have a fairly solid understanding of Joon Man and what a caring man he actually is, so it was both sweet and heart-breaking to see him watching over the son of the man he accidentally hurt. It was this relationship that lived at the heart of the series, because although we love Joon Man as he is, it’s his relationship with Kyung Pil that sparks his desire to live, and his desire to protect this young man so that he won't fall into the same lifestyle that Joon Man found himself in.

Everyone loves bro-bonding

The love between the boys also helps explain why Joon Man wanted to stick around the hockey team so much. Because while his own happiness is a valid excuse, in the short space of time the drama had, we’ve not seen Joon Man fight for his own wants. It made it much more believable that Joon Man was going through all the pain and potential danger in order to try and set up a brighter future for Kyung Pil and the rest of the team.

Story Idea:

Had a unique dark vibe

While I’m sure they’re out there, I’ve yet to see a drama that focuses on a soft-hearted gangster learning to love through a bunch of young kids. It felt innovative and heart-warming, and was aided greatly by Lee Kwang Soo’s performance. While the execution of the story was far from perfect and many of the ideas used to link people and circumstances together were a bit muddled, it still managed to scrap together an interesting and engaging plot.

Joon Man’s Romance:

While nothing actually came of Joon Man’s feelings for the abused housewife, it did a great deal in enhancing understanding of Joon Man as a character. In flashback we’ve seen that he was caring of his wife, even when she turned her back on him and he had to suffer the consequences. Having Joon Man try and protect Yeo Eun showed us that even though much time has passed, the gentle, caring aspects of Joon Man’s character hadn’t faded- they’d merely been covered up so he could survive in his new line of work. I’m glad the romance didn’t actually work out for Joon Man, as it would have made the series waaaaaay too cheesy. As it is, it helped us understand Joon Man as a character, while also expressing the show’s darker tone.

No kiss scene for you Lee Kwang Soo

What Wasn’t:

Lack of Depth:

I wish we’d gotten a better look at all the boys on the hockey-team. While we get a very solid understanding of who Joon Man is and how he functions, we know almost nothing about the other boys.

Who the chizz are these kids?

Kyung Pil gets a fairly good look-in as his relationship with Joon Man is established, but we are given exactly NO information about the other members of the team. I don’t even remember their names. Given the time the drama had to tell its story I am glad that it focused on Joon Man- but I did find myself wanting a little more info on the other boys (and girl). I also wouldn’t have minded a little more backstory on how Joon Man actually became a loan-shark minion. It’s perfectly clear how he fell in to debt, but I’m interested to know how he went from someone with a debt to someone working for loan-sharks to pay off their debt.

Walk Out:

I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending. Was that Joon Man enjoying his last slice of freedom before he walks back into the gang? That’s certainly how it felt. And if that is what happened- then what in the bloody hell was the point of this drama?

What kind of bullish*t ending is this?!

It’s one thing if it’s an enjoyable watch about a man learning that he wants to live his life- not just survive it. It’s another (less exciting) thing if it’s about a man’s last piece of happiness in life. Given that it’s such a short series, I wish the writers had given us some sort of feeling of conclusiveness for Joon Man. Sure, the game is won and our hockey boys all seem to have a better shot at making it- but what about our hero?

Re-watch?

Maybe in the far future. While it was interesting to watch, it was also a tad cheesy and didn't make the most sense.

May you star in another drama soon <3