Player (플레이어, Peulleieo) is a 2018 South Korean series starring Song Seung-heon, Krystal Jeong, Lee Si-eon and Tae Won-suk. It aired on OCN in September and November 2018.
A genius conman, an expert driver, a hacker and a fighter team up to solve crimes and track down money hidden away by criminals.
The series can be watched on Viki
with English subtitles, though it isn't available in some regions.
Not to be confused with the American series The Player or Players.
Contains examples of:
- Action Girl: A-ryeong holds her own in a fight against a villain. A villain armed with a baseball bat, no less.
- Affectionate Gesture to the Head: Ha-ri ruffles A-ryeong's hair.
- Amoral Attorney: Jin Yong-jun framed Ha-ri's father, got rich by taking bribes, and works with his clients to cover up their crimes.
- And the Adventure Continues: The series ends with A-ryeong rescuing the other three and the team speeding away from the police cars following them.
- Back-to-Back Badasses: A-ryeong and Jin-ung end up fighting back-to-back when the villains attack them in episode nine.
- Bavarian Fire Drill: This is one of Ha-ri's most-commonly-used tricks.
- He dresses as a security guard to get into the room where a group of gangsters have hidden their money.
- Ha-ri and A-ryeong dress as President Na's security guards, pick up bags full of his money, and walk out amidst the confusion caused by an alarm going off.
- Ha-ri gets Byeong-min to hack into a computer at Hwa Yang Corporation, then he and A-ryeong pretend they've been sent to fix the computer.
- Big Brother Instinct: Ha-ri, Jin-ung and Byeong-min all develop one for A-ryeong.
- The Big Guy / One-Man Army: Jin-ung. A crowd of gangsters are no match for him.
- Bookcase Passage: Seong-gu has a secret room hidden behind his bookcase.
- Boom, Headshot!: Chu Won-gi dies when he's shot in the head.
- Car Cushion: Su Ha-na lands on a car after her suicide.
- Con Man: Ha-ri is one of the Lovable Rogue variety.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive:
- Chairman Ji helps his son get away with rape and murder.
- President Na beats up his subordinates and owns an illegal fighting ring.
- Counterfeit Cash: Ha-ri and A-ryeong steal what they think is President Na's money. Then they discover all of the notes are counterfeit.
- Drives Like Crazy:
- Byeong-min drives recklessly while trying to evade the police. Jin-ung makes things worse by grabbing the steering wheel, making the van swerve back and forth.
- A-ryeong buys time for the other three to get away by driving her motorcycle right in front of the police cars.
- Jin-ung invokes this to make a criminal talk: the guy is duct-taped to the road, and Jin-ung speeds towards him to frighten him into confessing.
- Duct Tape for Everything: Ha-ri uses duct tape to tape a man to the road.
- Engineered Public Confession: President Na insults his wife when he thinks he and Ha-ri are alone. Unknown to him his wife is there too and hears everything he says.
- Epic Tracking Shot: Used several times. In episode four it's used as Ha-ri and A-ryeong break into a room full of money.
- Failed a Spot Check: Investigator Maeng calls In-gyu to tell him Ha-ri and the team have been captured. Behind him the team have just freed themselves and are in the middle of fighting his own men, but he doesn't notice a thing until Ha-ri steals his phone.
- Frame-Up: Hae-ju threatens to sue Kim Seong-jin. He retaliates by hiring detectives to plant drugs in her suitcase then has her arrested.
- Gratuitous English:
- Ha-ri's Catchphrase is "Okay".
- Byeong-min exclaims "My family!" in English when he meets up with Ha-ri and A-ryeong.
- Ha-ri says "Thank you" in English to President Na.
- The Guards Must Be Crazy: Invoked. Byeong-min sends a fake message to one guard telling him his wife is in labour. The guard immediately runs off. Ha-ri takes his place and convinces the remaining guard to leave.
- Head Desk: In-gyu hits his head repeatedly against a desk after an argument with another prosecutor.
- How We Got Here: Episode one starts with Ha-ri and co. outsmarting a money-launderer. Then it goes back to a month earlier.
- I Have Many Names: Ha-ri has at least three names: Kang Ha-ri, Steve Ha-ri Kang (the name on his American paperwork), and Choi Su-hyuk (his real name).
- Inadvertent Entrance Cue: Byeong-min yells at Ha-ri for inviting someone else, asking what he'll do if the newcomer turns out to be a prosecutor. The newcomer is Prosecutor Jang In-gyu, who walks in while Byeong-min is still talking. Byeong-min immediately freaks out
- I Take Offense to That Last One:
- Ji-hoon lists all the crimes Ha-ri and his team are accused of: identity theft, robbery, document theft, use of physical violence, and illegal computer use. Byeong-min immediately protests that he didn't use violence.
- Ha-ri objects when A-ryeong calls him a scammer.
- Jitter Cam: Used regularly throughout the series.
- Just Like Robin Hood: All of the team's targets are thoroughly unpleasant people who've avoided legal consequences for their actions, so the team step in to make them face some not-so-legal consequences.
- Karma Houdini Warranty: Seong-gu gets away with kidnapping and rape. Then Ha-ri and his team get involved, Seong-gu's crimes are publicly revealed, his escape attempt is foiled, and he's arrested.
- Karmic Thief: The team make a point of stealing from horrible people who deserve everything they get.
- Lovable Rogue: All of the team, but especially Ha-ri.
- Ma'am Shock: Ha-ri takes offense when A-ryeong calls him "ahjussi".
- Not so Dire: A-ryeong hears Byeong-min screaming and runs to help him. Then she finds he's playing a video game and he was just shocked by an unexpected obstacle.
- Parental Abandonment: A-ryeong grew up in an orphanage after her parents abandoned her.
- Real Men Wear Pink: Jin-ung is a One-Man Army who enjoys cooking and manicures.
- Refuge in Audacity: A group of gangsters walk in on Ha-ri while he's in the middle of robbing them. He reacts by... asking them to help him remove the money.
- Verbal Tic: Ha-ri often adds "okay" to his sentences.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: Byeong-min and Jin-ung regularly trade insults.
