Raw edges. That sums up this show as both a compliment and a criticism. The compliments are for the cinematography, colour palettes, set design and music. The criticism is for the writing. This was an OK script that scrubbed up well because it was dressed in designer clothes. The attention to detail and co-operative work between director, lighting designer and cinematographer are what really made this show special.

More money went into this than is available to the network broadcasts and it shows. The look and feel of the drama was classy and there was a great deal to feast the eyes on. It had a wonderful raw, grungy, greasy, grimy feel to the sets that you could almost smell. The colour palettes were varied, with rich blood reds and charcoals for Moo Jin’s world and ice blues and golds for the gambling den.

The biggest gong as far as I’m concerned goes to the cinematographer. Superb lighting throughout but especially the extensive use of side lighting was magical. It emphasised the chiaroscuro, creating mood and atmosphere by the truckload. The thoughtfulness was not just for wide angle shots. Sometimes, even in close shots, one face would be lit in colour and another, right next to it, almost B&W. This richness served to emphasise the stark contrast to the police station scenes which were filmed with flat lighting and no dynamics.

The cinematography was imaginative with a lot of use of low and high angles helping to build a sense of unpredictability and energy. An up-close-and-personal approach to the action scenes added to the visceral nature of this drama. It didn’t flinch from violence and there was a nod to credibility in the fight scenes which were well choreographed and numerous.If you don’t like blood and gore, this may be a bit OTT for you. Not just visually but sound-wise as well.

Add to all the above, a great OST. I loved the opening of the drama, cool and edgy, and that music really set the tone for what was to follow. Overall, the soundtrack had a rawness to it, not smoothed out or overproduced which totally complemented the other production values.

There was a lot that was good with the writing, but some parts were sloppy and not well thought through. There were amateurish aspects to the undercover scenario which were basically to serve the plot and character interactions and I could not credit them in the context of the sophisticated and ruthlessly organised gangland portrayed in the story. On a number of occasions convenient plotting stuck out like a sore thumb with inexplicable motivations and character choices. Hence my criticism of raw edges. The ending stretched my credulity a step too far and didn’t really work for me either, but that’s more personal preference.

Having said that, there was plenty to like about the solid centre of it. It successfully played with your allegiances and refused to neatly categorise good and bad. The direction gave the script space to breathe and Han So Hee’s performance relied a lot on effective silences. Time and care was also given to underlying emotional arcs, fleshing out the main characters a little more than is usual in this genre.

Han So Hee’s performance was mixed for me. I really liked her at the beginning and the end, but in the middle I think it lost the edge. Full credit though for pulling off the action scenes and physicality of the role. Park Hee Soon’s performance as Moo Jin was both convincing and persuasive. His time on screen was always compulsive viewing.

What my rating means: 8+ A great drama with interesting content and good writing, direction, acting, OST, cinematography. But didn’t quite have the requisite sparkle to bump it into my all-time fave list. Worth watching.