You're All Surrounded

Title:	You're All Surrounded
Alternate Title(s):	N/A
Genre(s):	Crime, Mystery, Suspense, Romantic Comedy
Episodes	20
Network:	SBS
Year Produced:	2014
Available to Watch On:	DramaFever, viki, Netflix, dramafans.org

Summary: This hard to define police drama follows Kim Ji Young (Lee Seung Gi), whose mother was murdered when we was a child. Twelve years later, he has returned as Eun Dae Koo and become a police detective secretly trying to unroot Seo Pan Seok (Cha Seung Won) as the corrupt detective responsible for his mother's death.  When he joins the Gagnam Police force to get close to Seo Pan Seok, he is inadvertently reunited with Eo Soo Sun (Go Ara), a childhood acquaintance from his hometown that has also become a detective. He must tread carefully in he presence lest his real identity be exposed. This wild adventure is a little bit NYPD Blue, 21 Jump Street, and Police Academy.

4 = Pretty darn good

Recommendation: You're All Surrounded is a surprisingly good k-drama. It may have initially given the impression that it was more akin to Police Academy than a hardcore police drama but it strikes a nice balance somewhere in between the two.While the primary story surrounds Lee Seung Gi's character, the drama really felt like an ensemble piece that gave every actor an opportunity to tell his or her story and find a resolution. The pace is quick, every episode is exciting, and twenty episodes was the perfect number to wrap-up all the loose ends. There aren't many k-dramas that leave me wondering what the future holds for its characters but this one is an exception. A second season that explores their lives as veteran police detectives with a new set of challenges would make for an interesting tale.

Other Thoughts (And Possible Spoilers): I'll start by saying: Yes, there were more than few shirtless scenes that involved Lee Seung Gi or Cha Seung Won. No, I do not have any pictures. Yes, their abs looked amazing.

Abs aside, You're All Surrounded was packed with a lot of surprising talent. It's a given that Lee Seung Gi and Cha Seung Won would be entertaining. But Ahn Jae Hyeon and Park Jung Min held their own and rounded out the cast nicely. I absolutely loved the dynamic among the entire cast of "Team 3" and the transition from frenemies to partners was really well played. Here's a pat on the back to the writer, too.

Go Ara did a nice job given the material with which was given to work. Female characters in k-dramas are generally not well written and one dimensional. Eo Soo Sun, unfortunately, falls squarely into that category. It's true that this character had a specific purpose: she was the glue that kept the team together. But they could have made her a little smarter and more emotionally aware. Typically, if a person lacks common sense, they make up for it with some other type of intelligence.

I'll end on a positive note and proclaim that Seo Pan Seok and Kim Sa Kyung (Oh Yoon Ah) were ridiculously cute as a couple once they decided to re-establish their relationship. Their lunch date had me laughing out loud and sighing at the same time. Their final scene together was absolutely perfect and a great way to end the series. If the production company ever did a sequel, I would certainly want to know what their future together looks like.