Cover-ups and tragedies drive SBS thriller Punch

24 December 2, 2014December 17, 2014

by javabeans

Punch just keeps looking better and better. The thriller from the writer of The Chaser already seemed hard-edged purely from descriptions, where Kim Rae-won plays a prosecutor with a terminal diagnosis who vows to take down the corrupt on his way out—but now that we’ve seen glimpses of it in action, it appears to be veering on noir, and that’s an exciting prospect. (I don’t expect it to actually be a straight noir, but I’d welcome a hint of it since it fits this premise so well.)

The newest teaser shows us a bit more of Jo Jae-hyun’s character as he is sworn in to his prosecutor general position pledging his service to his nation, wearing a righteous face that has an ugly flipside behind closed doors. Kim Rae-won plays a prosecutor in his mentor’s mold, cold and ambitious and definitely not above manipulating his position to achieve desired results.

In the clip, he proposes to “create an incident” of some kind—for political means, I’m sure—while Kim Ah-joong, his ex-wife, tells him that he wasn’t this kind of man originally. I presume she’s appealing to his better nature, which must be buried way, way (waaaaay) down below the cynical surface.

She alludes to some kind of mistake they’d made seven years ago, wishing they’d come clean then, but he cuts her off sharply. If a man who commits ten crimes gets pardoned, he asks caustically, why must HE quit his prosecutor job over one mistake? The captions remind us that justice has no place in their world, where power rules, and that life isn’t something that just happens to you, it’s something you earn through survival.

Then we see Kim Ah-joong and Kim Rae-won’s daughter get into a bus crash that kills her, while our hero undergoes a brain scan. And it’s when you hit rock bottom, the caption reminds us, that you must change the world.

It’s heavy stuff, and these actors look up to the task. I certainly hope Punch lives up to its hard-hitting name and delivers a knockout (couldn’t resist, sorry-not-sorry) story, since I’m in the mood for something dark and fierce. It’ll air on Mondays and Tuesdays beginning December 15.

Via My Daily

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1 a6a6joz

December 2, 2014 at 3:34 AM

cant wait!!!

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2 hannah

December 2, 2014 at 4:10 AM

Bring on dark! I absolutely love the noir genre so I hope the show heads that direction.

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3 Applebee

December 2, 2014 at 4:12 AM

Their emotions are potrayed well... can't wait to watch this!!! I LOVE Kim Rae Won ♡♡

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4 ChocoChip

December 2, 2014 at 4:14 AM

I am so ready for a new intense drama. It has this smart, sleek, and incredibly dark feel to it that I'm fully prepared to embrace.

P.S. Loved the knockout pun!

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5 mary

December 2, 2014 at 4:33 AM

Ohn Joo-wan! I forgot he's in this!

Getting more and more excited for this show. :)

*preparing teaaaaaaaaars*

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happymess

December 2, 2014 at 11:04 AM

That one pick of him was cute.

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museofmanymasks

December 2, 2014 at 1:27 PM

I know! I utterly adore him now. AGGHHH HIS SMILE!!

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6 Neyrie

December 2, 2014 at 4:51 AM

I am waiting with baited breathe for Kim Rae-won...
My goodness he is looking way way hot in this drama!!!

and Jo Jae-hyun! Yay! any projects of his always gives me 100% satisfaction!

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7 kellie

December 2, 2014 at 5:32 AM

Finally, at the end of the year, a k-drama to look forward to. Kim Rae-won turning in his boyish charm, looking like a noir guy with a death sentence on him? I can deal with that. I think SBS does the best crime thrillers so that's another plus.