Triangle

Title:	Triangle
Alternate Title(s):	N/A
Genre(s):	Melodrama, Crime
Episodes	26
Network:	MBC
Year Produced:	2014
Available to Watch On:	DramaFever, viki, dramafans.org

Summary: As children, the Jang brothers are separated after the tragic death of their father. Despite the eldest brother's efforts to care for and protect his siblings, they are torn apart and each set down a path that takes them in very different directions. Jang Dong Soo (Lee Beom Soo), the eldest, becomes a police detective while continuing to look for his missing brothers. Jang Dong Chul (Kim Jae Joong), the middle brother, finds himself homeless and begging on the streets, losing all his childhood memories in the process. He ultimately becomes a street thug. Jang Dong Woo (Im Siwan), the youngest brother, is adopted as a baby and raised by a wealthy CEO to be his heir. The three brothers cross paths as adults when they are drawn into the corporate and social politics surrounding the Dae Jung Casino and its relationship to the death of their father.

RATING:

♥♥♥½

"Look, Dong Woo, we need to have a talk ....."

Recommendation: Triangle is a thoughtfully produced k-drama with an excellent cast and clear path from start to finish. There isn't anything that can be called out as a major flaw in the series but it does lack that special something that might have bumped up its rating just a little higher. Kim Jae Joong shines in the role of Jang Dong Chul / Heo Young Dal and it feels like he found the sweet-spot with this character, having to be neither too good nor too bad. Likewise, Im Siwan is believable as the spoiled rich boy that has everything except his adopted father's love. There's not much to say about Lee Beom Soo - he's a pro and it shows in every role that he touches. It would have been nice for all three brothers to be together in more than just a few scenes but it rarely materializes. Onecould theorize it is a foreshadowing of things to come at the end. Overall, this is solid k-drama that is worth the investment of time. You won't regret it, particularly for fans of crime, melodrama, and Kim Jae Joong's abs.

The Back Hug: The deadliest of them all.

Other Thoughts (And Possible Spoilers): This was not a series that I had on my radar for 2014 but it fares better than most of those I had been eagerly anticipating. As I mentioned above, I can't point to a single "thing" about this series that is sub-par. It gets a little draggy in the middle and there is a weird lapse of time that pushes the series forward an entire year. But neither of these things are so bad that I'd call them out as deal-breakers to watching the series.

Baek Jin Hee is a real surprise for me in this k-drama. She was easily ignored and overshadowed as the "good daughter" in I Summon You, Gold! by the more dramatic and complex characters. Conversely, she was a superb villain in Empress Ki, whose presence was missed when she finally meets her end. The role of Oh Jung Hee gave her the flexibility to be a little bit good girl and a little bit catty bitch without being defined by those stereotypes. She plays well opposite Kim Jae Joong with a similar acting style and they are visually compatible on screen.

Sorry for the unflattering picture.

I want to send a little love out to Shin Seung Hwan, as well. He played the role of Jang Dong Chul's BFF, Yang Jang Soo. Without the immense talents of the character actors that round out the landscape of k-dramaland, we would have no k-dramas. Shin Seung Hwan is one of those talents that gets recognized too infrequently for the quality of his work. I loved him in Triangle and I know that I'll love in Shine or Go Crazy, his current project. I suppose it's unreasonable to believe he'll get a leading role - he's not a pop idol or supermodel. But if it happened, I know he'd pull it off brilliantly.