“The Guardians/Lookout” (Korean Drama) Review
“The Guardians” aka “Lookout” stars
- Lee Si-Young as Jo Soo-Ji
- Kim Young-Kwang as Jang Do-Han
- Kim Tae-Hoon as Kim Eun-Jung
- Key (SHINEE) as Gong Kyung-Soo
- Kim Seul-Gi as Seo Bo-Mi
Five strangers join forces in their quest for answers about tragic incidents in their past.
Detective Jo Soo-Ji (Lee Si-Young), competent and strong, invoked the admiration of her fellow police officers. She lives with her Mom and is raising her young daughter by herself. Soo-Ji knows hard work and does not shy away from it but sometimes wishes to spend more time with her daughter.
One day, Soo-Ji happens upon the scene of her daughter’s presumed fall from the rooftop of a tall building. Amidst her sorrow and regrets, she receives a chilling video clip from a mysterious source. The video clip alerts her to the fact that her daughters fall may not have been a simple accident. After futile attempts for proper investigation from the police and prosecutors, Soo-Ji decides to take matters into her own hands. An act of uncontrollable rage puts her on the wrong side of the law. She gets arrested on charges of attempted murder but ends up escaping with the help of Seo Bo-Mi (Kim Seul-Gi) and Gong Kyung-Soo (Key).
From strangers to teammates
Seo Bo-Mi and Gong Kyung-Soo work together as a team although they have never met in person. Bo-Mi does the surveillance and computer work, while Kyng-Soo often disguises himself and goes on location. Kyung-Soo is a skilled hacker himself but gives off a very unassuming image. For some time now they have been following the orders of a mysterious Master who sends them clues about cases to investigate. The Master has promised to help them find answers to tragic incidents in their past in return for their services.
Soo-Ji agrees to become part of the team as it seems the only way to get justice for her daughter. Her detective instincts prompt her to find out the identity of the mysterious Master.
Lee Sun-Ae (Kim Sun-Young), the team leader of a Criminal Investigations Team. is tasked with capturing Soo-Ji. Sun-Ae had a close work relationship with Soo-Ji in the past. Both strongly related to each other as single mothers always trying to find the balance between motherhood and their passionate dedication for their job. Now Sun-Ae must chase after Soo-Ji putting aside her personal convictions regarding her case.
Despite differences in opinions, backgrounds and motivation, these characters soon notice there is much more going on than meets the eye. Secret powers appear to be at work within the police force and prosecutors office. Separating what is real from what is fake becomes increasingly more challenging for The Guardians. And who is the mysterious Master? Can he be trusted or is he perhaps using the team for his own agenda? How does a Catholic priest figure in all this? What is his connection to the prosecution?
Author’s note
The Guardians somehow did not register on my radar when it aired back in 2017. What a shame. I’m so glad I finally got to watch it. Although it follows the cliché Korean drama theme of corruption, there were plenty of subplots and twists to keep things interesting. Several strong female characters are a added bonus to the drama in my book as well.
I did find myself annoyed at the flip-flopping of certain characters and the end was not 100% to my satisfaction. However, justifiably reasons given to these characters actions could explain this, although rationally they did not make sense to myself. As for the end…it seemed to me that the producers/directors were ending it in a way that left room for a sequel. I’m not aware that a sequel was ever made or even planned but who knows.
Lee Si-Young
is a personal favourite of mine, especially in these types of strong roles with some action scenes as well. Her professional experience as a fighter definitely shows during these scenes and gives them that little relatable extra.
Kim Seul-Gi
is another actress I can never get enough of. It is beyond me why she has not yet gotten the main role in a mayor drama as she is an absolute genius. AS I have come to expect of her, she did an excellent job giving life to the character of traumatized Seo Bo-Mi.
Despite the flaws pointed out and the somewhat open ending, I highly recommend watching The Guardians. The characters are well written, the story fast paced and the acting is very captivating. Once I started, I could not stop and had to watch the entire thing in one go.
Hoping you give this drama a chance,
-Cee
More of our favourite Korean Dramas
