Much like screenwriter Ryu Yong Jae’s earlier Liar Game, Pied Piper boasts two intriguingly complex male leads and it’s well worth watching just to enjoy Shin Ha Kyun and Yoo Joon Sang’s fantastic performances. They put flower boys to shame as they prove how mesmerizing sheer unadulterated screen presence can be. Unfortunately, the female lead, despite being capably acted as well, gets marginalized as the story progresses, becoming a muse and motivator for the men rather than a dynamic plot driver in her own right. It’s a shame, since her relegation to token damsel in distress blunts the impact of her unique perspective on injustice and its remedies. As the show turned to increasingly dire (and increasingly less plausible) schemes revolving around the guys it started to lose me. There were some great acting moments, but I never felt that the show’s payoffs were as compelling as its set-ups. I kept wanting the one character truly dedicated to positive change to actually, you know, initiate positive change. Instead she shifted to the sidelines as the world crashed and burned around her. For a show predicated on giving voice to the victims of violence, it felt oddly ironic. Pied Piper deserves applause for venturing into unconventional drama territory, but it doesn't always have the courage of its own convictions.