One of the best K-Dramas on air right now is the Disney+ original "A Shop For Killers". Starring Lee DongWook, Kim HyeJun, Seo HyunWoo, Park JiBin, and many more talented actors, this novel-based K-Drama tells the story of a young woman who is suddenly thrown into a world of arms and assassins when her uncle mysteriously passes away.

With extraordinary writing and cinematography, brilliant characterization, and outstanding acting, this K-Drama is quickly rising to the top of our "best action K-Dramas" list, but what anchors the audience to the core of the story is the exploration of human relationships - found family, belonging, and the unbreakable bonds that keep them glued together like destiny's chosen crew and in this case, it's more than just the green code of "murthehelp".

One of the simplest, most immediate, and visceral reactions to "A Shop For Killers," right from the opening scene, is that this is some cool stuff. The larger-than-life scale, the high stakes, and the direness of the situation that the viewer and the protagonist, JiAn (Kim HyeJun), are plunged into sans warning leave no time to rationalize what may be happening. The show thus begins in medias res, posing an immediate obstacle to overcome, grabbing our attention at once. This also allows for a back-and-forth between timelines, which is exactly what "A Shop For Killers" does, cleverly oscillating between revealing and concealing information, keeping the audience guessing.

It is also revealed very early into the show that Jeong JinMan (played by Lee DongWook) is dead, but instead of repetitive flashbacks risking monotony, the non-linear narrative structure of "A Shop For Killers" allows for thrilling exposition while also evoking a sense of ambiguity, effortlessly posing the pivotal question - "Could Jeong JinMan be alive?". The more we know about the man, the cooler he gets, and the more likely this becomes.

So, what exactly is cool about Jeong JinMan and his secret society of "murthehelp" or his adversaries "Babylon?" Let's find out.

Spoiler Alert!

 

The Anatomy Of Cool

Everyone has different definitions of what is cool, but viewers of "A Shop For Killers", at least a majority of them, would agree that it is one of the coolest K-Dramas we have seen in a while. However, it is surprisingly difficult to pinpoint what exactly it is that makes "A Shop For Killers" so cool. To understand this, let's take a look at the famous MAYA principle, pioneered by the Father of Industrial Design - Raymond Loewy.

MAYA stands for “Most Advanced Yet Acceptable”, and this is the key to coolness. MAYA reflects Loewy's philosophy of design, emphasizing a balance between innovation and familiarity. He believed that successful designs should push the boundaries of innovation but also remain acceptable and accessible to the public. In other words, Loewy advocated for designs that are ahead of their time yet still conform to the expectations and comfort levels of the intended audience. Striking this balance helps create products that are not only technologically advanced but also readily embraced by users and, ultimately, perceived as cool.

So, it's not just the quality of being unconventional that makes something cool; it is being appropriately unconventional to shake up the existing scene yet familiar enough to make sure the audience connects with the content but also appropriately familiar so as to not be redundant.

An article by Caleb Warren and Margaret C. Campbell in the "Journal of Consumer Research" titled "What Makes Things Cool? How Autonomy Influences Perceived Coolness" takes this a step further, suggesting that coolness is directly related to the display of autonomy. The article defines "coolness" as follows: "coolness is a subjective and dynamic, socially constructed positive trait attributed to cultural objects (people, brands, products, trends, etc.) inferred to be appropriately autonomous".

In other words, what is cool to you and what is cool to me are different, but this feeling may or may not change with time. However, that "something" is cool only because one thinks it is cool. Coolness is not its inherent quality. It is definitely a compliment, though! Most importantly, what makes us think it is cool are qualities that represent autonomy like "unconventionality, rebellion, individuality, authenticity, and independence" but only when they are present in just the right amount. The key lies in striking the perfect balance.

 

How Does This Apply To "A Shop For Killers"? 

Before anything else, let's look at the very name of this K-Drama - "A Shop For Killers". Evoking curiosity and intrigue at once, we already know this is not going to be your usual K-Drama, and everything is not as it seems. On the one hand, it may be hard to believe that a "killer's shopping mall" exists, even more so when it is owned by someone's seemingly inconspicuous uncle with a hose business, but at the same time, it is not entirely impossible to the point of needing to suspend disbelief. Hence, balance.

What amplifies this aspect further is the genre because, in essence, we have an action drama, a family drama, a coming-of-age drama, and a military drama - all in one!

"A Shop For Killers" is an action drama with a heavy emphasis on arms and ammunition. From the very first episodes, we are presented with advanced technology, such as gun-mounted drones, killer robots, or lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS), but the show never crosses the line to sci-fi territory, which is what tethers the audience to the realism of the story. It is quite unlikely for the general public to be thoroughly educated about such warfare technology, which makes us inquisitive, but it's still relatively easy to understand and adapt to, which is reassuring.

Similarly, the human aspect of the drama is strongly constructed, placing a focus on the relationships between JiAn and JinMan, JinMan's allies MinHye (Geum Hannah), Brother (Lee TaeYoung), and Pasin (Kim Min), JinMan's enemies - Lee SeongJo (Seo HyunWoo), Bale (Jo HanSun) and Bae JongMin (Park JiBin), and the fateful past they share. So, it's not as much the intricacy and complexity of the action scenes that make this drama so cool (although they do play a crucial part); it is the "who, what, why, how, where" of it all that does the trick. From assassins in the living room to mercenaries in a foreign country - the contextual appropriateness makes it cool.

Then, we have the narrative structure of "A Shop For Killers". As mentioned earlier, the non-linear structure, constant back and forth between timelines, and the introduction of new characters in the past, making us wonder about their current state and alliances - all contribute to the stunning tension and novelty of the series. Lining up the events of the drama so far in their correct order would have left us with a singular conflict: Will JiAn make it out alive? Yet, by deconstructing the timeline, we are now left wondering about how many allies of murthehelp will come to "Green Code" JiAn's aid, why SeongJo and Bale fell out with JinMan, how Bale survived the explosion, how Bae JongMin tricked JinMan, and the biggest of all - if it's all just JinMan's grand plan to induct JiAn into murthehelp while getting rid of Babylon once and for all, which would perhaps imply that he faked his death after all.

By introducing the characters, allowing us to explore certain aspects of them, yet withholding enough information about them until an undetermined point of time to have us on edge, "A Shop For Killers" earns our empathy, reaffirms our familiarity with the characters when they appear again, while simultaneously divulging new information that challenges our understanding of them. Once again - the perfect balance to keep the audience engaged and intrigued. Cool, isn't it?

Finally, the biggest factor that makes "A Shop For Killers" so unbeatably cool is its characters. With some of the most well-written characters, "A Shop For Killers" has already placed itself in a league above the rest.

 

"A Shop For Killers" Characters - Everything Cool Is Here

Jeong JinMan's most predominant and defining feature is his air of omniscience. JinMan is always a step (or twenty) ahead of everyone else and everything seems to go perfectly according to his plan, most of the time at least. He seems to know exactly how the course of events will pan out following his "death" and has prepared well in advance for it. He had their home renovated to be a safe house, had cameras and speakers set up everywhere, and has a living, breathing surveillance system in his basement. He prepared a handover guide with uncanny precision for JiAn's situation and even arranged for JiAn to start over in her new life after escaping from the shopping mall. There's no way such a man would be tricked by a kid into suicide. However, the fact that it was his niece's voice that he heard over the phone and his unwillingness to take even the slightest chance becomes his tragic flaw, ultimately leading to his downfall...or so we are led to believe.

Lee DongWook's portrayal of this all-knowing, near-perfect being is gold-standard brilliance. The composure on his face at all times, born from the feeling of JinMan having everything under control as opposed to how flustered he can get with his Gen Z niece JiAn, is one of the most entertaining parts of the show and also the coolest! Jeong JinMan's web of connections, his level of preparation and foresight, and his fighting skills are pretty much superhuman. However, his bickering with JiAn, meddling in her love life, and being overprotective of his little girl endear him to us as an ordinary human being. When Jeong JinMan goes, "Listen Up, Jeong JiAn", we know it's going to be one of two things - he's about to drop the most life-changing survival tip on a random Thursday afternoon, or he's going to nag at JiAn again, and that duality of being unapproachable yet familiar is where his coolness lies.

Similarly, we have JiAn, who starts off with fear and doubt but grows to trust her own instincts and fights for murthehelp, thus developing high autonomy; Pasin and MinHye - fantastic fighters who wouldn't go against JinMan but have their own codes of conduct, hence displaying bounded but high autonomy; and Bae JongMin - a talented hacker with a gun to his head who acts on his moderate autonomy to strike a deal with Babylon to save his life. Even Brother, who seems to conform completely to JinMan's rules, has his own way of going about things, an example of moderate autonomy. All these characters are undoubtedly cool but in their own distinct ways.

On the other end of the autonomy spectrum, we have Bale - the primary antagonist of the show and a downright psychopath. Bale displays extreme autonomy. Not only is his behavior divergent from the norm, it is pure evil - not cool. Then, we have SeongJo, with low to no autonomy, working under Bale's command. Does this mean these characters are not cool? Well, not exactly. The show doesn't intend for these characters to be perceived as "cool" in the traditional sense of the word.

Bale elicits an intense, gut-wrenching fear in the audience. He is described as a soulless killing machine, and Jo HanSun does a tremendous job of bringing his character's darkness to light. SeongJo, on the other hand, evokes mild apprehension, irritation, and perhaps a bit of comic relief at best with his antics. However, he wouldn't dare move on his own, so there's not much cool about him, really. Nevertheless, the satoori does bring to mind a peculiar uniqueness of Bane's kind from "Batman", so he definitely knows how to make his presence known.

In conclusion, the above framework of coolness, just like coolness itself, is definitely subjective, but it certainly puts things into one perspective. It will be interesting to see how much cooler "A Shop For Killers" gets in its final week. We're definitely tuning in, are you?

Watch "A Shop For Killers" on Disney+.

February was an excellent month for K-Dramas, with ongoing titles reaching new heights for ratings, highly-anticipated K-Dramas premiering, and much more. We enjoyed some amazing performances from talented actors, and indulged in beautiful stories by writers and directors. To wrap-up the month, we prepared a brief report of February K-Dramas for you to look back on and share your own opinions!

So, let's get into it!

 

K-Dramas With The Highest Ratings In February

Excluding daily dramas, a number of K-Dramas reached high ratings this month.

"Live Your Own Life" - 22.1% in the first week of February.

"Knight Flower" - 18.4% in the third week of February.

"Korea–Khitan War" - 12.7% in the fourth week of February.

"Marry My Husband" - 12% in the third week of February.

"Flex X Cop" - 11%  in the fourth week of February.

 

Internationally Trending K-Dramas In February*

"Doctor Slump" on Netflix - "Doctor Slump" is the 6th most-watched TV show on Netflix in February.

"Marry My Husband" on Amazon Prime Video - "Marry My Husband" is the 3rd most-watched TV show on Amazon Prime Video in February.

There were other K-Dramas like "A Killer Paradox", "Captivating The King", "My Demon", "A Shop For Killers", "Flex X Cop" and more that were trending on OTT platforms throughout the month in different weeks. However, they did not make it to the top 10 trending TV shows ranking for the month of February as a whole.

*based on data from FlixPatrol.

 

Underrated K-Dramas In February

"Love Song For Illusion"

"Love Song For Illusion", starring the outstanding idol actor Park JiHoon in a dual role alongside rookie actress Hong YeJi and fan-favorite actor Hwang Hee, remained criminally underrated throughout its run.

Viewers and critics, both in South Korea and abroad, lauded Park JiHoon's powerful and moving acting as Sajo Hyun and Akhee.

However, it seems like the pacing of the drama and the ambitious setting did not match the expectations of the general public.

As a result, the ratings suffered.

Now that the K-Drama has ended, it might be a good idea to revisit it and binge-watch to unlock the myriad charms of the drama that you might have missed while you were watching it every week.

 

"Branding In Seongsu"

The web drama "Brading In Seongsu" definitely deserves more hype and attention. However, unfortunately, it has not reached the popularity we expected it to enjoy prior to its premiere.

Starring Kim JiEun and Lomon, "Branding In Seongsu" has all the makings of a viral K-Drama. It's a soul-swapping romance, after all!

However, anyone who doesn't keep up with the summaries of every upcoming K-Drama would never know what it's about just from the name.

It is natural, therefore, that not many viewers are tuning into "Branding In Seongsu", which they might think is just a K-Drama about, well, branding!

Either way, "Branding In Seongsu" is equal parts romance and comedy with a sprinkle of fun fantasy and a dash of whodunnit.

It is a light-hearted and enjoyable watch.

 

"LTNS"

In a world of K-Dramas with fairytale romances, "LTNS" is definitely a breath of fresh reality.

Contrary to what the title suggests, "LTNS" is not a K-Drama about adult fun time. At least, not entirely.

It does include mature content, but the core of "LTNS" lies in the delicate nature of human relationships and marriages in particular.

It delves into the factors that can make or break a relationship or, even worse, suspend it in a sort of limbo.

What do you do when love is not the only thing that can keep your marriage alive? What if life gets in the way?

If you find yourself pondering such questions too, "LTNS" is for you!

Esom and Ahn JaeHong are masters of their craft and truly elevate the quality of the drama to a higher level.

If you haven't checked out "LTNS" yet, we highly recommend it!

 

K-Dramas Starting In February - First Impressions

"Wedding Impossible"

"Wedding Impossible", starring Jun JongSeo, Moon SangMin, Kim DoWan, and Bae YoonKyung, premiered to solid ratings.

It is a mass-appealing rom-com with a contract marriage trope and stars talented young actors. What's not to like?

We have the illegitimate grandsons of a chaebol family, where one is trying to make his own way in life, and the other wants to climb up the corporate ladder.

Both have their own traumas hidden deep in their heart.

In comes our manic pixie dream girl - the only person who can save both sons - one from his family and one from himself.

It's a classic!

The first two episodes were definitely fun and served well in terms of exposition, but it still feels quite superficial in character setting.

It's a little hard to root for our leading characters, mainly because their motives seem muddled, but we're sure this will change with future episodes.

 

"The Impossible Heir"

If there's anything we know about Disney+ originals, it is that if it airs on Wednesdays, you know the platform has faith in the title.

"The Impossible Heir", starring Lee JaeWook, Lee JunYoung, and Hong SuZu, had a fantastic premiere.

The beginning was reminiscent of the "Itaewon Class" breed of rebellion and vengeance, standing up for what's right and retaliating where need be.

Lee JaeWook's magnetic screen presence is undeniable, as always, and he melts into his character flawlessly.

Lee JunYoung comes in like a scene-stealer, employing the duality of his K-Pop idol days, and we're obsessed!

The two actors establish their chemistry effortlessly, and we just can't get enough of it.

In particular, Lee JunYoung is going all out in this K-Drama, showcasing his outstanding mettle in acting, as well as his impressive versatility.

The way he is toggling between the cold and prickly InHa and the aegyo master 3000 InHa is out of this world.

However, the mystery surrounding Na HyeWon, played by rookie actress Hong SuZu, leaves much to be desired.

Things seem to be happening too fast, and the writing maintains a deliberate air of ambiguity, but it's too soon to tell if this will be a strength or not.

 

Our Fave K-Dramas In February

"A Shop For Killers"

"A Shop For Killers" is arguably the best non-fantasy action-thriller we've seen in a while.

With brilliant production, a legendary cast (Lee DongWook, Kim HyeJun, Park JiBin, Seo HyunWoo, Jo HanSun & more), a grand soundtrack, and much more iconic goodness, "A Shop For Killers" is simply a class apart.

The drama doesn't just overwhelm you with spectacle but also tugs at your heartstrings, making every moment count.

The exceptional direction and cinematography are also points to look out for and amplify the viewing experience manifold.

Especially, the non-linear storytelling, going back and forth between then and now, presenting our characters' actions and their consequences, is an undeniable strength of the drama.

Moreover, the ending just takes the cake for being one of the finest and most satisfying K-Drama endings of all time.

It was a pain to wait a week for new episodes while "A Shop For Killers" was airing, but now that it's complete, binge-watching is going to be more fun than you can imagine.

So, we highly recommend tuning in!

 

"Flex X Cop"

"Flex X Cop" reached an impressive 11% with its latest episode. This is the highest rating of the K-Drama so far.

"Flex X Cop", starring Ahn BoHyun and Park JiHyun, is easily one of the most fun K-Dramas on air right now.

With an episodic nature, a colorful cast of diverse characters, and fresh faces, the perfect enemies-to-lovers scenario balanced with a buddy cop comedy, "Flex X Cop" hits the bullseye when it comes to entertainment.

Ahn BoHyun is shining in this K-Drama as Jin Isoo, making us wish for several more seasons and spin-offs.

On the other hand, Park JiHyun is the epitome of "girl crush" in this drama, with her competent, no-nonsense attitude as Lee GangHyun.

Perhaps the reason why the drama reached its highest rating in the latest episode is that Jin Isoo and Lee GangHyun, who seemed to be completely at odds, are slowly growing fond of each other.

Lee GangHyun is discovering more about Isoo's past while Isoo tries to respect GangHyun's code of conduct.

With the right blend of restraint and vulnerability, these two are well on their way to falling in love, and we're living for it!

Do you know that in Korea, many people would ask you about your blood type as an icebreaker? There is a saying that certain blood types show different personality traits and it is rather interesting to learn more about it.

Those with blood type A are said to have a positive mindset, be creative and also be an interesting person. Do take note that this is just something Koreans say for fun and it should be taken with a light heart!

Find out which Korean Celebrities have blood type A.