My Thoughts On "Argon"

Well, it's been time I did some backtrack watching on K-Drama that I didn't watch last decade or maybe I'll watch some old schools as far as 2000. Though as said, it's not about old school or new school - it's all about how good the plot and implementation are. The latest K-Drama I've watched is called Argon which was aired during the year of Ucchu Sentai Kyuranger. I'd really say that like Japanese entertainment - Korean entertainment is something I'm just casually a fan of. Now, how do I think of Argon as a K-Drama?

The plot of Argon has the late Kim Jo Hyuk filming as the main character. Sadly, Jo Hyuk died that same year of a car accident. The character Kim Baek Jin is a no-nonsense reporter who only cares about the facts and figures - not ratings. He's got a bad relationship with a rebel daughter and he's a single father. The other character that comes to mind is the newbie reporter Lee Yeon-Hwa who becomes a secondary antagonist and daughter figure to the main protagonist. Yeon-Hwa is a contractual worker and she's in the Argon team. Argon was demoted into a late-night show because they apologized for a misinformed report thus causing ratings to crash down. Their employer, HBC, is a multi-awarded organization that only cares about ratings.

HBC's corruption and their connections are part of what makes the show run. The main antagonist is Yo Myung Ho who is the report bureau chief. Myung Ho is very corrupt and only cares about ratings. Myung ho is always in cash with Baek Jin because of their principles. Myung Ho also falsely accuses Baek Jin of offenses the former is guilty of. What makes Myung Ho an interesting antagonist is that he pretends to be in the service of South Koreans while he's self-serving. He seems to be also a kingmaker of sorts affecting South Korean politics. The team is probably and rightfully named Argon because the element itself is taught to be used to protect metals such as the weld area and incandescent light bulbs from rusting. What's refreshing to see is that actor Lee Kyoung Young who acted as Samael in Vagabond and Chairman Lee in Strangers is a good guy here.

What's my beef about the show though? The show is too short for my taste. It just feels rushed with eight episodes. Sometimes, I feel 16 episodes isn't enough. Eight? Well, I really think it could've used eight more episodes or even reach up to 20 episodes. There are eight members in the team yet the focus seems to be on Jo Hyuk and Yeon-Hwa. It's almost like the short-lived Avengers: United We Stand cartoon where it just got rushed although the said show never reached a proper conclusion like this one did. I feel like that they could've tried to expand more on the web of corruption from business to politics but it was impossible given its budget.

However, it's still an interesting watch and I'd recommend it as a departure from the typical Koreanovela love stories.