The Squad 38 Hype Is Well Deserved

I'd heard a lot of brilliant things about Squad 38 before but never actually got around to watching it until about a week ago. OCN dramas can go two ways with me: 1) I love them so so much and want to talk about them forever (Tunnel, Black, plus some others I'm sure), or 2) they bore me out of my mind and I suffer through sixteen episodes just to say I've watched it. I was afraid this was going to be the latter, but thankfully, I actually ended up really enjoying it. Granted, it's not a new favorite or anything, but the cast and plot is so fun and exciting - pay your taxes, people! - and I never had to force myself through a boring episode or anything. Also I was totally craving some Seo In-guk; it's why I watched the drama, and he's such a brilliant actor that there was no way I could have possibly been disappointed.

The reason I was so hesitant to begin this one is because people kept saying there was no romance in it, and it's a rare day that I jump into a drama if there isn't at least five seconds of meaningful eye contact between two potential love interests. Luckily for me though, there were way more than five seconds. It always surprises me when people say there's no romance and then there is romance. We're watching the same drama, right? I will admit that there is very little romance — a few scenes sprinkled here and there, but they're very cute scenes. I definitely wouldn't watch this expecting a substantial romantic plot line, but there are moments between Seo In-guk and Sooyoung, the actress who plays the female lead, so if you just want that extra little oomph between conning rich people into paying their back taxes, then rest assured that it does exist.

Other than the cast of characters, the most brilliant aspect of this drama is how brilliantly the cons themselves are written. I swear you have to be a genius to write good con scenes, and this drama had so many of them. My one qualm is that although the cons themselves remained smart throughout the length of the drama, they did get a tad repetitive. As in after watching the cons for the first three quarters of Squad 38, it was relatively easy to predict what was actually happening in cons during the last quarter of the drama. The writer's main strategy seemed to be making it seem like one of the con artists got caught or betrayed their buddies, only for it to be revealed later that nah, Seo In-guk was on top of everything the whole time. It's thrilling the first few times it happens and you laud the writer for their wit, but as it keeps on happening it becomes less witty. It doesn't make Squad 38 any less enjoyable, but it would've been nice to see some actual low points for these characters. 

Unlike other dramas that people say are awesome and end up being the opposite of awesome - Hotel del Luna comes to mind - Squad 38 was a drama I genuinely enjoyed watching. I don't love it as much as some people do, but I went in solely for Seo In-guk and came out having witnessed beautiful friendships, fun character arcs, and a solid plot.