If the ‘eccentric commanding officer takes over a precinct staffed with a diverse ragtag group of clumsy yet loveable detectives’ formula worked for the American sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine, how would it fare as a Korean series? Throw in some obvious inspiration from the 2019 South Korean box office hit Extreme Job, and you’ve got the answer in the form of Disney+’s latest crime-comedy, Seoul Busters.
You know you’re in for a ride as soon as you’re greeted with an opening sequence that feels like it was extracted directly from a kitschy ’90s kids show (think Ultraman or Power Rangers). We’re then introduced to the brilliant police officer, Dongbang Yu-bin (Kim Doong-wook). Despite being offered a lifetime faculty position in the US – amongst his long list of overwhelming achievements – he turns it down in favour of the specific request: to be assigned as the new leader of Songwon Police Station’s Violent Crime Team 2.
Meanwhile, members of the Violent Crime Team 2 are busy at a stakeout, still unaware of the impending change of leadership. As we watch the squad – Mu Jung-ryeok (Park Ji-hwan), a former national boxer with questionable intuition; Jeong Jeong-hwan (Seo Hyun-woo), a frugal kiss-ass and excellent shot; the blunt and hot-tempered Seo Min-seo (Park Se-wan); and the enthusiastically clueless Jang Tan-sik (Lee Seung Woo) – fumble in a painful spectacle, we begin to understand why they are the last-ranked squad with the lowest arrest rate in the county. The true battle, though, is fighting the unrelenting second-hand embarrassment as you witness the catastrophe unfold.
Lucky for Violent Crime Team 2, the arrival of their new captain, along with his reasoning and deductive genius contrasted by a peculiar sense of humour, is also the start of their antics-laden transformation to be the top squad in the nation. Throughout their journey as a team, it is a joy to witness the cast flex their talents as they flesh out their roles into dynamic and likeable characters – delivering jokes that could’ve easily fallen short or one-dimensional given the hyperbolic slapstick nature of the script.
The wheel that Seoul Busters does not try to reinvent takes a while even to start rolling, but when it does, an unmistakable charm oozes through the cracks of its relatively simple premise. Kim Doong-wook steals the show with his quirky, understated portrayal of Yu-bin. However, it must be said that Park Ji-hwan’s portrayal of Jung-ryeok’s gives Kim Doong-wook a run for his money every time he’s on screen, pulling off some of the most hilarious moments of the show with the ease of a seasoned veteran.
The script balances outlandish, campy humour with first-degree murders and police drama, owing much to the prowess and experience of co-screenwriters Lee Young-Chul (High Kick! series) and Lee Gwang-Jae (Potato Star 2013QR3). Standout moments that highlight this delicate balance include ridiculous parodic cutaways, visual metaphors that hit the punchline to a cackling home run and tender slice-of-life moments with surprising warmth.
At worst, Seoul Busters’ punchlines stumble if not crash with derivative gags and plot devices that feel all-too-convenient, alongside at times ambiguous background music choices that add to what can be a confusing viewing experience. But when everything does come together, the series delivers big laughs with witty dialogue and absurdity bolstered by the cast’s comedic sensibilities, all laid over intriguing mysteries.
Seoul Busters is out now on Disney+ internationally, as well as Hulu in the US.